The Arcana Club

Hidden in the Roddenstein’s backyard was an obstacle course, a super-cool obstacle course. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume the Roddensteins were super athletes or something.

“We have to go through that?” Nerves asked, all his excitement about reuniting the sisters drained away.

Nothing about the obstacle course would be deadly for a human, of course, except for the giant drop if we fell from the climbing rope, and getting hit hard enough by the swinging bludgeons.

“Do any of us have powers to help us deal with all that?” Emmy asked, arms held out like a shield.

“Invention!” Van yelled, running before even fully transformed. We saw dust come off of the area underneath the bludgeons, then climbing wall. Each of the foes were knocked down while we blinked. The water sprayed up. Then at the end there were suddenly rotating bars that we had to duck through.

“How did we do?” Invention asked.

“I was about to explain that you aren’t meant to go through all of it in one go,” Cas said, “The individual parts are to test different abilities, but the rotating bars are a nice touch. You can help us measure the other three.”

“Okay!”

“Princess,” Cindy said, “You’re taking the dodgies. The animals should be able to warn you, all you have to learn is how to match your resources to them.” she held up a blindfold.

“No…” Nerves groaned.

“Lupus,” Cas said, “You’re climbing, with the claws.”

“Okay…” Emmy leaned backwards slightly.

“Summer,” Cindy said, “You’re staying in the water then fighting the enemies.”

“I’m what?” I asked, “Fire and Water don’t mix.”

“Exactly, You need to get wind and fire to work in harmony to succeed.”

I gritted my teeth.

“Van,” Cindy continued, “You’re with Princess, I’m with Lupus, and Cas gets to manage Summer.”

Our time inside the water was surprisingly comfortable. It didn’t hurt, and it wasn’t hard to breathe, thanks to Autumn. Our fire was noticeably hampered though.

Suddenly Cas splashed the top of the water and we gasped for air as we trudged out, realizing how slow we were. We collapsed at the end of the pool, leaning on the edge with its fluffy padding.

“You have to at least try hitting the enemies,” xe ordered.

“Do we?” we asked.

“Yep. You’ll feel better once you’re out of the water, trust me.”

We climbed out, standing up to see a bunch of “enemies”.

We tried summoning a flame in our hand, but nothing happened. We snapped a few times, trying to summon just a spark, but nothing happened.

“Fire and wind, remember?” Cas asked.

We took a breath, giving Autumn control, but nothing happened.

“What?”

“You can’t depend on the spirit to carry you. You have to do the work.”

I tried to summon enough wind to throw the water off of us. It could have managed it, if I didn’t let it throw us instead.

“We don’t like this,” we let Cas know.

“Try again.”

We rolled our eyes, but stood up. We focused the air around our hand, like one of those pressure dryers. We felt the spark before the flames began, and soon the dummies were alight.

“I did it!”

I detransformed.

“Now let’s try beating your time,” Cas said.

I groaned.

“You have to fight one of the most powerful talismans of all time,” Xe reminded, “While she’s in full control.”

“So I’m not as strong as Summer or Autumn in full control?” I asked.

“You’re not,” xe confirmed, “But they wouldn’t be able to work together without your mediation.”

That made me feel real special.

“So I’m the reason they can talk to each other?”

Cas nodded.

“Now start another conversation.”

Xe pushed me, screaming, back into the water.

Luckily, I was dry enough to sit at the table for Mr. Roddenstein’s campaign, though not nearly lucid enough. The session didn’t really start as we all had our heads laid on the table.

“Tough training?” he asked.

Our complaints piled onto each other. Even I wasn’t sure what I was saying.

“One at a time,” Mr. Roddenstein said, “What happened?”

“I got hit!” Nerves said, “So many times. Apparently, some animals don’t understand the concept of human directions!”

“You didn’t get hurt too bad,” Van said, “You just need to know where North is.”

“I don’t want to look at my nails,” Emmy said, “Ever again.”

“They weren’t your real nails,” Cindy said, “Though I guess it’s a good sign if his pain is your pain.”

“Strong disagree,” Emmy said.

“I nearly drowned,” I said.

“I only pushed you in while detransformed once,” Cas defended.

“You’re lucky I had the instinct to scream Summer instead of coming out and attacking you.”

“Thank you, for your patience,” xe said.

“It wasn’t patience.”

“And how was their progress?” Mr. Roddenstein asked.

“Great!” Cas said.

“Started high.” Cindy said, “Not much improvement needed.”

“Abysmal,” Van said. Nerves looked into the table again with a groan.

“Well at least we’ve got everything figured out around here,” Mr. Roddenstein chuckled to himself, “Do you want to fight some monsters?”

We made excited though tired noises.

“Minerva, you don’t even have to roll for this, as you’re the one who chose this name. Why don’t you explain what the name Hestia Lympion, the real name of Dread Queen Winter, means to you?”

“Hestia Lympion,” Nerves took a deep breath, clearly excited, while trying to stay in more serious character, “Hestia Lympion was my mentor, the one who trained me in the ways of witchcraft.”

The table burst into so many different sounds it was hard to track.

“What kind of mentor?” Cindy asked, “Did she just explain things to you or were you like her apprentice?”

“A close one,” Nerves—Minerva—said, “She was like a mother to me.”

“How can we trust you then?” I asked.

“What do you mean, Blaze?” Van asked.

“You had to have been hiding this, unless you’re a lot older than you look. Queen Winter has been ruling since before I was born. How could you not recognize your own monarch?”

The table gasped. Mr. Roddenstein began looking through his notes.

“I was young,” Nerves said, “We always met in a cabin outside my village. This is news to me as much as it is to you.”

“Why would she care about you. What makes you so special?”

“I don’t think we need to know all that now,” Cas said, “Maybe we just keep an eye on her as we move on.”

“Blaze isn’t moving until she gets answers,” I said.

“Well Blaze has gotten all the answers I have,” Nerves said, “Minerva’s found her mentor though, so we can check that off, after we kill her.”

“Can I give Minerva my anti-scrying necklace?” Van asked, “Because maybe Winter’s been keeping tabs on her student.”

“But that’s—” I started.

“Great idea,” Emmy said, “Maybe that’s how Winter has known our every move.”

“Why are we so easily trusting?” I asked, “She’s keeping secrets, why should we trust her?”

“I’m not the one who keeps running off on her own,” Nerves said, “You’re lucky you haven’t gotten into trouble without us.”

“Maybe I would ask if I had someone worth trusting,” I replied.

“Why do you need everyone to be an open book?”

“Why do you need us to trust you’re alright?” I asked.

“Why can’t you accept I have something going on!” Nerves yelled.

We all stopped.

“I’m going to call the session now,” Mr. Roddenstein said, “Nerves are you—”

“I just need some time alone.”

“Nerves, that was just—” I stopped myself. This was me getting angry at Nerves again. Maybe he wasn’t the one hurting our friendship. “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever,” Nerves said.

I stopped myself from following him. He probably didn’t want me around. We called our parents, and I felt everyone staring at me as we waited.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered again.

Van went outside to comfort Nerves, and I did my best to ignore it. I thought things had been okay, but then I’d ruined it again.

I continued to mope in the car, watching the houses and other buildings go by.

“Did you have fun?” Mom asked.

“I ruined it,” I said.

“Ruined what?”

“I got mad at Nerves’ character during the game. Then he got mad at me, and then he stormed out. I ruined the game, and I ruined our friendship.”

“I doubt that,” Mom said.

“You weren’t there.”

“No, I wasn’t, but Nerves and you can’t be this easy to separate, or you wouldn’t have been friends this long.”

“It wasn’t just this. I messed everything up, and now he hates me.”

Now Van was his closest friend, and they were probably a better one than I would ever be.

“I thought things had gotten better, but I exploded everything.”

“How did the rest of your friends react?” she asked.

“They didn’t say anything. I don’t think any of them knew what to say. Van went out to comfort Nerves. Van’s a better friend than me.”

Mom blew a raspberry.

“Maybe you need to find a new group of friends to play with, if they’re causing this much drama.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t really explain that we were too busy saving the world to mom.

“I’d rather just try again next week. Maybe things will be better then.”

Something made me look to the side, then it moved behind us.

“Mom, back up!”

“What?” Mom asked. She stopped, since the road was empty enough. “I’m not reversing. That could cause an accident.”

“Then turn around. I need to look at that house.”

Mom rolled her eyes, but turned us around.

The house in question had a luscious garden, with well curated desert plants. It was like seeing the botanical garden but on the way home.

“You’re right,” Mom said, “It looks very cool.”

More important than its appearance was the feeling, the draw of the place.

Right under our noses, Spring didn’t live too far away from the Roddensteins.

“I’ll save you,” I muttered, “You don’t know it yet, but I’ll save you.”