The Seventh Secret

Chapter 7: The Dune Slide

"Only because they're the guardians," Lizzie said as Rhiassa stared at her. "The guardians are an elite group of children who are appointed to guard the witch's library and protect it from anyone who tries to enter it and steal its secrets."

"What's in the witch's library? "Rhiassa said, as she clearly wasn't letting it go.

"No one knows," said Andrew. "Some claim that the witch's bones are buried there. Others claim that her relics are there as well. We don't know, since we're not allowed to be in the library."

"You're not allowed to---what now?" Rhiassa said as she stared at the slide. It was enormous with twists and turns, and rounded corners. The end was a pool filled with sand. The sand piled so high that it covered the entire slide.

This was the Dune Slide.

Ararenus gasped as he looked up and saw Rhiassa staring at the slide. He said, "Now do you understand why they call it the Dune Slide?"

"How did the sand get in here?" said Nevyn.

"When Greywyn killed the witch, he cast a spell that filled the room with sand and crushed everything in its path," Ararenus said. "When the spell ended, he threw anything that survived, including the witch's bones, into a fire which destroyed the castle. Graywyn couldn't get rid of the sand, so he had the room closed until several years after his death."

"What did you say?" Rhiassa yelled, but someone pushed her from behind. She found herself sliding down the slide because she didn't pick up a rug at the beginning of the slide. Rhiassa screamed louder than she did when she went on the Evolution Slide, which was in Namatius's central park. That roller coaster was one of the longest rides in the world, spanning the entire length of the park, which was twice as large as New York's Central Park had once been.

She went over twists and turns, around corners, and through tunnels, eventually landing in the pit. The pit was where the sand was first created, and it was all sealed with a spell. No one knew how or why the sand expanded and took over the room.

Ararenus and Nevyn ran to the bottom of the slide and retrieved Rhiassa. She was exhausted, but she would be okay. Her clothes, however, were overflowing with sand. Ararenus cast a spell that removed the sand from Rhiassa's clothes and then said to her, "Now you know why students spend a lot of time here. Many of them come to slide down the Dune Slide. A running phrase is that you're not a true Greywyn student until you go on the Dune Slide.

"Really?" Rhiassa said with disbelief. "You're not a true Greywyn student until you go on the Dune Slide? Who made up that rule?"

"Now you know," said Ararenus. "Now, shall we continue the tour, or should we allow Nevyn to have a turn on the slide?"

"I think I'll pass," Nevyn said as he left the room.

"Suit yourself," said Ararenus. "But remember, you're not a true Greywyn student until you've slid down the Dune Slide."

He took Rhiassa to Brother Leo Brand, who said to her, "You're brave to go on the slide here on your first day. Few first-year students would do that; they usually go on the slide several months after coming here."

"Well, I wanted to look at the slide and find out why they call it the Dune Slide," said Rhiassa. "I never meant to actually go for it."

"Now you know the truth about the slide," said Brother Leo. "This room has a painful past, but the future is brighter because of the students here."

"We must be on our way," said Ararenus. "One of my students has run off and we don't know where he went. We shall return here soon."

"As you will, Ararenus," Leo said as Ararenus and Rhiassa left the room.

Nevyn left the Sky Room and sat in a nearby room. He was ashamed of himself. How could he watch the other children having fun when he wasn't allowed to join? He remembered his brother Trevor, and how he was never allowed to play outside as a child because of Trevor's disability.

Ararenus had accused him of being too serious and not having fun at all. If only Ararenus knew the truth, he thought while sitting in the corner of the room. What is wrong with my life? Am I too serious? He thought about what Ararenus had said about him being too old for the Greywyn Academy, and he had determined that Ararenus was right. Nevyn was too old for Greywyn, and he should have been sent back home when he first showed up to Greywyn.

Nevyn remembered Brother Skefan and why he could not return to Ebis. Once the school has chosen you, you can't go home again, he thought. Aciakyla saw him and said, "Human boy, you are unhappy here. Why are you unhappy?"

"I don't think I belong here," said Nevyn.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, human boy," said Aciakyla. "When you signed your name on that contract, you gave up your previous life. You can't go back home, wherever that is, so you must stay here." She stared at him, saying, "The school did not make a mistake; you're meant to be here."

"Why do you say that?" said Nevyn.

"I know you've been deprived of a good childhood, and you've been forced to give up everything so your brother could have a good life, but that's why you're here," Aciakyla said. "You grew up too fast and you're filled with needless anger. I hate to tell you this, but your brother is the primary cause of your unhappiness."

"No, that's not true," said Nevyn. "Trevor is a good kid; he would never hurt me."

"He's not a good person if he deprives you of the right to live your own life," said Aciakyla. "When you were a child, your mother didn't let you play outside and didn't pay any attention to your needs, and your father refused to let you participate in sports. You grew up a strange child, pushed away from your family, and not allowed to cry for help, as you would have been sent to the orphanage and your brother and parents would have been put to death. It's a wonder you don't allow the magic of the Greywyn Academy to sweep over you, and you don't want to see the wonderful things of our world."

"I'm sure he'll learn to appreciate this place soon," said Ararenus as he came back with Rhiassa. "For now, we must continue with the tour of the school. There are classrooms for them to see and they'll see their new dorms. There's also the library, where they'll learn its secrets. Not to worry, more of his personality will reveal itself as time goes on. As you were."

He took Rhiassa and Nevyn and they continued down the hall. Nevyn shook his head, hoping that he wouldn't slip up and reveal more of his past. Nonetheless, he knew that to fit in at Greywyn Academy, he needed to be like the other students. He was already too old for the school. In normal circumstances, most people would hesitate to befriend him. That was all right with him, as he already had a few friends.

Yet when Nevyn saw Rhiassa and how she willingly went on the Dune Slide despite her own doubts, he grew jealous at her carefree attitude and pleasant approach to life. What was she, an orphan comfortable with her sad life when she should be wishing she had parents? He began wondering why he was unhappy that he had parents in the first place.

Rhiassa stared at him, saying, "Nevyn, what are you doing?"

"What?" Nevyn cried as Ararenus also stared at him. "We must be going now," said Ararenus. "There's more that we must see. I have also received word that Brother Skefan wants to meet with you tonight and discuss what you've seen and heard today. He believes that you will face your destiny sooner than you think."

Rhiassa and Nevyn frowned as Ararenus took them to a hall where the classrooms were located. They realized that the library was located next to the hall. The library that would be their destiny was just around the corner...