The Currents of Magic

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Well that's it," said Ander, bursting into Meyer's room the following evening. "I'm taking matters into my own hands."

"What does that mean?" said Damian.

"First, Meyer's gloomy because of Jaeda, next Cade's busy all week reading books about memory magic, and now they've cancelled the the upcoming trip to Lampern. We're one calamity away from group depression!"

"Nobody is depressed," said Meyer.

"I've actually been having a decent week," said Damian.

"You're overreacting," said Cade.

Ander huffed across the room and threw himself down in the arm chair (Damian had quickly vacated the seat upon Ander's approach). "Don't tell me I'm overreacting," he said. "They canceled the trip to Lampern. You're underreacting!"

Cade looked up from the memory magic book he was reading. "Speaking of which, how did all of us miss the announcement that the Lampern trip was cancelled?"

"Maybe because Jebb didn't make an announcement," said Ander. "He just hung up a small bulletin in the Meeting House."

"Nobody uses the Meeting House," said Damian.

"Exactly," said Ander. "Planar Oaf thought that if he discretely cancelled the trip no one would notice. Idiot."

"That's too bad," said Meyer, who had been looking forward to the Lampern outing, though apparently not enough.

"Very bad," said Ander. "We need to plan something fun to lift our beleaguered spirits."

There was a brief silence, during which Meyer was worried Ander might throw something, but then Cade spoke, his tone complacent, as though his words were meant only to appease Ander.

"How about we climb the east tower in the High Manor tonight," he said.

"Sounds fun to me," said Meyer.

"Boring," said Ander.

"Come on," said Meyer, eager to placate Ander's zealtory. "It will be fun."

"We can go during the day," said Ander. "We're allowed to go then."

"Who would have thought?" said Cade. "Ander proposing we follow the rules."

Ander twisted in his chair, glaring at Cade. "Very funny," he said. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation about enjoying our youth, and you're busy with your stupid comments, which aren't even clever."

"What do you propose?" said Meyer, hoping there was still a chance to salvage the conversation from devolving into an insult match.

Ander cleared his throat. "Maybe we steal one of those two headed lion statues from the High Manor, grab a suit of armor from the garrison, and take that awful portrait of Jebb from his office. With a bit of enchanting we could impose Jebb's face of the suit of armor and stage the lions to look like they are chasing a fleeing Jebb. We could set it up in the dining hall. Everyone would love it."

"Enchanting a painted image onto a suit of armor would be very difficult," said Cade.

"Count me out," said Damian.

"Is there anything you would partake in?" said Ander.

"I'd be willing to try enchanting the armor," said Meyer, but already Ander seemed to have realized that his idea was unreasonable. The room fell back into silence, and Meyer returned his focus to the game of Astrix he had been playing against Damian before Ander barged into the room.