Rupert looked up at him. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
Chapter 63
The hole in reality had opened onto a grassy plain. This was not, Gastropé thought, what he would have pictured Freehold to look like. It did not, however, take him long to realize that the demon had not deceived them. To the not too distant north was a large number of lights. These lights appeared to be coming from a very large city. It was hard to make out, but the city appeared to have a wall around it, and the lights were from a few large structures that were higher than the walls. It must be most impressive in the daylight Gastropé decided.
He turned around as Jenn eventually came through the hole. The hole itself was a ring of fire in midair which gave off a not inconsiderable amount of light. In this light, Jenn appeared extremely hesitant about being there. “What’s the matter Jenn?” Gastropé asked.
“Rupert. He wasn’t in the cave. He’d wandered off and we couldn’t find him to bring him through.” Gastropé cursed softly to himself. That was all they needed.
“What are we going to do?” he asked the group.
“Edwyrd said he’d stay and search for him. I wanted too, but he insisted I wouldn’t be able to go outside, but that he could. I hope I did the right thing by agreeing.” Jenn said, almost to tears.
“You did, child,” Maelen came and put an arm around her. “The heat of the Abyss would be too much for any cantrip. However, what Edwyrd and Rupert were using would be strong enough.”
“You’re sure?” she asked looking up into his eyes.
“Very sure. Edwyrd is a first class animage and young Rupert is not completely unskilled.” Maelen assured her. “They’re using the same discipline I did. Works like a charm.” He smiled reassuringly at Jenn.
“Edwyrd definitely is a good animage then?” Jenn’s mind seemed to be wandering; she was obviously distracted with fear for Rupert. “But wait! Rupert’s not an animage! He’s a novitiate wizard! He wouldn’t know any animage stuff.”
Maelen blinked in the dark, surprise showing in his voice. “You’re sure? I wouldn’t have guessed that. I read him when I met him. His aura was similar to Edwyrd’s. Edwyrd’s is unmistakably that of an animage, and while Rupert’s is not clearly that of an animage, it was similar enough in other ways to Edwyrd’s that I assumed he was a student of Edwyrd’s. Despite what they’d claimed. I suppose he could have been a novitiate wizard. It’s really hard to tell when a person is just starting to control mana, how they do it.” He scratched his head.
“I’m very certain. He was at Lenamare’s school. We mentioned that in our story. I even taught him many of his lessons.” Jenn said.
Maelen shrugged, “Fine, I could certainly have been confused by other parts of their auras. They definitely have something in common. I’m just not sure what then.” Gastropé noticed Tizzy hopping up and down on his four feet as if he were bursting with some secret he couldn’t tell. His cheeks were bulging around his pipe that had somehow reappeared in his mouth with smoke puffing out of it. Gastropé just shook his head at the crazy demon.
Gastropé broke in at this point. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Remember how Edwyrd said he’d maintain Rupert’s protection in the Abyss? Rupert therefore has the same protection as Edwyrd.”
“Even better!” Maelen exclaimed to Jenn. “In order to protect Rupert, Edwyrd has to have a link to the boy. That link will allow him to trace the boy’s whereabouts with no problem.”
At this point Jenn noticed the hopping demon. She glared at him and snapped, “What is it?”
“Can’t tell.” The demon blurted as he pulled his pipe from his mouth releasing a huge cloud of smoke, which quickly engulfed them. Maelen wrinkled his nose, sniffed a few times and got a thoughtful look on his face.
“What do you mean you can’t tell?” Jenn demanded, waving her hand to get rid of the funny smelling smoke.
“I mean I can’t tell.”
“Demon,” Jenn warned, “don’t try my patience. What can’t you tell?”
“Nothing, forget it. I can’t tell.”
“Tizzy.” This time Maelen was looking the demon straight in the eyes. “If you know something that will affect the boy, you’d better tell us.”
“Can’t. They wouldn’t like me telling you.”
“Who wouldn’t like you telling us?” Gastropé asked.
“Edwyrd and Rupert.” Tizzy hopped in a circle around them.
“Are you telling me you know what’s so similar about their auras?” Maelen demanded. Tizzy just smiled and nodded.
“Then tell us!” Jenn shouted.
“Nope. Shouldn’t have said anything. Sorry, forget it.” The demon kept prancing.
“Demon,” Gastropé said in his most persuasive voice. “If you want us to keep liking you, you’ll tell us.”
That stopped Tizzy in his tracks. He looked quizzically at Gastropé. “You telling me you like me?”
“Yes he is, Tizzy,” Maelen said, picking up on Gastropé’s idea. “We do. You’re really one of the nicest demons we’ve ever met. You’re good company, fun to be with.”
“Really?” Tizzy asked, trying to decide if they were teasing him.
“Certainly.” Gastropé said. “Further, if it hadn’t been for you flying all the way here, we’d have never escaped from the Rod. You’ve really helped us. So why wouldn’t we like you?” Jenn was staring back and forth between the two men as if she thought they’d both completely gone off a mental cliff together.
Tizzy smiled and looked down at the ground. “Well, that is true. I didn’t have to do that.”
“No you didn’t, and we really appreciate your doing so.” Maelen told Tizzy.
“Would you say you’re my friends?” Tizzy asked.
“We’d like to be.” Gastropé said carefully, “but friends don’t keep important secrets from each other. Especially if not telling those secrets could hurt other friends.”
Tizzy shrugged slightly, “I’ve never had no friends except Boggy and Tom, and Antefalken, oh and Rupert of course.”
“We’d like to think of you as our friends.” Maelen said very seriously.
“Well,” Tizzy admitted, “I suppose I could tell you the big thing.”
“Please Tizzy, it’s very important.” Gastropé’ said.
“Well, OK then!” Tizzy said brightly, “but if you’re my friends and I do this for you, you’ve got to promise to help me someday if I need it!”
“Certainly.” Gastropé assured the demon. “You have my word on it.”
“Mine too.” Maelen said. Tizzy looked at Jenn, twisting his head to see what her answer would be. Maelen nudged her in the back.
“Ugghhh. You people. If that’s how it’s got to be... then you have mine as well, demon.” Jenn finally said.
“Good!” Tizzy shouted, dancing again. “Edwyrd...” Tizzy drawled.
“Yes?” Gastropé urged.
“Is Rupert’s father!” Tizzy announced loudly.
“What!” Jenn screeched. “All that nonsense for that garbage!” She sounded mad. “How do you expect us to believe that! Edwyrd is Rupert’s cousin. There is no way Edwyrd could be old enough to be Rupert’s father. You’re crazy, demon!”
Gastropé felt almost the same way. Maelen on the other hand was looking thoughtful, stroking his chin. Tizzy just looked at Jenn, smiling, not caring what she believed. “Hold off, Jenn.” Maelen admonished her. “It may not be impossible. I’d really been wondering how anyone so young could be as well trained and skilled as Edwyrd. Now it makes more sense. “