Missing Wizard - NaNoWriMo 2016

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

When the waitress came back two minutes later, we hadn't moved. We were too scared to. The people in this place are very scary looking and they all take turns to glare at us or size us up like they are seeing if they'd win in a fight.

We would win, in case you were wondering.

"He wants to see you," she said through clenched teeth. "Please follow me."

Tela smirked as the lady led us through the kitchen doors. The three chefs in there stopped what they were doing to look at us as if we were the most exciting thing they'd see all day. Past the kitchen was another door that opened into a hallway. We followed the lady down the hallway and to a dark door with no markings on it.

The waitress opened the door and ushered us in faster than we were expecting. We all ran into each other and almost fell over onto the floor of the dark room.

Tela was the first to compose herself and she practically hurled herself at one of the men sitting at the table. "Uncle Clyde!"

"Tela my dear!" The man hugged her back with a large smile on his face. "It is you!"

I looked at Ashley then to the waitress lady. Ashely was smiling, the waitress was frowning. Guess she's pretty mad that 'us kids' told the truth.

The waitress closed the door as she left and I suddenly felt very awkward. There had to be at least ten men and women in here and they all looked very scary. What kind of stuff does Tela's family get into?

When she was finished hugging her Uncle she finally turned to us, "Uncle Clyde, these are my friends. Ashley, she's a Warrior, and Eve, she's a Wizard. Actually I'm her mentor at school."

"You're obviously not at school," he raised an eyebrow at her. "But it is very nice to meet your friends."

Tela smiled at him, "we're on a quest."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, "what kind of quest?"

Tela opened her mouth to answer him but then slammed it shut. She looked over the table of people who were watching us very closely. I didn't trust them and guessing from Tela's reaction, she didn't trust them either. Good. We're on the same page.

"It's kind of a secret," Tela smiled at her Uncle. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something but she cut him odd. "I know you're going to say that you trust the people in this room and I trust them too but this isn't my secret to tell. To be honest its not even my quest. If it was up to the person's who quest this is, I don't think I'd be here."

Her Uncle looked at Ashley and I and we both leaned a little backwards. He was very scary when he looked at us like that. "Who's quest is it?"

We were both very still before I stuck up my hand. "It's my quest."

He narrowed his eyes and me and I just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Oh c'mon Eve, you're going to have to face the Dark Elves eventually, this is nothing compared to them. Just a grumpy old man.

"Why would you not have my sweet niece on your quest with you?"

My heart sunk down to my feet. "Well, she lost my trust."

He scrunched his eyebrows and stood up from the table. "Tela is trustworthy, how could she ever become untrustworthy to you?"

I straightened my posture and Tela sucked in a breath. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ashley move her hand slowly towards he backpack.

"When she failed to tell me information more than once. Important information that could help with the quest and saving many lives." I waited for a second then continued, "and for all of this to work out I need every bit of information. For example," I turned to Ashley, "did you know Tela has an Uncle?"

Ashley slowly shook her head.

I continued, "and did you know that she knew anyone here on Pasholla?"

Ashley slowly shook her head again.

I looked back to Tela and her Uncle and gave them a small smile, "I'm glad she's on this quest but if she ever wants to earn my trust again then she's going to have to work twice as hard now."

"Eve," Ashley said low as if she was warning me.

I turned back to Ashely, "I'm only telling the truth." She stared at me for a long minute and I continued again, "now that I've pointed it out, you're seeing it too."

Ashley clenched her teeth, "Eve stop this."

I rolled my eyes, "can we please just get out of here then."

Tela and Ashley stared at each other for a long moment before Ashley grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room.

"What?" I snapped when the door closed behind us.

"You are impossible!" She whisper-shouted.

"You know I'm telling the truth," I fired back at her.

"I know!" She groaned and ran her hands through her hair, "that's what I'm so mad about."

I smirked a little to myself but then the door we had just came through opened up again. It was Tela's Uncle, he looked pissed. "Young ladies, please follow me upstairs to my office. We all need to have a chat."

Tela was right behind him. Ashley followed Tela and I followed Ashley.

Up stairs was pretty much the same. Dimly lit and very scary looking people sitting in random places all over. Up another staircase there was a hallway with one door at the end. We followed Mr. Stone into that room.

The room had a desk at the far end and six large chairs all in a circle closer to us. Maybe meant for meetings that are a bit more personal. Like this one.

He gestured for us all to have a seat then sat himself in the chair closest to the door. This room has no windows, so that's the only way out. He probably doesn't want us to run out of here in the middle of the meeting. How convenient for him.

"Ladies," he started once we all sat down, "now what is this quest about? What's so important that it brought you all out here?"

Tela looked at me, a little sadly but mostly just for permission.

I rolled umps sleeve and held out my arm so he could see Spitz. He watched my face for a second then turned his gaze down to my arm. Just like every other reaction I've seen, his eyes went wide and he looked back up at me with surprise.

"Dragon Wizard," he whispered.

I nodded, "yes, now you see why it's a secret."

He slowly nodded his head and looked over to Tela, "does this mean war is coming?"

Tela nodded her head and they both looked at each other sadly. "We've seen one Dark Elf," she told him while trying to not make any eye contact with her Uncle. "Back when we were still at school, kind of. At Eve's old school on Earth. They captured her but she got away."

Tela froze up and Ashley continued for her, "we think that she might be following us." Tela looked very grateful that Ashley was finishing for her, "well her or maybe another Dark Elf or two. We've been followed ever since we ditched the space ship we stole when we left school."

"You stole a space ship?" He seemed more impressed with this information than he should have been.

Tela rolled her eyes, "more like borrowed. We sent them a message to where they could find it when we abandoned it."

He smiled at his niece, "you're doing great!"