Chapter 67 - Preparation for the Magic Contest of the Decade

All the students sat in front of the richly laden tables and had a quiet lunch in the great hall of Elmbridge School of Magic.
The tables were full of all kinds of goodies, all kinds of fruits from all over the world such as bananas, grapes, mango, pineapples or purple oranges, but also rare fruits that sceptics wouldn't have the courage to try. Such as wild strawberries, as tiny as a bead and sour like pickled cucumber and sweet blackberries hotter than any known pepper, found only in the depths of the Ancient Forest. And of course, in Rujnoiu's shop ...
Some of the fruits were fresh, other were candied, caramelized and other were found in all sorts of flans and cakes. There were also white truffles, Macadamia nuts, saffron and many others unknown to most children sitting at that table ... they only knew they were edible.
On all tables, there were all kinds of dishes made from various vegetables and all kinds of meat. Spicy foods found in Asian areas, Mediterranean and North African specific foods, and many others specific to remote continents.
There was also a table with dishes unknown even to the wizards. Almost no student heard about them. Foods that stone elves used to eat.
At that table there were so little elves, with wrinkled skin, as if they were entirely made of stone. And they ate delicacies such as rock nymphs, little insects that were a delight to them. They also ate pickled worms or spider pasta mixed with almond sauce and many other dishes hard to digest by the way they looked, not to mention eating them.
…
After they finished their meal, Professor Knudlac appeared beside Elizabeth, Johnny and Alexander.
'Have you finished eating, dear?"
Elizabeth and Johnny stood side by side as usual. Alexander didn't sit next to them out of pride, but unlike a few weeks ago, he was much closer to them. There were only two students between the two and Alexander, which allowed Mr. Alexander to hear Elizabeth and Johnny's words and sometimes intervene in their talk. As if they were about to seal ... a bond of friendship between them.
'Yes," the three answered in one voice.
Johnny even hit his belly slightly, sign that he was filled up.
'I hope you ate well as a long trip is awaiting us."
The children looked at each other, smiling. Johnny took two more flans off the table. Although he ate more than any child there, the professor's question seemed to activate his thought that he didn't eat enough. Or that a long enough period he'll have nothing to eat but these truffles. So for his safety he also took a banana and an apple too.
Professor Knudlac smiled.
'We meet in the Big Library in thirty minutes. Your guardians are already there, waiting for you. Take only what is strictly necessary and don't be late, otherwise you won't be able to go through the portal."
Professor Knudlac left, letting the children go to their rooms to prepare their luggage for the journey.
…
After less than half an hour, the children waited impatiently in the big Library.
Professor Knudlac also appeared with two stone elves carrying his luggage. The children were surprised to see the force with which nature endowed these stone elves. They carried luggage at least five times heavier than they were. And as many times bigger.
Still, they carried it very easily. Probably ... hence the name of stone elves. They were tough and strong like stone, the children thought.
"I'm glad you're here," the wizard Knudlac greeted the children.
He glared at them and by his gaze it was clear he was unhappy with one thing.
'You aren't dressed properly ..."
Using the wand, the professor made some long, thick coats appear, along with some padded caps for the children. Some big waterproof boots completed the children's outfit.
One of the elves took a small globe in his hand and created a portal.
'Alexander, get close to Herntikn. He'll show you how to use portals in complete safety," said the great Knudlac, pushing him gently to the stone elf who welcomed him for the explanation.
As everyone was dressed appropriately, at least those who felt the cold, right when Alexander smiled as he opened a portal with Herntikn, the professor urged everyone to enter it.
In a few moments, the whole group went through that magic gate and reached an area ... where everything was white and cold.
The travellers couldn't see that white, the colour of fresh milk, too well. Because a very cold and sharp wind stirred a continuous snowstorm so they could barely stand and see five feet away. As for the cold ... even though Knudlac gave the kids those coats, they still felt the harsh cold. Surely, they'd be frozen instantly if they didn't wear those coats and boots. As for the stone elves, they were dressed the same way all the time. In the rain or wind, in scorching sun or blizzard, the stone elves were clad in the same thin clothes, without shoes - how else could stone face all these different phenomena?
'Herntikn! Can you take us to the shelter?" the professor asked.
The elf quickly opened a portal that immediately led the travellers inside an imposing temple, with arches supported by huge pillars, with plenty of steps leading up to that temple, with numerous bedrooms on each floor and many others ... but everything was made of ice. Even the furniture in that temple seemed to be made of crystal clear glass still made of ice; except that it wasn't cold at all, which Elizabeth and the boys noticed when they put their hands on a small closet.
The towers were made of ice. The walls were made of ice. The windows were also made of ice, but it was as transparent as the most precious crystal. One could see through those windows how heavily the snow was blown outside, by strong winds. But on the other side of the window, where they were, it was nice and cosy. It was really warm, so the coats started to get quite uncomfortable.
'I think it would be advisable to take off your coats..."
The children, only when they heard those words did realize they were really hot. Surely, what they saw seemed to hypnotize them because they did nothing but admire all that ... ice. They listened to the professor and after Knudlac saw everyone took off the thick clothes, he made them all disappear. They only had the boots on now, because even the stairs were made of ice. Yet, to avoid someone slipping, the floors and the steps of the temple had something special ... something magic. They weren't slippery at all.
'I took you out there to let you know how hard it is to do something. Such blizzard can be created by Ice Golems' scream. Not as powerful, but enough to confuse you. So, beware of their scream."
'How come we don't slip on the ice?" Elizabeth asked.
Johnny smiled.
'Because we aren't ‘sceptics'. Now we're wizards. We don't slip because of magic."
'And because the wizard Knudlac gave us some specially made boots," completed Alexander. 'Rather because of this, than Johnny's nonsense."
Johnny wasn't bothered by Alexander's remark. He admitted by his gesture that he was astonished too and as he didn't know what to answer he said the first thing that came to his mind. And somehow he was right. How else not to slip on ice if there wasn't any magic?
The group of travellers eventually arrived in a large room such as the large and spacious room of the Milan Dom.
There was a wizard dressed in white. Everything was white around him, like the white of the first snow in winter. The face, the hair, the beard, even the clothes were spotless. If you were to meet him outside where everything was white, you'd certainly pass by him without realizing you were supposed to see someone.
Even his magic wand was made of ice ... from magic ice, of course.
'Knudlac, my friend," the wizard stood up from his ice throne.
'Nakutsck ..."
The two hugged each other.
"We haven't seen each other for so long, dear friend," said the white sorcerer.
'That's right. For too long."
The white wizard greeted Herntikn and the other stone elf, Zagrobf.
'Is this your team?" the white wizard asked slightly worried.
Knudlac nodded.
'You know what they say. Strong liquors are in small containers," Knudlac smiled.
The white wizard approved Knudlac ... half-heartedly.
'I know, but still, the bottles are pretty small."
The wizard scanned the three children a bit. On Alexander's coat he recognized the coat of arms of the Soimesti family.
"I can see a Soimesti, though," he told Knudlac. 'This family gave us some of the greatest wizards over time. However, it seems that the team is not so ..."
Knudlac touched the wizard's shoulder and he stopped talking.
'Don't mess up with anyone's confidence," whispered Knudlac, without the others hearing.
The white wizard realized he was about to make a mistake.
'Yes, Professor Knudlac brought his strongest team. As usual ..." Nakutsck couldn't help but slightly smile as he spoke those words.
Alexander got that of all, the white wizard saw him as an important competitor, which made him walk even prouder on that ice that was everywhere. As if he could be prouder than he usually is. He should be careful with that ice, not to let his pride slip out there, Johnny thought.
As for Elizabeth, she was more excited than anyone at everything she saw. A temple, a castle or whatever this building was, made of frozen water. A place where wizards could live without any problem. And where even sceptics could live without any problem.
Near Nakutsck's ice throne were two huge bears. Magic guardians, as white as the snow outside and very calm, as if they were Labrador puppies. Still, they were real, big bears.
On the walls, the usual paintings depicted the lives of the greatest wizards who lived in this temple. They were all as white as Nakutsck. All of them managed to easily control the power of ice, blizzard and snowstorms.
Johnny was just as excited as Elizabeth. He followed the girl everywhere. This is because, unlike Alexander, who belonged to a rich family of wizards, thus being able to visit a lot of destinations, Johnny never had the chance to see such places and things ... completely frozen.
'My dear, sit down at this table, please."
In the great hall there were three tables also carved from ice. Knudlac, the children and their companions sat at the table in the middle.
'You arrived first. The others must show up at any time. Dear Knudlac, you'll have a surprise. I bet you didn't even imagine it. This year the girls from the Magic School in Vienna don't come. Other competitors will come instead."
He didn't finish saying these words and a few wizards appeared through portals created from nothing.
They came one at a time and the white wizard introduced them, bowing his head in respect for them:
'The wizard Klaan Baater, from the mystical regions of deep Asia. He'll be a jury member ... with me, of course."
The Asian wizard looked like a perfect warrior. He had a burn on his face near his right eye, which he most certainly gained fighting with wizards of black magic. He also greeted the others in the same way he was greeted by the white wizard. After being asked to sit at the jury table, the newly arrived wizard sat down with the opulence of a true king who sits on his throne.
Again, a portal opened and again, another wizard appeared.
'Lady Margaret Speedwell, welcome. Distinguished Countess of Speedwell is the third member of the jury."
A short chunky lady, wearing fancy clothes, sat next to the great wizard warrior, Klaan Baater.
Another portal and a group of wizards dressed ... like a group of martial arts fighters.
The professor and the three boys were dressed as warriors, who wore on their equipment a coat of arms with a tiger whose fur was replaced by flames. And their weapons to be feared were neither more nor less than wands.
'Master Hikaiddo Chong. Please sit down at this table."
The white wizard turned to Knudlac's table.
'Hikaiddo Master's students are the second team to compete at the Magic Contest of the Decade."
The same greeting from Professor Hikaiddo's fighters to all those present. The three boys greeted respectfully everyone, hands clasped together at the chest level, slightly bowing down.
"Only the third team has to come," said white wizard Nakutsck, looking at Knudlac with a sly smile that could be seen even under that thick, white beard with which the wizard was endowed.
He looked at his watch.
'And ... the fourth jury that comes with them."
Finally a new portal was opened.
'Look, they're coming."
Some handsome men and pretty ladies came, more handsome than they had ever seen. With a posture like Achilles's warriors, and the elegance of princes and princesses, with flawless skin ... their ears were pointed, but they were beautiful.
Two girls and a boy with the same pointed ears were accompanied by a gentleman and a lady with the same type of ears. They all had long, beautiful hair. The lady and one of the girls had black hair like the darkest night, and the others looked as if they had sunbeams on their heads.
'Princess Eyoween ... Lord Tbylisyum," the white wizard greeted the other two with great respect. 'It's a great honour for us to have you here."
Nakutsck took a peek at each one who arrived before. He thought they'd be amazed to see who showed up.
But he was wrong. The other wizards weren't surprised ... they were amazed and happy to see those creatures. Everyone there who understood what happened was stunned.
'Thank you, Princess Eyoween and Lord Tbylisyum for accepting to participate for the first time in a magic contest with ... people."
Then he turned to the others very happy to see some of the wizards still found it difficult to hide their joy and surprise.
'Dear ones, Princess Eyoween and Lord Tbylisyum and those who accompany them aren't people like us, as we used to see the participants in this magic contest. They are…"
'Forest elves ...," Master Hikaiddo couldn't help saying. 'It's a great honour," he greeted them with great respect. 'The purest creatures in the universe ..."
Elizabeth was only now amazed when she heard what the white wizard and professor Hikkaido just said.
With people? But aren't they people too? They seem to be people, the girl thought. The elves, like the stone ones, aren't as beautiful as these creatures, Miss Edwards concluded.
But she found out the answer immediately.
'We're glad to have with us the fourth wizard who's part of the jury, Princess of the Western Tree Kingdom. The leader of the elves in the Western Tree Forest Lady Eyoween ... and the Lord Leader of the Elves Army of the Western Tree Kingdom, the Tbylisyum wizard who honours us with the presence of the students from the Elffas School of Magic."
Wizard Nakutsck showed the forest elves the table where they were to sit. They sat at the table with an elegance that couldn't be expressed in words. They seemed to float…so smoothly they moved.
They were admired by all, including the professors and wizards who were present, whether they belonged to the school participating in the contest or were part of the jury. Such elegance and beauty amazed even the all-knowing Knudlac.
'What are the forest elves?" Elizabeth asked Johnny.
But the only answer the young boy in awe could give was:
'They're elves."
Alexander felt obliged to respond to the girl, to such a "clear" explanation of Johnny's.
'You brainy, some say elves aren't from Earth. Some say they came from other realms, in flying ships thousands of years ago. There are creatures that can live longer than we do, due to their sacred tree forests."
'Really? How long can they live?"
'Well ... over a hundred years. Almost two I think."
Alexander stopped explaining because he noticed one of the elf girls looked at them.
An elf girl with hair like pure gold sat near him. Even though there was some distance between them, Alexander couldn't help but feel the strong smell of acacia, lily-of-the-valley and linden sprouting from her wonderful hair.
Prince Soimesti glared at the elf girls who were to compete with them.
'My name's Alexander Soimesti," he addressed the elf girl who filled the air with the powerful fragrance of various flowers.
The girl turned to the boy. Her gaze from dark green eyes like leaves of spring oak, hypnotized the boy.
'I'm Pmyrie".
'Just Pmyrie?" he had the courage to ask her.
'Just Pmyrie. We elves have only one name. And once chosen, no one in our family is allowed to bear it anymore."
The boy said nothing.
'I read about you people and I know you have more names to identify yourselves. We differ from each other in what we do."
As Alexander said nothing more, Elizabeth intervened.
'My name's Elizabeth. I'm almost ten years old. And he's Alexander ... he's 11 years old."
'Almost 12 years old," corrected the arrogant guy.
'You?" Elizabeth asked.
'I'm Pmyrie ... and I'm 638 years old."
Hearing these words, Elizabeth was amazed, even the talkative Alexander was speechless.
'638 years?" the girl asked expecting a response to show she didn't hear well.
Not only she waited for that answer ...
"Yes, only 638 years old," Pmyrie replied simply.
"Only?!" Alexander said smiling trying to show he understood it was a joke, yet he was confused and didn't know what to say. Not even he would think of such a joke. If that was really a joke.
Elizabeth was astonished and confused at the same time. But as usual, Johnny wasn't at all confused, at least until he was able to properly understand what he found out.
'Did you hear, Johnny? This girl in the elf family is 638 years old."