“Really?” Virgil asked. “When? How?”
“At Stormguard Castle,” Seth said.
Virgil pressed his fingers to his temples and then released the pose. “You survived the cursed castle? What happened?”
“I don’t remember much,” Seth said. “But I saw my sister send the Wizenstone away.”
Virgil rushed over to a stack of parchment on an end table, shuffled through many sheets, and returned with a drawing of a mighty castle. “Look familiar?”
“Is that Stormguard?” Seth verified. “I don’t remember it from the outside. My memories start in the room where the Wizenstone was kept.”
“Your sister sent it away?” Virgil asked. “How?”
“With a magical staff,” Seth said. “After some guys tried to grab the Wizenstone and got turned to dust.”
“You’re kidding me,” Virgil said. “Did Dante put you up to this prank?”
“This isn’t a joke. Dante doesn’t even know this much.”
“Scholars of the Games have theorized that the Wizenstone could be difficult to claim,” Virgil said. “What action turned these men to dust? Did they try to wield the stone?”
“They reached for it,” Seth remembered. “As soon as they touched it, they disintegrated.”
“You were an eyewitness?” Virgil confirmed.
“I’m sharing some of my first memories,” Seth said. “My identity was wiped right before I entered the room with the Wizenstone.”
“How did you know the girl was your sister?” Virgil asked.
“I didn’t at first,” Seth said. “I learned a lot afterwards. I’m still piecing things together. It’s been hard to figure out who anybody is, or who is being honest with me.”
“And now you’ve come here chasing Humbuggle,” Virgil said. “Hoping to retrieve your lost memories.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not a rookie of Humbuggle’s Games,” Virgil said. “Just these particular Games. The Titan Games.”
“That might be true,” Seth said around a bite of fish. “Then again, thanks to my memory loss, I feel like a rookie at most things.”
Virgil jumped up, rubbing his hands with excitement. “Seth, you have come to the right place. There are those who say I’m crazy. But I’m just more awake than most students of the Games, willing to chase down odd possibilities. The Games are much more complicated than the vast majority imagine.”
“The Humburgh Mystery House claimed to have secrets about the Games,” Seth said.
Virgil huffed and shook his head. “This town has more suckers than an octopus. Starstruck hopefuls arrive eager to garner instant fame and fortune. A whole industry has sprung up to prey on their delusions.”
“The Mystery House is a sham?”
“Mostly,” Virgil said. “It’s better than some of the sideshows in town. Lots of people peddle the same generic information labeled as secrets. Some are total scams. This whole town is part of the Games, and legitimate hints can sometimes be found in surprising places. The Diviner inside the Humburgh Mystery House can provide real help, but good luck finding him.”
“Who is the Diviner?” Seth asked.
“We’re straying into advanced topics,” Virgil said. “Basics first. The Titan Games are portrayed as gladiator combat with the prize being the Wizenstone. If any combatant wins a hundred consecutive fights, the Wizenstone is theirs.”
“Did Humbuggle set it up recently?” Seth asked.
Virgil shook his head, a small smile on his lips. “No. The Titan Games have gone on for centuries.”
“But the Wizenstone was at Stormguard Castle,” Seth said. “People were competing for it there.”
“Exactly,” Virgil said. “Humbuggle has established multiple Games, all with the Wizenstone as the prize. Some are less possible to win than others.”
“How can simultaneous Games be played for the same prize?” Seth asked.
“Fair question,” Virgil said. “Ask Humbuggle. He has been doing it for centuries.”
“Does that mean the Games are rigged?” Seth asked.
“Not completely rigged,” Virgil said. “If there were no way to win, the magic sustaining them would unravel. But the Games are riddled with devious tricks and loopholes.”
“How much have you figured out?” Seth asked.
Virgil gave a huge laugh. “Not nearly enough. But at least I’m trying to make sense of the complexities. Plenty of people don’t even know to investigate.”
“I don’t have to win the Games,” Seth said. “I just need Humbuggle.”
“Good luck finding Humbuggle outside of his Games,” Virgil said. “I’ve never heard of it happening. All his time and attention are focused on the Games. We have only vague descriptions of what he looks like.”
“I’ve seen him,” Seth said.
“Don’t tease me,” Virgil said with a nervous laugh.
“At Stormguard Castle, when my sister sent the Wizenstone away, Humbuggle was there. He looks like a dwarf.”
“Everyone knows that much,” Virgil complained.
“If I had the ability to draw his face, I could show it to you,” Seth said. “He had a forked beard.”
“I’m impressed you have seen his true form,” Virgil said. “It’s a rarity.”
“If I need to enter the Games to find Humbuggle, what’s my next step?”
“First you need to learn all you can,” Virgil said. “The Games began ages ago. Originally the demon dwarf held them in the kingdom of Selona. Several hundred years ago, the Giant Queen invited Humbuggle to stage the Games here. I think she hoped it would give giants a better chance at obtaining the Wizenstone.”
“Did it work?” Seth asked.
Virgil shrugged. “The Giants do have more convenient access to the Games than most. Of course, in exchange for hosting the Games, the Giant Queen must admit an annual quota of participants and spectators into her sanctuary, which gives her the weakest borders of any enchanted preserve. She also gifted Humbuggle the land on which Humburgh stands.”
“Does he live here in Humburgh?” Seth asked.
“He has a mansion in town,” Virgil said. “I don’t know of anyone who ever saw him inside of it.”
“Is it abandoned?” Seth asked.
“The house is fully staffed,” Virgil said.
“That might be a good place to investigate,” Seth said.
“They’re secretive,” Virgil said. “But anything is worth trying.”
Seth took another bite of bread and chewed thoughtfully. A few minutes before, it had seemed like he might never feel full again, but he was already almost sated. “Will I
