The Secret of the Tower

There's nothing to fear, the voice in her head whispered, toneless this time and the girl straightened, Thomas' grip on her still secure. That disembodied voice was right, she should get used to the lack of sun now, one could possibly live without it.

"And in the end, the vitamin deficiency would kill you," the voice muttered again and this time, the brunette ignored it, choosing to concentrate on Thomas' words instead. They had to find Lexi. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the witch started humming. She had never learned to whistle properly but usually her squirrel came to her when she hummed softly for the little mammal. Though in its current mood... Lissette hurriedly discarded that line of thought.

A few minutes later, two tiny pinpricks could be seen. The darkness might have been all consuming but the squirrel's eyes as it bounded towards them was unmissable. By the brief brush of fur on her cheek, Lissette knew the pet had scrambled past her and probably taken its place on Thomas' shoulder or head. It seemed the squirrel was still in a mood with its mistress.

"Alright Lexi, lead the way," the girl coaxed, wondering what she could have done to offend the rodent so.

Thomas jumped as Lexi climbed up his back, he hadn't seen her in the darkness. She was chattering profusely in his ear once more, her paws playing at his hair. He reached up to the squirrel and stroked her.

"What has gotten into you today?" The question was stupid, he'd get no more answer from the squirrel than what she was saying excitedly at that moment. Thomas tried to pick the rodent up to put her back down to show them the way, but she merely bit him again, less playfully this time. He pulled his hand away, tucking it back round Lissette.

"You really need to teach her some man- ow!" Thomas started to Lissette before Lexi headbutted his neck to bring his attention back to her. Her small head motioned for them to move forward. The boy rested his head against the back of Lissette's and sighed. "This is absurd. We're following a squirrel in pitch black room, that has magic beyond our knowledge. Remind me never to give you another pet, mademoiselle."

Lexi didn't like his words, headbutting him again. She motioned for them to continue on again.

"Your call, Lis." Thomas said, watching the squirrel on his shoulder.

Judging by the noises coming from Thomas and her squirrel, the two seemed to be in a disagreement of sorts which brought a small smile to the brunette's face. Leave it to Thomas to agitate an already irritated rodent. Lexi seemed to be holding her own though. Both students moved forwards, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn't be plummeting down the darkness anytime soon... hopefully.

After what felt like ages but must have only been ten minutes an odd smell made the girl pay attention somewhere north of where they were. There was still no light but her sense of smell was picking up something like... smoke. Lexi's chattering seemed to have died and the girl wasn't even sure if the mammal was with them anymore. Reaching to squeeze Thomas' hand, she whispered "do you smell that?"

Thomas inhaled deeply, wrinkling his nose up.

"Smoke?" He asks, trying to locate the fire, it was to no avail though. The darkness of the room didn't ease up as they continued. "The tower is unoccupied, how can there be smoke?"

Lexi disappeared from his shoulder after a short, harsh chatter in his ear. Was the mammal now angry with him now? That much he didn't know. He looked over his shoulder, checking the blackness behind them. He could hear chattering in front of them, urging Lissette forwards.

"We've come this far, might as well continue." Thomas says with a small laugh, checking behind them again.

Lissette nodded, wondering what it was that they couldn't see. Everything, the sarcastic voice in her head offered and the girl ignored it. She could feel a routine in the making. A few more minutes did nothing to help gauge their position though the smell of smoke was still in the air. The brunette couldn't tell if they had gotten closer to it or further away as it smelled the same.

Unbidden, an image of Lexi looking at her like she was stupid came to mind. What was it that Gabby had always said about the squirrel, that it was too smart for its own good - just like its mistress. The witch didn't feel very smart right now as the squirrel knew more than she did.

Their headmaster always said when in doubt ask, but she doubted she could do that here.

Or could she? An idea taking form, the girl cleared her throat nervously. "May we please have some light to see by?" she requested clearly, feeling stupid as her words bounced off the darkness all around.

She was just about to explain to Thomas her theory when her eyes blinked and shut. An automatic response to bright light after one has been in the dark for a while. Her lids closed but the light all around them glowed red even through her closed eyes.

When in doubt, ask. The headmaster's words sunk in with new meaning.

Thomas fought the urge to laugh at Lissette's words. Was she really asking an inanimate object to give her light? But. Light came and he shielded his eyes in her shoulder, temporarily blinded once more. Arms grew tighter around her as he listened for any danger that might creep up on them.

"A warning next tome, mademoiselle?" Thomas asks, one hand reaching to his eyes as small flashes light cloud his sight. It was to no avail, keeping his head rested on her shoulder and his eyes tightly shut. There was no sound but that of their breathing, he tried to pick out another sound, but that was to no avail.

The rodent came scurrying back up to Thomas shoulder filling his ears with her endless chatter. She pulled the back of his beck trying to get him to look up. He followed the squirrel's command, it was too late to stop now, but his eyes only saw the unhelpful flashes of light.

"Tell me what you see." Thomas says softly in Lissette's ear, retracting his hands from her waist to rub hios eyes again

"I see... green," she replied, her eyes finally adjusting to the bright light all around. They appeared to be standing right in the middle of a huge chamber. Closer examination revealed that the chamber was spacious but plain. Stone floors and a ceiling that was too far away to be seen. The only permanent fixtures were the green flames...

All around them.

Fireplaces.

The brunette slowly turned a circle, taking in one lit fireplace after another. There must have been hundreds here, all side by side and leading to stars knew where. But that didn't make sense, why would there be so many fireplaces here?

"Thomas.... why are there so many fireplaces here?" Her voice, though hushed, echoed of the stone walls nonetheless, making it seem as though a hundred Lissettes were asking the question.

Thomas stopped rubbing his eyes and looked around him, the room finally coming back into focus. He frowned at what he saw, looking back to his fiance afterwards.

"Well, one fire would be explained as a source of heat and light." Thomas said, stating the obvious. "And a hundred would fill quite a lot of rooms with warmth." He let what he was saying sink in. "But there is no warmth in here, and the fire is green."

The boy looked round again, looking for some bigger proof. Pots sat on top of each mantle, and from what he could see it looked like they would contain powder. A smile crept across his face as he put it all together.

"We have a floo network, mademoiselle." Thomas finally stated. "The school has a large floo network, but no student knows about it, or uses it. That doesn't make sense."

A small frown was on his face face again, trying to work the rest out for himself with little success.

"But why so many..." the question died on her lips as she continued to stare. Her squirrel was once again scampering on the floor, quite at home in this mysterious chamber. A floor network worked because of the floor powder that connected one fireplace to another. And judging by the number of fireplaces here, this school was connected to a lot of places. But why? And why was the entire thing hidden? Any fireplace at the school could be used to transport students to their homes if that were the case. And the flames were all green meaning they already had floor powder in them. But no one was suing them.

"I don't understand," she said, head bowed as she tried to figure it out. Almost unconsciously, she took a step towards the nearest fireplace. There was no heat from it. She took a few more steps.

Thomas watched her move closer, still looking round in wonder at the rest of the room. When Lissette moved even closer, he followed, uncertain as to what she was trying to do now.

"Lis, I hate to state the obvious, but I don't think these go to the students' homes..." Thomas said sheepishly, but there was no knowing where they did go. If they were already connected it meant someone knew where to, but with so many there must be some way of telling each fireplace apart.

"Thomas... I don't think they go anywhere... At least not right now." That's why there was no heat. A room with hundreds of roaring flames would have been sweltering hot, not cool like the one they were in now. Slowly, slowly reached reached a hand to the green flames, to what looked like the green flames. When no sign of discomfort made itself known, she proceeded cautiously until her fingers touched the fire, her face frozen in wonderment as the green flames danced around her palm.

They were the wrong shade of green though.

Shaking her head, she looked at the boy again, "Should I try asking? The headmaster always says when in doubt, ask."

Thomas looked round again at her statement, checking that they weren't missing something that was staring them in the face. There wasn't, he hadn't expected there to be, Lissette was always one for detail.

"Should I try asking? The headmaster always says when in doubt, ask."

Linking his fingers through hers and pulling them out of the fire the boy nodded. The lack of heat from the flames was unnerving and he didn't want something to go wrong. "You can try." He said with a small smile, his eyes still searching for something in the room.