by c a king
“Because they don’t hear at all, their other senses would be important,” Thomas blurted out. “I get it.”
“Well done, squirrel boy,” Snailime praised, beaming. “I’ll give you extra stars for that answer.”
“So all we do in this class is make our helpers stronger,” Leo scoffed. “What a waste of time.”
“Like or not, you need to pass,” Snailime chuckled. “You have use of all of the resources in this department. Good luck.”
“Aren’t you going to teach us how?” Cali complained.
“No,” Snailime replied. “A bond cannot be taught. This is between you and your helper. I can’t teach you how to have a good relationship. Once you figure that part out, the rest will come naturally.”
“Is there a final exam?” Frankie asked.
“Of course,” Snailime said. “You’ll be informed when the time comes. Until then, do your best.” He pointed across the room. “Oh, imp-girl, don’t forget to see the headmistress on your way out.”
“Don’t worry,” Makayla snapped. “I don’t have anything better to do.”
Chapter Twelve
Makayla’s cheeks puffed out staring in the direction of the long winding staircase. Climbing to the headmistress’s office was a torture she’d never forget. If someone at the academy actually taught magic, there wouldn’t be any issue. Portals were located somewhere nearby, she was sure of it.
A warmth grew against her chest, a grey smoke filling the crystal pendant she wore. Her breath and heartbeat stopped, a pebble rolling across the stone floor before her in slow motion. She took a knee, fingertips touching the cold rock. The tiny rock vibrated, shaking. A doorway appeared, hidden behind a thick layer of dissipating fog.
Mystery was a wizard’s friend, or so she’d been told. One hand ventured forward, disappearing inside the portal. She pulled it back, before stepping through.
“Ah,” Mary Meet sighed. “I rather expected someone else to find an alternative way here to using the staircase. Oh, well. I suppose it’s only a matter of time.”
Makayla glanced up from the floor. There was no recollection of the fall, but it must have happened.
“Get up then,” the headmistress ordered. “Don’t look so surprised. It takes a while to become accustomed to magical travel. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”
“I was asked to come here,” Makayla said, brushing off her backside, “by Professor Snailime.”
“Indeed.” Mary Meet’s eyes widened. “I hear you have a new helper and a most unusual one at that. An imp this time, isn’t it?”
“Ollie.” Makayla cleared her throat. “That’s what I named him.”
“And you’ve chosen to ignore Professor Snailime’s warnings?” Mary Meet’s eyebrows rose, wrinkling her forehead. “Even their appearance is rumoured to be unnerving. Red bodies with ironically pure white, sharp, twisted horns and fangs.”
“Ollie isn’t as horrible as the professor makes him sound,” Makayla huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Perhaps... for the moment,” the headmistress said. “Ollie’s future isn’t certain, though. There are some creatures we don’t know enough about to make assumptions. All the imps encountered thus far have been deceptive, conniving, and manipulative.”
“I prefer to think of it as lonely and attention seeking,” Makayla replied. “Little pranks might be annoying, but do they really hurt anyone?”
Headmistress Meet shook her head. “You, young lady, are something else. Unfortunately, yes, there have been incidents that involved death...”
“And you can say the same for our kind as well,” Makayla interrupted. “We can’t condemn a whole race based solely on the actions of a few. At least, I can’t.”
“I understand your position,” Headmistress Meet sighed, “but given their... and your past record, I’m not sure having Ollie about is a wise choice. The higher-ups may see it as a regression into darkness. The last known imp helper was mastered by a necromancer, after all.”
“Let me guess,” Makayla said, “Ageis.”
“Similarities are adding up,” the headmistress said, standing. She extended one arm, Boris fluttering down to perch upon it. “You need to decide for yourself if this is the path you wish to follow.”
“I don’t know anything about Ageis,” Makayla said, eyes averted to the floor, “but I am certain personality wise we are nothing alike.”
“True,” Mary Meet chuckled. “Every choice you make belongs solely to you. I’m not worried about who you are right now, either. I am, however, concerned with where someone might be trying to lead you.”
“Headmistress, have you ever seen an actual imp?” Makayla asked.
“Not in the flesh,” Mary Meet admitted. “They are quite rare, after all. I’ve seen enough pictures, though.”
“I’m guessing drawings,” Makayla sighed. A puff of smoke appeared on the desk. “Ollie doesn’t have anything pure white.”
“Hey!” The headmistress pulled on her pen.
“Tee-he-he.” Ollie let go of the pen, sending Mary Meet jerking backward. He did a double step to the side, bowing.
“Headmistress,” Makayla said, “this is Ollie.”
“You do realize he looks more like a devil than the ones in the pictures I saw.” Headmistress Meet kept her eyes on his small red body. “I’m not sure seeing him helps your case.”
“I beg to differ,” Makayla replied. “If the magical world had the description of imps wrong for all these years, what else did they have wrong?”
The headmistress nodded. “All right, I’m going to leave things to you on one condition. In the event you decide to continue with this helper, you will collaborate with a magical beast expert to update the magical world’s information base on this particular species.”
Makayla clapped her hands, jumping on the spot. “Agreed! Let me know who I need to touch base with.”
Headmistress Meet pulled out a clipboard, scanning it by following one finger with her eyes. “There’s a student here, I’m sure of it. I can never remember his name for some reason. His parents maintain the national database on different species.” She shook her head frowning. “He has to be listed here somewhere I know it.” The page flipped. “Ah! Here it is, Griffin. He’s in several of your classes. There’s no need to touch base with him, yet. You don’t have nearly enough information. We’ll arrange an official meeting after the Inter-Academy Games. I believe he’s a participant.”
Griffin. For some reason the name sounded familiar, but she had no idea who he was or what he looked like.
Chapter Thirteen
Grave diggers were probably the only academy students forced to walk. All other wizards their age had already mastered one form of travel magic or another, as well as a number of other types. Regardless, a break from the campus was a welcome distraction, even if it was just a day pass.
Makayla blinked several times. The most time she’d spent in the academy district’s magical town was during the entrance test. Save for the absence of people and odd items being displayed in store windows, it was the same as standing in the middle of any main street back then. Now, with the shops open and filled with happy customers, it seemed even more normal. She paused at the centralized fountain, a stream of water continuously cascading down from multiple tiers. The rim around the edge was still the only place to rest.
“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” Cali asked. “I hear there is a wonderful aromatherapy shop somewhere around here.” She nervously checked the water for surprises before taking a seat.
“There’s a jewellery shop in town,” Makayla answered. “I was hoping they might have some information about my necklace.”
Thomas wheezed, his lungs still begging for air from circling them to keep up a light jog. “I-I.” One finger popped into the air, requesting a minute. “I hear the selection of sweets available in town is deserving of a full day’s investigation.”
“I thought y
ou were on a diet,” Makayla commented. “What happened to your enthusiasm about the Inter-Academy competition?”
“I still have it,” Thomas replied on his way past. “I changed the game plan. I figure: why give up eating and lose strength, when I can exercise and build muscle at the same time?” He tapped on the side of his head with one finger. “This noggin isn’t for nothing, you know.”
“Ha-ha-ha. Someone forgot to tell the grave boogers not to bother showing up this year.”
Makayla’s head whipped to the side, searching for the source of the voice. Her jaw fell open at the sight of the lanky fellow she’d seen in the crowd prior to reaching the library. The blonde girl she’d followed that day was there as well, dangling off his arm. “Who are you?”
“Nami,” a voice she recognized well called out. “I have dibs on taking down the grave diggers.”
“Really,” Nami chuckled, “and why would that be? I don’t see your name written on any foreheads.”
“It’s a family thing,” Tye laughed, hands placed firmly on his hips. “Hey, Sis. Imagine seeing you here.”
“It’s the same world, moron,” Makayla snapped. “Odds were we’d run into each other at some point.”
“More importantly,” Tye said, leaning close to her face, “I saw you signed up for the games... your name was on the official list of participants. Don’t complain afterward that I didn’t warn you, little sis. If you dare enter the fray, I won’t go easy on you. I plan on squishing your academy to a pulp and adding it to my breakfast orange juice.”
“Not if I get there first.” Nami’s laughter howled loudly, garnering the attention of everyone within a two-block radius. “This lot are my prey.”
“We’re the underdogs,” Thomas complained, fingers wriggling in front of his chest, hands palm side up. “Why not take each other out first?”
“That would be a good strategy,” Cali agreed. “Eliminate the strongest teams and then clean up the rest. We’d taste terrible mixed with orange juice.”
“Whose side are you on?” Makayla questioned, brow wrinkled. “We need to stand tall.”
“Ha-ha-ha.” Nami grinned, excitement flaring wildly in his eyes. “You are quite the bunch of losers, aren’t you? Still, I never expected you to call yourselves trash. That makes beating you all the more satisfying.”
“You have a warped sense of gratification,” Cali muttered.
“I’ve told you to butt out,” Tye complained, rolling up his sleeves. Both hands balled into fists at his side. “This is a family matter. It’s my job as a big brother to show my baby sister exactly what real power looks like. She’s my target.”
“Sorry, dude,” Nami chuckled. “I’ve already marked her. I suppose we’ll have to see who can complete the task first.”
“It’ll be me!” Tye yelled.
“At it again, I see.” Caz draped his arms around Makayla’s shoulders. He pointed with a finger from his opposite hand. “They’re rivals. They have been since the day they met.”
“No kidding,” Cali huffed. “Are they always this intense?”
Caz sighed, “Every darn time they come together. It’s rather annoying. I suppose we could leave them to banter endlessly. It’s obvious, after all: I’m the one who will defeat my little sister.” He turned his head toward hers, firing off a wink combined with an overly toothy grin.
Makayla smacked the arm from her shoulder. “You’re all too noisy. I’d rather not end up being escorted back to the academy without having a chance to look around.” She walked away without glancing back. “See you three on the battlefield. Any words you have to say you should save for when you actually defeat us.”
“Where does that confidence come from?” Cali asked, catching up to her.
“One is an idiot and two are my brothers,” Makayla answered. “I’ve always had six older brothers and handled them just fine. Trust me, the Inter-Academy Games are just another day in my household.” She paused in front of a jewellery store. “This is my stop. I’ll meet up with you later.”
The rumours she’d gathered suggested that The Shining Star was the oldest and most respected store in the Academy District. Originally, she’d planned on stopping in to take a peek before heading to school. Unfortunately, that never happened.
“Good afternoon!” a short round man exclaimed. “Come right in. Come right in.” He rubbed his hands together. “Tell me, how can I assist you?” His aura beamed the bright colours of the rainbow.
“I was hoping you might give me some insight as to the origin of my pendant,” Makayla answered.
Twinkling shades of pastels turned grey. “If you are not buying, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“I am,” Makayla blurted out, a display of silver bracelets catching her attention. “What are these?”
“You do have an eye for niceties,” the shopkeeper praised. “These are pure silver charm bracelets. They are all the rage in the academies right now and quite useful to boot.”
“Useful for what?” Makayla turned over a small white price tag, wishing she hadn’t a moment later. Even the most basic style was far too expensive for her wallet.
“The links are made with the sole purpose of holding enchanted charms,” he explained. “That’s why it comes with such a hefty cost.” He pulled out a display of tiny silver shapes. “Each of these is an actual magical item. The base bracelet keeps them in charm form until needed. The wearer plucks them off and they grow to full size. I’m sure you can see how it would be a most useful tool.”
“It would be,” Makayla sighed. “Can the charms be bought separately... say as a gift?” Their prices were much more affordable.
“Of course,” the shop keeper replied. “As long as they remain in their boxes, they will retain their charm forms. Unlike being pulled from the bracelet, there’s a ten minute activation time when being removed from original packaging.”
“I’ll take these two,” Makayla blurted out.
“Very good,” the man cooed. “Shall I gift wrap them?”
“Why not?” Makayla answered, watching him prepare her purchase. “About my pendant...”
“Here you are,” the man interrupted, hand held out for payment. “I’m sure your choices will be appreciated by whomever receives them.”
Makayla greased his palm, including a generous tip. That was the last of the spending money allotted for the day, not that she needed to buy anything else. “About my necklace,” she repeated.
“I wish I could help you,” the man said, counting his payment. “Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of magical items outside my own stock. This store may be an antique, but I only recently took it over. The previous owner moved away, leaving notes on only to the pieces currently available.”
“But you said...”
“Enjoy the charms, Miss,” the man snapped, dragging her by the arm to the door. “Have a wonderful day.”
By the time she realized what was happening, she was outside. The door slammed behind her and locked. A closed sign appeared.
“Great,” Makayla huffed. “A headache from my brothers and a couple of useless charms is all I wind up with from this trip.”
“It’s better than a personality complex,” Frankie chuckled, pushing past. “I wouldn’t want to think you started talking to yourself or anything.” A large bubble formed, popping back into her mouth a moment later. She tossed a pigtail over her shoulder. “At least until after the competition. I hate to admit it, but we need you... scratch that... we need your helpers if we are going to have a chance at placing anywhere other than last.”
Makayla glanced away, pretending to ignore her classmate. If anything she owed Frankie thanks. Understanding her brother’s relationship with Nami put things into perspective, allowing her to formulate a few different plans to stand against different academies.
Rival, huh?
Chapter Fourteen
The only magic the instructors were teaching was how to make her plans go up in smoke in the b
link of an eye. This was free time, a chance to test out the latest enhancement formulas created for her helpers. Instead, she was summoned to do who knew what in a part of the campus she’d never been to before.
Feet dragged, scraping against loose pebbles the entire way. Her shoulders stopped slouching after finding an all-star lineup of second-year students had already assembled before a set of double doors.
“I guess the early bird finds out what’s happening first,” Frankie chuckled, poised to enter whatever was behind door number one first. “The lesson for today is: it doesn’t pay to be tardy and stuck at the back of the line.”
Makayla huffed, shifting her weight between feet. Things moved at a snail’s pace and not one of Professor Snailime's racing ones. The closer she came, the more a sense of urgency raced through her blood. Curiosity killed most cats, but her kitty was armed and ready to eat Frankie’s bird. Finally it was her turn.
Her eyes lit up with amazement at the sight on the other side of a set of double doors. She was standing at the top of a giant rock pit with carved benches for seats forming a half-circular pattern, resembling an ancient stone amphitheatre. At the bottom was a wide-open space which formed an oval shape, covered with loose gravel.
How the headmistress managed to hide an entire practice arena right under the student body’s noses was baffling. After a moment of recovery from the initial shock, she began the descent down one of the evenly spaced staircases located at various intervals between seating rows.
Directly in the centre of the arena stood an unknown woman wearing a black robe, covered in tiny specks of red and tied at the waist with a plain thick rope. In her left hand she held a tall wooden staff boasting elaborate carvings of various elements, along with the twelve different astrological symbols.