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[Everett Whitethorn]

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"My name's Bartholomew Dragonbane III, firstborn son and heir to the Dragonbanes of Trinsic. Except everyone calls me Bottoms, on account of the fact that the the further you go down, the bigger I seem to get. But my real claim in life's the fact that I'm the best mate, closer personal adviser, and all around support to the famed Everett Whitethorn, also known as the boy hero from Britain. When we were younger, we shared many a grand adventure together, usually alongside our good friends Celestia, the apprentice-sorceress-in-training, and Mooky the Talking Mongbat Minstrel. This is one such tale..."

THE STORY THUS FAR...

It was the first week of a new year at the Serpent's Hold training academy. Shortly after his arrival from Britain, Everett Whitethorn had befriended Bartholomew Dragonbane III, saving this other boy from a pack of bullying older students. They had targeted poor Dragonbane, also known as "Bottoms," due to his extreme girth. The daring Whitethorn had intervened, not for any selfish reason, but because virtue had so compelled him.

During the week, Everett had numerous encounters with a strange-eyed young woman that often wandered the academy halls. When he inquired about her identity, Bottoms, who was repeating his training for the third time and thus well-acquainted with the on-goings of Serpent's Hold, replied that she was simply the daughter of one of the servants. But as they would discover in the months to come, this young woman was much more than that.

Meanwhile, a series of thefts started to plague Serpent's Hold. Every morning, the academy's cookie supply went missing from the larder. Desperate sweet teeth and rumbling stomachs caused rising tensions and finger pointing. No one was under more suspicion than poor Bottoms, the largest boy there. "How is this justice?" Everett asked himself.

After deciding to investigate, his search uncovered a number of clues, including a particularly insightful one from the servant's daughter, who introduced herself as Celestia. That night, while the rest of the Academy in their beds, Everett and Bottom stole made their way to the larder, where they lay in ambush for the thief.

As dawn neared, Bottoms was half asleep and complaining about being tired and hungry, but Everett was steadfast in his resolve. Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and a small, shadowy, inhuman figure entered the room. This creature rushed immediately towards the cookie jars -- only to be stopped by Everett and his wooden blade!

"Halt, thief!" Everett cried out confidently, in his best guardsman impersonation.

"Eek!" came a frightened response.

"Bartholomew, quickly, your lantern!" the boy from Britain instructed firmly, but not rudely.

"Huh? Wha --?" replied the half-asleep Bottoms.

Deciding not to wait a moment longer, Everett grabbed the shadowy figure, who struggled in vain to escape the boy hero's grip. As he subdued his foe with only as much force as was required, Bottoms finally awoke enough to light his lantern. The larder was finally illuminated, and the true identity of the culprit was revealed.

"A mongbat," Everett spoke, in calm surprise.

"A monster!" Bottoms screamed in fear. "Help! Someone kill it!"

"No hurtsa mesa," the small, reddish-brown creature pleaded, tears filling his sad, little eyes. "Mesa sorry. Mesa no wantsa wrong. Mesa sooooo hungry."

"A talking mongbat," Everett observed. "How peculiar."

"What in the name of Lord British is this?!" the voice of Sir Dudley, Everett and Bottoms' cantankerous swordsmanship instructor, interrupted the scene. One look at the knight's irritated expression, and the boys knew they had some serious explaining to do.

Fortunately, Everett was quite skilled at diplomacy. Bottoms' name was quickly cleared, and his reputation as an honest over-eater was maintained. The mongbat, who called himself Mooky, was offered an opportunity to explain himself, which he did in his best mangling of the common tongue. He was a poor, orphaned mongbat, who knew not his parents nor how he possessed the power of speech. Although the Serpent's Hold authorities were understanding, they still demanded some form of punishment. Everett quickly devised a solution that favored both compassion and justice. It turned out that Mooky was a skilled musician, having taught himself to play the flute, and so the boy from Britain suggested that he pay off any debt owed by entertaining the students with his music. Sir Dudley and the other academy instructions saw this wisdom in this proposal, and it was agreed upon.

And all was well in Serpent's Hold. At least for the time being...