Warlock Apprentice

“Lion Princess?! Dead?” Devildare was furious hearing those words. Lion Princess was one of the six wizards from Waterward Lions. Someone as strong as her… was dead?

“What happened, Wood?” Walmazan asked.

“I don’t know! I’ve been following her closely. When she stepped into the inner hall, she just, exploded! There were body-her parts all about!”

“Where’s her soul? Give me her soul and I’ll ask her!” Devildare demanded.

Wood shook his head. His voice was trembling in fear. “It’s gone.”

“Gone?? Explain to me!”

“I tried to get her soul when I saw her die like that. But it was only a second, and her soul was drawn into the inner hall. I feared that there’s danger in there, so I sent my familiar inside, whose body became pieces too! And I ran back to report it to you, sir.”

“What did you find out?” Devildare asked.

Twilight came to the auction house together with him, but she did not answer Wood’s assemble call. She only told Wood to send a message that she found something.

Twilight hesitated a little before saying, “Sir, the music came from the inner hall, so whoever playing the music must be inside.”

“I know that. Anything else you can tell me?”

“I saw two shadows, and I think I know them… yes, this has something to do with Mister Sunders’ student.”

“Flora? Or…”

“Angor.”

…

At the same time…

Angor arrived at the mirror world. Before he could head home though, he heard Sunders’ voice ringing around his ears.

“Get to Phantom Island. I have a question.”

Angor already thought Sunders was going to ask him something about the auction. However, he did not expect the gentleman to use a voice transmission. Also, it seemed Sunders noticed his arrival at mirror world right away.

He sighed in frustration. Some kind of tracking spells. It must be.

“You go back first,” Angor said to Dave. “I’ll take Hobbiton to Butler Goode.”

After seeing Dave off, he looked at Hobbiton who was now both worried and curious about what was going to happen.

“Follow closely and don’t get lost. I’ll get you to see Goode.”

Considering Hobbiton’s age, Angor walked a little slower.

Occasionally, there were passers-by giving them curious glances, which caused Hobbiton to grow more and more nervous.

The kid yelled out loud when a commotion came about from not far, and a human arm suddenly dropped in front of them.

Angor rubbed his temples. The Tree Spirit Garden was usually “relatively peaceful”, but he ran into trouble so soon.

They kept walking. Soon, Angor found a tiny trembling hand grabbing the side of his clothes.

And he thought the kid was a fearless little rogue… Angor tried to hold back his laughter. He did not say anything just to spare Hobbiton’s ego.

Hobbiton grew comforted when he received no comment from Angor. He kept his hand on Angor’s side.

They climbed some stairs and reached a leaf bus stop when Hobbiton’s face began to grow pale.

The boy simply shrank into a ball on the sky bus and shivered badly. Now his lips were losing color as well.

“He’s afraid of height?” Angor realized something funnier would soon happen.

Those who could not fly had to travel across a completely transparent, unprotected sky bridge to reach Phantom Island.

Angor stepped onto the bridge with a plain expression and prepared to enjoy the show.

He walked some distance and looked back at Hobbiton, who stayed at the edge of the leaf, shuddering. The boy was so scared that he looked as if he was going to faint.

“We must go through here to find Goode,” Angor did not exert any emotion in his voice. “It’s a road you can’t see called the sky bridge. Don’t you want to find Goode?” Angor crossed his arms and gazed at the trembling boy.

Hobbiton stayed silent for quite a while before stuttering, “I-I-I’m afra-afraid…”

“Then you can give up thinking about becoming a wizard. Wizards don’t walk around on their feet.”

Maybe those words encouraged him just a little. Hobbiton poked his foot forward slowly and finally walked onto the bridge in slow motion.

Just when Angor thought Hobbiton had gone over his fear, the kid rushed to him and clung to his leg with his eyes closed.

Angor did not know how to feel. He never thought he would have someone hugging his leg like this.

Considering that Sunders was still waiting, Angor only moaned without saying anything. He dragged Hobbiton on his leg and moved to the Phantom Island.