Halfwizard (Book 2 of the Troy Sanders Trilogy)

15: Words with a Meaning

I opened the door to my room to find Oliver waiting for me. “You do know that civilized people are supposed to wait instead of just breaking and entering, don’t you?” I said as I stepped inside and pretended that his presence wasn’t imposing enough in my now looking small room.

“I needed to have a word with you,” he said.

“Actually, I have two. Bug off!”

Unfortunately for me, Oliver didn’t look like he was “bugging” anywhere soon. In fact, he made himself more comfortable in my reading chair than before.

Well, I had to see what the old man wanted, now didn’t I? “Why are you here?” I asked, not bothering to hide the fact that I didn’t really give a damn.

“I just want to talk,” he replied.

“That was the same thing you said last year before leaving without so much as a by your leave,” I reminded him.

Thing is, the first- and kinda last- time I saw Oliver was when he came to my house in the middle of the night at the end of summer last year saying that he wanted to “talk”. We had hit it off real well- at least that was what I thought- until he asked me to get him a cup of water only for me to return and find out that the man had vanished into thin air- I mean, who does that, right?

“Yeah, that wasn’t my best move,” he agreed. “But that’s why I’m here now; to make up for that.”

“And how about the fact that you didn’t call or show up on my birthday?” I probed further. I knew it was every boy’s dream that his dad not to impose on his eighteenth birthday but I really wished he’d at least called.

“I had to attend a meeting in Prague on that same day,” he replied. “But I sent my present through your mother.” What he said was true but would it kill him to say he was sorry?- Seriously, dude!

“You always have an answer for everything, don’t you?” I crossed my arms to glare at him. “Well, how about you explain to me why you forgot the “little” piece of information that’s my half-brother?”

He clearly didn’t see that coming as he tried to reply but failed more than once. I would have laughed at the fact that for the first time, Oliver the genius didn’t know how to get around a problem. But my anger was still burning hot so I didn’t.

“Things are a bit more complicated than you think, Troy,” he finally managed to say after a moment of silence. “But you’ll understand someday.”

Before I had the chance to probe him the more, Oliver got up to leave. “Just so you know, I really missed you,” he paused to say at the door.

“You too, Ollie,” I replied; and before I knew it, I had gone in for a really tight hug. I guess I really had missed that man more than I let on. To make sure he knew I meant every word, I said it again, “I missed you, dad; more than you can ever imagine.”

Everyone rode in silence as we moved softly through the forest. There was nothing to say when you were on the trail of a powerful evil vengeful thousand-year old wizard, really.

That had become the routine ever since the late night “The destroyer of the magic has returned to complete his mission” meeting: school work during the day, and war against Trichloris in the evening.

“She still isn’t speaking to you, is she?” asked Kendra as she rode up next to me; she here, as we probably already know, was Vic.

The evening sun had turn Kendra's hair a fiery shade of red and I stared at it for a while. I reckoned it a really nice sight and would have been more too if it wasn’t in sharp contrast with her blue cloak; guess I would have to check again when she was in year three.

“No, she isn’t,” I replied finally, sighing. “I don’t know what else to do to be honest.”

“Have you tried apologizing to her?” Cole rode up to my other side. “I heard women love that sort of thing.”

“You don’t think I already tried?”

“Maybe you just need to apologize more,” he returned.

I would have loved to punch Cole right in the face for what he just said but I didn't; I liked the guy way too much to do that. Plus it might also end up giving him the right incentive to break every bone in my body- valorwizard popular has nothing on Ventelum champion, believe me.

“Perhaps we should split up so that we can cover more grounds before nightfall,” Stan suggested from upfront just then. We had agreed that he lead the group from the front and I from the rear in order to give us equal responsibility; and for other underlying reasons that you might have already guessed.

“I think Stan should lead a group and Troy another,” suggested Gale.

“I’m with Stan,” Vic said before anyone of us even had the chance to react to the suggestion- I just don’t know why that girl's intent on hurting me.

Gale, Angela, a friend of Cole named Dan joined Stan and Vic; I got Cole, Kendra and another friend of Cole’s whose name I didn't bother to ask.

“Let’s be fast about it and make sure we meet here before nightfall,” I said.

“Aye, aye Captain.” Stan made a mock salute and an exaggerated smile at me but I ignored him. I was so not in the mood for any of that boy’s shenanigans.

“So, who are you taking to the Magix?” asked Cole a few minutes after we split up. I knew he was just trying to break the ice but it still had the opposite effect on me- when something- or someone- has been iced up, there’s just no "unicing" him.

“I don’t know yet,” I replied anyway. I would have loved to take Vic but I didn’t even know where we stood anymore.

By the way, the Magix was a dance organised by Firewalt to mark the end of the Ventelum Contest and celebrate its winner; which Firewalt was, in case anyone was wondering. It was an event full of dancing and getting together; you know, like any other school dance.

“So, who are you taking?” I returned the question back at Cole.

He appeared to think about it for a while before replying, “I’m thinking about taking Stephanie Blaise but I don’t know if she'll agree.”

I had to agree with Cole that Stephanie was a real catch. She was a dark-skinned, tomboyish, major French speaker; although she did understand enough English to make conversation. But the real deal was that she was the only girl on a Ventelum team in Firewalt; strike that, in the entire magic world. She was hot, sporty, and could take on any guy in any contest.

“I’m sure she’ll say yes,” I told him. If only my life's that easy, how happy will I be? I thought to myself.

We rode for a while before Cole suddenly signaled for us to be silent. “Did you hear that?” he whispered.

“I can’t hear anyt-”

“Listen!”

We did as we were told and there it was; the most eerie growl ever. We turned behind us and saw the most evil looking lion ever; if it was a lion. It had all the physical features of a lion but its body was ten times bigger than any of the big cats, very slimy, and practically oozing of dark magic.

“What in the world is that?” I asked..

"A Leonata," replied Kendra, “the most feared creature of darkness.”

“Well, thank God it’s just one,” I said as I pulled out Breather, my emerald sword, and prepared for attack.

“Actually I wouldn’t settle on that just yet,” countered Cole’s friend, pointing just to the side of the lone leonata.

I followed his gaze and saw three more approaching. In the next few minutes, they numbered up to nine.

A whole pack, I realized.

I didn’t know why we were about to be attacked by a pack of nightmarish creatures. But whatever the endgame was, I didn’t think it involved any of us getting out of there alive.