Tower of Memories

Episode 139: Counter Attack


The world outside the window was covered in white snow. Bright with the endless sea of stars above us. The statue outside wasn't visible from my angle. It was above us, curled up on the roof like a sleeping cat. I'd seen it during class.

The world was going on like nothing was wrong. Like there wasn't something hovering over our heads, waiting to come down and take a bite of someone. I closed my eyes and leaned back and tried to breathe. What were we supposed to do about any of this?

There was an unfamiliar voice coming from by the fire. I opened my eyes and followed the sound to find a blue shape on the floor. A person in clothes I didn't recognize, crouching in front of the fire and staring into it like it had just offended their honor.

"That Salamander believes I will back down. He wants to feel the fire of a Dragon, I see no reason to give him anything less."

Then they were gone.

"Is that how Dragons are supposed to react to this situation? You pick a lot students prone to danger like me?"

Ordinary doesn't get in these situations, and I find ordinary rather dull.

"And we're not supposed to back down, I take it?" And I didn't want to. Not that I think we had a choice. I couldn't leave, not with the risk of that not fixing anything. And I wouldn't run. Not now.

The fire of a Dragon, huh? I knew a few things about fire. Can't back down, can't run, and can't hide.

What was left but to fight? But how? What chance did I have against someone with decades of experience with magic and a knife and a plan?

We didn't even know what this plan was or when it was going to happen. When would a good time to attack someone in the school even be? It would be so easy to get caught during normal school operations. When was the next big event?

The biggest Chaser game was an away game in March. Only the fourth- and fifth-year members will even be going. Nothing we can do about that. So if this was about or aimed at us, probably not it.

What else was there?

The Founder's Trials. Those were huge from what I'd remembered reading. I sat up and went straight to the workroom, there should be something there.

I'd left the door open in my rush to piece together the thoughts running through my head like atoms smashing together to form new ones.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The shelf was the same as ever, spines of books I'd mostly hadn't read. But I was certain one was a history of the school. There! On the second shelf from the bottom, barely touched but almost identical to the copy from the library.

I flipped it open and nearly dropped it on the desk. Letting it sit open while I leaned on the table. I couldn't even think of sitting down. Before me were the diagrams and pictures of past planning for the premier school event. My heart pounded thinking about it, the curse pulsed in time with my chest.

"Basically, the entire school is involved, events set outside and in. We'll all be running all over the place. No one would even notice if someone disappeared for a bit. Not until it was too late to do anything." I couldn't tell if I was talking to myself or to Dragon Tower.

There was a deep menacing growl deep within the depths of my mind.

"Using a moment of what should be Tower pride to attack a student, if I'm right." To attack me and my friends. I couldn't let that happen. Not without a fight.

"You figure something out?"

I snapped my head to the open door, Fethris was standing there watching me. He seemed so relaxed despite the buzzing in my brain.

"I think so," I told him and pointed to the open book. "The Founder's Trials."

"What about them?"

"That has to be when the attack is going to happen. Slip away for a bit in the chaos, hells do it right and you'd have an alibi."

He stepped forward and closed the door. He leaned against it and crossed his arms, "It's certainly a plan. But how does that help us?"

"This person, what will they be expecting of us?" I pondered out loud. "We're five first-years. We don't have any hope of winning, but what if we participate anyway?"

"I'm not against it," he said slowly. Like he was thinking. "I'd put our chances of placing anywhere but last very low. And would you even be allowed?"

"Vivian let me do the Creature Cage thing. Maybe if I ask nicely enough? The point is there's no way they're expecting us to do this. Maybe we can interrupt their plan by doing things they won't be expecting."

"Risky, but you might be on to something."

"Our only advantage is knowing that they're there, and planning. We can't smoke them out, and baiting out their attack is hard without knowing the exact target. Too easy for that to completely backfire on us. I want us to stay safe while doing this."

"I don't think 'safe' is really an option if someone is planning a murder on school grounds."

"We can still try. And if we're smart maybe there won't be a murder at all. We just have to pay attention." I wasn't going to let anything take this from me. "Did you know I've only ever had one friend before coming here?"

"What?"

"All my life, I've only ever had one person besides my parents. And even he didn't know all of me. I think you guys know me better. I want to keep that. This. And I won't let a maniac take it. We can't run from this, and I refuse to. And there isn't a way to hide. So we fight back. Only way to do that is disrupt whatever the plan is."

Fethris was silent.

"And besides, we're Dragons. This is what we do, we stand our ground and do things no one else would. That might just be our biggest advantage right now."

Fethris let out a single laugh, making me look back at him. I could see it in eyes and on his face. He looked determined. "I really think we can do this, whatever's coming."

"We'd better. I trust you guys, I really do. And I'm not going to give up. Not easily."

"You'd better not, we did make you our leader after all."

"I promise to try and not let any of you down." A promise not easily kept, but since when did something truly worth it come easily?

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