Petra Price and the Last Dragon: Chapter 3
Here's Chapter 3! I really like the way I've been working on it, and my brain's worked in a couple little things that I didn't expect until I was writing them. This story is also posted here on FictionPress.com, though it doesn't seem to be working for me right now so this chapter is presently only on livejournal.
Update: FictionPress.com is back in action.
Description: Petra Price was perfectly ordinary, until a world of dormant magic was revealed to her and she became a witch. Taken away from the life she's always known, she's faced with new friends and a new power to be harnessed. Someone's life may be at stake!
The stairs spiraled down for quite some time. Petra was so glad to see the first hints of light creeping up from their exit that she almost sagged with relief.
Hilton had stayed close behind her the whole way down, but there hadn't been much in the way of conversation. Their footsteps echoed strangely in the darkness, and something about the sound made Petra's voice catch in her throat.
Having been kept up inside her head, she had been imagining that any number of things could be awaiting them. Just before she caught sight of the light, she was very nearly sure they were going to find themselves at the very core of the Earth or that they'd tunnel straight through and find themselves in some mysterious country.
Petra didn't expect to end up in what could have passed for an ordinary room just about anywhere. The only interesting thing about it was that it was perfectly circular. There was a single archway that served the room as an exit.
“Miss Blake?” Petra called, as loud as she dared in this still unknown place. There was no answer. Everything seemed very quiet and still.
Petra crept toward the archway and took a good look at the hall on the other side of it before passing through. Doors lined the hall on either side. There were arches where other halls branched off of the one they were in, and another at the end of the hall. From this one in particular there was a sort of light shining out. Moving to this light on an instinct, Petra was glad to find Charlotte Blake. She was standing in the middle of the room. Upon seeing Petra at the door, she gave a bright smile.
“Ah, Miss Price, and Mister Price as well. I somehow had a feeling that you might be the first of the lot that I'd see down here. Will your peers be joining you presently, or should I get some tea put on to occupy us while we wait?”
Petra tilted her head to the side for a moment. Charlotte Blake was certainly a curious woman. The more Petra saw of her, the more the woman didn't seem to fit with her crisp, businesslike exterior.
“They're waiting to see what we have to say,” Hilton replied helpfully, “I suppose I'll go up and tell them it's safe, if you've no plans to make a snack out of us to go with your tea.”
“I think I'd prefer a nice scone, actually. Please, do go ahead,” Miss Blake gestured with an arm, giving a silly little bow as permission enough for Hilton to leave. He gave her a little mock salute and marched from the room.
“Quite the character, your cousin,” Miss Blake commented.
“A real card,” was Petra's reply.
They stood in silence for a few moments after that. Petra was trying to size up Charlotte Blake and get a truer picture of her. She seemed less like the school official Petra had been thinking she was, but she didn't know enough of the woman to pin her to a specific angle. Whether Charlotte Blake was analyzing her in the same way, Petra couldn't tell.
“Well, Miss Price,” Miss Blake started after a while, “I think your courage deserves a certain kind of reward. Not just anyone would have taken point like you have in this situation.”
Miss Blake turned to a sturdy looking chest that sat near her feet. It had designs carved on its top that looked quite intricate when Petra neared. She wasn't sure if it was made more or less impressive by the fact that the chest was one of several, though the others were stacked and pushed together to be kept out of the way.
Once the chest was open, Miss Blake withdrew a wooden sphere.
“Try this one first, if you will,” Miss Blake stated quietly. Once the orb was in Petra's hands, she found there was a latch on it.
She fiddled with the latch until she grew self-conscious about not being able to open it before handing it back to Miss Blake. The woman gave a soft sigh.
“I suppose that would have been too easy. Oh well, now you get a little peek before everyone else comes down. That's pretty exciting, I think.”
Miss Blake held out another wooden globe from the box. It looked the same as the first, though upon closer inspection Petra found a carving above the latch. “P. Price” was etched into the wood in dainty lettering.
Petra hardly had to try before this second box opened for her. It contained only a single object. Tucked between folds of delicate cloth was a ring of the sort one wears on their finger. Several tiny pink gems were set in the top of it to form the shape of a rose.
Petra glanced up at Miss Blake, “This is for me? I couldn't possibly, it looks so expensive...”
“Oh, you're entitled to it. It's not me giving it to you, you understand. It was left to you by your relation, the one that sent the letter. Something of a joint heirloom between themselves and the school, I believe.”
Petra could no longer resist the temptation to slip the ring on her finger and see how it looked. It certainly did have a way of sparkling in the light. A feeling passed over her as she twisted her hand this way and that to view the ring. She suddenly felt empowered, as if she could solve any problem that came her way.
“There's one for each of you,” Miss Blake explained, “I'm certainly glad they're labeled, I'd have a terrible time trying to sort all of them out.”
She placed the strange box that had held Petra's ring back in its place in the chest and motioned for Petra to have a seat. There were large, inviting pillows scattered on the floor. Petra settled atop one to wait for the others, hoping Hilton had made it back to them alright.
There wasn't much of a wait before Petra heard footsteps and Hilton's voice guiding the other children along. Soon after she could make out the others whispering to each other and it wasn't long after that when the lot of them filed into the room.
The other children looked to be in various states, mostly a bit dazed and rather impressed, with a pair of exceptions. Hilton wasted no time gazing around before hurrying to sit by Petra's side. The girl whom she had noticed trying to leave earlier came in just after everyone else, seeming determined to stay unimpressed. Petra wondered what had stopped her going.
“If everyone will please come to the center of the room in an orderly fashion and collect the article from this chest which is labeled with their name, we can get started,” Miss Blake said smoothly, her voice once more taking on that authoritative note. Everyone save for Petra formed a line, and soon everyone was situated on the floor with one of the strange wooden globes in their hands.
“You hold in your hands the last remaining relics of the school that once occupied this place. A school largely dedicated to the institution of magic.”
There were a few whispers at this, but they didn't stop Miss Blake from continuing.
“As I'm sure I can imagine the general reaction to the existence of magic, that of disbelief, I believe a demonstration is in order. Miss Price, if you'll be so kind as to assist me.” Miss Blake held an arm out to Petra.
After glancing around for a moment and receiving a bit of an encouraging nudge from Hilton, Petra rose and weaved her way through the small crowd. Miss Blake's hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
“Just to make it clear to everyone that I've not got any metaphorical cards up my sleeves, have we ever met before today?”
“No,” was Petra's simple reply.
“Very good then. I'd like for you to try and remember something you may have missed while packing your things for today's journey, something you left at home. Close your eyes and try to visualize it, and wish very hard that you had it here with you.”
Petra hesitated for only a moment before doing as she was told. She didn't know about magic, but looking silly in front of a bunch of people she didn't even know wouldn't do her much harm.
The thing she had left at home that she would miss most terribly was her journal. In all the flurry of getting ready, it had remained tucked under her pillow. She imagined its bright orange cover, and how the last time she had written in it it had been all about her thoughts on going away to school.
Very shortly after that, there was a sort of collective gasp from their little audience, and then a soft thud. Petra's eyes flew open and she glanced around. She was surprised to find her journal sprawled on the floor at her feet, flipped open to the blank pages at the back.
“It just appeared out of nowhere!” Hilton said, looking excited.
“Each of you now has a tool that will aid you in performing similar small acts of magic. More powerful spells can be performed in groups, or with the help of incantations. I won't get into all of that now, as you've all had a long day and you'll be learning about it soon enough.” Miss Blake clapped her hands together lightly, “I think it's time you all sit down to a nice hot meal.”
She started to walk to the door, then turned around and held up a finger to punctuate whatever she had just remembered, “You'll need to take the item out of the box I've given you and put the box back in the chest.”
Petra watched with much curiosity as everyone around her opened their odd little cases. She was most anxious to see what her two new friends and her cousin would receive.
Hilton became the owner of a rather strange looking watch. Marnie came to possess a bracelet that had a single charm dangling from its length. Budgerigar found himself with a pair of cufflinks which Petra thought suited him perfectly.
“Guess I'll have to get some new shirts,” he commented when he approached the chest, fitting the case that had held his cufflinks into a a spot.
It was watching him that made Petra realize that one of the cases hadn't been given out. It was the one Miss Blake had tried her with while they had been alone. Petra couldn't help but wonder what was inside it and if whatever it was was important.
They were joined by Marnie and Hilton. The four of them headed to the door and Miss Blake as a group. There really was safety in numbers, Petra thought, or at least a little extra security.
“The dining hall is this way. You shouldn't have much trouble finding your way around in future, I've made sure there are maps put in all your rooms.” Miss Blake said as they followed her down one hall and around a corner.
Wherever they were certainly did look posh, if a bit spartan. The ceilings were high and arched, the floors remarkably shiny.
“Do you think cafeterias in secret underground magic schools serve pizza?” Hilton whispered against Petra's ear. She let out a little giggle that was almost drowned out by the rumbling of her stomach. It was the first time she'd thought of food in hours, and it made her realize that she hadn't eaten in just as long.
She also started to think that there surely must be someone else around to take care of them besides Miss Blake. The woman couldn't be expected to take sole responsibility for twenty youths. They hadn't seen another soul, but there had to be other teachers around somewhere as well as the other sorts of staff one finds at a school.
As far as looks went, the school was proper enough. Everything except the rather grand room they had just been in looked pretty normal, save for how everything was curiously round and there were no windows. It was all a lot nicer than you'd expect from a place that was technically a tunnel beneath the ground.
“Now, for a bit of a warning. The school seems to have a way of acting on its own sometimes, and it did just that. By some magical means that I'm not entirely educated about, it gathered you were on your way.” Miss Blake had paused outside a door, having to make herself louder to be heard over the noise coming from the room beyond, “If you ask me, it would have been better for all of us if it had chosen to be all-knowing a little bit sooner. The point of the matter is this: You're about to meet your future professors, and they're a bit of a rowdy bunch at the moment. Don't pay too much attention to them.”
The woman's words were punctuated by a bit of a crash, followed by muffled laughter. Petra wondered what they were all about to walk in to.
Miss Blake opened the door and allowed the children to walk in before her. Petra was one of the last to go in. She stopped near the principal as she was struck with a sudden bout of curiosity.
Hardly anything had been explained to them so far. They were at a school that would supposedly teach them magic, that was about all Petra knew. There were actually more questions floating around in her mind presently than there had been before she had braved the steps in the fountain.
For the moment, there was only one thing she thought she needed to know. She voiced her question quietly to Miss Blake, “This school, what's it called?”
“Oh, didn't I tell you? You'd think that would be one of the first things I'd remember to say. This my dear is the Rosebury Academy for Education in Sorcering and Other Magical Activities.”
“That's quite a mouthful,” Petra commented.
“Indeed.”
Petra passed Miss Blake to join the others. Everyone seemed a bit more lively than they had been previously. At first Petra couldn't pick out just what was wrong with the scene before her.
The dining hall was some combination of a school cafeteria and a fancy restaurant. There was a long counter where one could pick up a tray and fill it with various foods. Some of the other children were still standing near it and picking out what they wanted. Others were crowding around tables. Hilton had saved a place for her at a table with Budgerigar and Marnie. It was next to that table that Petra saw the problem.
There was a group of chattering young boys surrounding the table one over from that of her friends. Petra had never laid eyes on these boys before, and Miss Blake had said that they were going to be meeting their teachers at dinner.
Petra went to collect a sensible meal and decided to take this new information in stride. Just about anyone could know more about magic than she did, she supposed. Even a bunch of rambunctious young boys.
Update: FictionPress.com is back in action.
Description: Petra Price was perfectly ordinary, until a world of dormant magic was revealed to her and she became a witch. Taken away from the life she's always known, she's faced with new friends and a new power to be harnessed. Someone's life may be at stake!
The stairs spiraled down for quite some time. Petra was so glad to see the first hints of light creeping up from their exit that she almost sagged with relief.
Hilton had stayed close behind her the whole way down, but there hadn't been much in the way of conversation. Their footsteps echoed strangely in the darkness, and something about the sound made Petra's voice catch in her throat.
Having been kept up inside her head, she had been imagining that any number of things could be awaiting them. Just before she caught sight of the light, she was very nearly sure they were going to find themselves at the very core of the Earth or that they'd tunnel straight through and find themselves in some mysterious country.
Petra didn't expect to end up in what could have passed for an ordinary room just about anywhere. The only interesting thing about it was that it was perfectly circular. There was a single archway that served the room as an exit.
“Miss Blake?” Petra called, as loud as she dared in this still unknown place. There was no answer. Everything seemed very quiet and still.
Petra crept toward the archway and took a good look at the hall on the other side of it before passing through. Doors lined the hall on either side. There were arches where other halls branched off of the one they were in, and another at the end of the hall. From this one in particular there was a sort of light shining out. Moving to this light on an instinct, Petra was glad to find Charlotte Blake. She was standing in the middle of the room. Upon seeing Petra at the door, she gave a bright smile.
“Ah, Miss Price, and Mister Price as well. I somehow had a feeling that you might be the first of the lot that I'd see down here. Will your peers be joining you presently, or should I get some tea put on to occupy us while we wait?”
Petra tilted her head to the side for a moment. Charlotte Blake was certainly a curious woman. The more Petra saw of her, the more the woman didn't seem to fit with her crisp, businesslike exterior.
“They're waiting to see what we have to say,” Hilton replied helpfully, “I suppose I'll go up and tell them it's safe, if you've no plans to make a snack out of us to go with your tea.”
“I think I'd prefer a nice scone, actually. Please, do go ahead,” Miss Blake gestured with an arm, giving a silly little bow as permission enough for Hilton to leave. He gave her a little mock salute and marched from the room.
“Quite the character, your cousin,” Miss Blake commented.
“A real card,” was Petra's reply.
They stood in silence for a few moments after that. Petra was trying to size up Charlotte Blake and get a truer picture of her. She seemed less like the school official Petra had been thinking she was, but she didn't know enough of the woman to pin her to a specific angle. Whether Charlotte Blake was analyzing her in the same way, Petra couldn't tell.
“Well, Miss Price,” Miss Blake started after a while, “I think your courage deserves a certain kind of reward. Not just anyone would have taken point like you have in this situation.”
Miss Blake turned to a sturdy looking chest that sat near her feet. It had designs carved on its top that looked quite intricate when Petra neared. She wasn't sure if it was made more or less impressive by the fact that the chest was one of several, though the others were stacked and pushed together to be kept out of the way.
Once the chest was open, Miss Blake withdrew a wooden sphere.
“Try this one first, if you will,” Miss Blake stated quietly. Once the orb was in Petra's hands, she found there was a latch on it.
She fiddled with the latch until she grew self-conscious about not being able to open it before handing it back to Miss Blake. The woman gave a soft sigh.
“I suppose that would have been too easy. Oh well, now you get a little peek before everyone else comes down. That's pretty exciting, I think.”
Miss Blake held out another wooden globe from the box. It looked the same as the first, though upon closer inspection Petra found a carving above the latch. “P. Price” was etched into the wood in dainty lettering.
Petra hardly had to try before this second box opened for her. It contained only a single object. Tucked between folds of delicate cloth was a ring of the sort one wears on their finger. Several tiny pink gems were set in the top of it to form the shape of a rose.
Petra glanced up at Miss Blake, “This is for me? I couldn't possibly, it looks so expensive...”
“Oh, you're entitled to it. It's not me giving it to you, you understand. It was left to you by your relation, the one that sent the letter. Something of a joint heirloom between themselves and the school, I believe.”
Petra could no longer resist the temptation to slip the ring on her finger and see how it looked. It certainly did have a way of sparkling in the light. A feeling passed over her as she twisted her hand this way and that to view the ring. She suddenly felt empowered, as if she could solve any problem that came her way.
“There's one for each of you,” Miss Blake explained, “I'm certainly glad they're labeled, I'd have a terrible time trying to sort all of them out.”
She placed the strange box that had held Petra's ring back in its place in the chest and motioned for Petra to have a seat. There were large, inviting pillows scattered on the floor. Petra settled atop one to wait for the others, hoping Hilton had made it back to them alright.
There wasn't much of a wait before Petra heard footsteps and Hilton's voice guiding the other children along. Soon after she could make out the others whispering to each other and it wasn't long after that when the lot of them filed into the room.
The other children looked to be in various states, mostly a bit dazed and rather impressed, with a pair of exceptions. Hilton wasted no time gazing around before hurrying to sit by Petra's side. The girl whom she had noticed trying to leave earlier came in just after everyone else, seeming determined to stay unimpressed. Petra wondered what had stopped her going.
“If everyone will please come to the center of the room in an orderly fashion and collect the article from this chest which is labeled with their name, we can get started,” Miss Blake said smoothly, her voice once more taking on that authoritative note. Everyone save for Petra formed a line, and soon everyone was situated on the floor with one of the strange wooden globes in their hands.
“You hold in your hands the last remaining relics of the school that once occupied this place. A school largely dedicated to the institution of magic.”
There were a few whispers at this, but they didn't stop Miss Blake from continuing.
“As I'm sure I can imagine the general reaction to the existence of magic, that of disbelief, I believe a demonstration is in order. Miss Price, if you'll be so kind as to assist me.” Miss Blake held an arm out to Petra.
After glancing around for a moment and receiving a bit of an encouraging nudge from Hilton, Petra rose and weaved her way through the small crowd. Miss Blake's hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
“Just to make it clear to everyone that I've not got any metaphorical cards up my sleeves, have we ever met before today?”
“No,” was Petra's simple reply.
“Very good then. I'd like for you to try and remember something you may have missed while packing your things for today's journey, something you left at home. Close your eyes and try to visualize it, and wish very hard that you had it here with you.”
Petra hesitated for only a moment before doing as she was told. She didn't know about magic, but looking silly in front of a bunch of people she didn't even know wouldn't do her much harm.
The thing she had left at home that she would miss most terribly was her journal. In all the flurry of getting ready, it had remained tucked under her pillow. She imagined its bright orange cover, and how the last time she had written in it it had been all about her thoughts on going away to school.
Very shortly after that, there was a sort of collective gasp from their little audience, and then a soft thud. Petra's eyes flew open and she glanced around. She was surprised to find her journal sprawled on the floor at her feet, flipped open to the blank pages at the back.
“It just appeared out of nowhere!” Hilton said, looking excited.
“Each of you now has a tool that will aid you in performing similar small acts of magic. More powerful spells can be performed in groups, or with the help of incantations. I won't get into all of that now, as you've all had a long day and you'll be learning about it soon enough.” Miss Blake clapped her hands together lightly, “I think it's time you all sit down to a nice hot meal.”
She started to walk to the door, then turned around and held up a finger to punctuate whatever she had just remembered, “You'll need to take the item out of the box I've given you and put the box back in the chest.”
Petra watched with much curiosity as everyone around her opened their odd little cases. She was most anxious to see what her two new friends and her cousin would receive.
Hilton became the owner of a rather strange looking watch. Marnie came to possess a bracelet that had a single charm dangling from its length. Budgerigar found himself with a pair of cufflinks which Petra thought suited him perfectly.
“Guess I'll have to get some new shirts,” he commented when he approached the chest, fitting the case that had held his cufflinks into a a spot.
It was watching him that made Petra realize that one of the cases hadn't been given out. It was the one Miss Blake had tried her with while they had been alone. Petra couldn't help but wonder what was inside it and if whatever it was was important.
They were joined by Marnie and Hilton. The four of them headed to the door and Miss Blake as a group. There really was safety in numbers, Petra thought, or at least a little extra security.
“The dining hall is this way. You shouldn't have much trouble finding your way around in future, I've made sure there are maps put in all your rooms.” Miss Blake said as they followed her down one hall and around a corner.
Wherever they were certainly did look posh, if a bit spartan. The ceilings were high and arched, the floors remarkably shiny.
“Do you think cafeterias in secret underground magic schools serve pizza?” Hilton whispered against Petra's ear. She let out a little giggle that was almost drowned out by the rumbling of her stomach. It was the first time she'd thought of food in hours, and it made her realize that she hadn't eaten in just as long.
She also started to think that there surely must be someone else around to take care of them besides Miss Blake. The woman couldn't be expected to take sole responsibility for twenty youths. They hadn't seen another soul, but there had to be other teachers around somewhere as well as the other sorts of staff one finds at a school.
As far as looks went, the school was proper enough. Everything except the rather grand room they had just been in looked pretty normal, save for how everything was curiously round and there were no windows. It was all a lot nicer than you'd expect from a place that was technically a tunnel beneath the ground.
“Now, for a bit of a warning. The school seems to have a way of acting on its own sometimes, and it did just that. By some magical means that I'm not entirely educated about, it gathered you were on your way.” Miss Blake had paused outside a door, having to make herself louder to be heard over the noise coming from the room beyond, “If you ask me, it would have been better for all of us if it had chosen to be all-knowing a little bit sooner. The point of the matter is this: You're about to meet your future professors, and they're a bit of a rowdy bunch at the moment. Don't pay too much attention to them.”
The woman's words were punctuated by a bit of a crash, followed by muffled laughter. Petra wondered what they were all about to walk in to.
Miss Blake opened the door and allowed the children to walk in before her. Petra was one of the last to go in. She stopped near the principal as she was struck with a sudden bout of curiosity.
Hardly anything had been explained to them so far. They were at a school that would supposedly teach them magic, that was about all Petra knew. There were actually more questions floating around in her mind presently than there had been before she had braved the steps in the fountain.
For the moment, there was only one thing she thought she needed to know. She voiced her question quietly to Miss Blake, “This school, what's it called?”
“Oh, didn't I tell you? You'd think that would be one of the first things I'd remember to say. This my dear is the Rosebury Academy for Education in Sorcering and Other Magical Activities.”
“That's quite a mouthful,” Petra commented.
“Indeed.”
Petra passed Miss Blake to join the others. Everyone seemed a bit more lively than they had been previously. At first Petra couldn't pick out just what was wrong with the scene before her.
The dining hall was some combination of a school cafeteria and a fancy restaurant. There was a long counter where one could pick up a tray and fill it with various foods. Some of the other children were still standing near it and picking out what they wanted. Others were crowding around tables. Hilton had saved a place for her at a table with Budgerigar and Marnie. It was next to that table that Petra saw the problem.
There was a group of chattering young boys surrounding the table one over from that of her friends. Petra had never laid eyes on these boys before, and Miss Blake had said that they were going to be meeting their teachers at dinner.
Petra went to collect a sensible meal and decided to take this new information in stride. Just about anyone could know more about magic than she did, she supposed. Even a bunch of rambunctious young boys.