The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 5: The Last Pendant

Chapter 18: Lights, Duels, and Darkness

Chapter 18

The sun rose slowly over the school and illuminated the campus. A small group of Wapanaki gathered within the bus circle. Shade, Echo, and Teller came down from the guard tower to see off Ravenus Rouge, Griffin Thornback, and Jinx Corryn. The Wapanaki warrior, Marcus Pantherine, led the small group of warriors. Raine Watterson, who had stayed the night at the school as well, stepped out with them so she could leave and return to official business with the Ministry.
"When you get to Jamaica Plains," Shade said to the group, "Start with a perimeter check."
"Don't try and tell me how to protect somewhere, Shaders," Jinx said with a grin, "I know what I'm doing."
Shade gave her a big hug. "I missed you," he told her, "Be safe."
"Safety isn't in the stars, bro," Rouge chuckled, "But we'll be fine."
Griffin nodded in agreement.
Echo hugged Jinx. "If you need me, find me, okay?" Echo told her friend.
"Dude, I got this," Jinx laughed.
Echo turned to Rouge. "Tell Anthony and the boys I'll be there soon," she said, "Tell them I still have my Chocolate Frog card."
Rouge grinned. "I'll let 'em know." He clapped a hand on Echo's shoulder and gripped it firmly. "Don't go dyin' on me. I'm still bound by an oath."
"I know," Echo said, "And I'll be fine. Shaders won't let me get hurt, right?"
"If you guys keep calling me that name, then I can't guarantee anything," Shade replied.
Rouge grinned. "Be careful, bro," he told Shade.
"That goes double for you," Shade replied.
Teller shook Griffin's hand, bid them farewell, and saw them leaving.
"My time to get back to work, I suppose," Raine said.
"It was nice to see you again, Ms. Watterson," Shade said to her, shaking her hand.
She smiled at him and blushed. "It was my pleasure, Mr. Shade," she said with sass. "When all this crazy business blows over, you should stop by the offices and say hi."
Shade gave a funny laugh. "I'd, uh, I'd like that," he said with a stammer. "Take care."
"I will," Raine said, "You take care of yourself, babe." She caught herself too late before the words left her mouth. She had a brief look of panic then quickly followed the Wapanaki and the other group out of the bus circle and towards the Hall of Evergreens.
"Did she just call you 'babe'?" Teller asked.
"I think so," Shade replied.
"Someone's crushing on you," Echo teased.
"How cute," Teller grunted.
Shade shook his head. "You guys are ridiculous," he said. He turned and began to walk back to the school. "We have a bunch of prepping to do. I'm going to look at some maps in the library. You guys make sure whoever's coming along is getting ready. As soon as I find out where this place is, we're leaving on a moment's notice, so I want everyone packed and good to go."
"What if it takes a couple days to find out where it is?" Echo asked.
"Then it takes a few days," Teller answered, "Just be ready."
Echo chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Teller asked.
"I missed your grumpy butt," Echo said, "Nobody does grumpy like you do."
Teller huffed. "That's not funny."
"It's totally funny," Echo joked, "And totally true."
Shade, again, shook his head.

"Eureka!" Sherman Locke shouted loudly.
The sleeping group in the guard tower awoke. Bria shouted in surprise. Dan fell off of the couch, nearly landing on Sam, who was on the floor in front of the couch. Rain Fox jumped up, a blade in her hand. Star had fallen asleep in a chair. She fell over and barked. Spirit had been hovering near the others. She spun and fell through to the floor, falling through it before rising up again.
"What the bloody hell's going on?" Bria shouted.
"Someone's gonna die," Star threatened from within the blankets that fell on top of her.
"I think I did it!" Sherman Locke said over and over again, excitedly prancing around with a strange contraption in his hand. "I did it! I think I did it!"
"Vampire," Sam grumbled, "If there's ever been a time where you're allowed to nibble on someone, now's the time. Bite that dearheart and shut him up! I was sleepin' mighty fine 'til he up and started hollerin'."
"Did what?" Dan grunted to Sherman.
"I think I've got it!" Sherman sung. "I was able to isolate a person's particular essence. It was rather difficult, considering that the paranormal interference of every other essence within a specific radius weakens the spectrometrics used in calculating the precise location of the essence in which one would pursue, but given the consideration of distinct characteristics of a particular subject's psyche and spiritual manifestation and the detection of a disturbance that correlates with those characteristics, infusing core elements of Divination, Astrophysics, Spectrology, and my own dabble of research, my hypothesis thus has been meted out and the conclusion is I have successfully engineered a device capable of distinguishing a spiritual malformation from an ordinary object!"
The group stared at him blankly for a few brief moments.
"All I heard was, 'I got it'," Sam said, "The rest was science mumbo-jumbo."
"English," Bria complained, "You and I both speak that language, you know."
"Right," Sherman said, trying to calm down. He took a few deep breaths. "What I was trying to intimate- What I mean is that I think I made something that can help us find Easter's Horcrux!"
"Dude!" Star cheered, "Why didn't you just say that?"
"Because," Sherman replied, "Because there's no joy in speaking so plainly about a great breakthrough like this! Do you have any idea just how incredible a discovery like this is? I'll be the talk of the town! I'll be the envy of the Magical World! Take that, Damocles, inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion!" He yawned.
"Did you sleep at all?" Rain Fox asked.
"No, not yet," Sherman said, his eyelids heavy with sleep. "I think I've exuded the last of my energy for the day."
"How does it work, Sherley?" Star asked.
"Well," Sherman said before he yawned again, "It is able to detect a soul that is displaced. I used your Nebula Orb (I borrowed it, sorry, it's right over here) to use as a test dummy for it. I set it to distinguish attached essences to detached essences. I had to charm a few things and work out some minor effects but it works! At least, it has worked thus far."
"I'm lost," Dan said.
"I actually understood all that hullaballoo," Sam said, "Basically he made a thingamajig that can tell if there's a soul somewhere it don't belong."
"Precisely!" Sherman said with a yawn. "Goodness, I'm a bit tuckered out."
"How do you know it works?" Rain Fox asked.
"Well, I'll show you," Sherman said. He grabbed a spoon and set it on the table. He grabbed the contraption. It was a small wooden box with a metal turn knob on top, a small light bulb above the knob, and a pair of metal bolts with a wire running into the box wrapped around them. "I turn this knob and see if the light bulb illuminates." He aimed the device at the spoon, turned the knob, and nearly dozed off.
"Nothing happened," Bria said.
"Oh," Sherman popped, "Well, of course nothing happened. There isn't a soul in that spoon. If there was, that'd be the discovery of the century, now, wouldn't it?" He chuckled to himself. "However, when I aim it at the Nebula Orb that has Star's soul inside of it, observe!" He aimed the contraption at the Nebula Orb, turned the knob, and the light bulb lit up. "It will operate along a spectrum, the bulb will. Closer to an object and the light will shine white. The light will turn blue, then yellow, then green, then red, then brown the further away you are from the object. It won't light up at all if you're aimed at something inanimate like a spoon." He yawned again.
"What is it called?" Dan asked.
"Oh," Sherman said sleepily, "I don't know. I haven't given it a name, yet. I'll call it the Sherminator!" He chuckled at himself. "That's a terrible name! Maybe the Sher-Locke! No, that won't work, either. I feel like that name's used elsewhere for something. I know! The Soul-Jigger. Oh, call it whatever you want. Bugger it all, I'm tired. My brain is all fuddled up. I've done my part for the day." Sherman slowly moved to the couch, took the blankets from Bria's hands, and curled up next to the armrest. "Test it out, if you like, just don't break it. I'm just going to sleep right here for a month. You lot be careful with it. I still need to find an adequate power source for it. That's my claim to fame, it is. Sherman Locke, the greatest tinkerer in all the-" Sherman didn't finish his sentence. He passed out and began snoring.
"Poor Sherman," Bria said.
Rain Fox and Star walked up to the table where Sherman had left the device. Rain Fox picked it up and looked at it.
"You think it works?" Rain Fox asked.
"Dude," Star said, "Sherman's never let us down before. If he says it works, it works."
"We should give this a whirl, then," Rain Fox said.
"On what, though?" Star asked.
Rain Fox turned the knob. She turned around and aimed it at random things. She passed by Star and the light bulb lit up blue. She aimed it at Star again and it was white.
"You?" Rain Fox asked. "It lit up brightly for you!"
"What?" Star said. She took the device and aimed it at herself, pointing it at her chest. She turned the knob and nothing happened. She then moved up and, when the device came to the Pendant of Light, it lit up white again. "Aw, man, are you serious?"
"He made the Pendant of Light into his Horcrux?" Rain Fox asked.
"No way!" Star protested. "Booker said that he would have known if Easter made the Pendant into a Horcrux- Oh! Booker!"
"Booker?" Rain Fox asked.
"No wonder Sherman's thing lit up when it came to the Pendant of Light!" Star said, "He's trapped in there! His soul is trapped in the Pendant!"
"You sure?" Dan asked.
"Well, duh!" Star said, "He told me and Shade about how Easter trapped him there, like a thousand years ago!"
"Dang," Sam said, "That's a long time to be cooped up in a piece o' jewelry!"
"That's quite unfortunate," Bria added.
"You're sure of this?" Rain Fox asked.
"I'm, like, a thousand percent sure," Star said, "But hey! It does work! A soul isn't supposed to be in my Pendant, but it is! Sherman's a freakin' genius!"
The others nodded. Sherman was still snoring away on the couch.
"I'm still not convinced that your Pendant is not a Horcrux," Rain Fox said.
"Okay, well, let's try it out on something else," Star said. "What about your Pendant? You said Easter's soul was hanging out in the Hall of Mirrors, right? Well, then your Pendant will have the same reaction."
"Alright," Rain Fox nodded, "That is a good idea. I left it with my things in Commoner's Hall."
"Then let's go over there and see what happens!"
"Yoller funny," Sam said. "I'm gonna get my shoes on an' go for a jog. I need somethin' a little refreshin' to do. See y'all in a bit."
"I'm going to make breakfast," Dan said, "I'll have it ready when you guys get back."
"Ooo!" Bria said gleefully, "I'll help! We could make pancakes!"
"You do the pancakes," Dan said, "I'll do the eggs and bacon. Shade's got plenty in here."
"We'll be back in a bit," Star said. Rain Fox and Star walked out of the loft and went down the guard tower. Rain Fox had the contraption in her hand. When she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked to the school, she aimed the device at Commoner's Hall. She turned the knob and the bulb lit a dull red color. She turned for a second and the bulb lit a brighter red-orange before it turned off.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Star said, "Do that again."
"Do what again?" Rain Fox asked.
"You turned it away from the Hall," Star said, "I swear it got brighter."
"What?" Rain Fox asked. She aimed it again at the hall, then kept the knob on as she moved it to the left. When the contraption was aimed at Bishop Tower, it got a brighter red-almost orange color.
"See that?" Star asked.
"I see it," Rain Fox nodded. "That's not from my Pendant. Something else is in Bishop Tower that's making this thing light up. How odd."
"That's a little odd, yeah," Star said.
"No," Rain Fox said, "Last night, I thought it peculiar that the Baxia were all facing Bishop Tower. They're supposed to detect evil."
"You think this and the Baxia are connected?" Star asked. That'd be a strange coincidence."
"This far into this madness," Rain Fox muttered, "There is no such thing as coincidence."
"Well, then," Star said, "Let's go check it out."
The pair walked from the guard tower towards the school. They made their way towards the front entrance of the school, following the light of the contraption. When they got near the Baxia the creatures suddenly motioned. They lifted their heads and faced away from Bishop Tower and looked to the south, towards the Hall of Evergreens. The Baxia began to honk and moan loudly.
"What are they doing?" Star asked.
The Baxia began to move away from Bishop Tower slowly and turn to face the Hall of Evergreens. Rain Fox looked over towards the trees that lined the Hall of Evergreens and saw figures walking towards the school from the outside; three upright and another in a wheelchair.
"I think Dev is back," Rain Fox said, "But I can't tell who's with him."
Star looked over at the Hall of Evergreens. She growled. "I can see one of them," she said, "And I'll kill Dev if that's who I think it is."
They turned away from their hunt and walked towards the newly arrived guests. A small group of Wapanaki escorted the four men as they approached the bus circle and the four statues of the witches of Salem that lined it. The Baxia began to honk loudly behind Star and Rain Fox, who had outpaced them. To Rain Fox's dismay, she saw her father among the guests. Along with Peter Cloudstorm arrived Dev with his father, Francois Devereaux, and (to the dismay of everyone) Herodian Fallborn.
"That is Fallborn," Star murmured, "I'm gonna bite him next."
"Calm down," Rain Fox whispered. "Why did he bring them here?"
"Dev will get the next bite," Star growled.
The three Ward Masters of the school stepped out from the big doors of the entrance and down the steps to the bus circle. They walked to the visitors to greet them. Behind the Ward Masters appeared Shade, Echo, Teller, and Sky Heart. They walked down behind the Ward Masters but stayed on the steps. Star and Rain Fox approached the steps with caution.
"Why in God's name are they here?" Teller asked.
"Daddy!" Sky Heart cheered. She ran down to greet her father. She overtook the Ward Masters and ran straight to her father. She greeted him in an embrace. The other three kept walking forward. Dev had a look of guilt and sadness on his face. Fallborn glared at Echo, as did Mr. Devereax.
"Welcome, guests," Master Wind spoke to them, "We are honored by your presence here. Welcome to the Salem Academy of Magic."
"Hello, dear," Mr. Cloudstorm said to Sky Heart, "Are you well?"
"I'm fine, Daddy," she said, "Are you still mad at me?"
Mr. Cloudstorm pulled away from his daughter and gave her a half-smile. "We can discuss it later." He turned away from her and left her standing alone as he joined the other three guests, his companions.
Fallborn glared at Echo, Rain Fox, and Star. "I see you've taken to harboring criminals and deserters," Fallborn spoke. "The quality of education here has fallen to subpar expectations. Such a pity for somewhere as famed as the House of the Four Wards of Salem. Have things become so desperate that the school affords itself criminal activities and allows such ne'er-do-wells and troglodytes to take up residence here?"
"I am greatly disappointed, Master Wolf," Mr. Devereaux added, "I would have expected more from you. Instead we see that you and the other Ward Masters have allowed these curs to occupy the school."
"Before ya go n' insult our students and guests more," Master Blessed spoke, "Remember dat you are our guests here, same as d'em."
"And," Master Wind continued, "You have no jurisdiction here."
"I'm the Head of the Aurors office," Fallborn said, "And Mr. Cloudstorm is part of the Old Council for the Six Nations."
"The Six Nations have no jurisdiction here, Peter," Master Wolf said, "And as for you, Fallborn: You were the Head of the Aurors. A little bird whispered in my ear that you've been placed on suspension pending an investigation in regard to your ulterior motives between the Six Nations and the Ministry. So, as my colleague has stated: You have no jurisdiction here."
Fallborn bristled. Star had a little grin on her face at the mention of Fallborn's suspension.
"I'm not here on official business, Wolf," Mr. Cloudstorm spoke, "I'm here to speak with my daughter." He motioned to Rain Fox.
"I am here on official business," Mr. Devereaux spoke. "You and I must talk, Master Wolf."
The Baxia kept honking as they got closer to the bus circle.
"Will someone shut those stupid creatures up?" Fallborn complained.
"They only get like this around evil people," Star said, "They must not like you."
"Tell them to get in line," Fallborn retorted.
Master Wolf bowed to Mr. Devereaux and invited him in to the school. Mr. Cloudstorm walked up to his daughter and looked at her with sadness mingled with anger.
"Dad," Rain Fox said.
"Arielle," Mr. Cloudstorm said, "Let's talk."
Rain Fox turned to Star and whispered to her. "Keep going," she said to the little vampire, "Finish what we started."
"Okay," Star whispered back.
Mr. Cloudstorm walked up the steps. Rain Fox followed him. They entered the big doors to the school and walked straight, through the main lobby and towards Hale Hall and Monument Lawn.
Fallborn remained outside, with Dev by his side. The Baxia quit their honking and faced the school.
"That's better," Fallborn commented.
Star nudged Echo. "You should go tiger-crazy on his butt," she growled. "I'll bite him and then we can dust him!"
"Don't tempt me," Echo said.
"I'll be back," Star told her, "I have something to check out."
Sky Heart stepped to Dev and smacked him on the shoulder. "Why'd you bring them here?" she asked Dev.
"Ah, yes, the foolish daughter," Fallborn said to Sky Heart, "Not to be confused with the constant disappointing one. Congratulations on freeing a known criminal from due justice. I hope you're proud because nobody else is. Your bumbling of justice will cost many good people dearly."
"I freed a man from a crime he hadn't done," Sky Heart responded.
"He performed a Killing Curse," Fallborn said, "He admitted it before the Wizengamot. Punishment was due. You twisted the hands of justice and ruined the execution of its labors. You want to work in Magical Law Enforcement yet you abort the enforcement of the law. You're just like the rest of these idiots here. You're a disgrace. You should have stayed a pencil-pusher but instead you developed some foolish sense of grandeur of becoming more than your pitiful skills could handle. You've tainted justice for one pathetic criminal and muddied your father's name before his colleagues and cohorts. As I said, I hope you're proud of yourself because no one else is."
Sky Heart burst into tears. She ran towards the entrance to the school and entered it.
"Leave her alone," Echo told Fallborn, "What kind of person says that to someone?"
"A person who is unafraid of the truth," Fallborn spoke, "Someone willing to speak the truth."
"Half-truths," Echo said. She stepped towards Fallborn, "You don't speak the whole truth, Fallborn; just the parts that make you sound good and work to your benefit and no one else's."
Fallborn glared at Echo. "Words from a deserter and an idiot have no weight."
"That is enough, Fallborn," Dev said.
"You keep quiet," Fallborn instructed Dev.
"Who is this guy?" Shade asked.
"Herodian Fallborn," Teller answered, "The new Head of the Aurors, or former head, it seems."
"Melvin Teller," Fallborn spoke, "Why am I not surprised to find you among these ruffians and riff-raff?"
"Melvin?" Shade asked. "Your first name is Melvin?"
Teller grunted.
"And who is the ugly one?" Fallborn asked, nodding at Shade.
"Someone a little more pleasant than you, sir," Shade said. "My name is Shade le Fay."
Fallborn stood, staring at Shade, with an expression of disbelief and amazement on his face.
"You," he said. "You're Shade le Fay. You're the one who started it all. You're supposed to be dead."
"If I had an Eagle for every time I heard that," Shade said jokingly.
"You are supposed to be dead," Fallborn said, stepping closer to Shade.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but Death didn't want to hold on to me, even when I throw myself right into his arms."
"So that's the trick, I see," Fallborn spoke, "The Old Pup has kept you here and made everyone else believe that you were dead. So this has been the perpetuating lie the whole time."
"It wasn't a lie," Shade said, "I really did step into the Veiled Archway in the Department of Mysteries in London. I fully expected to die. The Pendant had other plans, I'm afraid."
"I see," Fallborn said, "And instead of keeping that thing in the Realm Beyond, you opt to bring it back into the land of the living, within the clutches of the enemy."
"Well, that wasn't the plan," Shade said.
Fallborn shook his head. "You incompetent imbeciles! Again, you never see the big picture! You fail at everything you do! Everything you touch dies and withers away!"
"You should know," Echo said, "You were supposed to protect the Sandpipers. Your track record isn't exactly perfect, neither!"
"I will not be lectured by the likes of you, you ridiculous brat!"
"That's it!" Echo shouted. She drew her wand and stepped to Fallborn. "Let's do this! Now!"
"Do what?" he asked dismissively. "You want to duel me?"
"The first time we met you said I would regret it," Echo answered, "Well, now, here's your chance, Fallborn. Duel me! I'm sick of hearing the garbage that comes out of your mouth! Let's do this! Right here, right now!"
Fallborn shook his head. "The folly of young fools," Fallborn said. He slowly drew his wand from his robes, "If it's a lesson you want to learn the hard way, then it will be my pleasure to oblige."
"Don't do it, Echo!" Shade said, "Dev, you have to stop her!"
Dev lifted his right hand and placed it over his heart.
Shade was puzzled at first, but then he remembered Dev's words to him from previous. He looked at Dev, then to Echo, then back again to Dev. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"At your signal, Ms. Turan," Fallborn said.
Echo took a deep breath. She walked out twenty paces from Fallborn, her wand shaking slightly in her grasp, and her heart aflutter within her. She focused her eyes, felt the tiger growl within, and snarled.