The Miscreants of Xiphoid Camp [NOT UPDATING CURRENTLY]

» 2130 « Chapter 7 - And James Nairn makes six

Bradley jogged up to Avior and Marcus, grinning widely. "There you two are! We've been looking everywhere for you! Did you find anything good?"

"Yeah," Avior said. He loosened his hold on the scroll the magician in the mansion had given him and held it up. "This was inside a hollowed-out log," he lied, unfurling to discover that it was completely blank. He had to think of another lie. "We—" he jabbed Marcus sharply with his elbow—"think it might be invisible ink,"

"Interesting!" Bradley declared. "And really lucky for us. We didn't find anything." He turned and shouted, "guys! These two found something! We can go back now!"

Avior jabbed Marcus again. "Hey," he whispered. "What's your problem?"

Marcus had been standing still, looking entirely dazed and confused. He jolted. "Don't do that!" he snapped, rubbing his arm.

"Don't do what?" Avior asked, blinking innocently.

In what felt like no time at all, the five of them were standing before Caryn as she examined the scroll.

"Remind me, which of you found this? And where was it?" she asked.

"I found it in a hollow log," Avior said. Marcus didn't deserve any credit. All he had done was stand—or float—there and look scared.

Caryn pushed up her glasses and held the scroll up to the light. "And you say it's invisible ink?"

"Why else would it be blank?" Avior said. He knew there wasn't anything written on it. The magician probably just couldn't think of anything mysterious enough to put on it.

Caryn rolled the scroll back up and dropped it into a drawer in her desk. "You five are free to go," she said. "Stop by the Extreme Office for Misbehavation on your way out. Mr. Finch wants to talk to you,"

Ugh. Fred Finch was intolerable. Avior hoped he wasn't in trouble. He reluctantly followed behind the others across the main office and into the Extreme Office for Misbehavation. Last time he was there, he thought idly, Fred Finch had been mortified and panicked as he explained the concept of demons to Avior and Marcus.

Unfortunately, Fred Finch seemed to be in much higher spirits now that the sun was up and he had had time to think about what he had done. He smiled widely and stood up when they walked in. "Excellent! Hello, boys!" he said.

"Hi!" Bradley said cheerfully. "Caryn said you wanted to see us?" Of course Bradley would be glad to see Fred Finch. Queer birds flocked together.

"Yes, yes! I have exciting news! You—" he pointed at Avior, horrifyingly—"are going to finally meet your bunkmate! The sixth and final member of Tertius is BACK!"

"He's back? OH MY GOSH, JAMES IS BACK!" Bradley dashed out of the office, Todd on his heels. Bewildered, Avior, Marcus and Nicolas followed. Bradley turned so that he was running backwards. "I FORGOT YOU THREE HAVEN'T MET JAMES!" he yelled. "YOU'RE GONNA LOVE HIM! HE'S GREAT!"

He reached the front steps of their cabin and stumbled backward into them, regained his footing, leapt up onto the porch, and burst through the door to Tertius.

"JAMES!" he and Todd yelled in unison.

A tall, red-haired boy jumped out of the bunk above Avior's, grinning like he wanted to split his cheeks in half.

"WELL, I'LL BE DAMNED! IT'S BRADLEY AND TODD!" he yelled.

The first thing Avior noticed about James was that he had a long, jagged scar cutting across his face, and a smaller, similar one on his neck. Interesting. Nobody else at Xiphoid had scars like that, though Avior never really looked anyone in the face unless he had to. Maybe it had something to do with demons. Did demons attack people? Avior didn't know. he supposed they did, if they were as evil as everyone said they were.