The rest of the night is subdued to say the least. Briareth can’t seem to stop crying, and none of us know how to comfort him. I’m not sure why he cared so much about Myrddin, but he really did care. Though I don’t understand the source of his anguish, I can’t ignore his obvious pain at her disappearance. I fall asleep that night wondering if I can possibly help find her, and figure out a way to stop the animal abductions.

When I wake up the next morning, my mind is calmer than it was the night before. I’ll have to get more information, but I think we can do this, we’ll just need Adamar’s help.

As we are getting dressed for another day of school, a small, blood red envelope is slipped under our door. Adamar picks it up.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“It’s a notice. We are having a different class schedule than usual today.” Adamar replies. Briareth doesn’t even glance up.

“Does it say why?” I ask, as Adamar opens the envelope and pulls out a note.

“Probably because the HeadMaster wanted to play teacher. Or just gather opinions and gossip. Yep, ‘no normal classes, ...yada yada... all second years report to the Gathering Classroom. After class is over the rest of the day is free.”

“Why is it for all second years at once?”

“That way at the end when we get to pick his brain and ask him questions, everyone can hear the answers. I think I already have a question in mind.”

“At the end we can ask him questions? About anything?”

“Yep, anything. It doesn’t even have to relate to the topic. Which, since he technically teaches Magic in the Modern World, can be practically anything. Some days he just has a random student choose the topic for him.”

“That sounds like an interesting class.”

“It’s quite amusing at times, I’ll admit.” Adamar says.

We head off to breakfast, with a silent, morose Briareth tagging along behind. He doesn’t even grab donuts at the buffet tables, just a bowl of cereal. As we sit down at our table with Folas and Valkallyn, I say to him. “Briareth, we will find Myrddin. We can ask about the disappearing animals after class today. Surely the HeadMaster will know something.”

Briareth looks at me, “But what if he doesn’t know anything, Faladel? What then?”

“Then we will find her ourselves. With all our resources and Adamar’s spy network, surely someone has seen something.”

“I know a few things that might help,” Adamar says, sipping his tea. “and I think the HeadMaster knows more than I do. If he can answer my questions, then I think we are good to start investigating.”

Folas looks at Adamar, surprised. “You have a spy network?” Adamar doesn’t confirm or deny that statement, he just keeps sipping his tea. I have a feeling he’s hiding a smile behind the teacup.

“When does the HeadMaster’s class start anyway? Do we get a break for lunch?” I ask.

“It starts in about fifteen minutes, and normally is over before lunch.” Replies Adamar. “We should probably get going soon so we can get good seats.” Folas and Valkallyn nod in agreement, Briareth stares at his now soggy breakfast. He hasn’t eaten a single bite of it. The rest of us finish quickly, then we all pack up and Folas starts off, leading the way down a corridor I hadn’t noticed before.

“So where is this Gathering Classroom?” I ask Adamar. We are heading deeper into the building so it’s probably in here somewhere. The Great Dining Hall only takes up the short end of the L. Put the two together and, “Is it on the long side of this L?”

“I never thought of them as Ls, but yes. I suppose you could say that.” Adamar answers. The hallway we are following ends in a door. It doesn’t look like a very remarkable door, just plain wooden planks with no decoration or carvings. Folas pushes open the door, and we enter a dark room filled with chairs, except for a stage at the front. The chairs descend as they go to the stage, like they would in an opera house.

Other students are already here, but they mostly ignore us. I guess they can’t make out our faces in the darkness. As my eyes adjust to the light change, Folas leads us to some chairs in the third row. There we sit and wait and watch as the rest of the students arrive and the seats around us are quickly filled in. After about ten minutes, someone comes up on stage and places a swivel chair in the center of the stage. Then the person leaves. I suppose HeadMaster Morthose Haulding doesn’t need much for his ‘classroom’.

We wait for about five more minutes before a wave of silence covers the entire hall. As the silence arrives at our seats, I look at the stage and see the man himself sitting silently in the chair, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He is wearing practically the same sort of clothes that he sent us. But, instead of pure white, his are mainly black and red. The entire ensemble is topped off with a simple black top hat and a snow white cravat. Somehow he manages to pull off the look without looking ridiculous.

After everyone has been silent for about five seconds, the HeadMaster begins his lecture.

“As you all know, last time we talked about your dream jobs.” People around us nod. “Today we will be talking about what you should do if you don’t get your dream job right out of school. Which, let's face it, is probably going to happen to most of you out there. And it’s not always because your dream was ridiculous, or because you didn’t get the right grades. It’s mainly because you just graduated and lack work experience. Although for some of you I’m sure it will be one or the other, and for some of you I know it will be both.” A couple of laughs rise from the crowd. He waits for them to die down before continuing.

“So I’m here to talk about what to do if, or when, you don’t get your dream job. I can’t prepare you for all situations, but I can prepare you for a few of the most common ones.” He crosses his legs.

“The least common of these common problems is that your dream job doesn’t exist anymore, or they've decreased the need for people in that field so much that a lot of people are out of a job, and you have no room to squeeze yourself in. That’s awful and all, but you are a lot better off than the people who have spent their whole lives working in that field, and now have no clue what to do with themselves. Count yourself as lucky, and get yourself a new dream. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but that one is probably going nowhere. There is probably a job out there that is very similar yet slightly different to the one you’ve abandoned. Try doing that instead.

“The next problem is a lot more common. The person you want to work for says you aren’t qualified for the job, they want job experience, not necessarily knowledge of the field.” The HeadMaster gets out of his chair and starts pacing. “The best advice I have in this situation is to ask for a job lower down in the same company or area, that way when you next apply, you have job experience, and a history of working for that company. It takes a lot of patience, but you can work your way up. Sometimes though,” Here he pauses slightly. “Someone makes it up the ranks before you do, and snatches your dream job while you are waiting. That brings us to the third topic, when someone is already in your position.

“If someone is already in your position, there isn’t much you can legally do. There are a ton of illegal ways to make the job yours, but most of them are rather messy and/or leave a body count.” The HeadMaster stops pacing and stares directly into the audience.

“The most legal way to get a job that is taken by someone else is to wait, but since Elves are immortal that can take a while. Some of the less legal ways include sending the person a fake draft letter. Then of course you would have to fake the royal signet ring, or you could get a real one by offing one of the royal family, but in that case you should probably just push your superior off a cliff, it gains less press attention.

“This brings us to the least legal option. Assassination. You can hire someone, or just do it yourself. I know many of you might be squeamish at the thought of killing someone, and hiring a professional may seem more savory, but it comes with risk. They could blackmail you if you aren't careful. Then again, sometimes it is difficult to get close to your target, especially if you have shown animosity towards them before. You must weigh the potential risks and benefits on your own, and decide if it's worth all the effort to do it yourself.”

The Headmaster flops onto his swivel chair, it spins around once then glides to a stop facing the audience. “Any questions? You guys can ask about anything, it doesn’t have to be related to the lecture. Just know that if it’s personal, I have no qualms about lying to you.”

This has had to be the strangest lecture I have ever attended. I am horrified. HeadMaster Morthose Haulding suggested murdering one of the royal family, interfering with the postal service, and advised on the pros and cons of hiring an assassin. I’m not sure how to react to this. Everyone else though seems to think this is completely normal behavior. Briareth is smiling slightly, and has his hand up with a question already. Adamar also has a question, in fact, I think nearly half of the people in here have their hands up.

“Briareth?” The HeadMaster calls, not even looking our direction, just knowing Briareth has one.

“How old are you?” Briareth shouts to him, looking more pleased than he has all day. I’m glad he’s perked up.

“As old as I was last time you asked. Which for those of you that weren’t here, is five years, nine months, twenty-four days, sixteen hours, twelve minutes, and thirty-two seconds.” The HeadMaster says, sounding bored. “I’ve also been in this position for over two hundred years, you do the math. Wynna?”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Would you believe me if I said Maroon?”

“No.”

“Well it is maroon. Farryn?”

“What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

“Well what type of swallow is it?”

“Umm…”

“Rathal?”

“Why do the donuts taste different now?”

“We ran out of donut dough, and because we can’t do without donuts, we decided to use bread dough. Almer?”

“Where are the kitchens located?”

“Nowhere you could go. Ryul?”

“Why do you know so much about assassination?”

“How do you think I got this job? Naesala?” I soon zone out a bit, the questions just keep coming, some innocent, some curious, some supposed to be funny. The HeadMaster answers them all, looking bored with each one. None of the questions seem to faze him at all. Even one where someone asks about his love life. I eventually tune back in to the question-answer game when I hear one that I want to know the answer to.

“Why are dead pets appearing all over campus?” Asks a girl named Ralmordia. I wonder if the HeadMaster knows anything that we don’t.

“I don’t know yet. Don’t worry we’ll find the culprit. Most of the missing pets haven’t turned up dead yet, so they are probably still alive somewhere. Adamar?”

“Do the disappearances have anything to do with Aberrations?” The HeadMaster’s face twitches ever so slightly. If I hadn’t been studying him for the last couple of questions I wouldn’t even have noticed it. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s annoyed with this question.

“Where did you hear that term?” he replies

“Around.” Adamar looks completely innocent. It also looks like he could have practiced that face in the mirror for hours to perfect it and bring it out when he needs to.

Apparently the HeadMaster isn’t convinced with his show of innocence either. “That was supposed to be a secret meeting.” He says, his facade of boredom cracking even further. He looks... ticked.

“Well? Are they involved?” Adamar says, quickly changing the topic back to his original question.

“It is a possibility that we are looking into.” The HeadMaster says through gritted teeth. Adamar opens his mouth to ask for more details, but the HeadMaster quickly calls on another student. “Sartris?”

“What’s an Aberration?”

“A monster that sucks the life out of its prey.”

“That basically explains nothing.”

“You can look it up in the library if you want. Folas?” The HeadMaster looks really tired of talking about Aberrations, I have the feeling that he didn’t want that particular information to get out.

“It’s not just pets anymore, HeadMaster. Horses have been disappearing too, two yesterday alone. What are we supposed to do about it?” The HeadMaster looks a bit surprised by the disappearance of the horses. He frowns slightly, and hesitates, as he considers his answer.

“You students can’t do much.” This is met with mumbles and complaints from the audience. He waits for them to die away before continuing. “If you see anything suspicious, inform a Master immediately. In the meantime, curfew will be moved to eight p.m, and you are all strongly advised to not travel in groups less than four. This way if one of you gets hurt, one can run for help while the other defends the wounded, and the third tries to treat the wounds depending on the situation. I will be implementing these rules campuswide.”

“It was impressive that he came up with those new rules off the bat like that. Now all he needs to do is convince the rest of the Masters that they are really necessary and worth the extra work.” Comments Adamar as we exit the meeting halls.

“Why does he have to convince all the others?” I ask. “Isn’t he their boss technically?”

“Yes, but who do you think will be enforcing those rules?” Adamar explains.

“I see your point. How did you learn about Aberrations, and why did the HeadMaster mention a secret meeting?”

“Can we talk about that somewhere more private?” Adamar asks, shooting glances at nearby students.

“I know a place.” Says Folas. “I’m interested in hearing about this ‘secret meeting’ as well.” He starts moving our group in a different direction from the rest of the students, who mainly seem to be heading towards the lunch hall.

“Count me in.” Says Valkallyn, hurrying to follow him..

“I’m not being left behind either. If this information could lead us to Myrddin then I’m definitely coming.” Chimes in Briareth.

“Your mood seems to have improved.” I say to Briareth.

“Well, the Masters are actually doing something! With their help and Adamar’s information we might be able to find Myrddin.”

“The first twenty-four hours are crucial in a kidnapping.” Folas says knowingly. “We should start looking soon if we want to find clues.”

“Myrddin wasn’t technically kidnapped, when horses are taken I believe the term is rustled.” Adamar adds.

“I agree with you, Folas, that we should start looking for clues,” I chime in, “but I think we should hear what Adamar has to say first. So, where is this hidey-hole you were talking about?”

“Behind Master Cellica’s greenhouse.” Folas replies promptly

“Won’t she be having class currently?” Adamar says, frowning. I guess he really doesn’t want this information to be overheard.

“Well, she would if it weren’t for the fact that lunch hour starts in like five minutes.” Folas says smugly. “By the time we get there, her class will be packing up to leave.”

Folas was correct. As we go behind the greenhouse, we can see the first years and Master Cellica leaving out the front. Valkallyn and Folas just plop themselves down on the grass. Briareth follows suit, and Adamar and I sit down more gently.

“So Adamar- '' Briareth begins, but is interrupted by Folas.

“Spill.”

“I have a couple of bugs around the school.” Begins Adamar “Normally I just hear useless gossip, sometimes catch a student up after bed doing something they shouldn’t. I store this information for future use. After all, here information is worth way more than any currency. Most people have some sort of source.

“Back on topic, I found something strange a while back. I heard some people talking on a rather quiet night gossip-wise, so I followed the voices and found a secret room where a meeting was taking place. Later when I went looking for this room, it had vanished. The people in the room talked about a lot of things– donuts, Lyra Aumrauth, student privacies, –someone even mentioned you, Faladel, testing boundaries of ‘the divide’. They brought up the missing pets, and something about a scanner detecting less life signs in a forest that had no hunters, then someone mentioned Aberrations. I didn’t understand what they were, and I wasn’t alone in my confusion. Someone defined them for the group. And then the meeting ended. I don’t know who was talking, or why they even brought up donuts. In fact I had almost completely forgotten about this meeting till last night. Looking at Valkalyn’s doughnut reminded me of it.

“Eventually I put two and two together, and realized that I had probably stumbled upon the Masters. I would have made that deduction earlier if I hadn’t been exhausted when I first heard them.” Adamar looks a bit embarrassed when he’s finished. I suppose he isn’t used to talking about his secrets.

“How could an entire room just vanish?” Asks Valkallyn.

“They’re the Masters, the room might not have even been there in the first place.” Briareth answers dryly. “What I want to know is how this information will help us find Myrddin.”

“Well,” Adamar answers cautiously. “I have an idea on that actually.”

“What’s your idea?” Briareth pounces immediately.

“It might take a couple of days to implement this, but I was thinking that we could try and find that scanner. If it can sense life signs, then perhaps we could use it to find all the missing animals by having it look at the campus and find unnatural groupings of large and small animals.”

“But we don’t even know what it looks like.” says Briareth, “Much less where it will be stored.”

“I’ve thought about this more than I should because I was curious about how it would work. I came up with an idea of what it might look like if I were designing it.” Adamar says. “I can draw a sketch here.” He picks up a stick and begins to draw in the dirt.

“Shouldn’t we bring this idea to the Masters?” Says Valkallyn.

“They’re going to be too busy trying to find the culprit their own way, and how would we bring it up? ‘Hey Master Edraele, why not use a scanner that we shouldn’t know about to find a bunch of missing pets?’ that will lead to too many questions.” Says Briareth.

“Yeah, if we say that we know about the scanner because of Adamar, things might get really nasty for him.” I comment.

“How nasty?” Valkallyn says.

“Well, he was spying on the Masters.” Folas says as if thinking it through. “And they can guess that he was also spying on the students, which is technically breaking the rules. So expulsion at least. Probably more since he would be forced to admit to spying on the teachers, which isn’t against the rules, per say, but will upset a lot of them. The HeadMaster would be ticked, but as long as he is able to confiscate the spyware, he might be appeased. The rest of the Masters? Not as much. Which Master would you say values his privacy the most?”

“The undead-redhead, I mean Master Edraele.” Valkallyn answers immediately. “His whole room is covered with Illusions, even some covering him.”

“Well, imagine how mad he would get if he realized a student was spying on him without his knowledge.”

Valkallyn freezes for a moment, thinking about it. Then her eyes widen and she says. “I see your point. I guess we can’t go to the teachers with this.”

I look over at Adamar, he’s been quiet for a while, but this was his plan. I tilt my head to get a better look at his drawing. I still don’t understand it though. “Adamar, what is that supposed to be?” I ask.

“It is supposed to be my idea of what the scanner looks like.”

“What are those?” I say pointing to a few squiggly lines.

“Eraser marks.” Adamar says, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“You are awful at drawing, did you know that Adamar?” Folas comments. Adamar only sighs in acceptance of this reality.

“I guess whoever goes to find the scanner will have to take Adamar with them.” Briareth comments, glancing at the messy drawing. “He’s the only one who could identify it after all.”

“Where would the scanner be kept anyways?” I ask, trying to change the subject for Adamar’s sake. “Probably somewhere that would be hard for students to access.”

“A secret scanner that they can’t let student’s find. I’d say it would probably be-” Briareth looks up at the floating paths and buildings above us. “-somewhere in the Masters’ towers.”