The Arch Stone: Foxway Academy: Book 1

by Adam Faulkner

  “Miss George, I understand that you are trying to catch up with the rest of the students, but I would prefer it if you did so outside of my lessons.”

  “Sorry…” I mumbled as I pushed the book back in my bag.

  *

  I knocked on Greyford’s door.

  “One moment!” The headmaster’s voice drifted out of the room. I sat down on one of the chairs by the door and waited. After a few minutes, the door opened, and a young woman walked out.

  Who’s that? I wondered as Greyford surfaced from the room.

  “Is everything alright, Miss George?” he asked. I took out the book from my bag and gave it to him. He raised his eyebrows. “You want to learn Reality Magic?”

  “Yes, I do.” I replied.

  Greyford handed me back the book.

  “It’s an incredibly difficult form of magic,” he told me. “But not impossible.”

  “Now, I don’t normally do this. But, given the complexity of Reality Magic, and given that I am the only member of staff here with knowledge on the subject, I am prepared to help you,” he eventually decided.

  “Seriously? You’re going to teach me?” I checked, far more excitedly than I had intended. But, you know, this was a pretty big thing, and I probably got a little over-excited. I’m not sorry.

  Greyford nodded slowly.

  “You will have to put the work into it. It won’t be an easy task, by any means.”

  “I know,” I confidently admitted, “but I’ll do it.”

  “Then we’ll begin tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.” I quietly said as I turned to walk away.

  “With what you may well go through in the future, I hope that you can handle it,” I heard Greyford mutter, though I felt like now wasn’t the time to question him.

  *

  At lunch, I went back to Raven’s dorm to eat with her. Mary was out with her girlfriend, so it was just the two of us, and I had brought some food from home to throw something together. We had plenty of time at lunch, so throwing the rice and vegetables in their microwave resulted in a relaxed, genuinely pleasant lunch. I took the box out of the microwave and emptied it into two bowels, and handed one to Raven.

  “So, good day?” I asked as I sat down next to her on her bed.

  “Not too bad. I’m… I’m thinking of taking Arts Magic up,” she revealed.

  I coughed a little from the shock of it.

  “Really? That’s great. I think. What sort of stuff can you do? Have you picked a speciality?” I rambled.

  Raven shrugged.

  “I’ve had a few thoughts, but I haven’t decided on anything yet. What about you? You still haven’t picked yours yet, have you?” she asked. I shook my head. “You’ve picked one?”

  I took the book out and held it up.

  “I’m taking up Reality Magic.”

  “Reality Magic? Are you sure you can handle that? It’s supposed to be incredibly difficult.”

  “Professor Greyford said he’d teach me. He said he was the only one here who knew about it, so he made an exception,” I explained. “I’ve been looking through this book, and there’s so much in it.”

  “As long as you’re careful… I can’t imagine that playing with reality is the safest hobby…”

  “It’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll pick it up quick enough.”

  “You do seem to be quite quick with learning magic. It’s quite impressive, actually.”

  “It’s kind of strange. I never used to be like that with normal school. I’ve never picked something up this quickly.”

  “Magic’s can hardly be called normal.” Raven reminded me. “You’re a natural, I suppose. Magic, Arts Magic especially, normally takes a long time for people to grasp, and you’ve worked out the basics within a week. You don’t see a lot of people with so much potential with magic, so you should be proud of yourself.”

  I put my bowl down and dropped down onto the bed.

  “How do I, though? That’s what I want to know. Like, everyone else here’s known magic for their entire lives, and I’m actually managing to catch up with them. What’s so special about me?”

  Raven sighed.

  “I do have to admit, I’ve wondered that as well. Honestly, I’ve been wondering about a lot recently. I’m so, so grateful to have found you, but I can’t help but feel like there’s more to all of this than just coincidence.”

  I sat up.

  “What do you mean? Like, fate? Something like that?” I asked.

  Raven shook her head.

  “No. I don’t think there’s really such thing. Much as I’d like it to not be true, I can’t help but worry that our meeting was engineered by someone.”

  I shuddered at the idea. I’m not sure why, but I guess it makes sense that I wouldn’t be too keen on the idea of someone manipulating my life without me knowing it. And I couldn’t stand the idea that that was the only reason that I met Raven.

  “Like who? The Syndicate?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised for them to be involved, pulling strings in the background has always been how they worked, but I wouldn’t say that that’s all there is to it,” Raven explained.

  I squirmed in my seat. I was debating whether or not, with this suggestion, I should mention the jewel to Raven. Maybe it was connected. Maybe it would be safer if she knew about it. Maybe she even knew what it was. I wasn’t sure about anything at this point. It was like nothing had actually happened, but there was something in the air, some small sense that all forms of shit were about to hit the fan.

  “I really hope you’re wrong…”

  9

  I was starting to thoroughly regret walking into class the day after I had spoken to Raven. As if she had absolutely no idea of the meaning of ‘stay away from me’, after 5 minutes of listening to Artemis drone on about Beginner’s Magic, August Flamel had offered up a challenge. She actually wanted to duel me. So, after everyone had cleared the desks to the side of the room, and despite Artemis’ protests, I found myself standing opposite of the very pissed off red-head, wondering exactly what the hell I’d gotten myself into.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” I nervously asked.

  “Well, it’ll all be over if you just let me hit you!” She used a telekinesis spell to pull out a handful of her cards. She flicked her fingers around, which crackled with energy. She brought the cards to her other hand, and the energy was absorbed into the cards, which caught fire. Blue fire, again. That was still weird. Well, not necessarily fire, but that’s probably the closest I can think of.

  It was at this point I noticed Professor Greyford walk into the room.

  “What is going on here, Miss Artemis?” Greyford questioned his employee.

  “Miss Flamel challenged Miss George to a fight.”

  “And you let them?”

  “There’s been a lot of tension between those two since Emilie started here. I thought this would be a good way to let off some steam.”

  “Miss Artemis, take a Magic Energy reading on Miss George.” Greyford suggested.

  Artemis flicked her fingers and let a faint field shimmer in front of her face. She blinked in shock.

  “Professor Greyford, can I talk to you a moment?” Artemis hurried Greyford out of the room, leaving the rest of us alone. I could just barely hear their voices through the door.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I could ask you the same thing, Nina. You can’t just let students fight in the classrooms.”

  “That’s not the same and you know it. I’m letting some kids blow off steam. You’ve given a 17-year-old girl an Arch Stone! You know how powerful the stones are, Max. Why do you think she can handle it?”

  “I have faith in my students. Especially one who’s shown as much proficiency in magic as Emilie has. Besides, she passed the test. She was able to find the room to begin with. That’s worth a lot.”

  “She’s not ready.”

  “But
she could be. She will be. I’ve already decided to teach her. She has so much potential. And the stone accepted her. I just need you to trust me.”

  Artemis sighed.

  “You hired me 10 years ago, straight after I graduated from Foxway. You shouldn’t really have done that. I mean, I don’t have a teaching degree, for one. Do you remember why?”

  Greyford chuckled.

  “Because test results are meaningless when it comes to teaching magic. Because you actually understood magic, instead of just knowing it. I think my exact words were-“

  “‘You don’t just know what magic is; you know what magic is’”

  “That’s right. I stand by that choice to this day. Emilie doesn’t know what that is she has around her wrist, and she certainly doesn’t know how powerful it is. Make sure there’s no damage to my school.”

  We heard footsteps as Professor Greyford walked away.

  Artemis walked back into the classroom. August had spent the whole time our teacher had been outside the room glaring at me, but given that she could have easily bombarded me with her cards, I figured that her normal death stare was probably bearable. Artemis sat down in her chair.

  “Does anyone in here know field enchantments?” she asked.

  A boy in the corner of the room raised his hand.

  “Put up a field box in the empty space in the room.”

  The boy hesitantly stood up and held his arms out in front of him. He closed his hands and turned them over, then crossed the extended arms. He pivoted his arms around and opened his hands again, and placed them on the floor. A faint green glow spread across the floor as an almost invisible box seemed to form in the air.

  “What’s that?” I asked. I figured it was probably a stupid question, or at least it would be to everyone else in the room, but by know I’d established that I didn’t know a lot of stuff that other people did.

  “It’s a field box. It’s an enchantment that contains magic energy. It’s a safety precaution,” Artemis explained. “It’s so that you don’t inadvertently obliterate the school.”

  “Oh, good, so nothing to do with our own safety…” I muttered.

  “You’re the one who wanted to fight.” Artemis shrugged.

  I thought she was supposed to be a teacher. I was seriously banking on her stopping us… I thought as I cautiously walked towards the middle of the room.

  “Archaeus, Invoco, Elementum, Gelus…” I muttered as I went. Ice spread across my arm. By now I had gotten used to how not cold it felt. It wasn’t warm, exactly, but you’d expect your arm being covered ice to feel cold, but I guess the magic prevented it from affecting me, or something like that.

  August ignited a card and smiled as she walked towards me.

  “Your child magic isn’t going to protect you, you know,” she mocked as she stopped at the edge of the box.

  “How about we test that theory?” I replied, doing my best to not put across the impression that I was shitting myself. I held out my hand, palm up. A collection of sharp shards of ice formed in the air.

  “I really hope this works…” I mumbled as I extended my arm out in front of me, sending the shards flying towards August. She ducked out of the way, letting the ice hit the edge of the box, making them drop to the ground like stones. Kind of like ice is supposed to, thinking about it.

  She flung a card towards me, but I brought up a small wall of ice to protect myself. The card hit it, and the wall of the field box exploded.

  “Those things really pack a punch…” I grunted as I brushed off ice shavings from my hair. “You should be more careful with them.” I mockingly suggested. Thinking back, I was actually doing a pretty good job of staying calm, given the circumstances. I’m pretty sure that I was thinking the same thing when I was hit in the stomach by another card, flinging me out of the box, and sending me flying through the field box and into Artemis’ desk. I groaned as I clambered up.

  “Shit… There goes my ankle…” I grunted. “That was a good shot.”

  August made a faint ‘hmm’ sound as she walked out of the room.

  “Are you alright?” Artemis asked.

  “I’m fine…” I distantly replied. I stood up, brushed myself off, and stormed out of the room.

  I’m getting this sorted now, I decided as I followed after August.

  I eventually found August Flamel outside of the main school building. She heard me coming, and turned her head around.

  “Oh, didn’t I finish you?” she arrogantly asked.

  “What is your problem?!” I shouted across the courtyard. “Ever since the day I arrived, you’ve had it in for me.”

  “You were the one who threatened me first, if you don’t remember.”

  “You talked shit about my sister. You started it!”

  “She’s a maniac. Don’t you know what she’s done?”

  “Of course I know... But that wasn’t her. It was the Syndicate.”

  “She was the one who did it. She had a choice. She made it.”

  “That place is practically a cult. She got pulled in. They lied to her, manipulated her. It happens all the time, not just with the Syndicate but everywhere, and it’s never anyone’s fault but the people controlling it. It wasn’t her fault…”

  “Sorry if that doesn’t make me feel any better… He’s still dead…” August muttered.

  I stopped in my tracks.

  “Who?” I asked, starting to feel a remarkable amount of concern for someone who wanted to kill me.

  “Who do you think? The person that your sister murdered!”

  “And who was that?”

  “Why should I tell you?”

  “Because, even with your persistence in trying to kill me, I don’t actually have anything against you. I didn’t come here to make enemies and get into fights, and I am 100% done with this bullshit between us.” I bluntly informed her.

  August sighed.

  “He was my… Well…. Thinking about it, he wasn’t really anything. I know I was just a pastime to him. I know he didn’t really feel anything towards me… But… I loved him… At least I thought I did…” she stuttered.

  I stood next to her. I noticed tears running down her face.

  “What was his name?”

  “James…” August whispered. “And your sister killed him.”

  I shook my head.

  “The Syndicate killed him. Raven just happened to be the one who was there. It could have been anyone. Raven was following orders. I don’t know a lot about these people, and I’m already scared shitless by them. But I know what sort of things bad people can make good people do, when they say the right things. I honestly don’t think there are a lot of people who would have done anything differently…” I admitted. “I’m sorry about what happened to him, but you can’t blame Raven for it.”

  I decided to end the conversation at that. “See you in class.” I muttered as I turned to walk away.

  “Do you know what that thing around your wrist actually is?” August suddenly asked.

  I stared at the jewel tied around my wrist.

  “No.”

  “Do you want to?”

  “I… think I need to.”

  “It’s called an Arch Stone. It’s some kind of magic artefact. And it has more power than anyone understands.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No one really knows what they do alone, but some people say that if all of the Stones are brought together, they can give the one who possesses it unlimited access to the Arch, the source of all magic.”

  “What about alone? Like, what can this do?”

  “I don’t know. But I know that it’s dangerous. And that there’s no way that Greyford made the right decision in making you its protector.”

  “Are you saying I made a mistake?” Greyford’s voice asked from behind us. August turned around and stared at the headmaster.

  “Why did you pick her, sir?” August asked. “She doesn’t have the first clue about magic, let a
lone something as powerful as-”

  “I did not choose her. The Stone did.” Greyford interrupted. “Now, I don’t know why, but I do know that there is more to this Stone than any of us could think of comprehending.”

  “But surely someone with more experience would be more suited to the task?” August questioned.

  “Some like yourself?” Greyford replied.

  “For example…” August muttered.

  “Well, unfortunately, that’s not your decision to make, Miss Flamel. Now, you two should be getting back to class.” Greyford turned to walk away.

  I turned to August.

  “You know, that’s your problem.” I decided.

  “What is?” August asked confrontationally.

  “You think you’re better than everyone else. That it isn’t possible that someone could have been picked for something over you.”

  “You don’t know anything about me.”

  “No, I guess I don’t. But I know people like you. It’s the same in whatever school you’re at, magic or not. You always get the person who thinks that they deserve the world. But that doesn’t mean anything in the real world.”

  I wasn’t sure if I hadn’t been a little harsh with that, but I figured it was probably something that she needed to hear. I sat down on the steps. August didn’t move for a moment, blinked a couple of times, and then, almost robotically, sat down next to me.