The lock clicked open.
Annev tore off the padlock, cast it aside, and lifted the metal ring. He heaved, pulling upward until the door moaned in protest. He heaved again and the door came free with a jolt.
Somewhere on the other side of the arena, a gong sounded once. Twice. Three times.
‘What was that?’ Titus asked.
Therin glared suspiciously at the tunnel beneath the trapdoor. ‘Isn’t that where they kept the wild boar last summer?’
‘And where they drained the water after the swimming competition,’ Annev said, lowering himself into the hole.
‘And didn’t they keep snakes down there once?’
‘Yep. “Descend and tread where you’ve gone before”.’ Annev dropped down into the darkness. A second later, he poked his head back out. ‘It’s only four feet high, and half as wide. We’ll have to duck.’
Therin shifted from one foot to the other. ‘I don’t like tight spaces.’
Titus lowered himself down. ‘I’m coming, Annev.’
Annev ducked back in and disappeared into the darkness, then Titus dropped in behind him. Therin bent down and stared into the tunnel. After a moment, he groaned.
‘I’m coming!’ He slid in, grabbed the trapdoor, and pulled it down behind him.
Once again, Annev shuffled down the passageway at the front of the trio, his hands searching for an exit. This time, though, the tunnel was too narrow to walk abreast, so they went single file with Therin at the rear. After several feet, the tunnel dipped and became much cooler. Annev heard a soft splash as his feet met a few inches of shallow water. A few seconds later, he felt the cold wetness seep into his boots.
At the back of the line, Therin groaned again. ‘I hate getting my feet wet.’
‘You’ll live.’ Annev pressed on.
As they walked on, the floor dropped away and the water level rose. At one point the ceiling sloped down sharply, forcing them to crawl through the ankle-deep pool. Shortly thereafter, the tunnel dropped again bringing the water level to their knees. Each time the water got deeper Therin moaned, but finally Annev’s hands touched a rough stone wall. His fingers searched the rocky surface and he felt the tunnel curve left.
‘Turning left,’ Annev said. ‘Stay close.’
‘Shhh,’ said Therin. ‘There’s something behind us.’
Both Titus and Annev turned their heads to listen. Something, perhaps a hundred feet away, was splashing in the tunnel …
‘Kenton?’ Titus wondered.
‘Or Fyn.’
‘Or there could be something living down here,’ Therin added. The splashing grew louder.
‘Well,’ Annev said, wading forward, ‘I’m not staying to find out.’
The passage began to rise gently and the water level to drop. Shortly after that, the tunnel took a series of sharp turns and the slope became a steady incline, bringing them to dry ground again. Annev’s fingers touched a rough wall at the end of the passage. He searched to the left and right and found stone to either side.
‘Why have we stopped?’ Therin asked.
‘End of the tunnel.’
‘Burn my bloody bones! I thought that key meant we’d found the right tunnel.’
‘Wait.’ Annev’s hands patted the rough-hewn rock above his head. With his hands tracing the ceiling, he backed into Titus and Therin and felt the rough stone change to smooth wood.
‘Figures,’ Annev muttered. ‘There’s another trapdoor above us. Help me push it open.’ The three acolytes gathered together and pressed their hands and shoulders against the wooden door. ‘On the count of three,’ Annev said. ‘One … two … three!’
The trapdoor sprang open, filling the tunnel with torchlight. The three boys stood, blinking at the sudden brightness. Once Annev’s eyes had adjusted, he straightened up, and hoisted himself through the hole.
He was surrounded.
Eight of the Academy’s nineteen master avatars stood evenly spaced around the room with a pair of torches on the wall between each of them; each master stood to attention, hands holding a ceremonial quarterstaff, watching the trapdoor and waiting for the winner.
As Titus and Therin crawled through the trapdoor, Annev glimpsed the raised dais at the opposite end of the room. Three of the Academy’s ancients were seated to either side in their purple ceremonial robes, and in the midst of them, sitting on a cushioned chair elevated above the rest, was Elder Tosan.
Chapter Thirty-One
‘Well, this is a first,’ Tosan murmured. ‘Three acolytes finishing at the same moment.’ He bowed his head in feigned admiration. ‘Bravo.’
Annev bowed, and as he did so noticed Witmistress Kiara standing in the far corner of the room. Witwoman Tonja stood beside her, severe-looking as ever, and two wit-apprentices stood behind them. Faith stood behind Kiara, while Myjun stood at Tonja’s elbow. Her gaze locked with Annev’s and she smiled.
‘Of course,’ Tosan continued, ‘we are prepared for such an eventuality.’ He nodded to Master Edra. ‘Proceed.’
To one side of the room, the Master of Arms set aside his staff and took up three small rods.
‘Line up!’ Edra shouted.
The boys stood to attention in a single straight line facing the ancients. Edra made a show of looking the acolytes over, then nodded and placed a bronze rod in Titus’s palm. He gave a silver rod to Therin and a gold one to Annev. Then he stepped back and circled behind the three boys.
‘You have proved yourselves in the testing arena,’ Edra said. ‘You have shown your agility of body is equal to your quickness of mind.’ He paused for effect. ‘The final test lies before you. You must—’
There was a scuffling sound behind him as Kenton climbed through the trapdoor.
‘Avatar Kenton,’ Edra said, his tone neutral. ‘The final task is about to begin. Do you still wish to compete for the honour of today’s title?’
Kenton rose to his feet, his face grim. ‘I do.’
Edra gestured him into line and handed the boy an iron rod.
‘The final test lies before you,’ Edra continued. ‘You must now demonstrate your skill in combat. Each of you has a metal rod. When you have collected three of them, you will secure your avatar title.’ Edra stepped back from the trapdoor and resumed his place along the wall.
No! Annev thought. We’ve come so far … all three of us made it. There’s got to be another way …
From his place on the dais, Tosan caught and held Annev’s gaze, and it lit a fire inside Annev, steeling his resolve.
There’s always another way. I’ll make another way.
The headmaster flicked a hand in the air. ‘Begin.’
With sudden ferocity, Kenton whirled to his left and kicked Therin in the stomach. The boy coughed, his hands shooting out in front of him as he stumbled backward. Kenton stretched to grab the metal rod from Therin’s hands, but before he could claim it, Therin tripped and dropped through the open trapdoor. Kenton swore and turned his attention to Annev and Titus, who had backed into opposite corners of the room.