“No part?” questioned Rhodella. “Master Caulder has strict rules about practice without supervision. There are reasons for this, Lyra. We cannot allow students to hurt themselves while here at the Academy. If just one student gets killed at the Omunga Academy of Magic, we will hear no end to it. There are other schools that would gleefully spread the news about our careless methods. All three of you will have your punishment.”

Rhodella turned and stormed into the castle. Lyra rose and smoothed her tunic, trying to rid the rough fabric of dirt before she had to meet her father. “I’m sorry,” she lamented. “I guess I wasn’t as careful as I should have been. I think Walak might have seen me leave. Now I’ve gotten the two of you in trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it,” smiled Antello. “We can handle Master Caulder alright.”

“Right,” snipped Syman. “We’ll just let him beat us silly and then we’ll plead for a swift death. It should all be over quickly.”

“I’ll . . . “ started Lyra before the sounds of screaming reached her.

All three turned towards the castle as the sounds of mayhem increased. The pounding of running horses drifted on the wind and Lyra saw dark clouds of dust from the road leading to the Academy. The road to the Academy was quite long and Lyra realized that a large group of warriors must be attacking the castle. Why anyone would attack the Academy was a mystery though. Looking at her wooden practice sword with disgust, Lyra grabbed Antello as he tried to move towards the rear door of the castle.

“Without weapons,” she whispered, “we will just be giving them three more victims.”

“You don’t think they will stop the killing inside do you?” quipped Syman. “In moments they will be out here to get us, too.”

“You are right!” exclaimed Lyra looking around frantically. “Quickly, get into the moat. Maybe we can circle around to the front and find some weapons.”