I thought of the huge openings on Level Five where the Dragon Caverns were. If a hoard of Madlings was to get in there and then fly down the broad staircase, they could reach almost anyone trying to hide inside!
The thought made me almost sick with worry. Was there anything we could do to get ready in time?
“I’ll go to speak to them right away,” Professor Zephyr said. “And I want the two of you to come back to see me here right at First Bell tomorrow morning.”
“All right—we’ll be there.” Ryse nodded and I did as well.
“At least someone believed us,” I said, as we left the Infirmary, where Professor Zephyr was still studying the ancient text.
“Yes, but how many others will she be able to convince?” He had a troubled look on his face. “How many will listen, and will it be enough to get the Academy set in action before the Madlings reach us?”
I didn’t know the answers to his questions but they made me shiver because I feared we would soon find out.
66
AURORA
We found out the next morning that the answer to Ryse’s troubled question—“how many will she be able to convince?”—was almost none.
When we got to the Infirmary the next day, right after First Bell, we saw Professor Zephyr had just two other professors with her. One, to my surprise, was Professor Griven. The Mathematics Professor had a grim look on his face as he nodded to Ryse and me.
The other was Professor Valis, who taught the History of the Madling wars. His thin frame seemed almost to float inside his long robes and his face, which was usually so dreamy and peaceful, looked alert and worried this morning.
“Good morning, Ryse, Auren,” the Head Healer said to us as we came into the Infirmary. “I’ve been speaking to all the professors about the problem you brought to me last night.”
“And these are the only two who believed you?” Ryse asked, raising his eyebrows.
“We’re the only ones who dare to go against the Head Master. A little matter you two ought to know something about,” Professor Griven said, frowning at us.
“I fear that no one wants to believe that the Madlings have returned,” Professor Zephyr said sadly. “None of the other professors saw what I saw—the way Chud Larson died.” She shook her head. “All his symptoms were classic for an end-stage Madling bite.”
I thought of the awful way Chud had died and had to suppress a shiver.
“The question is, what can we do to get the Academy fortified before they reach us?” Professor Griven said.
“And how can we fight them when we don’t have nearly enough dragons?” Professor Zephyr added.
“As for fortifications, we have barriers to block the entrances on the Fifth Level,” Professor Valis spoke up for the first time. “I know where they’re stored. Enormous, wooden boards cut to fit all the Cavern doors—we’ll need the dragons to help us place them. They’re too heavy for humans alone,” he added.
“Well, that’s one good thing.” Ryse nodded. “But we also need to be drilling the Wings. We need to be ready for this attack.”
“Good luck getting the Head Master to allow such a thing,” Professor Griven said grimly. “I tried to speak to him before I came here—he wants nothing to do with any of it.”
“Then he’s putting the whole Academy at risk!” Ryse said, looking frustrated. “Not to mention the villages we ought to be protecting! The Academy’s mission is to serve and protect the people of this kingdom. If we don’t do that, what good are we?”
“Easy, Skoren,” Professor Griven said, frowning at him. “We’ll be drilling soon enough. If the Madlings really are coming—and I believe they are—we should be getting word from the villages they’re probably flying over very soon. Maybe even later on today.”
“There’s not a minute to lose, though!” Ryse exclaimed. “We’re so unprepared!”
“Then let’s start getting prepared,” Professor Zephyr said. “I’ll talk to the Cavern Master and get him to have some dragons help Professor Valis get the closers for Level Five ready to go.” She looked at Professor Griven. “You talk to Professor Humbolt again—he’s the one who would coordinate the Wings as one. He wouldn’t listen to me, but you know how he is.”
Professor Griven nodded.
“Humbolt won’t hear anything from a woman,” he said grimly. “But I might be able to make him hear wisdom.”
“Thank you.” The Head Healer nodded graciously. “As for you two…” She looked at me and Ryse. “Don’t say anything yet. Gossip can spread like wildfire and we don’t want to cause a panic. The minute we get cadets spreading rumors the whole Academy will be in an uproar.”
“What if the news came to the riders through their dragons?” I asked, speaking up at last. “That way the message wouldn’t get distorted or twisted, the way it does when rumors pass by word-of-mouth.”
