Chapter Two: Of Boarding School and Training

  The following morning at breakfast, my mother and father said something… surprising.
“Vesta, for high school, I think that it would be a wonderful opportunity for you to attend a boarding school in Kingsbridge.”
I almost choked on my boiled rice. “What?”
My father jumped in. “It’s a good school, one of the best in Elvea. It has taught many good wielders. Many of the alumni there have gotten jobs working for the king or other government officials.”
My mother continued. “You know we can’t take care of you forever, Vesta. This is a chance for you to be independent.”
I could feel my dreams of going to the city high school with Lauren fading away. “Do I have to go?”
“Yes,” said my mother and father.
“All right, I’ll go.”
My father chuckled. “Good, because your mother sent the application form yesterday. You might even get a partial or full scholarship because your grades in middle school were higher than most other students’.”
My jaw dropped. “Mother!”
“You said you would go,” she replied.
“I know, but you could have asked me first!”
“Come now,” said my father. It’s not that bad, is it? Vesta has agreed to go, and we will probably get the acceptance letter early!”
 I hung my head, slightly ashamed. “I’m sorry, mother. I shouldn’t have lashed out over such a trivial thing.”
My mother hugged me and said, “It’s all right, Vesta. I should have asked you first.”
My father said, “Now, Vesta do you still want me to teach you some fire wielding?”
I nodded. “Let’s show everyone at Hawtrey’s what the Huos can do.”

   We walked into the mat room, where my father trained himself. “First order of business,”
he said, “is stretching.”

     After stretching, my father led me to his weapons closet. “Next,” he said, we have to find out which weapon you would prefer.”

I tried out staffs, spears, guns, bows, crossbows, swords, and daggers. By tried out, I meant against my father. He won every single time, regardless of whatever weapon I was using. No surprise there, though. After trying out every single type of weapon in his closet, somehow he was able to pronounce me a daggers specialist. Then moved on to actually wielding.
 

“Making fire is easy. Controlling it, now, that’s different,” my father said. He set up a drill for me. I had to sit on the ground with a candle in front of me. Then I had to light the candle on fire without burning the candle down. That probably sounds ridiculously easy to you, but it took me two whole days to get right. And then we moved on to lighting two candles, then three, and then lighting two candles on the side without lighting the middle one, etc. You get the idea; we did many drills with candles. I also practiced fighting against training dummies made of straw. In addition, of course, we continued using just weapons and no wielding. A month flew by, and then my father decided to teach me something new.
“Today, Vesta, we’re going to combine knives and fire.”
“What exactly does that mean?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” my father said.

He had me hold my knife in one hand, and wield with the other. This, he explained, increased your options. In addition, if you were good enough, you could make a fire screen and use it as a shield. We sparred again, and he won again. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll get it. I’ll make you a deal. If you can beat me by the start of the school year, I’ll teach you how to make your own dagger.” “Deal,” I said. We shook hands.

After that, I trained harder than ever. I improved slowly, though when we sparred, my father still beat me for a while.

My first victory was the day before Lauren’s ceremony, though I could feel that my father was going easy on me. We started off, circling each other, weapons ready. I was using twin daggers; my father was using his sword. There was no point in wielding, as we were both wielders and therefore, fireproof. My father attacked, slashing with his sword at my feet. I jumped over his sword and struck, one dagger coming at his neck and the other at his chest. He parried both blows and struck at my chest. I blocked with one of my daggers, and smashed the hilt of the other against his hand. Because his hand was in pain, it was much easier to disarm him. I kicked his blade away and moved my daggers to both sides of his neck. My mouth dropped open in shock. I moved my daggers away. “I actually won!”
My father smiled. “I was going easy on you, Vesta.”
“I know, but a deal’s still a deal.”
“It is.” he smiled. “To the workshop, then!”

In the workshop, I quickly learned that making weapons was much harder than it looked. My first attempt at a blade was so pitiful and beyond fixing, it had to be melted back down into scrap metal. “Try again,” my father said. “Slower this time.”

    I tried repeatedly. On my fifth try, I finally made a good blade. Well, at least a blade that could be fixed easily. My father helped me, and finally, I had a usable blade. Then I tried making the handle. The handle wasn’t as hard to make as the blade, and it only took me three tries. I decorated the handle with gold, silver, and copper leaf; as well as one or two precious stones. Then I made the scabbard, which was easier to make than the handle and the blade, and took me two tries. Decorating the scabbard, though, took me one hour. I used the same decorations I used on the handle. When I finally finished my scabbard, I threw my hands up in joy. “I finally finished!” My father smiled. “That you did.” I put the dagger away in my satchel, and we went to eat dinner.

 

2: Of The Ceremony

Chapter 1: The Ceremony

    I woke to the sound of a bell ringing loudly through my room. I slowly opened my eyes and checked the time on the clock. It was 7:30 a.m. The bell I had attached to it 4 years ago was as punctual as ever. No need for fine-tuning there. I sluggishly pulled myself out of bed and tried to remember what day it was. Then I realized that today was the day of my Elemental Ceremony. Today I would see if I was an elementalist, someone who could wield one of the 4 elements: fire, air, earth, or water; or if I wasn't, and what element I would be able to wield. Then I heard my mother's voice downstairs.

“Vesta Huo, if you aren't in the bathroom in 5 minutes I'm coming upstairs to get you! You don't want to miss the ceremony!”

“Coming, Mom!” I yelled in reply.

   I really couldn't understand why so much effort went into preparing for the ceremony. All you had to do was to walk on a stage, have the senior wielders say something over you while wielding their elements over your head, and find out whether you were an elementalist or not. But the people who walked onto the stage at the city plaza for their ceremony always had their hair neatly arranged and their best clothes on. I stepped out of my nightgown into my bathrobe and grimly walked into the bathroom, knowing that I was about to be subjected to something that you might call “beautifying”. I, on the other hand, called it torture.

   When I reached the bathroom, my mother, telling me to step into the bath and scrub myself clean, immediately assaulted me. I stepped behind the screen in front of the tub and took off my bathrobe. I stepped into the hot water and began washing myself. When I finished, I stepped out of the bath and put my robe back on. Then the maids seated me in a chair in front of the mirror and did my hair, even putting a peacock hair ornament in it. Though I would be expected to wear something with peacocks on it, as that was the family symbol. After the maids finished torturing my hair, I changed into the dress my mother had laid out for me, and reluctantly put on the jewelry she had left beside the dress as well. I walked downstairs to eat breakfast.

   My father looked at me and said, “Ready for the big day?”

“Yup,” I replied as I sat down and helped myself to eggs, pancakes, and fruit. “Hey Dad,” I said, swallowing a bite of pancakes. “If I'm a fire wielder, could you teach me?” There was a very high chance that I would summon fire, because many people in my family, including my father, had been fire wielders.

“Sure, Vesta. I'd be happy to.” My father was a military wielder, using wielding to fight on the front lines of wars. During peacetime, he designed new weapons for the military's non-wielders. “He looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. “It's time for us to go. You don't want to be late for the ceremony.”

I nodded and walked back upstairs to brush my teeth, then came back downstairs to walk to the city plaza. 

    We arrived at the plaza. My mother smoothed my dress while my father and my little brother said, “Good luck.” My mother gave me a gentle nudge towards the stage where the elite wielders and the Master of Ceremonies, Alan Middleton, stood. I hitched up my ridiculous dress and walked up the stairs, where I stood next to the elite wielders. I tried not to let my nerves show. I must have been successful, because nobody frowned at me or gave me looks of pity. I watched as two boys came onto the stage and stood in line with me. I searched the audience and found my friend Lauren, who was sitting next to her family and my parents. She gave me a thumbs up, as well as a reassuring smile. I returned the smile and turned towards Mr. Middleton, who began his beginning of the ceremony speech that he made every year.

“I'd like you to welcome you all to this year's Elemental Ceremony and thank you all for coming.” he paused. “Especially our potential wielders and our elite ones. Today, we have Tara Caraway of earth,”—the woman at the front of the line smiled and waved, making daisies pop up out of the ground—“Lana Trent of water,”—the lady standing next to Tara also smiled and raised her hand, sending a spray of water into the air—“Anan Tate of air,”—the tall man standing next to Lana smiled and waved, sending a gust of wind through the plaza—“and last but not least, Brandon Jiang of fire.” The last man in the line smiled and snapped his fingers, making a burst of flame ignite on his finger.

“And now,” said Mr. Middleton.  “Without further ado, the ceremony! Our first child is Trevet Winfield.”

The elite wielders stepped over to Trevet and raised their hands. They began chanting something, and their respective elements shot out of their hands to form a symbol I'd seen many times—the elemental crest. Suddenly, vines broke out of the ground and spiraled around Trevet. They then slid back into the ground, and the crest disappeared. “Congratulations, Trevet! You are now an earth wielder!” said the mayor.  Applause echoed through the plaza as Trevor stepped off the stage and rejoined his family. The mayor continued.

 “And next is Andrew Chase.” The elders repeated the same process on Andrew. 20 seconds passed, then a minute. Nothing happened. Polite applause rippled through the audience, but nobody could mistake the pity in their eyes. “Congratulations on getting through the ceremony, Andrew!” said the mayor. “Even as a non-wielder, you can still help this community prosper!” Andrew stepped off the stage wordlessly and rejoined his family.

I readied myself for the words I knew were coming next.

“And next up is Vesta Huo!” I walked over to the elite wielders, who once again began their chant. As the crest appeared over my head, I felt a sudden warmth coming from the ground. I looked down to see flames beginning to creep up. I concentrated on having them not burn my clothes, only circle around me. My mother would kill me if I got the dress burnt. Eventually, the flames dissipated, as well as the crest. “Congratulations, Vesta!” said Mr. Middleton. No surprise there. “You are now a fire wielder!” I walked back towards my family as the audience clapping.

“This officially concludes this year’s ceremony,” said Mr. Middleton. “Have a good day, everyone! Congratulations to all our new wielders!” Everyone rose from the benches and began walking home. “Congrats,” said Lauren.

“Thanks,” I said. “I wonder if you’ll become a wielder next month.” Lauren was born in August, and had her ceremony with all the other August children.

“Maybe,” she said. “Probably. There are a lot of water wielders on my father’s side, and a few earth wielders on my mother’s side.”

“Vesta,” my brother Aiden tugged on my sleeve. “It’s time to go.”

“See you later,” I said to Lauren.

“Later,” replied Lauren.

Obviously, we went home.

 

3: Of Lauren's Ceremony

Chapter 3: Of Lauren’s Ceremony

  In the bathroom on the day after I made my first dagger, I found a note.

Dear Vesta,

I think I should start giving you forging classes. Though you probably think you did poorly on your first dagger, you actually show a lot of talent for a girl your age. From now on, you will have 2 hours of forging classes each day along with your regular wielding and fighting classes.

From,

Your father

  I almost dropped the note in surprise. I finished getting ready quickly and ran downstairs into the dining room. I hugged my father and said, “Thank you!”
 He smiled. “You’re welcome, Vesta.”
 My mother jumped in. “I’m sorry to interrupt this tender moment, but you two need to eat or we’ll be late for the ceremony.”
My father agreed. “Let’s eat. Your best friend is getting tested today; you don’t want to be late.”
   I then realized that Lauren’s ceremony was today. In my excitement over making my first dagger and forging lessons, I had forgotten about her ceremony! I ate as fast as I could.

   After eating, we began walking to the plaza. We were not late; in fact, we were a few minutes early. We sat down next to Lauren’s parents and her older brother. Lauren was dressed just as ridiculously as I had been one month ago, with a dress, jewelry, and a hair accessory to boot. I flashed her a smile and a thumbs up, and she returned the smile. I watched more people walk in and sit down.

      A few minutes later, Alan Middleton stepped up on the stage and gestured for quiet. A hush fell over the crowd, and Mr. Middleton once again began his welcome speech.
“Welcome to this month’s Elemental Ceremony! This month, we’ll be testing four teenagers. Our elite wielders are Brooke Laurent of water,”—Brooke shot a spray of water in the air and smiled—“Seraphina Candace of fire,”—another lady smiled and sent sparks of fire into the air—“Dimitri Barth of Earth,”—the man next to Seraphina smiled and snapped his fingers, making a cluster of vines pop out of the earth—“and Eli Hawke of air.” Eli spread his arms, making a gust of wind blow through the plaza. “And now,” said Mr. Middleton, “the ceremony! First up is Eric Zheng!”

     Eric stepped over to the elite wielders, who began the process. The crest lit up over his head, but nothing happened. The crest faded, and Mr. Middleton said, “Not a wielder, eh? That’s all right. Even as a non-wielder, you can help better this community!” Eric stepped off the stage and rejoined his family. Polite applause rippled through the crowd.

     “And next is Brian Fenwick!” Brian stepped up and the elite wielders repeated the process on him. The crest faded, but nothing happened. “Another non-wielder! No worries, we still love you, Brian.” Brian walked off the stage towards his family. The audience clapped politely.

“Third is Lauren Liu!” Lauren stepped over to the elite wielders. They began chanting, and the crest appeared over her head. It blazed and pulsed for two seconds, then two thick vines burst from the ground and wrapped around her before dissipating with the crest. “Congratulations, Lauren! You are now an earth wielder!” Lauren came and sat down next to me as applause resounded through the plaza.
“You did great,” I said, as the last teenager, a girl called Julia, stepped over to the wielders.
Lauren replied, “Thanks.” The wielders began chanting. “Do you suppose that we’ll be on that stage performing the ritual someday?”
“Probably,” I said. “Lauren?”
“Yes?”
I took a deep breath. “I might go to a boarding school in Kingsbridge for high school.”
Lauren’s mouth dropped open. “You’re joking, right?”
I heard quiet, polite applause. Looks like Lauren was the only wielder today. “No, I’m not joking.”
“But…”
“I know.” Suddenly, I had an idea. Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner? “Why don’t you apply?” I asked. “It’s a tad expensive, but I think your parents can afford it, especially if you get a scholarship. They’re still accepting applications, because some people have their ceremonies late.”
Her eyes lit up. “And we can still go to the same high school!”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll ask my parents tonight.”
Aiden tapped my shoulder. ‘We’re leaving, Vesta.”
I got up. “Looks like we’re leaving. Bye, Lauren. I hope we both get in.”
“Bye, Vesta. Me too.”

 

   

 

4: Of Acceptance Letters and a New Year

Chapter 4: Of Acceptance Letters and a New Year

Lauren sent her application form the day of her ceremony. I received my acceptance letter two days later and Lauren hers 3 days after me. I was lucky enough to receive a partial scholarship, and Lauren received one as well. We celebrated for a few days and ordered the textbooks and uniforms.  I continued with my training, and made an identical twin dagger to my first one.

Soon, the new school year rolled around, and Lauren and I were waving goodbye to our parents on the horse-drawn train we were taking to Kingsbridge. Lauren and I talked almost the entire way, mostly about our new school, our sadness at how we couldn’t be roommates because the dorms were organized by element, and how we hoped to get good roommates.

Eventually, our ride ended, and we parted ways and went to our respective dorms. I rolled my collapsible cart (built by me with lots of help from my father) to the Fire House. Apparently, the girls’ section was called Ember Hall, and the boys’ section was called Flame Hall. Well, according to the information I received when I entered the school and the signs on the building. I waited in line at the check-in station, and when I got to the front, I told the woman running the desk my name. She skimmed through the list in front of her, and said, “Oh, yes, Vesta. Room number 217. Here’s your key, your information packet, and your schedule, have a good year at Hawtrey’s!” I took my key, information packet, and schedule and thanked her, then pushed my cart up the ramp and to my room, reading the packet as I went.

I opened the door. There were four loft beds, each with a desk underneath, drawers, and a small bookshelf. Another girl sat at the desk on the left. I said, “Hello,” and took the bed on the right. She said, “Hello. I’m Enya. What’s your name?” “Vesta,” I said. I began unpacking. I took everything out of my suitcase, placed my clothes in the bottom drawers, and my books on the bookshelf. I hung my satchel on the bedpost, collapsed my collapsible cart, and placed the collapsible cart in my cabinet. Enya’s eyes widened. “Where’d you get that cart?”
“My father and I made it.”
“Lucky. I’ve only seen a few people with carts like that, and they were all people living in Kingsbridge.”
I shrugged. “My father said that a friend of his who worked for the king sent him the designs, so I think they’re only made here. By the way, where are you from?”
“I’m from Stafford. How about you?”
“Aldbourne.”

Just then, the door opened and two other girls stepped in. I had to force my jaw not to drop open. The two girls walking through the door were Tiffany and Raquelle, the daughters of the Earl of Aldbourne. My father would sometimes go over to the manor for business with the earl, such as to drop off a watch he had fixed. I would go with him occasionally, and be forced to “play with” Tiffany and Raquelle. “Hello,” said Enya and I simultaneously. Tiffany and Raquelle threw us a scornful look and walked over to the beds on the other side of the room. “All right, then,” said Enya. “Ignore us.” I walked over and whispered in her ear, “They’re the daughters of the Earl of Aldbourne. They’ve been spoiled and pampered their whole lives.” Enya nodded her head and said, “Oh that makes sense.” Just then, the dinner bell rang. I pulled Enya up and said, “Let’s go to dinner. I want to get first pick of the food.”

We walked to the dining hall and found our dorm table. Strangely, all the plates were empty. We were some of the first ones there. I saw Lauren at the other end of the dining hall and waved. She waved back. “Who’s that?” Enya asked. “A friend from Aldbourne,” I replied. I looked at the stage behind the staff table, and saw the headmaster, Lewes Calida, coming onto the stage. I tapped Enya’s shoulder and pointed. “Look.” Professor Calida began his welcoming speech. “To all first formers, welcome to Hawtrey’s Academy for Young Wielders. To all second through fourth formers, welcome back. I’d like to lay down some ground rules as well as expectations for first formers.

“First, as you all should have read on the information packet you received on your arrival, here at Hawtrey’s, we teach non-wielding subjects as well as many different courses on wielding depending on your level. You will be expected to maintain at least a C average in all your classes. If you think that you require tutoring, come see your teacher or the front office.

“Curfew is from 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. You are expected to stay in your dorm during those hours. However, if you are out for a walk and you miss curfew only by a few minutes, we will let you pass with a warning.

“We do not tolerate any roughhousing anywhere on campus unless you are taking a class in fighting techniques. We will severely punish anyone who breaks this rule.

“Students are expected to remain in uniform during classes. Uniforms may be altered, but skirts must remain at least fingertip length if place your hands at your sides, and tops must cover your stomach. More guidelines on altering uniforms are in the handout.

“Most important is respect. Respect the staff, respect the school, and respect other students. No bullying, vandalism, or disrespect of staff will be tolerated.

“That’s all the rules I have to say right now. More information is in your handout. Now, you may all eat!”

Staff walked out of the kitchen carrying platters of food. There were breadsticks, salad, sausages, mashed potatoes, crab, and much, much more. I dug in eagerly. “This all tastes so good!” I said to Enya. “I know!” she said. After about an hour, dessert arrived. I stuffed myself with apple pie, fruit, and cake. After dinner, Enya and I walked back to our dorm, where we collapsed on our beds. Tiffany and Raquelle walked in after us, managing to look superior and dignified. They ignored us. We ignored them.

Suddenly, I had an idea. “We should compare schedules!” I said. Enya sat up and grabbed her schedule.

My schedule was as follows:
First Period: History
Second Period: Language Arts
Third Period: Wielding
Break
Fourth Period: Math
Fifth Period: Geography
Lunch
Sixth Period: Science
Sport (winter): badminton
Sport (summer): gymnastics

“Hmm…” I said. “We have History and Science together.” “Two classes,” said Enya. “That’s not bad.” “Yes,” I said. “Well, I’m going to bed. I’m sleepy from all the food and the first day of classes is tomorrow.” I put away my schedule as Enya said, “I should too.” I took my toiletries to the bathroom and began getting ready for bed. I then crawled into bed, satisfied with the quality of the bedding. Tiffany and Raquelle soon followed our lead, and Enya turned off the lights on our side of the room. “Goodnight Enya,” I said. “Goodnight Vesta,” said Enya.

I lapsed into uninterrupted darkness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5: Of The First Day

Chapter 5: Of The First Day

   I woke up to a bell tolling. I checked the clock. It was 7:00 a.m. I sat up and stretched. Enya, Raquelle, and Tiffany did the same. Then I walked into the bathroom, showered, and changed into my uniform. Then I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I waited for Enya to finish, and then walked with her downstairs to the House lobby. The prefects took roll and announced any new news. (There wasn’t really any, it was the “welcome to Hawtrey’s, have a nice time” speech) We then walked to the dining hall and ate breakfast, where we also read any new mail that was coming in. There wasn’t a lot, it was the first day and mail was still on its way.

   Enya and I began walking to history. I have to say, the teacher did a good job. History normally bores me to death, but the teacher actually made it somewhat interesting.

   The most interesting class, though, was wielding during 3rd period. We were freshmen, so we had to learn a little bit of every type of wielding, be it healing, combat, or something else. Next year, we would be able to select our specialty. We started with combat, though Mr. Lane had to lay down some ground rules.
“First off, try not to knock anyone unconscious. If you know how, don’t try it here, because then we have to revive them and who knows how long that will take.

“Second, do not try to severely injure each other. We’ll be sparring without wielding today”—I could hear groans form the boys, which Mr. Lane ignored—“to see where you are at. We will be counting touches. Touches, not bruises.

   Mr. Lane said that the classes wouldn’t be co-ed for a while, so I would be fighting another girl. I internally groaned. Most of the girls looked like they were scared to fight at all. Fortunately, I was assigned to one of the only good people in class, whose name, according to Mr. Lane, was Emily. 

   We faced off, circling each other. I looked out of the corner of my eye, and could see the other girls. Their stances were wobbly and their punches weak. She’s probably been trained, I thought. She doesn’t look like one of those girls who keep failing miserably. Just then, she struck, aiming for my thigh. I jumped over her fist and kicked, my leg headed for hers. She reached down and caught my leg, pulling it up. I punched her arm and twisted down, and she dropped my leg. We continued for like that for a while, locked in a heated match, until the 2 minute bell rang. I had gotten in three touches; she had managed to get two. We shook hands and I said, “Nice sparring with you, Emily.” “You too, Vesta.” She smiled, and we parted ways.

   Lauren and I had two classes together: 4th period, which was math; and 6th period, which was science. Somehow, we lucked out and got to sit next to each other in math. This proved useful for Lauren and me; because we could check our answers on homework that we started in class. Then our teacher announced that we would be doing group projects with the people we were sitting with, and Lauren and I grinned.

   Sixth period, now, Sixth period was awful. I sat next to a girl I knew from Aldbourne named Ivy. She was quite nice, actually, and not stupid at all. The rest of the class, now, they were the problem. It seemed that everyone but Ivy, Lauren, and I were intent on talking back to the teacher and/or making rude comments. When the bell finally rang, I mentally sighed in relief. I packed up my books and walked over to Lauren’s desk.
“Lauren,” I said. “Do you want to come over to my room so we can study?”
“Sure,” she said.

We began walking to Ember Hall, talking on the way. When I opened the door, I found Enya already inside, studying. I introduced Lauren and Enya, saying, “Hello Enya, this is Lauren. Lauren, Enya, Enya, Lauren.” They both waved and said hello, and then we began studying. At about 5:00, I said, “Lauren, I think you should head back to the Earth House. Roll call is at 5:30 and you need to shower.” You’re right,” she said. She stood up and began packing up her things. She walked towards the door and said, “Nice meeting you, Enya. My dorm tomorrow, Vesta?” Sure,” I said. Then she was gone, on her way to the Earth House.

“Do you want to shower first?” I asked Enya. “No, I’m going to finish up some homework.” “All right, then.” I stepped into the bathroom and began showering. Ten minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom with my uniform on. I sat at my desk, reading while drying my hair with fire. Enya put her books away and went to shower. Just then, Tiffany and Raquelle walked in through the door. They had probably been at either a study session or a party, because sports teams hadn’t started yet. Their hair and uniforms were mussed, so I suspected a party. Not that I was surprised. They continued ignoring me, and I began putting my hair up in a ponytail. Enya walked into the room ten minutes after she began showering and dried her hair, though she didn’t put it up. Then we walked down to the House lobby for roll call.

Tiffany and Raquelle were obviously late for roll call, which earned them a severe talking-to from the prefects. They gave us dirty looks and took their spots in line. Enya and I ignored them. We made our way to the dining hall, and I sat down to eat at the fire dorm table. The headmaster made his usual announcements, and seemed sad to say that several students had received referrals in Professor Fronia’s sixth period science class. I wasn’t surprised, as I had been there. Enya leaned over and said, “So your science class is full of idiots?” I nodded.

After the announcements, we began eating. I then walked with Enya up to our room, and Tiffany and Raquelle followed behind us. I slipped into bed, overall satisfied with my first day. I’m going to like Hawtrey’s, I thought.

 

 

  

 

6: Of A SInister Plot

Chapter 6: Of A Sinister Plot

   I truly did like Hawtrey’s. My science class’s behavior never got better, but overall, Hawtrey’s was still a good school. My badminton and gymnastics skills were sadly lacking at first, but I improved rapidly with practice. It wasn’t until the middle of the year, around February, that something truly strange happened.

   I saw it coming. Some of the teachers began acting strange. Their actions and voices became jerky and monotonous, as if an unknown being from above was controlling them like puppets. I began catching glimpses of weird tattoos on their shoulders. It reminded me of something strangely disturbing that I had read. One day, I walked to the library after supper to check out a book that I had read earlier. I found it eventually; it was entitled A Guide to Runes. I sat down at a table in the library and flipped to the section labeled “Possession Runes”.

  In the sections before, you learned about runes being used for good, such as the use of the Crest in Elemental Ceremonies. This is the first section on dark runes. Quick review in case you have skipped pages or forgotten what a rune is, a rune is a symbol made by arranging different elements. Different arrangements give, obviously, different runes.

   Possession runes are used to control another person. They are made primarily of fire because they must be branded directly on a person’s skin. Possession runes are most effective on the upper body, because they need control over the brain in order to work. Symptoms of possessions include the rune, of course, but also acting more monotonously than usual.

   Below was a diagram of a possession rune. Then the text continued.

   Possession runes can be countered (see page 107). However, once they have been branded on a person’s skin, the only way to end the possession is to destroy the rune (e.g., cutting through it at least three times or chanting the purging incantation over it).

   The section continued with the history of the possession rune, which was useless to me.

   My suspicions had been confirmed. The teachers were being possessed! When the realization hit me, I ran out of the library, tucking the book in my bag as I went. I pounded up the stairs of Ember Hall, and flung open the door to my room.

   Enya was inside, doing her homework. She looked up at me, concerned. “Are you all right? Your face looks deathly pale.”
 I looked in the mirror. My face was a sickly pale color. “No,” I said. I opened the book to the section on possession runes and asked, “Have any of your teachers been acting strange lately?”
“Well, now that you mention it...” her brow furrowed.
I pushed the book towards her. “Read it.”

   Enya began reading the section on possession runes. Her eyes widened. When she put the book down, she said, “What do we do?”
 I began pacing. “Well, first, we need to read about how to counter the runes. Second, we need to call a meeting of all unpossessed staff and students. Whoever’s possessing the staff probably has their eye on the students as well. Third, we need to find out who is possessing the teachers and why. Fourth, we need to stop him/her/them.” I began flipping through the book.
Enya looked over my shoulder. “I presume that you’re finding a way to counter the possession rune?”
“Yes,” I said. “Here it is.”

   Protection runes are used to ward off all evil, including possession runes (see page 170). They can be branded on a person, drawn on rune paper, or worn as jewelry. They render all attempts of harming the person with the protection rune futile. However, they cannot expel the evil.
Below was a diagram of the protection rune, and then it continued with the history of the protection rune. I wouldn’t need that.

   I handed the book to Enya, who finished reading the section. “That’s great! But how will we brand everyone?”
“Leave that to me. Now, let’s finish our homework.”

   We finished our homework at around 8:15. I also made copies of the sections on protection and possession runes. I announced to Enya, “I’m going to the Earth House.”
“I’m coming with you.”

   Enya and I grabbed our coats and I grabbed my messenger bag. We set off for the Earth House, walking across the central green in the middle of the Houses.

   We arrived and walked to Lauren’s room. I knocked on the door, and Lauren opened it. “Vesta and Enya, why are you here?”
“I have some sad news to tell you.”

   Lauren let us in. Surprisingly, Emily was seated at one of the desks.
“Hello Emily,” I said.
‘Hello, Vesta,” said Emily.
“You two know each other?” asked Lauren.
“We have wielding together,” I said.
“Anyway,” said Lauren. “What sad news brings you and Enya here, Vesta?”
I opened A Guide to Runes to the section on possession runes. “Have any of your teachers been acting unusual recently?” I asked.
Lauren said, “Well now that you mention it…”
I pushed the book towards Lauren and Emily. “Read it,” I urged.

   Lauren and Emily began reading, their eyes widening as they read. When they finished, Emily asked, “So you’re saying that the teachers are being possessed?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. That, and that the students are probably next.”
“Who? Why?” asked Emily.
“I never said I knew who or why.”
“What’s the plan?” asked Lauren.

I waved one copy of the pages I had copied in front of Lauren and Emily. “I want you two to spread the word. This is a copy of the page you two just read and a copy of a page stating a way to counter possession. Go around the Earth House. Start with the prefects. Show them the pages; ask them if their teachers have been acting strangely. Anyone with a brain, eyes, and ears will probably believe you. Tell them to meet at Royal’s Park in Kingsbridge on Saturday at 1:00. We’ll brand everybody there. If anyone needs supervision, tell them to request a teacher that hasn’t been possessed.”
Lauren took the papers. “You can count on us, Vesta. But what about the other houses, Vesta?”
“I’ll talk to the prefects. If they don’t believe me, that’s their problem.”
“Vesta,” said Emily. “Runes were banned years ago. Isn’t this illegal?”
“Not protection runes,” I said. “Possession runes, yes. Where’d you find out that they had been banned years ago?”
“In the back of the book.” I looked at the Guide. It was turned to the section labeled “Why Runes were Banned Years Ago”.
“Ah,” I said. “At any rate, we’d best be going. Free time is almost over.”
“Bye Vesta and Enya,” said Lauren and Emily.

Enya and I left, and we talked to the prefects at the Fire House. They did actually believe us, probably because they had seen the teachers acting like puppets. They called a meeting, and soon, the entire Fire House knew that someone was possessing the teachers. Enya and I went to bed, satisfied with the people we had alerted. The Water and Air houses, though, would have to wait until tomorrow.

  
 

 

7: Of A Meeting in the Park and a New Victim

Chapter 7: Of A Meeting in the Park and a New Victim

  The next day, I contacted the prefects of the Air and Water Houses. They believed my story, again probably because they had noticed something off about their teachers, and agreed to spread the word.

   Come Saturday, we all met at the park. Everything was working well. Many students were there, though I could tell we had quite a few unbelievers at Hawtrey’s. The few teachers there were of the small minority that had not been possessed yet. I was in a good mood; well, as good of a mood you can be when you know that your school has been more or less doomed.

   I was the one who was supposed to restate the news and direct the activity, as I was the first student who had discovered that the teachers were being possessed. I stepped up to the front and shouted, “Good afternoon!”

   Every head in the audience turned to look at me. I looked at everyone sitting down on the grass.

   I continued. “As you all know, our teachers are being possessed, and the students may be next. In order to prevent any more possessions, I recommend that everyone present has their shoulder, back, or arm branded with a protection rune. For those of you who do not want a symbol branded into your skin, I have necklaces, though they still must be correctly imbued with each element’s power before they will work.” I held up the necklaces, and then left them in the ground for whoever wanted one. “Now, I suggest that you all get into groups with at least 2 wielders of each element in your group.”

   I stepped forward and rejoined Lauren, Enya, and Emily as people began breaking into groups. “Now, I said, “Let’s find some air and water wielders.” Lauren found a cousin of hers named Michelle who was a water wielder. I managed to persuade a few air wielders to join our group. Enya found another water wielder, and we began branding each other.

   The branding didn’t hurt much for me because I was fireproof, but I could see everyone else’s faces except Enya’s contort into expressions of pain as they were branded. I saw some people leave because they didn’t want to go through the pain and we ran out of necklaces. Eventually, though, everyone in my group had runes somewhere on our bodies. I had decided to have my rune on the upper right side of my back, below my shoulder.

   After all the groups had been branded, I walked back up to the front. I raised my hand for quiet. Everyone fell silent and looked at me.

   “I apologize for the pain caused to some of you by the branding.” Many people grimaced, remembering the pain that had just left their skin a few minutes ago. “But now, there is no danger of possession to those of you who have been branded, and very little to those of you with necklaces. However, I would like you all to keep this message in mind: we have not yet discovered who is possessing the teachers, and why. The branding is only the first step to saving this school. Whoever has possessed the teachers must be stopped in order for this school to be truly safe. I hope you all will leave with these words clear in your heads. Now, you are all free to go.”

   Students began walking back to campus, some touching the runes on their shoulder, back, or arm. I watched them go, and then began walking back to the school with Lauren, Emily, and Enya. We walked back in silence until Lauren spoke. “You know, we all got lucky that Vesta figured out that the teachers were being possessed. Imagine if nobody had figured it out.” She shuddered. “We could all be possessed by now.”
“I guess we did get lucky,” said Enya.
“You all got lucky, but not that I figured it out,” I said. “You all got lucky that I read a lot and that I thought that a book on runes would be a good thing to read. And, well, I guess that we all got lucky that the school didn’t remove the book from the library. Runes were outlawed decades ago.”
“We all got lucky for a number of reasons,” said Emily.

   By then, we had reached the Houses. We all said goodbye and parted ways. Enya and I climbed the stairs to our room, where I read until 2:20. I went to art class, and there I realized something: A student had been possessed. I snuck a peek at the unfortunate victim across the room, and realized that I had been right. The students had been the next target. I was extremely lucky that I had been branded, and therefore, not a victim of possession. A new resolve formed within my core. I would find whoever was possessing people, no matter what. Whoever it was, he/she had to be stopped immediately.

8: Of A Revealed Identity

Chapter 8: Of A Revealed Identity

   I woke up the day after the branding and touched the rune on my back. I could feel the rune next to my skin. It wasn’t a dream… and now, the students were being possessed! The flood of memories from art class flooded back through my mind. I sank back into bed. Students being possessed! I shuddered at the thought, and thought, again, about how lucky I was.

   Eventually, though, I had to drag myself out of bed to start the day. My roommates were all getting up, and I wanted to be the first one to shower. I hopped out of bed and took my uniform out of its drawer. I showered, brushed my teeth, and walked with Enya to the dining room for breakfast. I showered

   At breakfast, I could see that a few students were eating their food monotonously, and weren’t chatting with everyone else. More victims. Enya seemed to notice the unfortunate victims as well, because there was a look of pity and horror on her face. We sat down and ate breakfast in silence.

  Classes had been turned upside down. With most of the teachers possessed, the students began dominating the classrooms. In wielding, Professor Lane hardly taught anymore, telling us a new tactic each day and leaving us to spar by ourselves. The boys became increasingly violent, and most of the girls stopped sparring altogether.

  Science was even worse. The normally rowdy students began behaving like a pack of wild animals with Professor Fronia possessed. It was chaos in there up until some of the students were possessed themselves.

   I began searching the school grounds, but could never find the possessor. Lauren, Emily, and Enya often contributed to the search, but our efforts were fruitless. In fact, I didn’t find the possessor. The possessor found me.

   I was walking back to the House one day and could hear words coming from Professor Calida’s door. “Runes… plan… possession…” My eyes widened. I took a cup from my bag and placed it against the door. I could hear everything clearly now.

   “It’s certainly a pity that someone figured out our plan before we could execute it,” said a smooth male voice.

“It is,” agreed Professor Calida. So he was the one possessing the teachers! I kept the glass pressed to the door, waiting to hear more.

The third voice was female. “If it weren’t for the protection runes, we’d have enough of an army to take over the capitol in a matter of days. But you, Malum, or should I say Lewes, forgot to ban all books on runes from your library!”

My head was reeling. Was Professor Calida really the dark elementalist Malum Nefarium? I kept listening, and heard another female voice.

“Now, now, let’s not fight right now. Someone will certainly hear us.” I half-smiled to myself. Oh, the irony. The female voice continued. “We’ll have to make do with what we have. We can still storm the capitol and take it over. Let’s not forget that some of the strongest teachers in the school are in our grip.”

Everyone else murmured their assent. I heard the sound of chairs scraping. “Well, this concludes our meeting tonight,” said Professor Calida. Shoot! Any second now, they would open the door! I ran in the direction of the Fire House, tucking my cup into my bag as I went. Suddenly, a wall of earth rose up before me, blocking my path. I heard the sound of footsteps and the professor saying, “What do we have here? Why, it’s Vesta Huo!”

I ran in the other direction, but the tall man flicked his hand up and a wall of earth blocked my way. I was herded by the two women into Professor Calida’s, or rather, Professor Nefarium’s, office.

Professor Nefarium circled me. “So, Vesta, what do you have to say for yourself, hmm? I find out that students and teachers are being branded with protection runes or wearing necklaces imbued with protective magic. Then I check the library records and find that you are the only one who has checked out my library’s only book on runes in the last month. I also find you outside my office when everyone else is in their Houses, doing homework. You couldn’t be behind all the protection runes, could you, Vesta?”

Using as much calm as I could muster, I raised my eyebrow and asked, “And if I was, Professor?”

One of the women laughed. “She’s certainly an interesting one, Malum. How about I do the interrogation?”

The professor stepped back and smiled. “Be my guest, Corentine.”

Corentine stepped forward and sat down in front of me. “So, I won’t be wordy like Malum here. I’ll get straight to the point. Don’t try lying, this room has been imbued with lie-proof runes, and I’ll know if you’re lying. Now, were you or were you not responsible for the branding of the protection runes?”
“Define responsible.”
“You are a defiant one, aren’t you? Very well, responsible; in this case, means that somehow, you caused the branding of the students and teachers, therefore making our plan harder to execute.”
“If you count finding out about it with a book and telling the prefects to tell their Houses to meet at the park for a branding, then yes, I was responsible.” Suddenly, the wheels in my brain began turning, and a plan began forming in my head.
Corentine’s expression hardened. I met her glare. “Well, in that case, we may have to kill you, or least imprison you for an indefinite period of time.”
“And if I don’t want to be killed or imprisoned indefinitely?”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Or do I?”

With that, I grabbed my daggers from my bag, and using fire to make myself jump higher, vaulted over everyone’s heads. I ran as fast as I could, chased by fire, gusts of wind, streams of water, and some very thick vines. I held my daggers in front of me and jumped to meet the wall. I used fire to drill a hole straight through it, turning as I drilled to drill more efficiently. I squeezed through with some difficulty and hit the ground running. I felt drained, but forced myself to run until I reached the safety of Ember Hall.

I collapsed on my bed, and Enya asked, “Are you all right? You look exhausted and terrified!” I turned to face her, my face dead serious. “Professor Calida,” I said. “He’s Malum Nefarium in disguise. He’s possessing the school to build an army. Then he’s going to storm the capitol and overthrow the king.” Enya’s mouth dropped open. “We better tell the teachers.”
 

 

 

 

9: Of A Curious Dream and a New Pet

Chapter 9: Of A Curious Dream and a New Pet

   We finished our homework at 9:00, and went to see the prefects. We told them my story. The surprising thing was that they actually believed us. I think that they were so desperate to find the possessor that they would follow any possible lead given to them. The prefects promised to put together a meeting by tomorrow and tell the other prefects my story. It wasn’t until I was back in my room that I realized something.

   “Oh, no,” I said. “What am I supposed to do tomorrow? If I go to class, Nefarium might hunt me down.”
“Don’t go to class then,” said Enya.
I shrugged. ‘If I don’t go, my grades will plummet. Moreover, I’m just as likely to be hunted down here as in class. I’d still be on campus. I’ve really got no choice.”
Enya nodded. “Well, let’s get ready for bed then,” said Enya. “Who knows when Tiffany and Raquelle will come back from whatever excursion they’ve been at for the last few hours? I want to be ready to sleep before they come back.” Enya grabbed her pajamas and walked into the bathroom, leaving me with my thoughts. I decided to read until she came out. I opened A Wrinkle in Time, and for a moment, I could ignore my own troubles and focus on someone else’s.

   When I heard the creak of the bathroom door being opened, I grabbed my pajamas and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. As I changed and brushed my teeth, I thought about the irony of it all. My parents sent me here to secure a steady, happy future for me. Instead, I didn’t know if I would live past this school year. I climbed into bed, hearing the door creak open. Tiffany and Raquelle stepped through the door. I said “Goodnight, Enya,” and promptly fell asleep from exhaustion.

   That night, I dreamed. I was in a forest, and a peacock was standing in front of me. It was an odd peacock though, all red, orange, and yellow instead of blue and green or gray, like most peacocks. I stepped closer, and realized that it wasn’t a peacock but a phoenix. I gasped. Phoenixes were rare and hardly seen. They normally were seen as signs of a solution coming to end hardship. The phoenix flew deeper into the forest, and I followed.

   We arrived in a clearing deep in the heart of the forest. I skidded to a stop, the phoenix stopping in front of me somehow gracefully. A woman stood outside a camp, back turned towards us. She said, “So, Ember, you have returned with you I bade you to bring me.” Then she turned towards me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. This had to be a dream. Wait, it was. Why did I think so? Because my great-great-great grandmother Jiong-Zhao Huo was standing before me, and she was supposed to be dead. I recognized her from the various family portraits around the house.

   She was one of the most important people in family history. When a revolution was beginning to form against the king, she was one of the wielders who fought on the front lines for the king. She quickly scaled the ranks during that civil war, partially because her superiors all died in battle one after another. During the final battle, she sacrificed herself to save the monarchy. Nobody ever found her body.

“You’re my great-great-great grandmother, aren’t you?” I said. “But you’re supposed to be dead!”
She laughed. “The dead often visit the living in dreams. Now, we must hurry. I have much to tell you.”
“What do you mean?”

   She took a deep breath. “The Rune-Users will not wait for you and your unpossessed friends to gather your forces. Even now, Malum possesses all the students he can, getting ready to attack. He is planning to storm the Capitol in three days. You must also brace yourself for the next attack. Call together everyone who has been protected and form an army of your own. The Capitol must not fall into enemy hands.” She smiled. “That would destroy my life’s work, wouldn’t it?”

   I smiled. “That would certainly be a shame, wouldn’t it, great-great-great grandmother?”
   “It certainly would.” She looked at the clock floating behind her. My time with you is almost up, Vesta. Promise me that you will do all you can to defeat the Rune-Users. I will leave you Ember to help you.”
   “I promise.”

   With that, my great-great-great grandmother disappeared, evaporating into the air. I looked at Ember, who cocked her head up at me. “So I’ve got a new animal friend, do I?” I crouched down and said, “Nice to meet you, Ember. I’m Vesta.” Ember looked up at me and cocked her head, as if to say, “Nice to meet you too.” I began hearing bells ringing in the distance. They seemed to get louder…, louder…, and louder…

   I woke up with a jolt. Sunlight was streaming through the window. I sat up and yawned, feeling metal against my skin. I lifted up the necklace at my neck, and saw that it was an exact likeness of Ember. Attached to the back was a small sheet of paper:

Directions to free:

Wield fire and chant, “I free you now to do my will, spirit.”

Directions to bind:

Wield fire and chant, “Thank you spirit, I bind you now.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I checked if I was dreaming. I wasn’t. I had been given a spirit familiar! In addition, it was bound, too, so I wouldn’t have the trouble of hiding it. I heard of the mystical animals aiding wielders in times of need, such as during a war, but there had been no records of spirit familiars for centuries. Then I realized that at this rate, I would be late to breakfast. I hopped out of bed and changed, brushing my teeth in the bathroom. Enya and I were about to walk to the dining hall when I noticed something for the first time. Tiffany and Raquelle had been possessed. Enya seemed to know what I was thinking, because she said, “I know, it’s certainly a pity, isn’t it?” I remembered my dream and said, “No, it’s more than that. I’ll tell you on the way to roll call.”

   We began walking to the dining hall, and I began to tell about my dream. Enya’s eyes widened when she heard that the Rune-Users would attack on Monday, and widened even more when I told her that I had been given a spirit familiar. “You’re joking,” she said. “No. I’m not,” I said.
“I’ll show you later.”
“But a bound spirit familiar? No one’s heard of them in centuries!”
“I know,” I said. “Oh, no.”
“Is everything all right?” asked Enya.
“No,” I said. “We need to put together another meeting—and fast. If the Rune-Users are really attacking the Capitol on Monday, then we need to assemble an army of our own.” Suddenly I remembered something. “I’ve got it. The prefects said that they would be arranging a meeting today. We just need to talk to them during the meeting. We’ll need to speak with the fire prefects at the end of roll call.”
   We reached the common room, and Enya and I lined up. The prefects began taking roll call, and began their announcements. Enya and I sat through it, and then when it was over, we walked over to the prefects, who were making their way to the dining hall.
“Seraphina, Conley,” I said. They turned around, looking at me. “Yes?”
“I don’t know if you’ll believe me or not, but I had a dream last night. The Rune-Users plan to storm Kingsbridge on Monday.”
They looked at me. “And you’re not joking?” said Seraphina.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Got any proof?” said Conley.
“Yes, in fact I do. My great-great-great grandmother gave me this in my dream.” I wielded fire over my necklace, chanting the incantation. Within moments, Ember appeared in her full glory. I bound her again, and put the necklace down. “That good enough proof for you?”
“Yes,” said Conley.
“If a bound spirit familiar isn’t, I don’t know what is,” added Seraphina. We resumed walking to save time, but kept talking along the way.
“Anyway,” said Enya. “We need to assemble and army, and quickly. Can you arrange a meeting for all students and teachers tomorrow? We should also alert the authorities in Kingsbridge, so Vesta will need to meet up with them as well.”
Conley and Seraphina nodded. “Well,” said Conley, “we’re having a meeting today during lunch. We might need you, Vesta, as proof.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
Conley continued. “But we should be able to schedule another convenient trip for all the Houses tomorrow. Provided that you can give us a location, that is.”
I thought about it for a while before saying, “How about the clock tower? We can meet right outside, and because it’s so tall, anyone could find it.”
Seraphina nodded. “That’s good. See you at lunch, you two.”

   We parted ways and Enya and I sat down and began eating. “So,” she said. “Let’s see if you survive your first day after having escaped the Rune-Users.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned.
 

10: Of A Meeting at Lunch

Chapter 10: Of a Meeting at Lunch

   Surprisingly, I was fine. I was called to the office once, but I just walked about 5 feet from the classroom and walked back in.
    During lunch, I walked with Emily, Enya, and Lauren to the prefects table. The prefects looked up at us, and Seraphina said, “Ah, this is who I was telling you about. Let’s go to the Fire common room now, best not to attract too much attention.”
   “Really?

   We all marched up to the common room. The prefects sat on the chairs, and Emily, Lauren, and Enya leaned against the walls. They all looked at me.
   Then one of the Air prefects, Aura, I think, said, “So, Seraphina and Conley say you have evidence to back up your claim that in a dream, you heard that the Rune-Users will storm Kingsbridge on Monday. Where’s the evidence?”

   “Right here,” I said. “In my dream, my great-great-great grandmother spoke to me. She said that the Rune-Users would storm Kingsbridge on Monday.” I could see the skepticism on everyone’s faces. Well, my story was a little hard to believe. “She said she would leave her phoenix friend with me to help me with stopping the Rune-Users.” I lifted up the necklace, and began the incantation. When I finished, Ember leaped out and landed at my feet, curiously looking at everyone in the room. I called her back into the necklace, and Ember disappeared.

   “Wow,” said Lance, an Earth prefect. “So you weren’t joking.”

   “You honestly think I would joke about something like this when we’re almost in a full-blown war?” I said.

   “No,” he admitted.

   “With that being settled,” interrupted Seraphina, “we need a plan. We also need to tell everyone on our side the news. We need, more or less, a war council.”

   “Right,” said Conley.

   “I’ve got one,” I blurted out.

   The prefects turned towards me. “And your plan is?” said a Water prefect, Genevieve, I think.

   “It’s relatively simple, the mere beginnings of one,” I said. “Obviously, we’ll need someone to warn the Capitol. Ember is living proof of my dream, so I’ll need to go soon, tomorrow at best, Sunday if tomorrow’s not possible. Obviously, I can’t go alone, so we’ll need a teacher who is on our side. This a request, of course, and your decision whether or not to put it in effect. I’d like them,”—I gestured to Lauren, Emily, and Enya—“to come with me as well.

   “As for the actual battle, we’ll need patrols, obviously, with more people in the direction of the Academy. You can each select some of your best wielders, fifteen or so, for patrol. That gives us 60 people on patrol. We’ll leave 21 in the direction of the Academy, and 13 in each other direction. We can communicate using wielding, such as sending up fire as a distress call. Everyone who’s not on patrol can stand at different points through the city. They’ll be ready for battle. When they see a distress signal, they can quickly rush to that point. We’ll also need some people to pick up the fallen, and some people as medics. The medical stations will have to be in the safest spots in the city, and will need guards, though they won’t need to be too heavily guarded.”

   One of the Air prefects, Ciro, I think, nodded his head. “That’s a pretty good plan. Anyone say we do anything different?”

   Nobody said anything, so I said, “So, can I take my friends with me tomorrow?”

   “Sure,” said Seraphina. “I don’t see any harm in doing so.”

   I internally smiled, and said, “So, you all can direct the meeting, and my friends and I can warn the authorities?”

   “Yes,” said Conley. “No offense, but it’s sort of embarrassing to see a first-year spearheading the effort.”

   “None taken,” I said. “So, we come back to the clock tower after we finish warning the authorities? Assuming that they actually listen to us, that is.”

   “Yes,” said Seraphina.

   “All right,” said Aura. “We need to wrap this up soon. Lunch is over in 5 minutes.”

   “We do,” agreed Lance. “We’ll see you on Saturday, Vesta.”

   Everyone waved and said their goodbyes, and left me in the common room with Lauren, Emily, and Enya. “We’d best be getting to our classes,” said Enya. We all said our goodbyes, and parted ways.

   I spent the rest of the day doing my usual activities and waiting in a nervous anticipation for Saturday.

   

11: Of Warning the Authorities

Chapter 11: Of Warning the Authorities

   Saturday morning came, and with it, a trip to the Capitol. Enya and I met up with Lauren and Emily, and we walked out to the school gates. Our chaperone was waiting for us. It was Professor Vaughn, my History teacher.

   “Professor Vaughn,” I said.

   She turned towards us. “Hello Vesta, Emily, Enya, and Lauren. Ready to face the authorities, and perhaps even the king himself?”

   “Yes,” I said, though my core was telling me the opposite. “But we really don’t have a choice, right? We need all the help we can get stopping the Rune-Users.”

   “True,” said Professor Vaughn. “Well, off we go!”

   Ms. Vaughn led us through the Capitol, stopping in front of Arvendon Palace. We walked through the doors to the throne room, where the king was hearing cases.

   Guards stopped us saying, “Why have you come to see the king?”

   Professor Vaughn answered, “We’ve received word that there are traitors among us. They have raised an army and plan to storm Kingsbridge in two days.”

   “Any weapons?” asked a guard.

   “I have two daggers in my bag,” I said.

   “And I have a spear in mine,” said Emily.

   “We’ll hold onto them for you and give them back when you exit the throne room,” said another guard.

   Emily and I took our weapons out of our bags and handed them over to the guards, who placed them in a small pile of weapons next to them. “Continue on,” said the guards.

   We walked into the throne room. There was King Leon, sitting on his throne, hearing cases. We got in line and waited our turn. When we got to the front of the line, Professor Vaughn did all the talking.

   “Your Majesty, we have received word that a group of traitors in this country have raised an army using possession runes. They plan to storm Kingsbridge in two days.”

   The king raised an eyebrow. “Really? Who are the traitors?”

   “I only know the name of one. His true name is Malum Nefarium, but he has been going by the name Lewes Calida for at least seven years now. He’s been serving as the headmaster at Hawtrey’s for the past 5 years.”

   “Your Majesty,” I said. “I overheard Malum and the others talking. He mentioned a woman named Corentine.”

   The king furrowed his brow. “Corentine? Corentine Maris, the disgraced lady-in-waiting?”

   “I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

   The king pondered this for a second before saying, “How did you find out about his plot?”

   “Tell His Majesty how you figured it out, Vesta,” said Professor Vaughn. I began talking.

   “Your Majesty, I am a student at Hawtrey’s in the beginning of February, I began noticing that the teachers movements became mechanical and unnatural. Their behavior reminded me of the symptoms of possession, which I read about in a book I found in the library. I immediately looked at the book again, and found that the teachers were actually being possessed, but I couldn’t figure who the possessor was nor their motive. I alerted the teachers and the prefects immediately, and that weekend we had about half the students and the remaining teachers either branded with protection runes or wearing necklaces imbued with protective magic.

   “The following week, I was walking by the headmaster’s office on my way to my House when I heard the headmaster talking about runes. I used a cup to eavesdrop, and confirmed that Professor Calida was the one possessing the students and the staff, and he wanted to raise an army to take over Elvea. However, I was caught, and that’s when I learned Corentine’s name.”

   The king asked, “But you escaped?”

   “Yes, your majesty.”

   The king sat there, thinking. “Do you have any evidence to support your claims?”

   “Vesta has the proof, Your Majesty,” said Professor Vaughn.

   I stepped forward and began my story. “Two nights ago, I had a dream. My great-great-great grandmother Jiong-Zhao Huo appeared, and told me that the Rune-Users would be storming the Capitol on Monday. She said she would leave the phoenix with her to me, to help me defeat the Rune-Users.” I began the incantation, and Ember appeared next to me, eyeing the king, seeing whether he was a threat or not. She seemed satisfied, but still stayed close to me.

   “Impressive,” said King Leon. “And Jiong-Zhao Huo gave this to you in a spirit dream?”

   “Yes,” I replied.

   “All right,” said King Leon. “I’ll begin readying my troops for attack.”

   All of us smiled. “Thank you, your Majesty,” said Professor Vaughn.

   King Leon said, “No, thank you for the warning. But now, can you all step outside so I can finish hearing cases?”

   We all said, “Yes, Your Majesty,” and walked back outside. Emily and I reclaimed our weapons. When we reached the gates, we all erupted into cheers, giving high fives all around. We walked towards the clock tower, and arrived just in time for the end of the meeting.

Seraphina was finishing up with, “In short, Vesta, Professor Vaughn, and 3 others have gone to warn the king.” Then she spotted us and said, “And here they are! How was it?”

   “Perfect!” said Professor Vaughn. “King Leon is rallying his forces for the upcoming rebellion.”

   “Perfect,” said Seraphina. Then she turned to address the audience. “You are all now free to go. Remember, if you must fight, just take out the rune. We want to avoid as many casualties as possible.”

   The rest of the students and the teachers began walking back towards the Academy. Professor Vaughn left to converse with the other teachers. I stood there, next to the clock tower, with Emily, Lauren, and Enya.

   “Should we begin to head back?” asked Lauren.

   “Probably,” said Enya.

   “Let’s go,” I agreed. “Lunch will be soon, and I want first pick of the food.”

   We headed back to the Academy, talking and laughing on the way. For a few moments, I could forget the current rebellion and all felt right in the world.