Not Gonna Die (A Skybrine Fanfic)

|Chapter 7| Signatures

          Seto ran his hand over the glass bottles that lined the shelf, noting how much of each ingredient there was in each of them before writing the names of a few in his notebook. He really was due to go out and gather some materials, he had been running low for quite some time and the young sorcerers needed to learn how to make potions. He gave a little sigh and glanced around the alchemy building. It was early in the day, one of the rare times when he was alone in the place.

          Slipping his notebook into his pocket, he went to another shelf and took down a heavy book. The cover was worn and it looked like it should have been thrown out years ago: the pages were cracked and crumpled and it was full of scribbles, but for being several generations old, it was doing rather well compared to most other spell books. Even so, Seto was in the process of copying down everything inside it into a newer book but for now, he put the heavy book on the table and flicked through it. It was full of so many things; information on spells next to instructions on how to make potions, and over the page a detailed diagram of some plant and its healing properties. It was almost impossible to find any specific information in it (another reason why Seto was rewriting it) but he had learnt in time where to find things.

          He was just flicking through pages detailing fire magic when the door to the building opened. In an instant, Seto snapped the book shut, his hand on the back cover, his head turned to the door. Ian had flinched at the loud bang of the book shutting and he stayed in the door frame, one hand holding the door open, his eyes wide like he had just accidentally interrupted some sort of sacred ceremony.

          "Are you okay?" Seto asked, holding back laughter with a little difficulty.

          Ian shook his head. "Oh yeah. Um, the gang has come back from the Snow Strikers, Ty wants us all to meet in the common room in ten."

          "Got it," Seto said, picking up his spell book.

          It took longer than you would think for all of them to arrive in the common room. Jerome had to finish up with the squad training and Jason had one of his infamously long showers and Mitch was eating and no one could find Adam for ages until someone finally thought to check the watchtower, where they saw he had been chatting to several of the guards for who knows how long. Eventually, they all made it to the common room from which the corridors leading to their private rooms branched off.

          "So how was the trip?" Adam asked when he had closed the door behind him.

          "Cold, but amazing," Mitch said. "The Snow Strikers' base is very well camouflaged, concealed in a clump of mini mountains. They've got controlled fire pits indoors and their hot chocolates are the best. And his new name is Husky." At this last comment, Mitch pointed to Quentin with a grin.

          "Oh my goodness Mitch, just let that go!" Quentin said in an exasperated tone.

          "Did everything go well with the treaty?" Ian asked before any follow-up comments could be made.

          "Yup," Jason said, his hair still damp from his shower. "It's just the standard treaty with the addition that we go help them if they need help in a battle and visa versa."

          "We don't get into battles," Adam said with a frown.

          "I know, but she raised the point that we're going to get lords who come for a fight." Jason shrugged. "We're unlikely to ever need help if that happens, but Queen Anne insisted."

          "So all that we need now is to all head up, sign, and come home," Quentin summarised.

          "When's that happening?" Jerome asked.