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Lost Stories of The Spiral: Transcended

Written by Ryan Mistcaster

Lost Stories of The Spiral: Halloween Edition 3rd Place Winner

“Please tell me you’re kidding,” gawked my best friend, Joshua Firecaster, “Do you have a death wish?!” His voice likely reached every classroom in Ravenwood.

“Dude, just hear me out, okay?” I replied, trying to calm him down.

“Two minutes.”

“I want you and Rose to come with me to Azteca tonight. They’re having a Day of the Dead festival for Halloween in the evening and I just happened to consider taking you and her to hang out,” I explained.

“You do realize that Azteca is classified as Archmage rank, right?” he asked, “We’re only Transcended; it’s not long before it’s Doomsday there. And don’t give me that ‘I just want to hang out with my best friends’ excuse. I know you’re just trying to get close to Rose.”

He was right. I had been friends with Roselyn Foeleaf, a Life Wizard, for nearly 16 years, practically since birth, and it was since then that I’ve had a rather hopeless crush on her. Unfortunately, like any other tragic romance, the feelings were not mutual.

I sighed. Then, like a desperate child, I begged. “Please, man? It’ll be fine. We’ll be in and out before it gets too late. Why won’t you do this for me?”

“Because I actually enjoy living, Ryan,” he snapped. “I wish to not go to a party in the middle of a soon-to-be-nothing-but-rock-and-ruin world and becoming dino dinner. Plus, everyone knows Morganthe is running around there. That world is dangerous. And even then, how do you even intend on getting there? Ambrose only gave a key to that teacher’s pet, Alden Mistcaster, to go off and attempt to save the place.”

He had a point there, too. It wasn’t long ago that we received the call for help from a world that was previously thought to be dead. Of course, it didn’t take long for Headmaster Ambrose to appoint his star pupil, Alden Mistcaster, to go off and be the single-man cavalry that’ll miraculously save the world again- just like Malistaire three years before. Though he’s in our grade, I’ve never actually seen the guy because he’s always out saving some war-torn world from destruction. From how society has spoken of him, he might as well be a celebrity in Wizard City and a very powerful Wizard. Books have been written and songs have been sung about him and his victories. I could only hope to become as strong of a Storm Wizard as him, someday.

“My dad’s a historian who recently began studying the place when it popped up,” I said. “He has a Spiral Key for when he visits to do work there. And as far as Morganthe goes, I’m sure Mistcaster is on top of that.”

After a bit of thinking, Josh sighed. “Fine. But under one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I have an essay on Celestian history due Monday,” he smirked, “and you’re one of Balestrom’s best students. Write it for me and I’ll convince Rose to go with us.”

“Done,” I quickly replied. I liked writing essays, anyways.

“Okay. Let’s meet at the World Tree this evening at six o’clock,” he took a few steps before turning. “And for the love of Bartleby, please bring your wand. Just in case.” And, with that, he walked away in the direction of the Commons.

Wand? Check. Spell deck? Check. Spiral key? Check. I went through my mental checklist as I approached Ravenwood. The sun was getting low in the sky and the cool October breeze felt good against my face. October had always been my favorite month of the year. Perhaps I should’ve been a Death Wizard. No. That wouldn’t be right. Storm Magic has always been second nature to me. At least that’s what my parents raised me thinking. A family of Storm Wizards. Why break the streak? Plus, Alden Mistcaster is a Storm Wizard. Call me a fanboy, but it gives me a little extra pride knowing that the savior of the Spiral saved it using the same magic as I do.

After emerging from the tunnel from the Commons, I immediately spotted Josh and Roselyn standing in front of the Great Tree. They turned and waved to me as I got closer.

“Hey, Ryan,” Roselyn smiled at me once I got close enough.

“Hey, Rose,” I managed to squeeze out of my throat. She wore her wavy blonde hair down with small braids around the top of her head like a crown. Her green and white Jester’s robe complimented her soft, green eyes and her fair skin. Beautiful as always. I gulped. If I was going to have any chance of being with Roselyn, I had to man up before the night ended. I mentally slapped myself for being such a wimp.

“Finally,” Josh said,  “I was beginning to think our host was gonna be a no-show.”

“I stopped by the library to check out a map of some of the main areas in Azteca,” I shrugged, “I figured they’ll come in handy.”

“So you actually have a Spiral Key leading there?” Roselyn looked at me skeptically.

I smiled and reached into my pocket, drawing out a small key the size of my palm. It was made of stone and had foreign engravings etched into the sides. The magic it held weighed it down in my hand. I held it up for my friends to see.

“That looks sick,” Josh exclaimed as he brought his head closer to it.

“It’s beautiful,” Roselyn stared at it almost as if she were in a trance.

“It’s just a Spiral Key, guys,” I nervously laughed, “It almost looks no different from the Krokotopia one.”

“Ah, but this particular one leads us to a lost world,” Roselyn shifted her eyes from the key to me.

“Shall we put it to use?” Josh finally said.

“Yes, please,” Roselyn smiled eagerly. She grabbed my wrist and hurried into the World Tree, pulling me along.

I only took a few steps through the Spiral Door before immediately feeling the humid jungle air. We stepped out onto a large stone platform surrounded by tall trees that had to have been some of the oldest in the Spiral. In front of us was a small stream leading through a narrow cave. This must be the Zocalo.

“Woah,” Josh said under his breath, staring up towards the canopy far above us.

“Amazing,” Roselyn exclaimed. She closed her eyes and smelled the air. “This place is ancient.”

I had only seen Azteca in pictures that my dad brought back to me when he’d visit. Those pictures did not do this place justice. This was most certainly a lost world. After marveling at the scenery for a while, I reached into my backpack and pulled out a map of the region.

“Okay,” I started, unfolding the map, “The festival is held at a market area not far from here called Three Points. It shouldn’t be too much of a walk.”

“Onward, then,” Josh said as he eagerly began walking towards the cave. Rose and I followed.

After getting distracted more than a few times at the Zocalo, we made our way through the massive stone gates into Three Points. Upon arriving, it was easy to see that a festival was taking place. Aztecans bustled around the shops in the bazaar and the smell of foreign foods filled the evening air. Banners and other decor were strung up between the adobe buildings and the faint sounds of drums could be heard playing a distance away. The market areas were surrounding a huge pyramid at the back of Three Points. The Pyramid of the Sun in Krokotopia was no match for this thing. This place was gigantic. Undoubtedly, the Commons in Wizard City could span this place ten times before running out of room. It wasn’t long before the sun fell behind the pyramid, giving the stars and various torches throughout the place a chance to provide their light. This place was beautifully alien.

After walking around a little and finding food, Roselyn ran off to explore the shops a little more while Josh and I found a small table away from the crowds.

“And there it is,” Josh said, looking up into the night sky. I followed his eyes to a giant, dark mass in the sky that seemed to take the

moon’s place. Except, unlike the moon, this gave no light. Upon a closer look, I noticed that it seemed to be very slowly growing in size. It was getting closer.

“Xibalba,” I said, under my breath.

“This world’s undoing,” Josh nodded. “I wonder why no one’s freaking out.”

I shrugged, “The same thing happened ten years ago. I imagine they’re all used to it by now. And I’m sure Mistcaster is running around saying how he’ll fix it and stuff.”

“I guess,” Josh said, still staring at the comet. “Hey, couldn’t they technically all escape by going through the Spiral Door? Then again, I suppose some wouldn’t be able to fit through…”

I laughed, “My dad told me their society is different from ours. Most don’t believe in interworld traveling. I also heard that they’re working on some sort of portal thing to hop to a world that’s close enough to practically be Azteca’s cousin. Supposedly, the climate’s very similar to here.”

“Skull Island,” Josh said. “How in the Spiral are they gonna get along with a bunch of pirates?”

I shrugged, “I’m sure they’ll find a way. That is if they get their project working.”

Just then, Roselyn came running to the table with a large feathery hat on and what seemed to be a necklace of the same style. It didn’t look bad on her. Then again, I don’t think anything’s ever looked bad on her.

“Like it?” she asked, smiling at us. “One of the Aztecans was handing them out and-”

She was cut off by screaming. We looked towards the crowd and saw Aztecans looking on in confusion in the direction of the commotion. Then I saw it. It was an Aztecan, but this one was different. Some of its scaly flesh was missing, leaving bare bones exposed for all to see. Its eyes were glowing red.

“Is that a costume?” Josh wondered, eyes fixed on the creature.

“I don’t think so” Roselyn said uneasily, “Look.” She pointed in the direction of what looked the entrance of a tomb near the bazaar.

More of those creatures were piling out. Some were missing scales, others were completely bare-boned. They trudged toward the crowd of Aztecasaurs and when the crowd noticed, pure pandemonium fell upon Three Points. Aztecans screamed and ran in all directions, trying to escape the horde of creatures that followed in relentless pursuit. Guards from the Zocalo raced through the gates, forcing their way into the bazaar and taking up arms against the horde. Just as the last few undead were being taken down, dozens more poured through. Some were even digging their way out of the ground. These were no Wizard City ghouls.

Josh and I stood up with Roselyn, watching in horror.“We’re fighting, right?,” Josh asked, turning to me.

“Duh,” I smiled nervously. These guys were a lot stronger than us. I wondered if we could take them.

Roselyn nodded in agreement, unsheathing her Viridian Blade, “Let’s go.”

Josh and I pulled out our respective wands and, like a group of idiots, charged into the crowd. Amidst the chaos, our spells flew. Dodging and weaving, Josh threw fireball after fireball at the approaching creatures and I backed him up with a series of lightning bolts and blasts of wind. Roselyn aided those who were hurt or trampled by the mob. It wasn’t long before we realized that there were too many of them.

The Undead Aztecans began to attack the crowd and as hard as we tried to help, we were quickly overwhelmed. I admit, though I’m not proud to say, that we made a last-second decision to flee from the place. We quickly took off into the jungle, leaving Three Points to be overrun with undead.

We ran for what seemed like hours before we finally stopped to take a breather.

The darkness of the jungle surrounded us like a pack of hungry wolves. All was quiet.

Josh was the first to speak. “What in the name of Bartleby was that?”

“Undead, obviously,” Roselyn sighed. “I guess it is Day of the Dead, huh?”

“But that doesn’t mean that should’ve happened,” I said. “Something triggered it.”

“Morganthe, probably,” Josh said as he knelt down to prepare a fire. “That place could’ve been great target practice for Mistcaster.”

“Let’s not focus on that right now,” I sat across from Josh. “What matters is the fact that we’re lost,” I sighed, looking up towards the sky. The canopy completely covered the night sky, leaving Josh’s makeshift campfire as our only light source. Geez. I really got us into a mess.

“I don’t know about you guys,” Roselyn started, sitting next to me, “but I’m actually having a lot of fun. It’s an adventure. Something we aren’t able to have in Wizard City.”

I stared into the fire, laughing to myself. After all of this, she’s still as positive as always. I suppose that once you get past the idea of life and death, this all may seem sort of fun. It’s definitely a new experience, at least.

Just as we started getting comfortable, we heard the rustling of leaves close by. Then the stereotypical snap of a twig. Something was close by. Josh got up quickly and pulled out his wand, scanning the area. Then, amidst the darkness of the jungle, two red eyes could be seen, fixed on us. Before any of us had a chance to react, the creature lunged out of the darkness and onto Josh, causing him to fall backward near the fire.

Roselyn and I stood up just in time to hear an ear-splittingly loud crackle. The jungle momentarily lit up in a bright, white light. A moment ago, there was an undead Aztecan on top of Josh. Now Josh was all that laid there, covered in what looked like ashes. His face told me that he’s seen better days.

Then, out of the darkness stepped a man. No- he looked our age. He wore a Jester’s robe similar to Roselyn’s, except his bore magenta clouds and golden lightning bolts, the symbol of Storm Magic. His feathered hat and boots had the same designs and in his hand was a literal lightning bolt. It surged with magical energy, practically washing out the light from Josh’s campfire. I was staring at Alden Mistcaster.

“Wizards?” he said, craning his head to the side as if he were examining us.“What are Wizards doing here?

“That,” I croaked out, “would be a long story.”

He nodded, turning his attention to the campfire. “I imagine you guys were here for the festival?”

The three of us nodded slowly. I could almost feel his magical aura. This guy was powerful. I glanced at Josh, who was now standing, and Roselyn. They looked just as confused as I was.

“Well,” Alden said, “you can blame Malistaire for that one. He’s gotten pretty good at raising the dead.”

Josh looked confused. “But he’s-”

“Dead? Nope,” Alden cut him off. “I’d explain it to you right now but I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’m currently on my way to him and Morganthe.”

Was this guy insane? Did he actually believe he could take on an undead Malistaire and the Umbra Queen all by himself? Of course, I always end up regretting my thoughts.

“Actually, I could use your guys’ help,” he began talking faster. “I didn’t expect to find Ravenwood students all the way out here, but if we go together, we might have a fighting chance against them. I’ll explain everything on the way.”

“Um,” Roselyn chimed in, “go where, exactly?”

He looked at us as if we were supposed to know the answer. Then he pointed up.

“Xibalba, of course.”

Complete silence. All three of our jaws hit the ground as we stared at him in shock. Josh was the first to speak up.

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

To Be Continued

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