The Quantum Games(The Alchemists Academy)

Chapter 11





Days passed in a blur for Wirt. Each morning brought lessons in magical combat with Ender Paine, though after the first day those weren’t too bad. They still worked with fire and transmutation, summoning and manipulation spells, all focused on utterly destroying someone attacking them.

It was, when Wirt thought about it that way, a huge responsibility to have that kind of power. Yet really, he’d had it all along. He’d already been able to manipulate the elements, to transport people, and to use transmutation magic well. While Ender Paine was teaching him and the others applications of those magical disciplines that were utterly focused on destruction, Wirt couldn’t pretend to himself that he hadn’t had those abilities in him already.

Once the daily lesson was done, Wirt either went on to classes with Robert or kept practicing for the Quantum Games. He still didn’t know precisely what was going to happen in them, but Ms. Burns and Ms. Lake seemed to be determined that he would spend a good proportion of his time leading up to them dodging balls thrown at odd times. Indeed, they somehow managed to persuade their first year students to help with that, by encouraging them to throw a soft ball at Wirt anytime they thought they could get away with it. It got so that Wirt started walking the corridors of the tree with all his senses on full alert for the first sign of a young student reaching into a bag or pocket.

The lessons he had to take alongside Robert were the biggest revelation. There were so many of them, for one thing. The headmaster might have allowed him and his sister to take some magical classes since they had the aptitude and the school sat in their father’s kingdom, but that didn’t get them out of any of the extra classes they had to take to prepare them for their royal duties. That meant that Wirt learned more about heraldry, falconry, horse riding, the accoutrements of knighthood and the running of a royal court in the next few days than he had in the rest of his life put together. He still didn’t feel like he understood it all.

The strange thing was that Robert obviously did. He still pretended to be interested only in jesting in public, and frankly a strong streak of it still carried over into everything else he did, but he also knew more about the running of a royal household and kingdom than Wirt was ever likely to. In fact, by the end of the first week, Wirt was starting to wonder why he needed an advisor at all, and he said as much.

“This isn’t all just some way to get me ready for the Games, is it?” he asked when they were back in their shared room. “I mean, you seem a lot more able to make your own decisions than Priscilla is, so…”

“So you’re wondering if I will turn around and say that I don’t need an advisor as soon as the Games are done?”

“Exactly.” Wirt nodded. “And you’ve kind of proved my point, because Priscilla wouldn’t have guessed that.”

Robert shrugged. “She might. She isn’t actually stupid, you know. Just… not very in touch with the world. That’s part of what I want from you, Wirt. You’ll be able to see the times when I’m thinking too much like a prince and not enough like anyone else.”

“Part of what you want?”

“Well, another big part is making sure no one finds out that I’m not just interested in the skills of a clown. I figure that if I have an advisor, everyone will assume all the good ideas are yours, and my reputation will be safe.”

“Your reputation for being not very bright and only interested in slapstick?”

Robert beamed. “Exactly. Of course, it’s partly right. And if you do have any great pieces of advice, that’s always helpful too.”

So things went on like that. On, and on, until Wirt could almost put the upcoming Quantum Games from his mind. Yet they were always there in the background, advancing as slowly and certainly as a glacier. By the time of the night before the Games, he couldn’t ignore that pressure any longer, and he sat him his room, thinking forward to everything that might happen. Going over the same old questions: did he really want to do this, could he really fight Spencer, could he even bring himself to disintegrate Roland?

Wirt found his thoughts interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Spencer. The other boy stood there nervously, not making any move to come inside, and obviously uncertain whether to say what he was about to.

“Wirt,” Spencer said, “I just wanted to say… whatever happens, I’ve enjoyed knowing you. You were a good roommate, and you’ve been a good friend.”

Wirt wasn’t sure what to say to that. It all sounded so morbid, like Spencer was certain that one of them was about to die. Yet Wirt couldn’t deny that it might happen. In fact, right then, he couldn’t see any way for it not to.

“I know you’ve always cared about Alana,” Spencer said. Wirt didn’t try to deny it. “If… if something happens to me, will you make sure that she’s all right?”

“Yes,” Wirt said simply, “but…”

“And make sure that you beat Roland if it comes down to that. He’s evil, Wirt, and not just the way the headmaster is.” Spencer sighed. “I want you to know that I don’t want to have to disintegrate you out there, but if it comes down to it… I’m going to be doing the best I can, Wirt, so you should too.”

Wirt nodded. “I understand. Good luck.”

“You’re wishing me luck?”

Wirt shrugged. “The way I see it, the luckiest result involves neither of us getting killed, so yes, I hope we’re very lucky indeed. You’re right though. If we have to…”

Spencer nodded and shook his hand. “If we have to.”

He left, and Wirt shut the door. It was only a few seconds though before there was another knock on it. Wirt opened it, expecting to see Spencer, but it wasn’t him. It was Alana. She looked… amazing, standing there. So beautiful, and clever, and perfect, with a look in her eyes that made it hard for Wirt to say anything, because it was so close to the look she’d had the time that she’d kissed him.

“Wirt,” she said, “I wanted to talk to you about the Games.” She took his hand, brushing the palm with her lips. Where they touched, Wirt felt like electricity was running through his skin. “You’re very dear to me, you know. I’d hate for anything to happen to you, or Spencer.”

“With the way the Quantum Games are set up…” Wirt began, but Alana cut him off.

“I know. I know. But if anyone can find another way, it’s you. You helped stop Ervana. You made it here from a world where they don’t even have magic, so far away that no one should have been able to do it. Do this too, Wirt. I don’t think I could stand to lose either of you.”

Either of them. Which meant…

“When you say you care about me...”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Alana said.

“But you’re with Spencer. You told me that it was him you wanted, not me. You told me he was the one for you, Alana.”

“And I thought that, Wirt. It’s complicated.” Alana looked a little uncomfortable at that. “I’d had a crush on Spencer for so long that I kept it up almost out of habit, and you said that you were fine with me seeing him, so I assumed that you weren’t that interested in me.”


“That’s not true,” Wirt said. “I’m definitely interested in you. But I still don’t get how this is coming out of nowhere. I mean, you dated Roland last term.”

“I thought you weren’t interested, and that Spencer wouldn’t take a risk on me. But Roland… after everything he did I don’t want anything more to do with him. Then when Spencer finally stood up to his father, I thought I ought to give him the chance he deserved. I thought if I tried hard enough, it would be like it was, but I find myself thinking about you as much as him, Wirt.”

“So what are you saying?” Wirt asked.

Alana shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m saying. I just know that I want both of you to come through this all right.” She leaned forward to kiss Wirt’s cheek. “Like I said, I don’t think I could stand to see either of you hurt. I’d do anything to stop that from happening.”

She walked out, and Wirt stood there dumbfounded. The situation was turning into a mess. Had Alana really just told him that she would have been his if only he had made it clear just how much he cared about her? If only he’d fought for her? That thought was a crushing one, and it meant that when the door started to open again, Wirt said it automatically, eager not to waste his chance as Alana came back.

“I care about you too, a lot.”

He looked up to see Robert there, smirking. “Well, that’s good to know Wirt, and it’s very flattering, but I’m afraid I prefer girls.”

“Oh, sorry,” Wirt said, reddening slightly in embarrassment. “I thought you were someone else.”

“Alana?” Robert said it in such a neutral way, but Wirt knew how many problems admitting it might cause. Robert had already told him what he felt about her, and that part of his reason for not choosing Spencer as an advisor was Spencer’s involvement with her. Yet Wirt couldn’t help how he felt. Not with the girl who was the most beautiful to him of any in school telling him that she cared about him too.

“Oh, I know you can’t help it,” Robert said. “You know she’s off-limits, but you can’t help what you feel about her.” He sighed. “Join the club. Now, I was rushing back to tell you something, but what was it? Oh, of course. I was just going to say that I’d overheard some of the elite class students talking about the Games. Apparently, they’re going to be involved, using their experiences as part of the tests to make them more applicable to the real world, so maybe you can use that to help you.”

“How?” Wirt asked.

Robert shrugged. “I don’t know. Which one of us is the advisor here?”

“Thanks,” Wirt said. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

He tried not to let Robert see how nervous he was until they turned in for the night. He wasn’t sure how good a job he did though. Everyone seemed to know more about the Quantum Games than he did, yet it was his life at stake if things went wrong there. Wirt tried not to think about that as he drifted off into sleep, though that just meant that his mind drifted over to Alana instead. He fell asleep with the deep green of her eyes looking at him in his dreams.