I also stitched my hideous attire that came with the gift card into a Dragonspyer uniform. Pretty cool:
~Spiked Armor~
Master of the Ninja Stars : Book I
Everyone is after her, but she must survive if everyone is to live.
Part One: Returning Home to Leave Again
A girl in black waited at Cross Road Canyon for her company to arrive. She did not need a company, but her leader had insisted that she look formal and not like “some killer.”
Indeed, in her full uniform she did look terrifying. That was why she wore a black dress with lace and everything a normal princess returning home would look like.
Any first look at her you would see the princess inside her soul. But she had been away from her home for almost two years and part of her was glade to be back. But another part of he wanted to rip the dress right off and come home showing her mom and dad, the King and Queen of Tayaki, her true colors.
However much her leader made her dress in some big, fancy dress, she did not part from her weaponry. A small pouch no bigger than the size of a teacup plate was snug against her waist under the dress. It held around ten little disks that were spiked to a fine tip.
She could, and would if need be, throw them at anything and never miss. Each spike had a poison embedded in it. If even a small scratch caught you, the poison would take effect immediately and you would be paralyzed. If no one found you, yes you would die. If the spike just happened to go deeper than a scratch then you are definitely dead.
The girl waiting at Cross Road Canyon was Kiya, Master of the Ninja Stars and also royal princess and to-be Queen of Tayaki.
Kiya turned her head north at the sound of a whinny. It was loud and close. Kiya gracefully mounted her horse, Liana, and waited for her company to arrive.
Her hand rested on the pouch of ninja stars nonetheless.
Soon later a group of men, maybe 20 or 30 all together, rode into sight. The leader, who Kiya knew very well from her training, said, “Princess Kiya, many apologies we are late. We hope you did not wait too long.”
“No you could’ve taken all the time you needed. I would wait for the world to end than go back home.” That was lie; she did want to go home. But she would not let Luke, the man who had spoken, see her eagerness and how extremely annoyed she was that they were late.
“As you wish malady. But it’s leader’s orders. Cannot disobey him.”
“True. Otherwise I would not get my balck belt.” Before Kiya could learn the way of ninja stars, she had to have trained in the ninja way first. For two years she had lived on a mountain and trained, meditated and eaten nothing but bugs for that time. Now, when she had finally earned her brown belt, she was half way to her black belt; to being a full fledge ninja.
Learning the ninja stars started at the red belt. She had earned that on her second day, all ready conquering the other five.
Her ninja stars had started out round with little spikes no longer than half a sowing needle. Now, she had stars that were the same size, but had five spikes and were long and curved into the middle. When they hit something, they stuck there with at least two spikes. Which was double the poison.
“Well, you’ll continue your training even after you get home right?” asked Luke. When Kiya didn’t respond her asked again. “Right?”
“I don’t know. I will keep practicing but I think training is out of the question. Remember? My parents think I was at a boarding school learning to be a lady after I took a liking to martial arts. They don’t know anything about the belts and the stars and the ninja training and the mountain living. It’d kill them if they found out I was ninja, not a to-be Queen someday.”
“Your not gonna take the throne?”
Kiya sighed. “Who knows? My parents’ letter said that they had a big surprise when I got home. Thinking that I was a lady now it’s probably some new grown or my very own crown.” She grimaced.
Luke laughed. “It can’t be that bad. Are you ever going to tell them where you actually were all this time?”
“Maybe when they don’t have authority over me any more.”
∫∫∫
It took from morning till dawn the next day to reach Shimmer Castle, the capitol of Tayaki. It was named Shimmer Castle after the first Queen saw it in the afternoon sun. The domed roof was made entirely out of silver and when light was shown on it, it shimmered. Therefore, gaining its name.
They saw the castle in the afternoon.
By night they had arrived at the front gates. The guards busily rushed to open the drawbridge and the front doors while others raced to inform the King and Queen.
“Welcome home Princess Kiya,” said one guard bowing low.
Kiya held back and grimace, kept her face blank and nodded politely.
“Nice move. Guess all your royal training hasn’t worn off,” Luke whispered in her ear.
Kiya smiled a little.
“It’s the princess!” The princess has returned!” “Look! I see her I see her!”
That’s all Kiya heard as she rode down the streets to Shimmer Castle. She kept a straight face and nodded to everyone who spoke to her. Many people just stayed back in their homes and watched her go by. Guards harshly pushed the ones who tried to touch her back.
Kiya had a strict no-touching policy. One day while training a monk had tried to touch her. Well, it did not end well for him.
But how was she going to keep that policy when she was suppose to shake hands and interact socially with other people?
Kiya couldn’t help it, she shuddered. Luke started to reach for her, caught himself, and put his hand back down at his side.
Kiya was the most beautiful girl in the kingdom by far. She had midnight black hair that was straight and silky and flowed down her back magically. She had jade eyes of a tiger that almost seemed to faintly glow at night. She had moon-pale skin that burned easily in sunlight. She was not thin nor fat but well built with invisible muscles. Kiya had elegantly long fingers that could play the harp and sow, to her hearts disappointment. But in ninja ways they were quick to find the pressure points and weak spots on her enemies.
She preferred to wear leggings and tunics usually but for now, she was forced to wear a dress. Thankfully she had a say in what color otherwise someone would have gotten seriously hurt by her standards.
Her dress now was simple. It was black and long and puffed out at the waist. It was made of silk and had a ruffle transparent black layer over it. The upper part was decorated in velvet vines and morning glories that were almost impossible to see. Kiya also wore long black gloves and a small pearl bracelet that she nearly ripped off and scattered on the journey there.
Under her skirt Kiya could feel the small leather pouch that held about ten ninja stars. She pressed her hand to them and was calmed by the hard, cold feeling they provided.
This was her life, and no one could make her a proper princess or Queen.
Ever.
“Kiya!” someone whisper/yelled in her ear. Kiya snapped out of her trance as they entered the royal courtyard. It was overdone with colorful flowers. Over 100 different kinds.
Now the courtyard was packed with people from the town and palace servants. Guards held back the crowd to make a good-enough path for Kiya and her company to make it to the front of the castle.
The crowd grew silent as a page held up a parchment. “Here we celebrate the long awaited return of the royal princess, Kiya Lauran Kajarainne. May the celebration last for five days and five nights until the princess’s birthday–” The page was cut off by cheering. When it had finally settled down her continued. “And now the princess shall speak.”
Kiya clamped her mouth shut before it fell open in shock. Great! What was she supposed to say?
“What am I supposed to say?” she whispered to Luke.
“Start out with something like, ‘my dear people’ or something.”
“Okay.” Kiya rode up to where the page stood and dismounted. Three servants immediately came and took her horse to the stables. “Uh-ahem.” Kiya gathered her thoughts. “My dear people,” she started and but her lip, waiting for more words to come. “I know it has been long but I have returned and I assume that I shall be staying for a while.” She paused. “One thing that is new about me that you all should know is this: please, do not touch me. My… uh,” Kiya stumbled for words. “Skin developed an infection during my time away at the foreign boarding school. It’s very contagious and it severely hurts. So… no touching. Please.”
She looked over at Luke who mouthed, “warp it up.”
“So,” Kiya caught herself in the ‘so’ and made it a cough. “I am exceedingly happy to back among familiar faces. Thank you.”
She finished into cheering and clapped and yelling and even a little bit of dancing. Kiya made her way to her parents, everyone stayed out of her way.
Her mother stood with tears in her eyes. “Welcome back Kiya.” She made to hug her, stopped, looked Kiya up and down and pulled her arms back to her sides.
Kiya smiled. “Hi mom.” Her dad stood up.
“Well, I suppose I’m just chopped pork.” He laughed.
Kiya smiled. “Hi dad.”
“Kiya honey, me and your father have a huge surprise for you.”
Kiya smiled giddily, trying to act as if this was the most exciting thing in her life. “Uh-huh?” Celia, her mother, looked at her confusingly. Kiya realized that this was not what a princess who just got back from a proper lady school would say. Kiya coughed and coughed again. “Sorry mother. Something in my throat. Do tell. I cannot guess what it might be.”
“Well, me and your father have decided, now that you have reached the age of 15, we think it is in your best interest to marry.”
Kiya couldn’t help it. Her mouth dropped open. She quickly closed it. “Is-is that really necessary mother? Father?”
Her father nodded. “We are getting old and we want to live to see our only daughter take the throne with a husband.”
“So we have taken the liberty and chosen a husband for you.”
Again, Kiya couldn’t help it. “What?!”
“His name is James Gohagen. Prince of Krocosia. He’s right here now.”
And as if on que, a man turned around. He had sandy blond hair and bright blue eyes and tanish skin. Exactly the opposite of Kiya in everyway.
“He loves to play the piano too,” added Kiya’s father. “A lot like you.”
Unless he loves war and gore no way, thought Kiya. But she smiled sweetly, which was very sweet, and turned to her parents. “Must I mother?”
Celia nodded. “Yea, you must.” Kiya held back a sound that would have sounded like a strangled mule.
“May I go to my room?”
“But don’t you want to stay and visit with your to-be people?” asked her father.
“No. I want to go to my room.” Kiya didn’t even bother to try to sound like a proper princess. She just wanted to leave. She didn’t wait for her parents to approve. She just stormed past them and into the front hall. Servants backed out of the way and bowed.
When she got to her tower bedroom she slammed the door and listened to the people celebrating down below.
“And I was almost happy to be home.” She patted the pouch of ninja stars. “If only they only knew who I really was and what I really did for two years.”
“Kiya?” It was Luke.
“What?” she snapped.
“Why are you mad?”
“My parents decided that I could marry some freaky prince named James Go-something or other.”
“Wow. Sound like you had a lot of say in that,” Luke said sarcastically.
“Yeah, right.” Kiya sighed. “I mean, gosh!” She put her head in her hands. “And seriously, I was happy to back home. I know I lied and wished I was still on the mountain but I really did want to come home. Now I guess what I said was true back there at the crossroad.”
“I figured that.”
Kiya laughed. “Yeah.”
“Oh. And I heard you parents talking when I came up to follow you.”
“Great! What?”
“They’re hoping that you’ll come to dinner.”
“Will I have to talk formally? Cause I hate it.”
“I don’t know. But probably.”
“Uuhhhgggg!”
“Come on Kiya. Grow up. You’re home and you should show your mom and dad that you’ll be a grand future Queen. If they’re marrying you off, it obviously means that they’re letting their authority over you loosen.”
Kiya walked over to the door. “You think?”
“Yeah. Just, don’t marry the guy if you don’t want to. If he was girl I know I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with them.”
Kiya laughed. “Ok, fine.”
“I’ll be at the dinner too so if you need a hint, look over at me.”
“Ok. Um… you don’t think they expect me to change do you?”
Now it was Luke’s turn to laugh. “Probably.”
“Joy.” Kiya waited till she heard Luke’s footsteps retreat down the hallway before she went to her closet. She had no black dresses. She did have a couple gray ones but if she was going to show her parents that she was a responsible Queen-to-be, she thought she might need something a bit more colorful.
There was one dress that was white with multicolored sashes hanging down around the waist.
No.
Another was gold with ruffles and metal rings and extremely sparkly. Kiya held up to herself in the mirror.
Pretty, but no.
Another was the same as the gold but silver.
No.
Kiya sort through probably 50 dresses, saying ‘no’ to all of them. Wow, had she had any taste in style that she had today before she left?
Kiya went over to the dresser and opened up a drawer. It had next to nothing in it. The only clothing piece was a bundle of purple silk. Kiya took it out and when it unfolded it became a dress.
It was long and reached the floor. It had long sleeves that billowed at the end. There was gold embroidery that wove itself along the hem and sleeve ends in little tiny circles.
Kiya slipped it on. Yep, it would have to do.
She wondered where to put her ninja stars now. A pouch on the hip was too obvious now and on her back even more so. It wouldn’t work on her leg since the dress didn’t billow out like the black one did.
Maybe the gold one was a better option.
Just as Kiya was about to pull off the dress she heard a knock on her door.
“Princess Kiya?”
“Yes?” It sounded like a servant.
“Your bag is here Princess.”
“Thank you. You may leave it right outside the door.”
“Okay Princess. And your parents want you down to dinner in half an hour.”
“Yes, thank you.” She heard the servant leave in a hurry.
She opened the door, peeked around to make sure no one was there and grabbed her bag and pulled it back in her room, shutting the door. She ran to her bed and opened the bag.
“Yes!” In the bottom of her bag were 20 more ninja stars, and an armband. An armband was flat and didn’t show unless you knew it was there. It held two stars and she had two armbands.
Four stars. It would have to do. She quickly put two ninja stars in each band and wrapped them around her arms.
She looked in the mirror.
It showed no trace of something on her arm. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and pinned it up simply then walked/ran down to the hall. There were already tons of people there. The table was still as long as she remembered. A servant was about to take her hand, stopped and just said, “This way,” and led her up to her seat, next to her parents and next to the dreadful James. She faked a smile and sat down.
Her father stood up. The room grew quiet. “My dear people, today we celebrate the return of Princess Kiya Lauran Kajarainne, daughter, princess and future queen of the kingdom of Tayaki.” Lots of cheering. “Now let the feast begin!”
Food magically appeared on the table. Kiya had forgotten that her parents had hired a Sage, like a sorcerer, for the kingdom. Kiya took small portions and dainty bites while she endured listening to James talk.
And talk.
And talk.
And talk.
She looked over at Luke and gave a ‘help me!’ look. Luke looked over at James. “So James,” he interrupted. “What do you like to do?”
“Well, I love playing the piano and musical theater. My home castle has the largest theater in the kingdom. We play there for every possible celebrations. Such as one for our marriage.” He made a move to grab Kiya’s hand but caught himself.
Good move, thought Kiya.
“How long until you get over this skin disease?” he asked Kiya.
She shrugged then covered it up as if she had an itch. “I do not know. It seemed pretty serious.”
“Ah.” Right them Kiya noticed that James seemed to be staring intently over at the wall. “What are you looking at?” Kiya was gonna say but stopped herself as she saw the wall breathe.
There were people there and they were disguised to look like part of the wall. And James seemed to be associated with them.
“Um, Mother? Father? May I go? I don’t feel so well.”
“You do look kind of stressed honey. Of course you can.”
Kiya got up but James said, “I cannot allow that.” He whipped out a knife and held it her throat, not even bothering that he was touching her. The men in the disguises leaped out and held knives to the King and Queen too.
Many people screamed but James yelled, “SILENCE!” Everyone grew quiet. “Now, if you want to be set free and live, agree to my terms.”
“Of course,” said Kiya’s father.
“No!” screamed Kiya.
“What?” snarled James. He tightened the knife.
“I said no.”
“I don’t think you know what your dealing with here.”
“Oh I think I do.” Kiya twisted her head around and kicked James in the groin then, while he withered in pain she elbowed him in the windpipe and he fell gasping to the ground. Before either of the other two men could react she crossed her arms and whipped out two ninja stars and threw them.
Of coursed she didn’t miss. Both men fell paralyzed to the ground, of course looking dead.
“Kiya!” shrieked her mother.
Kiya didn’t even look back. She ran from the room.
Storm Power
~The Battle of Wizard City~
Part One
I’m not gonna start with the ‘once upon a time’ stuff. Because this was not once upon a time. In fact, it is so, like, right now that I don’t even know where to start. I mean, maybe I can do the thing where I go back in time and then jump to right now. That would work beside the fact that I said that this was not gonna do the ‘once upon a time’ stuff. So I could start right where I am right now. And then jump and back like. But that would still ruin the fact because I pretty much may as well say ‘once upon a time’. Or I can leave that out and just say ‘in a land far, far away’ because it takes place in a land far, far away. But of course then I may as well smush both of them together and just blurt it out and be done with it. Seeing as I can’t really decide what I should do, I may as well start at the beginning. Like, the very, very beginning that got me in this whole mess anyway…
◊◊◊
In the beginning there was nothing. No land, no tress, no water. There was only space. That space was not the particles and the atoms that makes up humans and life today. The space back then was emotions and feelings. As time went on, the space moved. Slowly but surely, the space formed into the first life form. This was the only life that ever existed that new what it was like to feel everything at once. One by one, the form sent out light, dark, life, death and time. He grabbed them and twisted them into one. The form spoke: “One without the other there shall be nothing.”
The form formed humans, foliage, and animals in it’s own image. Taking bits and pieces from itself and creating them into others. “When all come together,” the form spoke, “Then shall there be full understanding.”
Throughout time, which remained to bound light, dark, life and death, many came close to figuring out the meaning of the form that brought life. However none did. The form realized that the humans needed help. No matter how much knowledge he gave them, they still didn’t have the brain capacity to figure it out.
So the form created the Wïzå-Érèd. These people he made from the dust that first formed he. With certain emotions and feelings, the raw space gave the Wïzå-Érèd the sight to see how light, dark, life, death and time were connected. But even though the Wïzå-Érèd had the power, they did not know how to use it. Eventually he had to take the gift of Sight away before they destroyed what he had created. He took the gift away from all of them… or so he thought. One got away with it. But the gift had manifested into it’s own being and now was simply controlling the body it had.
Seeing as his failed creation was rouge, he knew that he had one final try to create someone who knew what he did who could stop the Wïzå-Érèd with the dark power.
He found that the rouge power had pushed out light, life and time, leaving only dark and death to poison him. So what he needed was an opposite. He created one who knew just light, life and time. Even though they did not know all of it to know it fully, when the power overcame the dark one the powers would combine and balance would return.
Just as he finished his perfect creation, he realized that this power in human form would need to be able to access where the dark power was. Therefore the light power had to be a Wïzå-Érèd. Just as he was ready to place the power in the world where the Wïzå-Érèd lived, the dark power came.
“You have learned much. But not enough of the dark side,” the Dark Power spoke.
“Yet you have let it consume you yourself.”
“You created me.”
“No. You create yourself.”
Enraged, the Dark Power knocked the light power from the heavens. It plummeted down to earth, the world where regular humans live.
And so began the chain of events that immensely changed the future.
◊◊◊
“Girls! Time to come in!” The high, whining voice rode the wind to all the girls’ ears out in the field. Including mine.
I sighed and set down the small twig in my hand. I was building one of my many fairy houses. There was just nothing I liked to do outside.
“That means you too Emma!” I sighed as Mrs. Gulkin called my name.
“You better hurry up,” Alya said as she ran by me. “We don’t want to get in detention again because you came in late.”
“I’m coming I’m coming.” I stood up and followed Alya into the main building and followed the other girls, as we marched in lines like the Clone Army, into the dinning hall. I quickly glanced at the schedule as we walked through the doors.
5:45 Dinner
6:50 Level One Free Time
Yay. Level one only consisted of the library, the music room and the old Language Arts classroom (it was moved to the third floor). This school was a boarding school for girls up in the north. It’s called Maplewood Academy. It’s a really old school. And I guess that‘s why I get a strange feeling around it. I feel… I don’t know how to describe it.
“Emma, hey spacey mind. Gonna have some spaghetti or am I just gonna pass it on to Carmon over there?”
“Oh, uh, sorry.” I took the bowl from the Helen and scooped some out. I grabbed a roll and plopped that on my plate too. During dinner everyone talked about the midterms and the Lacrosse championships and other stuff. I didn’t talk to anyone and nobody talked to me. That’s how it was most of the time. It’s like the strange feeling I got around the school other people got around me.
Once dinner was done. I went straight to the library. We weren’t even allowed to go to our dorm rooms. We had to stay on level one. Most people stayed went to the music room and messed around the piano and trumpets. But a few smart alecs and study geeks went to the library. I’m not any of those; I just don’t really like music. I went to my usually corner and searched the books around it.
I squinted at a particular bookbinding. I didn’t think I had seen this book before because it seemed to be in a different language. It said on the binding in fancy handwriting:
Wïzå-Érèd Light : Dark : Life : Death : Time
“What in the name of…?” I took it from the shelf. It was heavy but it wasn’t that thick. I opened it up and it continued in the fancy writing.
The Wizard School Choosing
Fellow chosen one, from the Wïzå-Érèd clan we wish that you join us in the Spiral as a wizard. Please, if you turn the page and sign your name, you have agreed to be a wizard of one of the following schools: Storm, Ice, Fire, Myth, Death, Life and Balance. Once you have signed your name you will take the quiz of multiple choice that will determine your school.
If you wish to become on of the Wïzå-Érèd please turn the page.
“What a joke!” I laughed to myself. But… what can I lose? I may as well do it. If it is a prank, then I can catch it before it happens. I turned the page. Below it said to sign, so I signed.
Please sign below:
X - Emma D.
Suddenly the page turned on it’s own and I was looking at the first question. Wow, if this was prank, it was very well planned.
Question One:
Which best describes you?
· I am smart and athletic
· I like to read and write
· I work hard and study
· I like math and science
· I am very well rounded
I gentle touched “I like to read and write” and the page then magically turned to the next question.
Question Two:
Which of these is the most powerful?
· Plague
· Sand storm
· Hurricane
· Blizzard
· Forest Fire
· Earthquake
Hurricane. It affects everyone’s living situation.
Question Three:
What is your favorite animal?
· Shark
· Bat
· Squirrel
· Serpent
· Polar Bear
· Scorpion
Squirrel. They’re so cute!
Question Four:
What is your favorite season?
· Winter
· Summer
· Spring
· Fall
Spring. I love the rainstorms and mud season.
Question Five:
What’s you’re favorite time of day?
· Morning
· Afternoon
· Evening
· Night
Evening. I love the sunset.
Question Six:
What makes a great story?
· The Hero or Heroine
· All of the Characters
I have read so many books this is an absentminded answer. All of the characters.
The page magically flipped again to revel the last question.
Question Seven:
What is your favorite gemstone?
· Ruby
· Onyx
· Citrine
· Amethyst
Clever. I love all of those stones. Though… I have to say amethyst. It’s a color that I just think goes with rain. And I am like addicted to storms.
I touch it and the page turns to a paragraph. It said:
You have chosen the school of
STORM
Storm Wizards are often impulsive, educated, creative and independent. Famous Diviners include Benjamin Franklin, Lady Circe and Galileo. Storm Wizards are capable of devastating attacks but have somewhat weaker defenses.
“Ok. Weird.” I shut the book and stuffed it back on the shelf. It was 7:30 that meant I had to go back to the dorm now. I followed the throng of students heading down the hallway. I broke of with four other students to go to dorm F5 (section F dorm 5). I changed immediately into my nightgown and brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. Even though we had fifteen minutes to get ready and lights out, I was tired and annoyed.
I pretty much slipped right into sleep.
◊◊◊
I woke up to the headmistress hovering over me, gently waking me up. “Hey Emma hon. Someone is here to see you. Come down to my office when you’re ready.”
I rubbed my eyes and nodded. She closed my bed curtain and left me to dress. About ten minutes later I was down in her office sitting across from the weirdest looking person I had ever seen.
He was old, as in ancient old, and wearing a robe that was a deep blue with gold trim and white stars with a purple rope like belt around his thin waist.
“Ah, Emma Dawnrider. How nice to finally meet you in person.”
“Excuse me, but, who are you?”
“Oh, so sorry. Perhaps I am being rash. I am Headmaster Ambrose of Ravenwood School of Magic for Young Wizards. I see you have already chosen your school. Storm is the most powerful school of the Spiral.”
“What? Wizard?”
“Yes.”
“Believe me, I am no wizard.”
“Did you not find the book?”
“Well yeah-”
“Did you not turn the page?”
“I did but-”
“And did you sign your name?”
“Yeah-”
“Then you accepted and are now a wizard of Ravenwood.”
“I had no say in that! I thought it was a prank!”
“Either way you have to come with me now. You cannot stay here in earth since your power has been given to you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, take me hand so we may get to Ravenwood as soon as possible.”
“Uh…”I tentatively put my hand in his and then the most strangest feeling came over me. We seemed to be shooting through a tunnel of light that was drowning me. But as soon as it came it was over and I realized I had been holding my breath. I gasped and sat down on the floor.
“Teleportation. You’ll get used to it eventually. But please, try not to hold your breath next time.”
“Uh huh.” I stood up and looked around. I was in a room brightly lit by many candles. There was a desk stacked with papers and a thick book that looked like the one I had seen back at Maplewood. The floor was mostly wood beside a giant rug that covered the center. Around the walls were around 20 stacks of books as tall as I was.
“Ok. Here is your wand”-he handed me a golden wand with a pink star on top with three little mini golden stars coming out of the top-“your spell book”-he handed me an old book that was actually very thin-“and a letter”-he handed me the last object that was a white envelope with an ornate seal. “Bring this to Private Connelly in Unicorn Way.”
“Uh, ok. Where is that?”
“Ah, I forgot. You did not grow up here like most students. If you head out that door and follow the path left straight, you’ll come to a gate that says Unicorn Way.”
“Right. Left all the way. Got it.”
“Since it’s Sunday there are no classes. When you have finished as much questing as you can you can head to Ravenwood to your dorm. Tomorrow you will go to Storm class that is conveniently located straight across from room your dorm. Good luck!”
“I’m gonna need it,” I muttered as I walked out the door. It was bright and sunny out. I stared for a moment at all the people there were. They were mostly people my age but they did vary from eleven to 17. The attire was different too. There were people dressed in dorky looking Halloween consumes and some in like, full plate armor. And even some in samurai outfits. I looked down, glade to be dressed normally only to find I had mysteriously changed out of jeans and a tee-shirt into a black robe, hat and boots with dark blue rim. My long brown hair was out of its ponytail and hanging loosely down my back.
“Weird.” I opened the book that was still in my hands and flipped it to the map page. A small green dot was pulsing where I was standing, outside the Headmaster’s Tower. I traced my finger along the path to Unicorn Way. I put my book back under my arm. Suddenly I felt it vanish. I looked under my arm to find it had disappeared. I felt along my tunic and as I went around the open air where it had been it magically reappeared in my hand. I let it go and it vanished again. “Hm, nifty.”
I walked along, sorta following other students dressed like me where we came to Unicorn Way gate. Some just opened the gate and walked through while others, like me, stood wondering what to do. I looked at the guard who was standing next to the gate. His name said Private Stillson. I tried following one person in but he stopped me.
“Halt. You can’t go in there. Monsters are running loose throughout the town.”
“But I have to give this to Privet Connelly in there.” I handed him the letter.
He sighed. “Looks legit. I’ll let you pass. You better give this to him quickly.”
“Ok.” I took the letter back and when went to go through the gate opened for me. I walked down the tunnel that was chilly since to was out of the sun into another sunny town.
The rest of that day I battled Lost Souls and some Skeletal Pirates. It was busy. I earned around 100 gold, some new cloths (which weren’t costumes and actually helped you in battle) and I leveled to level 2.
When that happened the Headmaster called me back and told me to visit the schools in Ravenwood. I learned around the Death School and how it was torn from Ravenwood. And I also met my teacher, Professor Balestorm. He was very energetic and I can’t wait for class tomorrow.
When I finally go home I was tired! I could barely change out of my cloths and into a nightgown. I could only think of what tomorrow would bring.
~Night of Lightning~
She stood in the middle of the room. Bare tile under her feet, cold to the touch. Her hands shook for reasons she could not comprehend. A soft light illuminated the windows and she could make out teardrops on the grass.
Suddenly.
The sky flashes a premium blue, almost black yet almost white. It lights up the sky like an ocean, wispy clouds dance across like waves.
The sky goes dark.
The girl stands in the middle of the room. She counts the seconds after the light.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Suddenly.
A million drums pound the sky with a single beat like a dying heart. It echoes throughout the sky like the soul traveling to heaven as it echoes lower in volume and farther away.
The girl waits. She wants to see something. Engrave a sight in her mind before her parents come. She wants to see what she saw only in pictures. She was to experience it herself. She wants to know how it felt when the picture takers saw it themselves.
Suddenly.
A streak of light cuts across the sky in a jagged line as giant hands open up a crack, letting through hot white light. Briefly showing the gateway to another world. The light illuminates the backdrop of a mountain and a tree. The rock wall in her backyard. A hedge of grass across the drive. Then quickly closes again.
She sighs, temporarily blinded but now consumed yet again into the darkness of the room.
She saw what she had waited to see.
‡‡‡
A small boy huddles under the covers, letting only his head show, faced towards the window. He holds his breath as only darkness leaks through the shade.
Anticipation keeps him on the verge of sleep. Wanting to fall into the comfortable soft land of sleep and walk among the gardens of dreams.
But he holds himself in reality to see what the storm will bring.
The shade is suddenly filled with light and the room is full of white power that none can control. But just as fast the light is gone and he is plunged into darkness. He fights back the urge of sleep.
Again.
Three pluses of light this time. A flash. Then just as one fades another captures its place and keeps his room alive with light and power. He smiles. The thought of something bigger than he out there in the world. He knew everything was bigger.
Bigger people.
Bigger buildings.
Bigger talents.
Bigger mountains.
Bigger powers.
But this flash that lit up the sky for only moments did not consume in agony when he failed. It did pound on him when he made a mistake. It did not reward him when he won.
It was just there, always something he could count on to be there.
His parents would someday leave. His friends would someday be gone. His dog would someday leave his side.
Fire might consume him.
Water might drown him.
Earth might strangle him.
Air might drop him.
But lightning would never hurt him.
‡‡‡
He lay in bed after a hard day. He had not expected things to go well but not this bad. Nothing could hold him up now and he couldn’t go on.
He practically fell into bed with tiredness. Just as he slipped into sleep he was jolted awake by a flash in his eyes. He sat upright looking for someone in his apartment but it was empty besides him.
He hated being alone. Especially after his wonderful relationship had ended.
He sighed and fell back on the pillows. He gathered the blankets around himself and tried to go back to bed.
Again, just as soon as he was tired enough to sleep a low, large rumble bounded across the sky like a marching band.
Cursing, he got out of bed and looked around. He felt like someone was there, that he wasn’t alone but he could see no one. A white flash pierced the window and he saw the papers on his desk and the chair and the messy clutter on the couch. He went over to the large floor-to-ceiling window and pulled back the curtain.
He stumbled back as tsunami of sound rolled the city. If the buildings were weaker he thought they might fall down.
A second flash illuminated the sleeping city. Skyscrapers and their windows of light. Cars floated down the streets in packs. People looked up at the sky as rain plunged to them below.
A streak of light suddenly knifed through the sky leaving a trail of white behind it. The crack in the sky seemed to grow, illuminating the world and the sky.
Opening the doorway to a place where nothing went wrong. Where everything was a-ok. The man had a crazy thought for a second thinking of trying to pass through that doorway. But the moment ended when the doorway closed.
And then the man knew why he wasn’t alone.
‡‡‡
The girl lay in bed, curled up and not a wink away from sleep. She was wide-awake and she going to see what the storm brought next.
She had pulled open her blind and now laid sideways staring at the window. Thousands, millions, trillions of tiny little marbles fell on the roof making the racket of a three year old.
She pulled the covers closer and continued to wait.
It would come. It had to come. She willed it to come. She had to see it again. Like caffeine. Addictive yet deadly if too close. But she knew she wouldn’t get too close.
She started to think about things in her life that were coming and coming fast. She had talent show auditions on Thursday. She had a talent show on Saturday. She wanted to fulfill her dream before collage. She wanted so many things.
A flash cut across the sky shinning on her then leaving.
But lightning was one thing she wanted that she could not control. No matter how much she could argue or how much she wanted the lighting right then, she knew she could not control it.
But yet, knowing that she couldn’t control it made her feel better. Knowing that she didn’t have to control everything.
More bursts of white and she looked around her room in the light before it faded.
Her bed. Her covers. Her stuffed animals. Her books. Her backpack. The reflection off the window.
And she knew she wasn’t alone.
Escape to Chain Island
The Whispering Oak Prophecy
When the red sunset is purely born
A new power shall be adorned
She who holds the colorful light
Pierces the evil heart of night
She can hold the Keepers Time
Watches the already dead life go by
Hunted and Haunted by an invisible hand
She holds the secret of the Eternal Land
Cheers are marked by favor
A sense mixed with flavor
Chosen to fight the war
He must discover the Evil One’s lore
The evil has its wrath
Never veering from the path
Running from his predicted doom
His destiny is written on her loom
And when all is ready to fight
They will let the powers unite
Part One
Running
I live in constant danger. Danger of being hunted. Danger of being killed. So much danger it makes my head hurt.
So why am I in constant danger?
It’s because I’m cursed.
Well, not technically. But it has something to do with curses. You see, I can curse people. But not like the curse where I can say “You will sleep a hundred years.” No. I can curse people with colors. I say the persons name then say a color. They will then see that color forever until I remove the curse.
So why do I have it.
Well, everyone in my family has a “gift.” My sister Shela, for instance, has the power to control time. She can stop time, move people around in time. It’s kind of a confusing power. My mom, Karen, can teleport. She thinks herself somewhere and poof! There she is! My dad, Caleb, can turn himself, others, and things invisible. It pretty cool. But really annoying when playing hide-and-seek.
So again, why am I in danger?
Because of last night, everyone in my family with a “gift” was killed. I got away, but simply because I blinded by enemies with black. But perhaps a bit too late. You’d think my mom would teleport outta there; my dad turn invisible and hide, and Shela stop time and have us all escape…
Well, it turned out different.
First during dinner we were drugged. But since I don't like string beans (part of our dinner and the food that was drugged) I wasn’t affected. I did the best I could when they burst in. But the drug had dulled the senses so they were slow to react.
When they got mom and dad, Caleb yelled “Shela! Stop time!” She probably had the most useful power here. But before she did anything, someone else grabbed her. She kicked and screamed.
So I yelled “Everyone black!” So now everyone, including my parents and Shela, were pretty much blind. I tried to free them as they scrambled about senselessly… but it was no good.
One of our attackers also had a gift. Unfortunately to lift curses. As soon as someone made a blind grab for me, mom ported (short of teleport) me to the nearest forest. Only in an attempt to save someone.
Though they might still live, those chances are small. So instead of gaining hope, I live on the fact that they’re dead. It lets me say, I can make it through another day moving on without having a reason too.
I tried getting to Grandma’s house (she was gifted with luck) but the attackers had also been there. Also to everyone else’s house that I knew of. All the houses were trashed. Maimi’s (who was gifted with the power to control fire) house had been burned to the ground. So at least she had been able to put up a fight.
So I fled.
And here I am. As I have said: living in danger.
“Another day of Byndo flavored with Mel Ginger. Yay.”
Byndo – green leaves that grows high up in trees. Easy to climb and great shelter. Though the leaves are rather bland. Kind of taste like a raw potato.
Mel Ginger – like regular ginger though grows like sugar cane.
They taste okay mixed together, though you can’t add too much Mel Ginger because it will get this really bad taste. Kinda like it rotted.
Sometimes I find this really rare kind of caterpillar that’s really hairy. And if you can find anyway to shave the hairs off of it and boil them in water, they disintegrate into the water and flavor it. It tastes like this tea that people used to make for their king in the Xing Dynasty.
I must be boring you. I am this total research freak. I research anything and everything. If I have a question I research it. Just get me a textbook and I’m on it.
We can have good gifts (like mine) and totally stupid ones (like grading cheese or milking a cow, believe me, there are such gifts).
Snap!
I whirled my head around. Someone was near. “Darn it,” I mutter. After a while it gets annoying when people from town come in to your home.
Well, temporary home.
“Who’s there?” Too loud. Best to remain silent now. “Show yourself! I know I heard you!” Why so sure of himself? Probably another stuck up, good-for-nothing person trying to prove the rumors are true that some girl living out in the forest who can curse people to craziness.
Yeah. I’ve heard them.
“Show yourself or I’ll shoot up your trees!”
“Shoot up my trees? What?” Wow, he must be crazy.
“So I’m not crazy. Your really here!”
“Nope. I’m not here. But a spirit. I enter the mind and make people see things. Let them go crazy. Just another person you should fear.”
“I know you’re not a spirit. I’ve seen you. I have a sense of knowing.”
“Ok. You got me.” I swung out of the tree and landed right behind him. I swear he wasn’t startled at all. He simply sighed and turned around.
“Do you have to make such a sudden entrance?”
“Hey. Don’t go telling me what to do. I can enter however I want.” He was… interesting. He looked my age. He had hazel eyes that had a deep green ring around the pupil. His hair was a little long, but covering his ears and was a glistening tree bark brown.
Unlike mine, which was an easy to deal with length but was thin and midnight black that practically matched my sun tanned skin.
“I know.”
“You say you can sense. You gifted?”
“Only if you are.”
Three minutes of yellow should do alright. “Curse me and I’ll shoot.”
“Shoot an I’ll curse. Who you think’ll win this one? A bow an arrow or the power to blind the shooter?”
“Blind and I’ll shoot.”
“Shoot what if your blind?”
“Blind an I’ll shoot,” he repeated
“Goodness you’re annoying. Ok. I’ll make a deal. You lower your weapon and I promise not to curse you, blind you or anything else that could harm you. But tell me, what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to know if the rumors were true. That some girl was living in the forest who could curse people.”
“Well there is, now scat.”
“Was your family killed too?”
“Yes. Now go.”
“And you’ve been living on your own?”
“Yeah whatever. Now beat it.”
“Is it true-”
“Say one more thing and I will curse you! Now GET! OUT!”
He stumbled back in alarm. “Geez sorry. I was just wondering. Because it happened to me too.”
“Really.”
“Yeah. Black clad men drugged our food, it was string beans but I don’t like string beans so I didn’t eat them. And when they attacked my mom dissolved me and materialized me in this town. I looked for my grandmother but she was gone too. I’ve been living in her house.”
Now where had I heard this before?
OH YEAH! Because it’s happened to me too.
“I don’t like string beans either. That’s how I got outta there. Except my mom can teleport. So that what she did. But I don’t know why she didn’t do it to everyone.”
So there were other people who had these gifts.
Well, I wouldn’t know. I was never allowed to leave my property. “What’s your name?” he asked.
“Aaliyah.”
“Spelled A-L-I-A?”
“No. Not even close. Spelled A-A-L-I-Y-A-H.”
“Whoa. Sweet way to spell. I’m Zack.”
“How you spell that?” I joked. We both laughed. “Short for anything? Like Zachery?”
“Nah. Just Zack. I mean, what were my parents thinking? Such a lame name. Not like yours. Aaliyah.”
“It’s a fine name. Zack. Short. Simply. Sophisticated,” I said stubbornly. “Aaliyah. I couldn’t spell it correctly until 2 years ago when I was 12. You could spell yours since you were 4 probably.”
“Ha-ha. Yeah.” We stood in silence for a while.
“You hungry?” I finally asked.
“Yeah. A bit. You?”
“Starved. But all I have are Byndo leaves mixed with Mel Ginger. Unless you have something else in that bag of yours.”
“I don’t have much. Just a couple potatoes and cheese.”
“Cheese?” My ears perked up. I hadn’t had any cheese in forever. “Ok. How about I’ll make some Byndo, leave out the Mel Ginger and melt some cheese to mix in.”
“Sounds great. I heard regular Ginger is great with potatoes. I could broil some of your Mel Ginger, can’t be that different right, in with the potatoes.”
“Ok. Lets hop to it.”
I led Zack deeper into the forest to where my kitchen was. My “house” is spread out all over the jungle. I have my “kitchen” and “wash room” in this one area where there’s a hot spring that bubbles up out of the ground. In one place the water is really hot. So I get some of that and put the already semi-heated water on a fire. The hot springs come up at four points in a circle. So they created this mini island where I can make a fire to cook and where I leave things to dry or clothes when I bathe.
My “bedroom” is about 100 feet away from my kitchen. There is this tree that every year it drops its leaves on the ground and the leaves grow as more of the trees. So the foliage is so dense there that I can just plop right down anywhere there and fall asleep. I can also drop down to the ground between leaves if trouble is near. I also picked off some of my own leaves and made them grow as walls under some leaves to make some sort of room. I keep valuables down there and extra leaves. The reason those ones won’t grow is because I cut off their Vetacule. The Vetacule is this tiny, light green nub that sits at the base of the stalk. That’s how the leaves that fall regrow.
“We’re here,” I announced. I watched amused as he looked around semi-fascinated semi-weirded out.
“You live here?” I nodded. “You cook here?” I nodded again. “How do you even survive here!? I would’ve died on my first day.”
“No. You can live for 4–6 weeks without food. About 1 week without water.”
“Your too smart Aaliyah.”
“Well figuring I never went to school not really. I only know that from personal experiences. I wanted to see how long I could go on with just water. Well, the hot springs have enough nutrients to survive years on just it. But you have to drink a lot of it. But when I realized that I wasn’t getting famished from not eating after 3 days I just had to research the topic.”
“That must’ve been when I first saw you in the library about 2 weeks ago.”
“Must’ve been. Now where’s that cheese?”
✧✧✧
“This is so good,” I said through a mouth full of Byndo and cheese.
Zack smiled. “Never had cheese?”
“No. I’ve had plenty of cheese. I just haven’t had any since my grandmother died. She was gifted with this dairy thing.”
“Your family has really weird gifts.”
“I know. I was lucky to get a good one. You should’ve seen my sisters though. She could control time. Really complicated power. When she was baby she suddenly turned 5. We had to let her grow 5 more years before she controlled her power and turn back to a baby. I knew her for 15 years even though she was only 10 when they-they-” I set my bowl down. “Never mind.”
That must be the first time I’ve ever cried. Even the time when my cousin who was gifted with strength snapped off my finger, I hadn’t cried when they rushed me to the hospital. I hadn’t cried when they stitched on a new one (gifted doctor). I didn’t cry when our first dog died because he fell out of our car and rolled down the mountain after a rain and caused a land slid. I didn’t cry when any of my grandparents died.
I’m not afraid of death.
All of those things I didn’t cry about were death. It happens. Death is part of this world. Why attach your self to something that’s gonna leave? That you know is gonna leave?
But this wasn’t death.
It felt like the world was closing in on me. No. I wouldn’t cry if my mom died. Or my dad. Or my sister. But I guess I will if I knew they were gone. Not dead gone. Just not with me gone. The reason I didn’t cry before was because I was living on the fact that they were dead. But since I’m crying, which means they’re not dead.
They’re not dead.
“Zack they’re not dead!”
“Who? One minute you’re crying. The next it’s like you just won the lottery.”
Whatever the lottery was. Anyway… “I mean my mom and dad and sister. And my grandparents. And Maimi! And your family! They’re not dead!”
“How do you know that?”
“You’re the one gifted with sense. You figure it out.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Um. Well I can’t. Now explain it too me.”
I smiled mischievously at him. “In a situation like this I like to go somewhere informational.”
✧✧✧
“A library!?”
“Yep. I find out anything and everything here. Ok. You take that room over there and I’ll take this one.”
“But that rooms looks boring!”
“Shhh! And no. It’s not boring. Just look for anything for anything that has to do with people like us. History. Try to find out about someone who had this secret that nobody knew about and it died with him or her. Capiche?”
“Uh… Yeah. Got it.”
“Good. Lets meet here in the atrium in an hour.”
“Ok.” And we split off. The room didn’t look like much. I went to the first shelf and browsed for famous persons.
“Excuse me Young Miss?”
I turned around to see a little old lady. I think she is the secretary or something. “Yes?”
“Do you need help finding something Young Miss?”
“Uh, sure. I’m looking for uh-famous peoples autobiographies.”
“Oh. Of course! If Young Miss would follow me.” I followed the old lady to a deeper section of the library. “Here are plenty of personal journal copies of famous persons. Feel free to check any out if you’d like.”
“Thank you.” She wandered off.
“Hmmm…” I looked through the books. None of them seemed to have any special secrets. I worked up the years until I came to the year Shela was born. There was something weird with the way the time gift was passed on. Maybe I could find something here.
I ran my hand across the bookbinding looking for something that might relate to secrets. My hand stopped on a book that was so thin I would’ve missing it had it not a certain number on the spine.
18.
My lucky number. I pulled it down and looked it over. It was a deep emerald green color with a sapphire blue binding. It didn’t say anything on the front but on the inside cover it read:
This Book Belongs To
Emily Drake
Emily Drake. I wonder who she was.
Though the name Drake did ring a bell. I think I had a relative living in Cambodia, which was somewhere in west Asia, with the last name of Drake. Wasn’t drake also some name for a duck? A male duck I think. Anyway, that’s not what was important now.
So I opened up to the first page.
Nothing interesting. Just saying the year, her name, why she was starting a diary blah, blah, and blah.
But I continued through the pages until I came to when she was 21. And this caught my attention.
August 23rd, 1987
I have good news and strange news.
Today Matthew proposed to me. The ring was so beautiful. It has two 50-caret diamonds and a large Opal between the two. I just couldn’t refuse. We’ve been dating for 3 years. I’m so happy. Me, my mom and my best friend Samantha are going to pick out my wedding dress this weekend. We have to have a marriage soon because Matthew is going to war. So we can’t wait. But I do fear for him. Even though he is not gone yet. I want to spend every minute of every day with him before I lose him for 2 years in Afghanistan.
I can’t help but look back on all these diary entries and think of all the time I’ve spent with him. We’ve been child-hood friends since 2nd grade. I never thought then that he would be the one. I don’t think he ever thought he would go to war too.
Now I know that whoever will ever read this is around now wondering what the strange thing is.
I was out taking a walk along the main road. I came across a rabbit that had been run over by a car. It had been shoved off to side of the road so that’s how I saw it.
It was very gross. It was splattered and it rib cage was caved in from where it was hit. I don’t know what came over me but I reached down and touched its head. I whispered I wish you were alive.
Suddenly. It’s ears perked up. Its rib cage sort of un-flattened its self and the rabbit jumped up, took one look at me, and ran off.
This leads me to believe that magic does exist.
Well Matthew’s cat died this morning. We were all very sad. Christy had been with us for 13 years. She was old and getting sick. She died from heart failure.
So given the rabbit incident, could I bring Matt’s cat back?
So that night I snuck out to the garden where Christy was buried and dug her up.
I dug her up out of the back yard and I touched her head, like I had with the rabbit, and once again whispered I wish you were alive.
The cat looked up at me, stretched and jumped into my arms.
It is very strange so I must wrap this up for I am near the end of the page.
Good night.
~Emily D.
Jackpot.
Extremely exited, it took every part of me not to go sprinting out of the room. I peeked into the room where I had sent Zack. I barely controlled myself from laughing out loud. Yeah, he was sleeping in a chair.
I turned around and walked up to the front desk. The little, old lady was there.
“Did you find something Young Miss?” she asked.
“Yes. Thank you.” I put the book on the counter. Her eyes grew wide.
“I’d never though you’d come.”
I was puzzled. “Excuse me?”
“Yes. It is you.” Suddenly she looked fearful. “You must get out of here. They are coming.”
“What are you talking about? Who is coming?”
“Them. They steal your powers for themselves. They would not stop to gain yours.”
“What do you mean? What do you know about the Gifts?”
“I know that they want them. But why is a mystery.”
“Your not answering my question,” I said annoyed. What was she playing?
“I can’t. I was cursed when I escaped. That I can’t answer any direct question. Now they’re after me.”
I felt like strangling her. Yeah, these types of people very easily annoy me. “What color do you hate the most?”
“Orange.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. I smiled and gave her orange. “No! Please stop!”
“Tell me. What do I need to fear? Who are they? And why were you lying?”
“They steal your powers and banish you with who you forever hate in the Black Room. I was lying for my own sake. I do not need to go back there.”
“You work for them?”
“Yes.” She was crying now.
“Beatrice!” A mans voice echoed in the empty hall.
Her head snapped up. “No! She forced me!” But I never actually heard the “me” of “she forced me.” I just guessed that.
Well, I only had to guess because the man whipped out a knife and threw it at her. And, well, of course he didn’t miss. The lady’s old body fell dead and limp behind the counter.
“And you.” He whipped out another knife. I was about to say I had nothing to o with this and was really confused.
“To the left!” I heard someone behind me yell. So I did. The knife missed me by 3 feet. “Right!” I did. “Duck!” Sheesh. How many knives dose this guy have? And who is this telling me…?
“Left!”
“Zack!”
“Right! Not time to talk. Left!”
“Got it. Red!”
This time he threw the knife in the total opposite direction.
“Nice Aaliyah. Now lets go!”
“Hang on a minute.” I grabbed the book and hurried after him. We hurried down the library steps and down the street. “How did you know where he was gonna throw?”
“I told you. I’m gifted with sense. I just knew he was gonna throw to the left so I told you to go right.”
“Thanks. For saving my life.”
“Yeah–well take that back. I didn’t find anything. I fell asleep.”
“Yeah. I know. But thankfully I did find something. But lets wait till we get somewhere safe.”
