The Currents of Magic

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"I still can't believe it," said Ander as they walked through the trees. "Secret passages out of the Dale, and I never knew about them."

"I wouldn't be so sure about passages," said Damian, leading the way forward. "I only know about a single tunnel."

Ander shook his head dismissively. "I know how these things work," he said. "If there is one secret tunnel, there are sure to be more."

"That could be the worst logic I've ever heard," said Cade.

Meyer said nothing, only half listening to his friends. Ever since Damian's reintegration into their cadre, there seemed to have been an increased lightheartedness among them, and while in many situations Meyer acquiesced to the uplifting spirit, practicing self-levitation charms with Damian or challenging him to games of Astrix, at the moment his mind was on the task ahead of them.

For the past week he and his friends had plotted their escape from the Dale, and with the weekend finally arrived their plan was finally in action. At breakfast Damian had convinced Liam and Dirk to head off any Planar looking for them, and just after lunch Ander and Cade had returned from the High Manor with the ring. Now they needed only to slip free of the Dale.

As they walked through the woods, Meyer fingered the cold metal band resting in the bottom of his pocket. He would finally have answers. The thought alone was uplifting, and he felt a soothing calm, even as his pulse beat with anticipation.

Suddenly Damian stopped, bringing a finger to his lips.

Meyer looked up and saw a lone man, fifteen yards ahead of them, and at once he recognized the hunched figure as Trant. Meyer felt his body tense, yet as he stood frozen, he noticed that Trant appeared to be highly engrossed, muttering to himself while walking perpendicularly away from them. Trant paused every few steps, but soon he disappeared from sight, his rambling no longer audible among the rustle of leaves.

Nobody spoke for a minute, but finally Ander broke the silence. "What was that about?"

"I don't know, but let's not hang around," said Damain. "We should almost be there." He turned right and started off at a brisk pace in the opposite direction of Trant but soon slowed down again.

Meyer was about to ask if they could move a faster when Damian stopped entirely. "See that insignia," he said, pointing to a large root protruding from the tree in front of him. "That's the entrance."

Meyer stepped forward and saw fine blue token embedded in one of the tree's root. Inscribed in the token was the image of a two headed lion.

"How did you ever find this?" said Ander.

"I wasn't a very social tempest for most of my time here," said Damian. He stooped down and pushed the blue token.

There was a low creaking; then the bark of the tree began to split.

Meyer watched for several seconds as a dark opening widened in the base of the trunk, but then the noise ceased, and the entrance stopped expanding. Where previously the bark had been continuous, there was now a two by four foot hole in its surface.

"Zurasaros," said Damian, and an orb of light appeared in his hand. He crouched forward and slipped into the tree.

Ander followed after him and then Cade.

Meyer knelt by the opening, peering into the hollow trunk. He could just make out a spiral staircase winding into the earth, but otherwise the inside of the tree was dark and shadowy. Cade was already several steps down, both Ander and Damian out of sight.
"Damian says to push the blue token to close the tree behind you," called Cade as he disappeared down the winding staircase.