The Halfing Academy (A Curse of the Seventh Sword FanFic)

Chapter Three

The wizard, Matilom walked into the Phylethian castle, dressed in a long black coat and grey pants. He held a wooden staff in his right hand, and a bright crystal ball which illuminated his facial features was suspended just above his left hand. His frizzy black beard was held together by a weave, increasing the mysterious appeal of his appearance.

As he walked past the brightly illuminated hallways, guards and castle staff alike stared at him in awe. The suspended crystal ball above his right hand received the most spectator-ship, regardless of the repeated sounds made by his wooden staff on the castle floor.

A huge double door opened and Matilom walked inside. He was greeted by Baximus who gave him a welcome nod.

"Your Majesty." Matilom showed his respect to king Vidor, bowing his cloak covered head.

"It is always good to see you, my friend." The king replied.

"Have you found a way to defeat the aging process, Baximus. Seven years and you look just the same!" Matilom smiled at Baximus.

"Lady Lynda, the goddess of life must have favored me." He replied, returning Matilom's smile.

"Aye!" The wizard replied, nodding knowingly.

Matilom had always theorized that Baximus was being favored by the goddess of life, for the sacrifice he made for little Davydd. Baximus knew his defense would be futile against convincing the wizard, and concurred every time he raised the issue.

"Matilom, we need you to send Davydd somewhere." The king spoke up.

"As you wish, your Majesty. Where is his destination?" The wizard asked.

"The Halfing Academy." King Vidor replied.

"The Halfing Academy?" Matilom raised an eyebrow. "Will that not reveal the boy's true identity? Everyone there knows the portal only opens to the blood of royals. Even if a royal opens it up, the hallway guards will strike down any intruder without royal or godly lineage. If Davydd makes it through, wouldn't that raise suspicion?"

"Your concerns are appropriate, Matilom... and they have been well thought through. However, the boy needs to leave. Angwelethian spies are at the Phylethian borders in search of him as we speak, accompanied by a few blenders. They will pick up his scent if we don't send him away as quickly as possible. You know that both king Sidion and the Dragol have something in common as regards Davydd, and that is to put him to death. His death will erase the Miljorn bloodline, which achieves their selfish goals. However, you must remember the prophecy. Davydd must be kept alive if we want any chance of surviving the next Dragolian attack." King Vidor replied.

Matilom gave him a knowing nod and looked around the room. He spotted the concern on Baximus's face and gave him a reassuring nod as well.

"We will open the portal with my blood." King Vidor continued. "That should keep his identity a secret. For the hallway guards, we will give Davydd a parchment of my blood to carry as a seal. To everyone, the seal of royal blood will be his passport to the academy. No one will question why the hallway guards spared him."

"Very well, your Majesty. You seem to have this very well planned out. Where is the boy?" Matilom asked.

As if planned, the double doors opened and two guards escorted Davydd in. 

"Father!!!" The young lad ran into Baximus's arms with a bright grin on his face.

Baximus wrapped his hands around the boy, hugging him tight.

"Happy Birthday, son."

"Thank you, father." Davydd replied.

"Your Majesty." Davydd bowed to the king.

He looked at Matilom with curiosity written all over his face. His eyes settled on Matilom's suspended crystal ball and they widened in awe.

"Wow!"

"Son, this is the wizard Matilom." Baximus introduced him.

"He's real?" Davydd asked, wide-eyed.

Baximus smiled.

"Yes, son. He is."

"Hello, Davydd." Matilom smiled at the boy. "It is impossible to deny the striking resemblance you bear to your father."

The words had left Matilom's lips before he caught himself. Davydd was an exact replica of King Rikard and it was clear the Angwelethian spies didn't need the blenders to identify him. Anyone who had seen the king would know Davydd was sired by his blood.

 Both Baximus and king Vidor gave Matilom a cautious look, but it was lost on little Davydd. He didn't catch the slip. He just turned to the man he knew as his father and grinned.

"Son, Matilom is here to send you off to school." Baximus addressed Davydd.

"Okay... Now? It's my birthday." Davydd protested.

"Yes, son. I know. But king Vidor is doing us a huge favor. This school only takes students at the turn of their thirteenth birthday." Baximus replied.

Davydd gave him a skeptical look.

"What school?" He asked.

"The Halfing Academy." King Vidor replied.

"It's real?" Davydd gasped, with a shocked expression on his face.

"You know about it?" Baximus asked, perplexed.

"I've heard whispers around the castle. I didn't dare believe them. Such a place cannot really exist, can it, father?" Davydd asked.

"Well, I don't know what the rumors say but The Halfing Academy surely exists." King Vidor cut in, smiling at Davydd. "My son, Orlando goes there."

Davydd looked at king Vidor, then at Matilom before looking back at Baximus.

"I don't want to go now, father. I want to spend the rest of my birthday with you." He said, clutching on to Baximus's legs.

"I know, son." Baximus smiled, fighting back his tears. "I even had a small party for you back at our chambers. But we'll have other birthdays to spend together. I promise. Going to The Halfing Academy is a huge opportunity for you and for me. My son will be raised as a king in waiting, instead of a blacksmith in waiting. You will be able to provide me with the comfortable life you talk about all the time." 

Davydd saw the enthusiasm on his father's face and believed going to The Halfing Academy was a good idea. However, he knew the place was a myth. It didn't really exist.

"If I go and find out it's not really The Halfing Academy, I'm coming back!" He protested.

"You have a deal, son." Baximus smiled.

"Ah... He is much wiser than his age." King Vidor smiled.

"I'm not surprised." Matilom replied, smiling back at the king.

For Matilom, looking at the boy brought back fond memories. He remembered king Rikard in his youth and a sad smile etched itself on his face.

"Let us begin, Matilom. We do not have much time." King Vidor's voice brought Matilom back from his trip down memory lane.

"Of course."

The suspended crystal ball above Matilom's left hand began to turn around slowly, and a circle of white smoke enveloped it. A few seconds later, three other circles of white smoke formed around the crystalball, interchanging positions with the initial circle. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Matilom muttered a few incantations under his breath. As he read out each one, the smoke circles around his suspended crystal ball spun around faster. The men in the room stared in silence, while little Davydd gasped in surprise. 

Matilom's eyes shot open after a few seconds and a bright golden circle could be seen around his eyeballs. He turned around to king Vidor and looked at him through his golden eyes.

"Let us begin."