Walak looked from Lyra to Antello, but Antello was not paying any attention to the conversation because he was concentrating on the farmhouse below, searching for any sight of Syman. Walak seemed to warm to the idea of talking and Lyra saw his body relax slightly as the shaking subsided.

“It all happened so fast,” Walak began while digging at the grass with a short stick, his eyes directed downward as if afraid to meet Lyra’s gaze. “I heard the fighting downstairs first. It was faint as if Master Caulder was having a particularly raucous session with his students. Then Master Caulder came running up the stairs with some of his students, yelling about an attack. I cannot remember the whole conversation, but I sensed that he was forfeiting the lower floors to the raiders and the Academy would make its stand in the magic classrooms.”

Walak paused to wipe at his eyes and returned his attention to the stick he was playing with. “Like I said, I was in an empty room so I did not see everything. Rhodella was in the classroom with Master Malafar and they started arguing. I think he knew the raiders were coming for him and he was going to give himself up to stop the slaughter. Rhodella would not hear of it though and shouted for him to fight back. He refused.

Walak started crying again as he relived the nightmare and Lyra felt ashamed that she was making him talk, but she knew that he had to tell his story to heal his troubled mind.

“I just cannot believe that Master Malafar would not use magic to protect the students,” cried Walak. “We looked up to him and Rhodella pleaded with him as the raiders started charging up the stairs from both ends of the hall. Master Caulder and his cadets held the raiders off at one end of the corridor, but the raiders started coming up the other stairway and he was forced to retreat to the classroom. Only the burning fireballs hurled at the raiders allowed him and his remaining cadets to get back to the classroom.”