Please use the feedback thread for any comments you may have. Click Here for the Feedback Thread Chapter 1 The morning had been dark as the evening before. Deep grey clouds swirled overhead threatening a rainstorm. In the far distance, thunder rumbled faintly at the edge of my hearing before droplets of cool water rained down in a gentle shower of refreshing wetness. I tilted my head up as I walked, letting the rain wash down my face, some into my mouth in sweet bursts and others which ran down my chin and down my shirt. "Hey!" A voice cut through my reverie. I turned in surprise to see an old friend since childhood come running up behind me. "You're out early Zac," I commented casually. A little knot in my shoulders tightened, remembering the incident a week before. "Yeah," was his simple reply. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his dark green eyes gazing up at the overcast sky always focused and alert, yet oblivious to the world around him. "I-I have to talk to you." he said quietly. "What is there to talk about?" I replied as innocently as I could. Yet something of my true feelings crept into my voice. A little bit of anger, frustration, or perhaps even fear? "Don't play dumb Anala." He replied with a tired sigh. "I know you're still mad, and I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be. It's for your own good." At those words I felt my jaw tighten. He told me he could no longer be my friend the week before, as all of my friends had done one by one. They never gave a concrete reason, but I knew. They had all joined The Group. Led by a boy named Alexander, it was very exclusive. They accepted people randomly, with seemingly little pattern or order. One day one of the popular kids would join them, the next the quiet kid who always sat in the back would be sitting there laughing with him as if they had something huge in common, something that trumped all accepted social boundaries. No one had figured out what had made them special. No one knew what could possibly make two enemies abandon their friends and join together as allies. Not even the gossip machine could determine for sure the true reason. Everyone wondered, asked each other and found out nothing. Of course no one ever wanted to ask me. As my friends began to disappear to the other table, the other side, everyone watched and waited for me to change, for me to turn. But it didn't, hasn't, and won't happen ever. The thing that makes the others special, the thing that binds them all together well... I possess it. To a certain degree. But I'm different. I'm not like the others. I sometimes wonder how I can be that much different. After all, they're all freaks, and so am I. Truth be told, it's a small difference. Unfortunately, it's a one that made my life dangerous. That's why I can say nothing but watch everything. Waiting, for god knows what. Biding my time until the perfect moment to act. The only problem? I don't know what that act is. I jerked back from my internal soliloquy as Zac snapped, "Anala pay attention!" I glared back at him, meeting his cool blue stare. "I really doubt we have anything important to talk about Zac," I said cooly. "If we did, we'd still be friends." Thunder crackled and the pounding of the rain increased as I turned up my nose and quickened my pace. Although he quickly disappeared into the greyness, I noticed the tiny flash of hurt in his eyes as I walked away. And despite the small twinge of remorse inside me, I felt viciously glad. Now he knows how it feels.
Chapter 2 I arrived in front of my school building soaking wet from the rain. As I walked through the door, a tired yellow "Welcome to Crandall!" sign greeted the shivering crowd of miserable students. I made my way to my locker fairly easily, I no longer had any friends to stop and talk to in the hallway. As my locker door clicked open, I noticed a a group of The Group kids standing in the middle of the hallway laughing at some poor guy who had yelled at them for blocking everyone else. In the back, I noticed Iyushi Yagami giggling in the back, her soft brown eyes sparkling. She was one of my oldest friends, a soft quiet girl who, when i knew her, rarely talked let alone laughed. To see her happiness at the plight of another helpless student was almost like a personal slap to the face. She noticed me watching her, and she turned her head to glare at me. I merely cocked my eyebrows at her, wondering how so much had changed so quickly, and turned away. When I finished loading my backpack for all of my morning classes, I began to walk down the hallway. The mob of The Group was still there, but the boy was gone. I carefully eased by them and made my way to first period, World History. I was the only one who didn't sleep through it. Coincidentally, I was probably the only one passing the class. I slogged through the day feeling droopy and drained. My shoes seemed to be made of lead, and every step I took was a conscious effort. The world seemed blurry and vague, and I peered into it with gritty dry eyes. As you can imagine, I was in an incredibly cheerful and peppy mood. I talked even less than I normally did, and only answered questions when called upon to do so. I didn't smile, and when I bumped into someone, I merely glared and didn't say a word. A few people asked me what was wrong, and every time I gave a vague or generic answer. Finally the end of the day had come. I allowed my first smile of the day as I sucked in my first breath of fresh air. The sky was still dismal and grey, but the rain had stopped, and thunder was only a soft rumble in the distance. "There's nothing like the end of a long day," I said with a satisfied sigh. As I was turning a corner, I felt a large strong hand grip my shoulder. My shoulders were yanked backward as my backpack was ripped off of them and thrown to the ground with a loud thunk. I winced as I was slammed against the wall. I pitifully raised my eyes to look into the dark cruel eyes of my tormentor. I had never seen him before, but he obviously had taken an immediate dislike to me. I watched, a little dazed as he slowly raised his fist, them slammed it hard against the side of my face. I fell to the ground as I saw stars. That blow had almost knocked me out cold. The air whooshed out of my lungs as he kicked me in the stomach. I could do no more then whimper and attempt to protect my stomach and face as he slammed his hard boot again and again, sending hot flashes of pain ripping through my arms and back as if he was striking me with a sledgehammer. At last he brought his foot down hard on my ankle, and I heard an earsplitting crack followed by an intense fire raging on my leg. I was vaguely aware of a warm liquid trailing down my leg and pooling on the ground under my feet. "You may go now," I heard a cold voice somewhere above me command. My torturer grunted and walked away. I heard lighter, softer footsteps patter towards me and the voice. "Hey! Michael! What are you doing over there?" I heard Iyushi's voice for the first time in a while. I sensed her shadow falling over me. There was silence for a moment and then, "Michael... What the HELL did you do!!" she shrieked. "I guess I overreacted huh?" he asked sheepishly. "Overreacted?!?! What did she ever do to you!!!" He sighed and then replied, "I had Cameron beat her up. I didn't like the way she was glaring at you today." Michael the hypnotist. Check. "So you made Cameron the bully beat her half to death... Because she was rebuking me for bullying someone?" To be honest I had never heard Iyushi speak that loudly or snappishly to anyone. Boy she has changed. "I'll have Irin fix her up. Just don't tell Alex okay?" "Don't tell me what?" I heard yet another voice say grimly as he landed with a thump, presumably out of a tree. I heard a few more accompanying thuds. Great, now it's really a party! "Well that's unfortunate," A deep voice commented casually "Unfortunate?!? She looks dead!" I heard someone squeak. Was that Zac? "I can hear her heart beating don't worry," Alex assured him. Someone leaned over me and began to lightly examine my face and neck. So I was laying on my back then? I felt the skin on my ankle and back begin to itch as someone began the process of healing me. "She'll be okay," I heard a sweet girl's voice assure everyone. "That must be Irin," I thought to myself. "How bad's the damage," Zac asked worriedly. "A shattered ankle, a few broken ribs, bruises all over, a bone bruise in the spine specifically, a dislocated shoulder." I heard a pop and felt a brief flash of pain. "I guess not anymore. Torn patella ligament and ACL, dislocated kneecap, a few cracks in the pelvis and severe bruising of the left ulna and radius, plus a few scratches here and there." "That sounds awful!" Iyushi and Zac exclaimed simultaneously "It is," she said with a sigh as she fixed my knee. "But all in all she's in remarkably good shape. No damages to vital organs or anthing." I let out a tiny whimper as my ankle popped into place with a sickening snap. The pain finally became too much, and with a sigh, I blacked out.
Chapter 3 The sheets beneath me rustled as I groaned and stretched out. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a blinding whiteness. I blinked a few times and my vision began to focus properly. I saw a monitor next to me reading my heart beat in slow beeping syllables. In front of me were my feet covered in a gleaming white sheet, and beyond that, a wall. I turned my head to see a short petite brunette writing on a piece of paper while simultaneously typing the buttons on a calculator. Math homework? I winced as my groggy voice echoed through my ears. I didn't mean to say it aloud. The girls cute brown curls bounced as she looked up in shock. Her sparkling brown eyes met my tired blue ones. We stared at each other for a moment, and then she opened her mouth. "Ewmygosh she's awake!" she screamed in a voice much too loud for her small frame and went running out of the room, papers flying everywhere. I blinked curiously as I realized I had no idea who she was or where she went.. As a matter of fact I had no idea where I was. The beeping and whiteness rang absolutely no bells. The only thing I knew for sure was that it wasn't my house. The door creaked again, but this time it was a man who walked in. The girl who had been sitting beside me followed in behind him with another girl. I didn't get a good look at her because the man in the white labcoat was in the way. The man smiled kindly at me, his blue eyes warm and friendly. I merely stared confused. "Hello, my name is Dr. Evans." He cheerfully stated. His blue eyes gleamed and I realized he reminded me of someone. I just couldn't put my finger on it... "These two girls found you collapsed on the sidewalk outside of school," "We thought you were dead!" The girl who I had seen before exclaimed, her warm brown eyes huge in her face. "Thankfully, we think it was only a fainting spell. You probably didn't eat lunch today did you?" I shook my head. "Well then there's our problem," the doctor proclaimed. I nodded, then asked him, "How long until I'm allowed to leave?" "We're keeping you overnight until we're sure you're going to be okay. Better safe than sorry!" he smiled again and turned to the two girls. "Well ladies, I think visiting hours are almost over. Let's let Anala get some rest." They were shooed out of the room with little fuss, and the doctor clicked off the lights. It was there in the dark that I remembered. The scorching pain, the blood, and the voices calmly discussing what to do with my battered body. The faint flash of faces as the deep voice boy attempted to erase my memories. Alex's grim face warning Michael to control his temper. I sat up with a gasp. That's who the doctor reminded me of! Dr. Evans, Alex Evans. It couldn't be a coincidence what with the looks, and last name. Alex must have gotten his father to watch over me after my "fainting spell". Probably to make sure I don't remember anything too. By this time I was really mad. Not only that I was beat up, but also that those who were responsible got off scot free. I spontaneously ripped the sensors off that were positioned on my arms and chest, then carefully removed my iv needle. I looked down in dismay, realizing that I was in nothing but a hospital gown. That's when I hit a stroke of luck. I noticed that my book bag was lying in a chair by my bedside. I immediately jumped out of bed, and began to dig through it. I always kept a spare set of clothes in my book bag in case I spilled something on myself or got wet. "Aha!" I shouted as I came across a pair of shorts and an old cotton tee shirt. I even found a pair of neon orange flip flops. I ripped off my paper gown and quickly slipped in to my normal clothes. I sighed with joy at the smooth fabric that didn't crinkle as I moved. When I was completely dressed, I grabbed my back pack and checked it for bugs and sensors. I found one attached right at the top of the left arm strap and pried it off, hoping it wouldn't raise an alarm. I dropped it on the seat and ran to the door. Resisting the urge to yank it open, I slowly turned the handle and carefully pulled, until the space was wide enough so that I could barely slip through. I caught the handle as it closed again, and shut it without a sound. Thus I began my perilous trek through the hallway. I had seen a map of the hospital on the back of my door with a line tracing the way to escape in case of a fire. I decided to follow that, hoping that my escape would lead to a door. The hallways were strangely silent. My footsteps echoed as I crept as quietly as I could through the maze of white walls and grey linoleum. That's when I saw it at the end of the hallway. I couldn't hold it jn any longer! With a gasp I ran to the door. It took me about two seconds to realize it was locked. "Damn," I growled under my breath. Then I relaxed, and waited until all thoughts drained from my mind. When my mind was a deep mushy hole of nothingness, I "looked" at the lock. I could see it, the mechanism that kept the door shut! With a mental "push" I shoved the mechanism, and with a click, the door unlocked. I let out a sigh of relief, and walked out into the cool night air.
Chapter Four The sky was dark and cloudy as I walked outside. No stars sparkled above and nothing stirred the still night air. I let out a shaky sigh. "Creepy," I muttered. Then I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and typed in a number. "Nana? Can you send Aaron out to pick me up?" I whispered into the phone. "I'm outside the Bellenue Hospital." "Of course dear," I head her murmur back. A few minutes later, a slim shiny black car purred its way into the parking lot. The passenger door opened. "Get in," I heard him say. I slid into the dark leather seat with a sigh and plunked my backpack down behind me. I watched Aarons face the whole way home, but he didn't even look at me. His icy grey eyes stared straight ahead at the road, never wavering from the course. Finally as we were coming into view of the house, I had the courage to whisper "Are you mad?" He looked at me in surprise, but then he smiled and shook his head. "I'm sure I'll here about it tomorrow," he said with a smile. As he began his long ascent up the driveway, I leaned back in my seat and unwillingly fell into a deep slumber.
Chapter 5 A world of mist, a lonely world. The world of my dreams was a world of shifting images, that could shatter at the slightest touch. Thats when I saw it, the telltale bead on the ground. I picked it up, and looked intently into the shifting white and grey, a similar pattern as my world, but lighter like the spiderweb in early morning. Then finally, I was sucked in. I was standing in front of a bunch of computer screens. Behind me, two men with blindingly white wings were discussing something. The one on the right was Alex's dad, Dr. Evans, but he was younger looking and his shirt was off so he was not constrained. The one on the left had even paler hair than Dr. Evans, and glowing golden eyes. He also had tanner skin, with tattoos covering his arms that were the same glowing color as his eyes. I winced when I tried to move closer. They were gilnwrit or spelled to ward off those like me. I began to pick up their conversation. "So she just walked out the door and got away?" The tattooed one asked coldly. Dr. Evans nodded grimly, though he seemed embarrassed. "The man who was watching fell asleep at the cameras, and since nothing was flagged, the tapes were cleared at midnight." "Doesn't the camera send a copy to the local police to be archived?" The tattooed one inquired. "Unfortunately we had a glitch in the system, and a power surge backed their records up so much that our tape didn't get through." "Strange coincidence," Tattoo man remarked. Dr. Evans grimaced and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "Unfortunately we don't have any proof that she's anything beyond the ordinary. My son has already been watching her closely at the school because all of her friends were gifted and those with gifts tend to stick together, though they don't do it consciously. We have seen nothing to suggest she has any gifts so far. I'll keep you updated though." They nodded to each other, and tattoo man walked out. The scene slowly faded away, and darkness took its place.
Chapter 6 The chirping of birds gently brought me to consciousness. Bathed in the light of a real world, a real sun, I felt warm and safe. Far away from the men, and though I was in life, yet somehow detached from reality. I sat up, blinking the gritty grains of sleep from my eyes, and bleating looked around the room. Aaron was quietly sitting next to my bed reading a book. He looked up as the bedsheets rustled. "Hey," he said with a gentle smile. I blinked groggily at him, then weakly smiled back. "Hey," I rasped. The door creaked open, and a young man came walking in with a heavily laden tray piled with every sort of delicacy imaginable. Behind him, an older woman slowly followed, her green eyes twinkling merrily out of her wrinkled face. "Nana!" I cheered, practically falling out of my bed. She chuckled as the boy gently laid the tray on top of my legs. I looked at the mountains of sustenance that lay before me. Their aroma wafted into my nostrils making my stomach rumble. Still the pile was HUGE."Whoa, Nana I don't think I can eat this all!" The old woman and Aaron both chuckled. I looked at the slight boy standing awkwardly in the corner trying to avoid staring at my food. "Here Quinn, you can have some!" I told him cheerfully, holding up a plate full of bacon and eggs. He looked nervously at Nana for support. She nodded at him. He darted forward, grabbed his plate and quickly retreated to his corner. "Thank you," He whispered. Nana smiled approvingly. "So," Aaron said as he leaned back and folded his hands, "What happened?" I hesitated for a small moment, then gave a quick summary of my afternoon and evening. I even included my dream. Nana and Aaron remained completely still throughout, and when I finished the only sound in the room was Quinn nibbling on a scone. "Those BASTARDS! Can't even keep a handle on their own children" growled Aaron as he pounded his fist on the armrest. "Now now Aaron," Nana scolded. But even she had a small frown on her face. "I'm most worried about the gilnwrit one." I informed Aaron. "He seems to be the biggest threat." "That's probably Moríus," He sighed as he told me. "He is in charge of putting out squads to grow the "gifted" but shrink those like us. If any of our kind are found, no matter how young or innocent he has them clapped in Silversun and shipped off to their HQ for "testing" so he can "Cure" them." "Cure?" Quinn whispered fearfully "Well you know that there are two metals that can hold us, silversun and gilnsun. Well those metals are getting harder and harder to make, so they're trying to find a way to turn them into a synthetic form that can permanently suppress abilities they don't like. Like anything doing with the warping or removing of souls, mind control except hypnosis of course, manipulating corpses, those with the ability to summon demons, etc. Well they can't be sure it works unless they have someone to try it on. They've gotten weak forms of it to work, like on first generation, but nothing strong enough to stop a trained Dimön." Quinn nodded, but didn't look happy with the explanation. His brow furrowed. "Why don't they just purify everyone?" "Well for one it takes a lot of energy. It's harder for them to convert us than the other way around. Plus some abilities can't be purified." "like me," I said quietly. Aaron nodded. The room was silent for a moment, then I heard the doorbell ring. "Now who could that be?" Nana frowned and bustled out the door.
Chapter 7 "Nana!" I shouted out my door. "There's a speaker in here!" She came running back through the door to the small yellow patch on the wall. She pressed the small red button. "Hello?" she asked cheerfully. "Hello, this is Doctor Evans, we were just stopping by to see if Anala is all right." "Yes Dr. Evans she's perfectly fine. We have a personal physician who checked her out. Thank you for worrying about her though," I imagined Dr. Evans gritting his teeth at her old friendly voice. He chuckled though it sounded strained. "You're welcome! I'm always glad to help!" "Goodbye then!" she said with a grin and clicked off of the mic. "I think I'm going for a walk," I murmured as I swung my legs out of bed and walked out of my room. My family had owned this land for centuries. Naturally, my house was huge, over one hundred rooms. Although I had lived here for all of my life, there was always something new to discover. Today however I didn't feel like exploring. I walked down the long hallway, the dark hardwood floors squeaking under my feet. When I was little, I was afraid of walking here because I thought there were mice under the floorboards that I hurt every time I stepped on them. I chuckled to myself as I came to a set of intricate mahogany doors. I pushed them open, and walked through into our library. Huge floor to ceiling windows lit up the whole room, and the soft blue carpet felt good on my bare feet. Browsing randomly through the shelves, I picked up an old leather book whose spine was too faded to read. I walked over to my favorite reading place. It was a window that jutted out, and overlooked the green manicured lawn in front of our artificial forest. My brother had planted those trees when he was my age, but they had grown wide and tall. Normally I would have been reading outside on a day as nice as this, but with these old books you had to be careful. I sat down on one of the dark velvet cushions and began to read. It was an old history book, my favorite kind, telling of the old wars between our peoples. There were notes inked in the margins by one of my predecessors that contained extra information and the occasional spell. It was beginning to get dark, and the sky was beginning to turn orange and pink. I was on one of the last chapters of the book when I saw him. There was a beautifully hand drawn picture of a dark skinned man with gilnwrit tattoos that seemed to glow in the fading light of day. He was younger than when I saw him, but there was no mistaking him. The notes scribbled in the margins confirmed it. " Maoríunis, the youngest of the Tolcom family was captured by the Illistraee and purified. He can no longer be trusted. Took the name Moríus." Than a newer note. " Sixalcomme, Doenigo, abrathio, Moríus, Maoríunis " I wondered vaguely what it did. Then I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I spun around in shock to see the smiling face of Aaron, grey eyes twinkling. "Dinner," he said, then padded out of the room. I stood up, put the book down, and followed him.
Chapter 8 The next morning was bright and cloudless. The warm sun shined through the leafy green trees, and sparkled off of the roads and sidewalks. Everywhere you looked, there was joy. Squirrels frolicked through the trees, birds sang to one another, the dogs in the front yard yapped cheerfully at me as I walked by, it was absolutely disgusting. I was in an awful mood. I was dreading the confrontation that was surely coming with Alex. I was loathing the fact that I had gotten beat up by a normal, and the hypnotist responsible got off scot free. I was hating the smug look on the various facets of nature, as if she was purposely trying to give my irritable mood the middle finger salute. "Hey Anala! Are you feeling better?" The bubbly brunette was suddenly standing beside me. I was already in the school hallway? "Wha... Oh hey Ashley!" She smiled in triumph that I knew her name. Out of nowhere, the other girl appeared. She had long straight black hair, like mine, and startlingly green eyes. "Do you want to sit with us at lunch?" She quietly inquired. "Yeah, me an Joslin will totes introduce you to the other girls!" Ashley squealed. Joslin? Poor girl. What a name. "Totes means totally in Ashley language," Joslin explained, "She got it off of Degrassi. By the way I'm Joslin Higgins but you can call me Josi," she remarked as she extended her hand towards me. "Thank you," I answered cautiously as I took it. Josi firmly shook our hands. I jumped as the second bell rang. "See you at lunch!" Ashley screamed as the two girls took off running for their first.
Chapter 8 The next morning was bright and cloudless. The warm sun shined through the leafy green trees, and sparkled off of the roads and sidewalks. Everywhere you looked, there was joy. Squirrels frolicked through the trees, birds sang to one another, the dogs in the front yard yapped cheerfully at me as I walked by, it was absolutely disgusting. I was in an awful mood. I was dreading the confrontation that was surely coming with Alex. I was loathing the fact that I had gotten beat up by a normal, and the hypnotist responsible got off scot free. I was hating the smug look on the various facets of nature, as if she was purposely trying to give my irritable mood the middle finger salute. "Hey Anala! Are you feeling better?" The bubbly brunette was suddenly standing beside me. I was already in the school hallway? "Wha... Oh hey Ashley!" She smiled in triumph that I knew her name. Out of nowhere, the other girl appeared. She had long straight black hair, like mine, and startlingly green eyes. "Do you want to sit with us at lunch?" She quietly inquired. "Yeah, me an Joslin will totes introduce you to the other girls!" Ashley squealed. Joslin? Poor girl. What a name. "Totes means totally in Ashley language," Joslin explained, "She got it off of Degrassi. By the way I'm Joslin Higgins but you can call me Josi," she remarked as she extended her hand towards me. "Thank you," I answered cautiously as I took it. Josi firmly shook our hands. I jumped as the second bell rang. "See you at lunch!" Ashley screamed as the two girls took off running for their first class.
Chapter 9 Lunch took forever to come. Every knock on the doors, every footstep behind me, every creak of the old building made me jump. I told myself no one was out to get me. I twitched and jerked at the smallest sound. But I told myself no one was out to get me. The trees scraped and tapped the windows behind me in the period before lunch. Still I told myself that no one was out to get me. Just down the hall as I was about to walk into the cafeteria I noticed a shadow on the wall. A prickling sensation crept up the back of my neck. "No one is out to get me no one is out to get me," I chanted to myself under my breath. "No one is out to get me no one is out to get me," I got nearer and nearer to the opening that served as the entryway to the lunch line as the sounds of students chowing down got louder and louder. My heart began to beat like a pair of helicopter blades. "No one is out to get me no one is out to get me no one is..." I let out a relieved sigh as my right foot then my left crossed the thresh hold. No one had gotten me. It was well known that The Group didn't inhabit the lunchroom. I was safe. "Anala!" I jumped almost ten feet in the air as Ashley screamed my name across the lunch room. "Geez, someone's jumpy today," I glanced over to see Joslin looking concernedly at me. "Here I'll introduce you to the rest of us," she said, grabbing my arm and steering me over to the table. "Jake," she said, pointing to a well tanned muscled dude wearing a red baseball cap. "Alex squared," A fair haired boy and a dark haired girl were reading poetry together. "Finally Cliff and Sharon," The boy on the right was tanned and fit with dark swoopy hair and startlingly green eyes. His body was perfectly proportioned, and hush shirt showed off his perfect six pack. The girl had long auburn hair falling in waves down her back with big grey eyes flecked with green. She smiled quickly at me, then went back to her lunch. They were both perfectly gorgeous, and obviously the leaders of the group. I flicked a glance at them and nodded in greeting, sitting down at the edge of the table by Joslin. She nodded slightly. She quickly wrote a note on her napkin. "Good job of acting uninterested in Cliff. Sharon gets really jealous when other girls check him out." I glanced around taking in the scene. I noticed the other empty seat was right next to Ashley, another logical place to sit, but it was also right in front of Cliff. "It wasn't an act," I wrote back. Ashley frowned at our note writing. "Come on Ana, sit by me! You met me first." I realized she didn't know quite what was going on. "Sorry Ash," I replied with a sigh, "But I have to discuss Mrs. Forgoson with Joslin." I heard Alex squared suck in a breath simultaneously. "Uck, she's so..." "...Strict! How can you even..." "... Say her name! It's supposed to be lunch!" The Alex's exclaimed as female Alex's big blue eyes were watering up. I giggled quietly, then immediately tensed up. It was him. Alexander Evans was leaning against the doorway to the cafeteria scanning the crowd. I couldn't look away as our eyes met, blue staring into blue. His mouth pulled up at the corners into a frightening "I got'cha," smile. He jerked his chin up still making eye contact, a gesture for me to follow. I swallowed nervously then turned back to the table. "Thank you all for being so kind to me," I whispered shakily. I cleared my throat, preparing to leave. "Ana, are you ok? You look kinda scared." "Nah," I replied calmly, "Nothing's wrong," "You sure? My knuckles could use a workout," Jake grinned at me. I smiled genuinely back. "Thanks, but I'm okay. See you guys later?" "Yeah see you later," the all chorused back. I stood up, my knees shaking as my chair scraped across the concrete floor. Within a few deep breaths, I was out the door, and into the hallway. I saw a dark shadow at the end by an open door, and knew without a doubt that this was where Alex was waiting.
Chapter 10 I could hear my heart pounding as step by step I inched down the corridor. My footsteps echoed, and though the hallway was well lit, it was completely empty save for the boy waiting for me at the end of the hall. "Hey," Alex remarked casually as he came into view. I jumped a little. I didn't expect him to be so blunt in greeting me. He looked at me for a moment as he expected a response, but I just stood there like a deer in headlights. "My dad wanted me to check on you," he explained quietly, pinning me down with ice prick eyes. "Are you alright?" his voice was concerned. "I..." my voice was shaky and weak. I cleared my throat as I spoke again, "I'm fine, much better thank you." He smiled kindly like his father, but his eyes were still examining me. I felt like a bug under a microscope. "Alrighty then," he muttered, finally looking away. He gave me one last brooding glance, then smiled and walked away. I felt as if I had been put to the test, and I knew I had failed. Chapter 11 After my discussion with Alex, I went home sick. I could do nothing but shake like a chihuahua, and refused to talk to anyone. I eventually just curled up in bed under all of my covers. Finally, I drifted off into an uneasy sleep. I stood in the world of shifting grey once again. I was facing the frozen figures of Alex, Dr. Evans, and Moríus. Between me and the others, there was a glowing grey crack, a line drawn in the stand. My view shifted, and I became aware of another figure in front of me. He had dark hair, and his back was covered by a magnificent green cloak. He was not frozen however, and he began to turn towards me. I gasped in fear and spun away, my dark hair flying up around my face. I woke up with a gasp in my dark room, the glowing numbers of my clock eerie in the midnight blackness. I sobbed for a while before falling back into dreamless sleep.
Chapter 12 The next afternoon, I forced a smile on my face and walked into the lunchroom. "Feeling better?" Alex squared asked. I grinned hugely at both of them, though I felt sick inside. "Yep!" "Well you look much better," Jake said, giving me a cursory glance. "You looked a little unsteady on your feet yesterday," I chuckled to myself, though I felt like I was dying. "Well I'm feeling great now!" "Hmmm," Cliff said. He stared at me intently and something told me he wasn't fooled. I glanced at him and out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. A power symbol floating over his perfect dark hair. I knew then that he wouldn't be with us much longer. After school had ended, I walked out of the building. The symbol floating over Cliff's head was still bothering me. It was darker than the others, though I didn't know exactly why. Then it hit me. Symbols were darker and clearer when you'd been CONSCIOUSLY using your abilities longer. Since Cliff's symbol was as dark as Alexander's, that meant that he HAD to know that he had abilities a long time ago, longer than when Alex was here at least. Which meant... Oh no There were only two conceivable options before me: 1) Cliff was a spy for Alex, and had been giving me those weird looks because he'd been watching me or 2) He was the warrior from my dream and could be another from my side. Either way, things were about to get complicated. You see, thousands of years ago, these abilities split off into three branches. Illistraee, Versistrum, and Elemental. Illistraee and Versistrum were two very different groups. Versistrum consisted of Mind Control, Soul warping, Vampires, DarkWings, anything to do with the 13th dimension (in simple terms hell), and dark runeguilds (like me). Illistraee were the "Angels", light runeguilds, paladins, and lightsmiths. Elementals were everyone else. Unfortunately, most of the elementals sided with the Illistraee, so my kind was outnumbered nearly 100 to 1. The Illistraee were jealous of our power (because with less people, there was more to go around), and sought to "purify" the earth. Since that decision was made, we've hid in little pockets across the globe, trying to avoid death. I was too young to remember any of this of course, it had happened far before my time. When I was a baby, Nana had brought me here away from who we lived with before to protect me, but that hope protection seems to be slowly fading away. I only wish that I could talk to someone about it. Someone my age and my species who wouldn't over react or pretend like everything was ok. I let out an irritated sigh. I hate hiding. "There something wrong Ana?" Josi inquired. I jerked as I returned to reality. Then I grimaced. "Nah," I said glumly, "Just thinking if all the work I have to do." "But it's LUNCH!" Ashley exclaimed, "You're supposed to STOP thinking about stuff like that!!!" I smiled wearily. "I'll do my best,"
Chapter 13 As soon on school was out I was fed up with my life, so I jumped out of a window. I opened my dark feathery wings and with the wonderful thermal lift coming off the blacktop below I glided smoothly into the clouds. My house was many miles away and I didn't feel like calling a car. My trip home was usually much shorter than my trip to school merely because I walked the last fifteen minutes on the way there. I always had to be careful and keep my camouflaging hologram on when I was flying in case I wasn't the only one out for a joyride. The greens of the outskirts spread beneath me in a beautiful tapestry of nature, but I sighed wearily as I came in view of my house. It was a constant reminder to me that money can't buy happiness. This house had been in my family for centuries as a safe house, the Fortress. It was designed to fit my whole family comfortably in case a time of trouble should arise. Naturally it was huge. It was a giant 10 story renaissance style home made of white stone. It was 7 stories tall and at least a few tens of thousands square feet. I stumbled a little as I made a not-so-perfect landing on the helicopter pad on the roof, and calmly walked through the door. I walked down the stairs to see Aaron leaning against the wall and glaring at me. I stood in the doorway and cocked an eyebrow in question. "You should be more careful," he said coldly, "You know how dangerous flying is," "I needed a distraction okay?" I snapped. "These last few days have been rough! It's not like I didn't use camouflage!" "Moríus is here, they have people watching you, and you're up in the air flapping around like nothing's wrong! You HAVE to be more careful. I'm here to protect you, and I don't want to have to constantly follow you around, but I can and will if you're not safe." "You don't have to babysit me Aaron," I said cooly as I attempted to walk by him. He shifted barring the hallway and towered over me. I tensed up suddenly afraid, but all he did was gently put his hand on my shoulder. "Ana," he murmured and I looked up to see his eyes filled with concern, "I'm trying to protect you," I swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. It was true. He was like a big brother to me, how could I put him in danger like that? "I-" I swallowed again and looked at my toes. "I'm sorry Aaron." He lifted my chin so I could look him right in the eye. "It's alright. Now tell me about your day. It sounds as if it hasn't been pleasant." I paused for a moment as I thought about it. Looking back at my conversation with Alex, I was a little... Embarrassed. Why had I just stood there like an idiot when he greeted me? Why was my voice so shaky when I answered? And why, above all, did my stomach dissolve when he smiled? "Its because you were looking at him and you like what you saw," a little part of me whispered. I felt the beginnings of a blush creep up my cheeks, and resumed staring at my shoes. "I- I think I want to talk to Nana about that." I looked up to see Aaron grimace. "No offense," I said quickly. "None taken, it's just that..." he trailed off and looked off into the distance. "What is it?" He hesitated for a moment. "Now don't freak out," he began. "Oh great, that makes me feel better." Aaron attempted a smile, but he looked strained. "Nana got caught today when she was grocery shopping today. She won't be home for a while. In fact I'll be surprised if she's home ever again."
Chapter 14 It was a dark and stormy night. The wind and rain pounding and howling against the glass panes seemed to echo the darkness in my mind. My thoughts swirled like black storm clouds in my head as I paced back and forth across my room. What to do what to do. I had already thrown out a direct attack. The three of us didn't have the power or resources to get into and out of where they were keeping Nana. Hell, we didn't have the resources to pinpoint the location of where they were keeping Nana. I let out a frustrated sigh as I flopped into my bed. I can do nothing, therefore I am nothing. If I can't even save my caretaker, how in the world will I ever amount to anything? My eyes began to close as I lay there, puzzling out my course of action. They blinked open twice more, then closed entirely as I was pulled into a soothing, calm unconsciousness. The world of grey danced across my eyes once more. I realized that there were beads everywhere, each in it's own shade of grey. There was one lying at my feet glowing as brightly as the sun. It out shone all the others, so I picked it up. I barely glanced at it, and it yanked me into a new scene. I stumbled slightly and looked around. The walls were a glowing white, and I thought that I was back in the hospital. I turned around and gasped. It was Nana. She was in her true form. Her dark violet eyes peered coldly out of her ancient wrinkled face. Dark wings sprouted out of her back and were strapped to the wall along with her arms and legs. She was still wearing normal clothes, but her feet were replaced with wiry bird feet complete with razor sharp talons. "So Darkwing you thought you could hide." Came a cold voice directly beside me. It was Moríus, in all of his glowing gold armor and blindingly white hair. I had never hated him more. To our left was Alexander, looking bored as he flexed and fluffed his white wings while his father stood motionless beside him. Nana looked up and a trickle of black blood ran down the corner of her lip. She hissed, baring her pointed teeth and struggled. Her white scraggly hair was down around her face, sticking to the bloody spots and bruises. "We know you Darkwings can't do anything but take orders." Moríus said menacingly as he paced back and forth in front of her. "Who are you working for?" "I will never tell," she spat. "Moríus," Dr. Evans stood and walked over next to him. "You've been interrogating the Darkwing for nearly six hours. It's time to give up." Moríus let out a shaky sigh and nodded. He gently unsheathed a glowing rapier and with one fluid motion stabbed it directly through Nana's chest. She screamed and writhed as rays of light shot all across her body. Her body twitched as the grisly grips of electrocution travelled through her body. The clamps on the wall clicked open and she lay on the ground twitching and jerking as she shrieked and howled in agony. This was undoubtably a mortal wound, one that even her magics could not heal. I pulled away from the scene and I felt hot tears run down my cheeks. The last thing I heard was Alex's cruel laughter as he watched her die. This cannot be forgiven.
Chapter 15 The agony of that moment tore through my mind. I remained in bed for a few minutes longer, savoring the false security of their warmth, then got up. I crept quietly down the stairs, not exactly knowing where I was going in my wanderings. I ended up at the kitchen. The warm yellow lights were still on. I remembered all of the warm meals cooked and eaten, the scent of cinnamon during Christmas and the sound of boiling eggs knocking against eachother for Easter. Sure, we didn't actually celebrate the holidays, but we did all of the fun stuff. Through my haze of grief, I saw a picture on the wall. It was Nana's favorite landscape in the house. Blue sunny skies and yellow grasses abounded, with small animals frolicking and butterflies flitting about. It was the pure image of happiness and joy, and in my shattered state I ******* hated it. My left hand moved up my cheek to brush away my tears as my right hand grasped blindly behind me. It closed on a thick wooden handle, and without thought I threw the object straight at the picture. The silvery blade flashed as it hit the exact center, going through the glass and hitting the wall with a "thunk". Sadly, the glass cracked but didn't shatter. I turned around to see the entire knife set sitting just six inches behind me. Feeling a little crazy, I dumped them all on the smooth granite counter. One by one, I threw my deadly kitchen utensils at the picture. The frame cracked, the glass shattered, the the picture behind it was obscured by the wooden handles of the steak knives. Finally the landscape broke into little pieces and clattered to the floor in a mass of twisted glass, paper, and wood. I fell to the floor sobbing, and seconds later Aaron and Quinn came running into the room to investigate the commotion. "Ana," Aaron whispered as he crouched over me. He gently touched my shoulder, and I looked up at him. The tears were gone now. All that was left of them was the trails they had led down my face. "Nana," I whispered softly. "Don't worry about it Ana, we'll get her back," little Quinn was trying to comfort me, his childish face alight with concern. Aaron however had already seen something in my face. Something that he didn't like. "Moríus killed her," I informed them in a small voice. I resisted the urge to curl up again, and took a deep relaxing breath. "How do you know?" He asked quietly. Something in his icy grey eyes told me he already knew. "I had another dream," Quinn whimpered a little then asked, "Was it quick?" I let out a shaky breath. I had planned on lying to him at this moment, telling him she died painlessly. Something told me that tonight he would not be fooled. "No," I responded, my voice cracking. I took a minute to compose myself before I looked Aaron directly in the eye, blue to grey, pupil to pupil. He stared back, and I saw the thought forming in both of our heads. "This is unacceptable, we can't let them get away with it. They've walked all over us, over you, but this time we can't sit and take it." I nodded in grim agreement. In this moment, this memory we had formed a pact more binding than any before: A pact of war. "We have to hit back. We have to hurt them. All of them."
Chapter 16 It was another normal day at school. The birds were chirping, the crickets singing, even the sun shining through the trees. Though it had been only 7 hours since Nana's death, I was on top of the world. Someone was going to die, Alex was going to be hurt, and I was going to firmly establish myself as part of The Group. Much to their eventual demise. I let out a little giggle as I practically skipped to school. I passed Zac who was in a deep conversation with Rory, another one of my friends who left me. Rory was a genius to say the least. He didn't necessarily have a specific ability, but technology seemed to love him dearly, so Alex snapped him up. As I walked by with a spring in my step, I saw Rory's face slide into a gentle smile. I knew he was one of those who had fought the hardest to remain my friend, and was probably happy to see my mope disappear. Unfortunately I didn't get to catch Zac's eye as I walked by, so his face's expression was hidden. The dreary brick building approached my vision, but today I was overjoyed to see it. "Ana!" Ashley screamed. She ran over and led me (rather happily) over to her group. Alex squared was watching a movie together on boy Alex's laptop, while Josie was sitting on a bench by Sharon who was sobbing hopelessly into her lap. Jake was shifting uncomfortably as he stood beside her but Cliff was nowhere to be seen. I got a funny feeling in my stomach. Had it happened? Had Cliff gone over to The Group? Jake saw me standing awkwardly next to Ashley, and calmly walked over to where we were standing. "What happened?" I murmured while pitying Sharon out of the corner of my eye. I already knew what had happened of course. Cliff had turned and dumped his long time girlfriend because of their "differences". Too bad I would be leaving soon too. "It's Cliff," Jake said hesitantly, twisting his shirt in his hands. "What about Cliff?" I inquired, although I knew the basic details. "He's... He's dead," "What?!" I hissed. This development has taken me completely by surprise. "He was attacked by something yesterday afternoon. He died last night, shortly after midnight. There was nothing they could do." Nana. Of course, it had to be. So Cliff really was a spy. Interesting. But how horrible for Shannon. An innocent human hurt because of a foolish mistake on Cliff's part. Survivor Rule #1: NEVER underestimate your enemy. "I-I have to go to class," Sharon said shakily as she got to her feet. "I'll go with you," Ashley said quickly, running over to keep Sharon from falling over. Josie shot her a grateful look. "Let's go to class," Josie muttered. "I have Mr. Tomis, so he's right by yours." We walked through the various hallways and courtyards. Finally, we were about to enter the last one. The duck sanctuary, right outside of Environmental AP. We walked through the center of the yard. The ducks and their fluffy little ducklings were waddling about. I looked to my left where the brickwall should have been and began scream.
Chapter 17 It was an ancient and terrible device. Though it filled my heart with joy to see it standing there, any one of Alex's people would be throughly terrified, so that's what I did. "Ohmygosh Anala! What's wrong!" I didn't reply, just kept screaming. Once that failed I just collapsed to the ground sobbing. "I-" Josie looked around. She saw the Alex walk into AP Environmental. It was his first class of the day. She took off for the door at a sprint. Sorry Josie, but it has to be done. I continued to sob into my arms, but kept taking peeks at Aaron's handiwork. It was beautiful. Truly beautiful. A large wooden circle stood on a frame right behind the duck pond. It was perhaps six feet in diameter, and around the edges, symbols of death and terror were inscribed. The worst torture device to them, their biggest fear called an Osnakhan. In the middle with her arms and legs strapped at exactly 90 degree angles around the Osnakhan. was a terrified junior, Alex's favorite girl. I didn't know her name, but her name didn't matter. This was the hardest blow we could deal short of imprisoning one of his men. I heard the door slam against the wall as Alex came running out. By now I was just sitting on one of the benches with my head buried in my hands. I heard Alex gasp as he saw the Osnakhan. More footsteps sounded as someone ran across the courtyard to me. "Anala," someone whispered into my ear. I curled myself into a ball, with my forehead practically touching the bench beneath me. I jumped a little as the door to the deck sanctuary slammed open again. "Alex I got your message, what do you need me to..." there was a pause as Rory must have turned to look at me. "Zac's got her," Alex said gruffly. "Get Cassandra down," Zac has me? Why did Alex ask him? "Alex," The door creaked open. I could imagine Josie's frightened face peeking around the thick metal door. "Wha-what should I do?" "Can you take this note to one of the secretaries for me please? Then you can go to class," There was a moment of silence. I squeezed my eyelids closer together. "She'll be fine," Alex said soothingly. I suddenly got the feeling that he'd done this many many times. "Okay," Josie whispered as I heard the door shut behind her. "Almost there," I heard Rory shout. Oh duh! Alex nabbed him for his code cracking skills. I head a few magical tones as he prepared to unlock the last few symbols. I looked up and winced as the sunlight stabbed into my eyes. "Don't!" I shouted as the clamps unlocked. The girl who was let down made a few choking noises. Then silence. "She's-She's dead." Rory whispered. Zac got up from his seat next to me. I looked them all in the face. Everyone looked horrified except for Alex and Zac. Alex had seen this many many times obviously. And Zac? Well obviously he's changed. Rory whirled around to face me. "Did you know this would happen?!" He shouted as he pointed his finger at the dead girl. "If there is a stab mark on her back, then yes," Michael, the hypnotist who caused my beating gently lifted her, then nodded. "Tha-that thing that was holding her was supporting her body. When you let her down, nothing was holding her upright so blood flowed into her lungs and suffocated her." "And how would you know that?" Michael said threateningly, getting slowly to his feet. "Well there was blood dripping down that," I shuddered, "that thing," "I meant the blood suffocation," Michael was beginning to take slow steps toward me. "I learned it in religious interp." I admitted sheepishly. "What?" Everyone looked at me. "You know how the soldiers come to break Jesus' legs, because they're keeping his lungs from collapsing into his diaphragm?" I was met with a collection of blank stares. Good. "Alright," Alex said, breaking the silence that had resumed. He looked at me, and in a second I knew what was coming next. Alex smiled kindly at me, because I was still pretending to freak out. "You're eating with us for lunch today." I nodded, then stared down at my lap. "What?" he asked. "Well," I began, then hesitated. I took a deep breath. I was getting a little too into the part. "Can I tell Josie and Ashley? They're probably having mini heart attacks right now." Alex smiled, as if relieved that I had asked something so simple. "Of course"
Chapter 18 I jumped as the lunch bell rang. Had it really been that long? I made my way through the crowded hallway while Alex walked a few steps behind me, trying to be discreet. I made my way to the cafeteria where all of my friends were sitting. "Ana! You're all right!" Ashley screamed. People turned to look at me, but thankfully the cafeteria was so loud that few people noticed my entrance. "Yeah I'm alright," I said with a scared grin, smiling especially at Josie. "Sorry for the scare" "Come on, sit down!" Ashley said excitedly as she patted the seat in between her and Jake. "Well..." I said awkwardly as I shifted uncomfortably back and forth. Josie looked at me with a small smile as understanding filtered into her eyes. Jake glanced over my shoulder to see Alex standing casually in the doorway. His gaze hardened slightly, but he turned to me and held out his hand. "I'm glad you're not being an ass about it," I looked dead into his gaze as I shook it. "I try my hardest," "I don't understand," Ashley said with a pout. Josie rolled her eyes and got up to hug me. "Nice knowing you," I smiled awkwardly at them all, glad that it was over with without much fuss. I waved at Sharon who was still standing in line, then walked back towards the door. Ashley attempted to follow me, but Josie grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her back down. I exhaled as I met Alex in the doorway. His penetrating eyes seemed to drill into me, but he said nothing. We began our walk in comfortable silence. "That was very nice of you," Alex said finally. I stared at my toes. "Well I think I would prefer to be remembered kindly," I muttered as I watched the scuffed edge of my brown flats hit the polished floor. Alex nodded and held open the door for me. We were in the flower courtyard, and their sweet scent was a nice distraction from the coldness I felt in my heart. As we walked towards the group of tables, people turned to watch us. "Ana!" I heard Iyushi yell as she ran toward me, her dark hair streaming out behind her. She pulled me into a tight hug. I awkwardly hugged her back. She pulled back to look me in the eye. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern. I kinda shrugged in response. What could I say, I'm planning to take Alex and his family down for killing my Nana? "Sorry stupid question," she muttered. From somewhere behind her I heard someone mutter, "I can't read her mind, so weird!" Iyushi grabbed my wrist and steered me over to her table. Rory smiled at me as I sat down. My lunchbox slid across the table towards me. I looked at it for a second, utterly bemused before Rory explained, "I got it for you, thought you'd be a little preoccupied," I smiled my thanks, than quickly opened it. Packed inside the metal square that held my food was a peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich, a bag of strawberries, and little homemade marshmallows shaped like bunnies and coated in chocolate. Two more people sat down across from us. "Ashton Windsor and Zoey Calliope," Iyushi explained. I nodded and began to munch on my sandwich. Ashton and Rory began to discuss their science project while Iyushi and Zoey talked about the latest clothing trends. It was so typical I almost laughed. It was just like old times, minus Zac. Then I felt a slight jolt as Zac slid onto the bench next to me. Speak of the devil. Everyone else at the table straightened up and looked at him in surprise. I guess he didn't sit here very often. He ignored everyone else but turned to me and asked, "You going to be alright?" I almost laughed, but I had to keep up the act. "Yeah, nothing a few chocolate bunnies won't fix," I said as I bit off one's head. "Want one?" He laughed as he took one. "Did your Nana make these?" I bit my lip as that painful reminder once again hit me in the gut. "No Aaron did. She..." I faltered. I took a deep breath to clear me head, and resisted the urge to burst into tears or drive Iyushi's chopsticks into Alex here and now. "She passed away a little while ago," His brown eyes widened, then changed to green as he backtracked, "I'm so sorry I didn't realize..." I waved my hand as if to clear away cobwebs. "It's alright I'm pretty much over it." I took another deep cleansing breath before turning to the other four. "Do you guys want a bunny?" I asked. Zoey and Ashton shook their heads while Iyushi and Rory nodded in affirmation. I grabbed the bag, but it slipped out of my sweat fingers so I held it upside down. Bunnies came streaming out at top speed before I could right it, but the bag still looked completely full. "Damn it," I muttered. The four of them looked at me with wide eyes while I heard Zac giggling behind me. "How did you..." Ashton trailed off as he looked at the pile of chocolate bunnies in the middle of out table. I blushed. It's game time. "I can-" I hesitated as if trying to figure out a word, "cast spells? Like, I say a certain word and I can light a candle, or create a bag of chocolate bunnies which can never be empty," "Cool!" Rory exclaimed as he stuffed a few bunnies in his mouth. I picked up one of the bigger bunnies, about palm sized. I whispered a few words, and the chocolate turned soft and furry while the bunny grew a little more rounded. Eyes and whiskers appeared and the now real bunny twitched its nose. "EWMYGOSH! It's soooo cute!" Zoey shrieked, drawing the attention of other tables. I set it down on the grass and it hopped away. I few people looked in our direction to see what was going on, and Rory was grinning widely at the little bunny. "How did you learn all these words?" Zac asked quietly. Everyone quieted down waiting for an answer. Spontaneously, I decided to tell the truth, or at least most of it. "I found this book in my library," I began cautiously, "Like a book of spells?" Zoey asked excitedly. "No..." I trailed off, "More like a book of grammar, telling me how to weave the words together. Also, a few potion recipes." "And how long have you had this book?" I jumped as I realized Alex was right behind me. I hesitated, then admitted, "About a year," Everyone looked at me in shock. Iyushi finally squeaked, "You've kept this a secret for a whole year?" I fake blushed again, then looked at the ground. "I was afraid I was going crazy," I whispered. "Well you're not," Zac said proudly, with his hand on my shoulder. "You're one of us now!" I smiled honestly for the first time that day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was trusted. This would give me plenty of time to get revenge. End of Part One
Part Two: The Eye of the Eagle Chapter 1 Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others. -Robert Luis Stephenson It was summertime, finally. After a long week of exams, school was out. For me and many of my peers however, the work was just beginning. It's amazing how that one day could change everything. Get a girl killed, do a few tricks and BAM! I'm in. Thanks to Zac, I didn't have to fight for my place in the hierarchy. He refused to let me out of his sight for the rest of the year. Zac was Alex's right hand man, so I was constantly around them both. I made sure to spend plenty of time with Iyushi and Rory however because I knew what it felt like to be snubbed. Soon after school was out, we were on our way to Illisem, the city devoted to teaching and training those like us to control and utilize our powers safely, efficiently, and effectively. Most were only going for the summer, but Zac was staying with Alex as part of his "Honor guard" or some such thing, and both Rory and I had snagged scholarships. The day before I left, I came home to an empty house and a note saying, "Good Luck!" Aaron and Quinn were gone. I cried a little, but I knew there had to be a reason. The bus they had rented pulled up in front of the school, and suddenly our luggage flew out of our hands and disappeared. "Cool!" someone muttered. We were then herded into the bus. The interior was bigger than the outside appeared. There were comfy couches stashed in various corners around the room, and it looked like it had fully working bathrooms. There were other kids on the bus, obviously in the same boat as us. A few glanced at us as we came in, but none paid very much attention to our entrance. Unlike us, a lot of the kids were physically mutated. I saw one girl with fish scales, and a boy made completely of diamond. We all crowded into the fourth corner of the bus (the only corner without a fish tank) and began to sit down and converse awkwardly. Suddenly the whole bus expanded. Quick as a flash, one of the girls behind me put up a forcefield. There were fireballs and such raining everywhere, and I was so confused. I kept my face carefully blank, and I glanced around the room. Everyone had done the same as we had, and we were all eying each other warily as a few people shot fireballs and ranges weapons. I saw that the chairs and couches had disappeared, and in their place. "I wish we had Zac!" Someone behind me whispered. I turned around. The four strongest force field creators had joined hands to try and keep the shield around us up. Suddenly out of nowhere, I got a wonderful amazing idea. I began to chant, tonelessly, monotonously, and even frighteningly. The entire bus seemed to grow silent as an orb the size of a basketball began to pulse in the center of the shield makers' circle. Then, finally, the chant was done. The ladies of the force field wordlessly dropped their hands and stopped the flow of their powers. The shield remained. Everyone remained silent, no one wanting to destroy the moment, when suddenly one of the boys in the corner directly across from us howled. We all turned to look at this disturber of the peace, and with a crazy laugh he sent an enormous fireball directly at us. Most gasped in shock, and a few people even shrieked, but I stood my ground. The ball of light came tumbling toward us, and it met the shield head on. The entire surface of the force field around us lit up, and the fire waned, as if someone was sucking it through a straw. Then, with a little pop, it disappeared. "Did I forget to mention it absorbs energy," I muttered to Iyushi. She looked at me, then blinked as if coming out of a trance. Then she grinned. "To be frank Ana I think you forgot to mention anything," I raised my hands and I put a spell of what I hoped was soundproofing over the dome before I turned to my comrades. "Alrighty then. Here's the plan."
Eye of The Eagle Chapter 2 I took control easily and efficiently. Nobody questioned my plan, but it depended on everyone to make it work. Those with range powers walked to the edge of the shield and put their hands through, but only enough so that their palms were the only part of their bodies not protected. They hammered the group directly across the shorter part of the elongated bus. They fell back quickly as the bursts of energy, lasers, and elements pounded them from above. As soon as the group was herded into the corner, the plant growers and metal workers went into action. The "tree people" grew branches out of the ground in a cage, then the metal warpers covered it in dimondium alloy. Finally, some of the force field people put an electrified wall of energy in the cracks, effectively trapped. The other two corners were busy battling each other into the ground, and by the time they realized we were the toughest, the group diagonal from us was trapped as well as the first group. The last group was difficult. They had a shield much like ours which was difficult to crack. Finally though we pounded them back into the corner and trapped them there. There was a moment of silence, then one of the leaders stood up. He was tall and blonde, much like Alex, but his eyes were a piercing grey color. His assistant was of African descent with endlessly black eyes and arms and legs of a gym rat. "It's been so long since someone triumphed that most of us have probably forgotten the rules of the final round," he said as he glared at his team. "From here on, you are technically the winners, however to test your strength, you must face each of the advisors of each of the other teams plus their assistants. Should you win this round..." "Which is impossible to win," Someone muttered The leader glared around the room, bringing it back to total silence. "As I was saying, if you win this round, you all are automatically moved to at least the Kavlor dorm..." There were some excited whispers from behind me. His assistant cracked his knuckles threateningly, and the murmers subsided. "But as of now you will have a choice over who you bunk with tomorrow night." He cleared his throat. "The rules of the power round are as follows. One person at least must be out of the protective shields at the start of the match, and once you are out, you are not permitted to go back of your own free will," "Which means if we send you flying into it, you aren't DQd." Added the leader of the second team. She was short and thin, with long blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and tight low cut clothing. A few people on the other teams snickered. The first leader began to speak again, "Every 5 minutes, provided we haven't beaten you into the ground yet of course, the next pair will enter the battle. Should you actually manage to defeat one pair..." There was a snort from the girl. "Then the next pair shall join immediately." "Now, Choose your champion!" There were a few seconds of random glancing, but eventually, all eyes were on me. I nodded, then got to my feet. I heard a few murmurs of "Good luck!" and "Hope you come back alive," as I waded through the sea of people on my way to the edge of the protective dome. I saw Iyushi standing by the very edge, directly across from the first leader. "You got my back?" I asked with a grin. "Always. Go get em'" she said as she patted me on the back. I took a deep breath, and then took a step through protection of my own making into the open. As the Thing would say, it's clobbering time.