The Fear Of Death Confounds Me: A Wizard101 Novel

Digging up the past

This story takes place sometime during the beginning of the book, during the time where Emily was trying to rid the corruption that had spread throughout Wizard City.

I had spent the last few months adjusting to life as a wizard quite nicely, with the exception of one thing. Malorn Ashthorn. He's so closed off and cold, like a puzzle just waiting to be solved, and while he acts less cold towards me than others, for reasons that I still cannot discern, it's disconcerting to me, knowing that someone could possibly be more closed off than I. So I'd made it a personal mission of mine, to get Malorn to open up, and what's the easiest way to get someone to spill their deepest darkest desires? One word...Alcohol.

"Next round's on me you guys." I got up to walk towards the bar, ordering a round of shots for all of us, before walking back to the table with our drinks. I slid into the booth, directly in front of one stoic Malorn, placing a shot glass right in front of him, before grabbing one for myself off the tray. "Bottom's up, Ashthorn."

The others cheered as he downed the shot without so much as a word, wincing a little as the tequila burned down his throat. He slammed his shot glass on the table before raising his eyebrow at me, expectantly. I sighed as I downed my shot with equal bad-assery. I got a similar reaction from our friends, who were all just on the verge of being hammered. The others broke off into little side conversations, drinking while conversing. While I was trying to get Malorn to spill his heart out.

"There's something that's bugging me."

"Enlighten me."

"How'd you get good enough to be a professor?"

He shrugged, not letting any emotion crawl to his face.

"Wasn't that hard."

Not much to go on.

"Oh come on, there has to be a reason why they chose you?"

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Didn't we have this conversation, Em?"

"Yes, but without actual answers."

He smirked at me.

"What so 'I'm the best.' Didn't satiate your curiosity enough?

"...Take a wild guess."

He shrugged, fixing me with his stoic expression, leaving me exasperated. Luckily, this didn't escape Andrea's attention as she spoke at a high enough decibel for all of us to hear, breaking through all of the side conversations.

"Let's play a drinking game!"

She shot me a knowing smile, as I realized what she was up to. I silently mouthed a thank you to her, as she got us a bottle of tequila and shot glasses. She distributed the shot glasses among us and filled all of them to the brim with the clear liquid. Nolan looked at Andrea with narrowed eyes.

"What drinking game are you going to debase us with this time, Andy?"

She simply smirked.

"Never have I ever..." she trailed off, brain searching for something clever, before her face lit up in mirth, facing Nolan. "Had a drink thrown in my face...twice in the same night."

Nolan shot her a mock poisonous look.

"You're evil, Ambrose."  He downed his shot in one go, shaking his head after setting the glass down. "Alright, my turn. Never have I ever..." he turned to Duncan with a sly grin. "Injured someone I was crushing on."

Duncan downed his shot, causing me to turn to him in confusion.

"How did that happen?"

Duncan sighed, his brown eyes glimmering as a faraway expression fell on his face.