Legends: The Folklore Trilogy Book 2

Chapter 12-Where Our Education Begins Again Via Scroll

It was sometime in the middle of lying on my back and staring upwards that I rolled onto my side and remembered that I had something in my pocket.

"Oh crap," I muttered, pulling out the parchment and the quill.

"What's that?" Isaac asked, sitting up.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Dr. Smith asked me to hold it when we got to school, and the first time I tried to return it, he was talking to Mr. Marquez, and then I kept forgetting."

"Nice job," Deynan muttered. I jumped. I thought he was asleep.

"Hey, listen, it's really light," I argued.

"What do you think it does?" Sierra asked.

I shrugged. "I don't think it DOES anything. I think it's just a normal paper and quill."

"Dr. Smith walking around with just a normal paper and quill for you to hold?" Audrey said, not even bothering to move. "I seriously doubt that."

The meaning of her words began to sink in. "You think...he gave it to me on purpose?"

She sat up. "It's possible. So, you gonna try it out?"

"Uh, sure." Trying to ignore how everyone was staring at me, I untied the golden thread and unrolled the parchment.

It was blank.

Audrey cocked an eyebrow. "Well, go ahead, write on it."

"But there's no ink," I said, flustered.

Deynan gave me a look. "It's called magic, Ravioli," he said slowly.

I glared at him, but raised the quill to the paper. I bit my lip. How do you write with a quill?

I touched it to the paper and made a small scratch. The ink was black and shimmered.

I looked up. Sierra nodded encouragingly.

"What do I write?" I asked, biting my lip again.

"Write hello," Sophie encouraged. "If it's a communication device, or advice, hello is probably a pretty safe bet."

I nodded, and hesitantly made another scratch. Then I crossed them and made an H.

I looked up.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Deynan exploded. "Write the dang word!"

I glared him. "Yeesh, ok." I finished writing it. The "O" was particularly hard, because it was curved. I sat back and looked at it. "HELLO." The "O" looked messy and jagged. I tried to suppress my slight OCD.

We stared at it, waiting for something to happen.

And then something did.

"Hello, Master Ravi. How may I be of assistance?" The writing was silver and glittery.

Sophie gasped in delight, Audrey grinned, and Sierra and Isaac clapped. Deynan just looked impressed.

"What do I write back?"

"Ask what it does, exactly," Sierra said. I bent down and wrote: "WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"I do a lot of things, first and foremost to give advice to my Master on his or her questions about the magical world and help him or her make difficult decisions. By the way, you'd write about one-third faster if you didn't write in all caps."

I wrinkled my nose and read it aloud. Sierra laughed. "Sassy little thing, aren't you?"

"What should I ask it?" I asked. The paper fluttered slightly.