Chapter One
Emeric was a very unhappy, sour boy. He had a fair face, perpetually scrunched up into a scowl, and anytime anyone tried to offer him anything, he threw a fit because these anythings were not perfect enough for him; more often than not, he sent his mother away crying. Emeric must have been spoiled or royal or rich or even famous in order to display this sort of entitlement. Only sadly, Emeric was just another village boy with all the other things the village boys had and with double the good rearing. His parents had no idea where they had gone wrong, and, seeing as the boy still had no friends and was going on twelve years of age, they had decided it was time to make a change.
"Listen here, young man. I will not tolerate these fits any longer. You're working your poor mother to death. You'll stop it this instant, or we'll send you away!" His father had upbraided him.
Emeric had taken a deep breath and spluttered "I should always have my way. I'm a prince, you know! I shall rule the world one day, and you'll see. Everyone shall give me what I want then, so they should get used to giving me what I want now!"
Emeric's father had smacked the lad upside the head for attitude and gone to ask Emeric's mother where all the babbling about princes had started. She hadn't known.
So, they'd brought out their savings to send him to a boarding school that would shape him up well. The school was quite expensive, being about a lord's city, but the whole village had wanted Emeric gone and thus happily chipped in to send him there.
Consequently, a few weeks past Midsummer, Emeric's bag was packed, a lunch made, and he was off on his way to school.
Emeric had only gone to this particular lord's city once before. Separating the town from the pine woods were the thin, crumbly outer walls. The stone keep (whose walls were similarly made) was strangely constructed - extremely tall with lots of towers poking out at odd angles. The base was much smaller than the rest of it, causing it to tilt. It made Emeric think the lord, lady, and servants must perpetually feel as if they were about to fall.
As Emeric walked into the city, he saw fortune tellers at their balls, knights patrolling the streets, and blacksmiths banging on their anvils. As Emeric contemplated buying some produce from a plump lady, out of an alley popped a young girl in grey rags that were too long at the sleeves. Her hair was incredibly messy, and Emeric recoiled. She flew past him, darting between two carts, and following her came three young men. Emeric's eyes widened. He must have been near the edge of the town, by the forest! The lads wore the very recognizable, mutedly patterned clothes of the Forest Dwellers - blues, reds, and browns - but the most important and attention-grabbing item of clothing was one lad's green cloak that flew out behind him as he ran by, smacking Emeric in the face. It marked the young man as a tribe leader. Emeric jumped aside before the other two's clothes hit him, and watched as the youths went after the girl.
Emeric wondered how they got into the walls and why they were chasing her. She looked about his age, and he didn't think a young beggar could do that much damage to a kingdom of savages (as were the Forest Dwellers). Shrugging, and not wanting to get chased himself, Emeric hurried back into the center of the city to find the courtyard in front of the church, which would be near the school. He spotted a tall building with a bell tower and made his way towards it.
After reaching the courtyard and glancing about, Emeric paused. There was no school. He looked around once more, and, finding nothing, went into the church to find directions. "Hello?" he called, pushing the elaborate wooden door ajar. A person stood inside, who seemed to be getting up from prayer.
"Ey?" he said.
"Help me find the East Owl Pines boarding school. I was told it was near the church, but I don't see a school anywhere."
The man frowned. "I've lived here me whole life. I ain't never heard of any such school. I'm a delivery man, right-o; I know every street of this city. Lad, this school you're rattling on about doesn't exist."