“Are the Assessments hard?”
“Yes, only a quarter or so of the students end up passing.”
“Be quiet, they’re about to start,” said a girl opposite the boys.
Alexander raised his right hand to silence the students. When the hum of everyone’s voices had subsided, he began.
“I first welcome Master Lee and Danny Tucker, along with their students, to our school. Please give them a warm welcome and a round of applause.”
All the students stood and gave them a standing ovation, as Danny stood and made his way to the podium.
“I speak for all at your sister school when I say thank you for welcoming us with such warmth. I have always admired this school, since it was here that Philo, who created the Elementrix chain, began. Thanks to the ancient statue of Philo himself on the masters’ level and the very pillar this school was built on, I am excited every year to come visit and I would like to say good luck to the students who are participating in their first Assessment,” said Danny as he waved a hand over the students.
“Very well said,” said Alexander, nodding his approval.
Max turned to Chris, patting him on the shoulder. “Hey. I’ve never seen the statue,” he whispered.
“I’m surprised you haven’t been up there yet. That’s where Alexander teaches most of his classes,” he replied quietly.
“Intriguing…”
“Master Lee,” said Alex in introduction, looking over in his direction. Lee stood from the table, swallowing a mouthful of wine and clearing his throat.
“I hope to see the very best from the students, and if there are any who particularly impress me, I shall see to it that they are rewarded with a token of my appreciation,” called out Master Lee before returning to his seat.
The students applauded raucously at idea of an award being up for grabs. When the clapping died down, Alexander once again took to the stage.
“Very tempting, Lee. I think I may well compete, myself,” joked Alexander.
A little hum of whistling and howling came from some of the students at the back, making the entire hall laugh.
“Settle down,” he said mildly, looking for a moment over the students before speaking.
“Before naming the applicants, let us dine on a feast that will not be soon forgotten!”
At the end of his speech, he clapped his hands twice, ushering in the school servants. They carried huge plates of roast beef, chicken and ham, placing them in the middle of each table.
When the servants had finished bringing out the cutlery for the students, everyone began eating. Max was extremely hungry after the day’s events and quickly stacked his plate full of ham.
“Going all out,” said Jane to one of her friends next to her.
“Well the Assessments only happen once a year.”
Max didn’t worry about what time of year it was, focused as he was on his food.
After a time the students had finished eating and sat chatting with one another. Alex once again rose to his feet and clapped his hands for attention.
“Such a well-cooked dinner. Thank you to all the staff involved. Now, if Lee and Danny would join me, we will begin the announcements.”
“If you would, please stand when your name is called,” said Alex.
“Toby Rice, Tim Murray, Elisabeth Simmons, Kate Smith and Jacob Biddle,” said Danny.
Everyone clapped for the five standing students, who moved forward to take seats next to the teacher.
Master Lee continued the announcements with his five choices, the assembled students clapping madly for those standing.
“Very good. Now, the nominations for the Elementrix Pillar. Nicole Rogers, Will Lars, Chris Barker…”
Max watched as Chris stood next to him, grinning madly.
“… Lena Wilkinson and, last but not least, Maximus Thatcher.”
Shock rippled up and down the tables as everyone leaned their heads together, chatter spreading through the room like a roll of thunder.
Max was hesitant about standing up; Chris had to lean down and yank him up to stand next to him. The first clap came from Master Lee as he stood up, shouting “Excellent!” at the top of his lungs.
Max now stood there as a showpiece, with every eye pinned on him. It was just like his first day. He sat as quickly as he had got up, trying not to attract more attention than necessary.
“You never told me you were up for nomination,” said someone at the table.
“I didn’t know,” replied Max, taking a piece of cake that the servants had put on the table in front of him.
“Now, enjoy the dessert,” beamed Alex.
The assembly wrapped up with rules being outlined for the new students from the different schools. Max had noticed a difference in the other students. It seemed as if the sister school had much larger students than the Pillar and the Main. Elementrix Main had small but quick kids and the Pillar had a mix of the two.
“One last thing before we depart to our rooms. A meeting tomorrow for all rock users. Four-thirty, my office,” said Alex.
Max stayed seated as he watched most of his friends depart. Some of them mingled with the other students, trying to avoid going to bed so early. He could see Lee talking to Alex and a couple of students, Jonny being one of them. Max cringed at the sight of him.
He had quite enjoyed his first assembly; the food was good; the speeches had been good and he had got to see Master Lee again.
“Are you ready?” said someone behind him. He turned around in surprise.
“For what?” he replied.
“For a stroll,” Dozer ordered, nodding towards the exit.
Max complied, standing and following Dozer’s trail out of the hall. He glanced over at the Elites and teachers and saw a hint of brown hair before turning the corner.
“As you are now aware, Alex and I thought it was appropriate to put you down for the first Assessment,” said Dozer, continuing along the corridor. Max trotted up alongside him.
“Don’t you have to be at this school for at least a year first or have previous experience?”
“In most cases I would say you are correct.”
“And in other cases?”
“Well, when the students are gifted enough to attend the Assessments.”
“Just like Hilary, who was pushed through quite quickly?” he said, curiously.
“Yes, she was extremely gifted. Had her power well under control before she even came here,” Dozer replied. “What’s it to you?”
“Nothing, just using her as an example,” said Max, attempting to hide his real feelings.
“Sure… Anyway, the reason I’m talking to you is because I have noticed something about your training. Have you used your electrical abilities while training?”
Max thought for a long second, slowly shaking his head.
“I don’t think I have,” he said, truthfully.
“That’s going to be a problem,” sighed Dozer.
“It just never crossed my mind,” said Max, coming to a complete stop at the outside arena and leaning on the rail.
Dozer stood before him, contemplating his next words.
“There has to be a balance. If you got your electrical powers up to the same level as your physicality, you would be a very formidable opponent,” said Dozer, pushing his point strongly.
“Okay, but where is this coming from?”
Dozer leaned on the rail next to Max and looked over the cliff side.
“The first Assessment,” said Dozer with a wary eye.
“So, you’re saying I need to improve my electricity to pass the first Assessment. I don’t even know what it’s about,” objected Max.
“Exactly. That’s why I’m here. You’re going to be pushed off the cliff and you’re going to have to use your power to stop yourself.”
Max rolled his eyes, jumping up and taking a seat on the rail. “You should have put Jimmy up for this; he’s already done it.”
“Another surpri
se to add to the list! Tell me, Max, can you do it?” he questioned, looking over the edge.
“Well, we are going to have to find out now, aren’t we?” said Max, bowing and taking his leave.
“Such a cocky boy,” muttered Dozer as he strolled off out of the icy breeze.
Morning came around quickly and Max heard two knocks on the door.
“What is it?” he called, still half-asleep.
“Delivery, Sir,” said a man, knocking on the door twice more.
He opened his door to see a young man slightly older than himself standing before him.
He was very tall, with dark blond hair and shoes that dwarfed his own.
“One desk, one light and a complementary chair from Alexander. Now, if you would just put your finger where shown, I’ll be on my way.”
Max grabbed the portable device and put his finger on the little screen. “Thank you, Maximus,” said the device in his hands. He just about dropped contraption in surprise.
“Technology these days,” said Max, handing it back to the man. Max watched as he scrolled down to the next delivery and disappeared on the spot.
“Another jumper. Must be in Stuart’s line of work,” he said, grabbing hold of the desk and hauling it against the wall. He pulled up the chair next to it and fixed his light, stepping back to take a look, happy with the layout.
He walked to Jimmy’s room to see what the hold-up was, knocking on his door and waiting.
“Jimmy, hurry up,” he yelled, knocking again before opening the door. Jimmy stood behind it, holding onto the other handle.
“I don’t think I’m up for it today,” croaked Jimmy, virtually hanging off the door.
“Yeah, you’re right, you look awful,” said Max.
“Sorry,” replied Jimmy, appearing half-dead.
“Don’t be silly. Rest up for next week,” said Max, pointing to the bed.
“Thanks.”
Max went to his morning training with Dozer, still having no success knocking his sword from his hand. This was now Max’s number one task, as well as the first Assessment, which was two weeks away.
Then, breakfast.
“Hey, Miss, do you mind if I take an extra pancake?” asked Max, hungrily.
“As long as you eat it quick,” she winked, putting an extra two on his plate. “And what have I told you about calling me Miss? It’s April.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, looking straight at her. “I only need one extra pancake, thank you,” said Max looking down at the extra two.
“The other one is for the young lady over there.”
Max turned around to see who she was talking about.
“Rachel,” he replied slowly.
“Get you in her good books,” April laughed, patting Max on the shoulder.
“How did you know?” he said, flushing pink.
“Nothing gets past this cook, honey,” she laughed, pointing towards the table.
He sighed, walking over to the table. He seated himself opposite her, far enough away that she couldn’t get a hold of him.
“An extra pancake for you,” he said, lightly placing it on her plate and snapping his hand away with lightning speed.
“Is this your second apology?” she said as calmly as a sunny day.
“Yes,” he said, hesitantly.
“Tell the cook thanks.”
Max let out a little laugh. “You got me; it’s all her idea.”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile at the second pathetic attempt at an apology.
“I guess I can’t stay mad at you forever,” said Rachel, formally forgiving Max.
“I promise: no more bad comments,” he replied, putting up his hands.
“Good.”
“Did you end up talking to Jimmy about the room mix-ups?” said Max, hoping for some brownie points.
“Don’t you worry. I already gave him a smack on the back of the head,” she said, pulling her book in front of her and sticking her nose halfway into the pages.
Max sat in silence as he ate his delicious breakfast, figuring that if he kept stuffing his face with pancakes, he wouldn’t be able to say anything stupid.
“I think this is my new favourite breakfast,” he said, finally, in an attempt at conversation.
Rachel took no notice, absorbed in her book.
“Okay, what are you reading?”
She lifted her head from behind the book cover. “Just studying,” she replied. “You didn’t study did you? The Cleon chapter she said to go over,” she reminded him.
“Oops. Oh, well,” said Max, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ll just have to sit next to you,” he grinned.
He felt relieved knowing Rachel wasn’t mad at him any more. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and all he could do was smile and eat.
Chapter 12
The Gods
It seemed Dozer had not been bluffing when he said there would be detention if Max failed to knock the sword out of his hands. He had spent the last two hours scrubbing the outside arena with a few of the naughty students in the dojo. He now knew why the arena looked so shiny all the time.
“What a waste of two hours,” complained Max, flexing his thumb so it wouldn’t burn.
“Tell me about it. This is my fifteenth time,” laughed Mark, staring at the spot where he was scrubbing.
Max thought hard on the subject of hitting the sword out of Dozer’s hands. If he had to do this every Friday it would drive him mad.
Finally, after a long two hours of labour, everyone was dismissed to get ready for dinner. Max quickly finished showering and shaving and hastened to his room, watching all the students gather in groups to head to the dining hall.
He walked up to the door and wrapped his hand around the door knob. A surprising spark erupted from the handle, making Max pull his hand back in alarm. The door swung slowly open and he cautiously made his way inside. He flipped the switch on his new light and watched as the glow engulfed the room. His black dress robes sat on his bed waiting for him and he walked over and threw his dirty clothes in the corner for cleaning.
As he picked up his ironed clothes, an envelope fell out of the folds. He picked it up off the ground and turned it over. It was quite hard to open, closed as it was with a red wax seal on the back. His frustration grew and he tore a corner of the envelope, emptying the contents into his hand.
His head tilted in surprise as he found he was looking at a small, clear ring of the same type the old man had given him on the bridge. This ring, however, was not complete; there was a small gap where the two ends were unconnected.
“That’s weird,” he frowned.
He placed the ring on the desk, continuing on to dinner.
“Maximus.” Someone spoke to him. With a jolt, he recognised the voice from the forest, back when the tree had sparked.
Max glared around him, waiting for the voice to return, but nothing came. He was really feeling freaked out as he stood there, questioning whether he was hearing things.
After a moment with no repeat of the voice, he mentally shook himself and began to make his way once more to the door, but halted when he heard it again.
His name was called more softly and drawn out, this time. He turned from the door and found himself facing the inscriptions on the wall. Suddenly, the light flicked off and the inscriptions glowed brightly in the dark. Max gaped in wonder at the writing on the wall.
He crept closer and saw that, in fact, only half of the writing was glowing. The writing was scattered in various groupings across the wall, and he had to take a step back to fit it into his mind map. He looked at the non-glowing writing, trying to keep in mind where the glowing script was, wondering at the same time if it would return to normal.
It was amazing: signatures of the past electric users who had inhabited this room, different symbols illuminated by the glow. Stepping close to the wall, he ran his fingers across the writing, still trying to fit the pieces together.
“’Th
e first Assessment’,” he read aloud to himself.
“’Jolt; a formation of body parts moving in sequence with each other, enhanced by an electrical surge which forces the body in any direction’.”
Max carried on reading until he got to the signature at the bottom: “’Smith Thatcher’” he read out.
Amazing! He ran his finger over the word ‘Jolt’. His scar began to tingle as the invisible seal slowly peeled off and the full ring around his scar appeared, giving Max a shock.
He leaned over and looked in a mirror that Hilary had given him. Suddenly, he gripped his neck as the huge force brought him to his knees.
The electricity began to release, bouncing from wall to wall as it fuelled the glowing writing. His scar turned black, followed by the ring around it. It could now be mistaken for a tattoo. Max pushed his power; it was a strange feeling, as if he had released a niggling thorn from his side.
Outside, Max’s friends had gathered on the lawn and were watching the outside of the building in shock.
“What’s happening?” yelled Chris.
“Look!” replied Jimmy.
The dojo shook as every light bulb blew, leaving the school in pitch darkness. Rachel grabbed onto Chris’s arm in fear.
“It’s okay,” he comforted as he held onto her. He looked down into her scared eyes, trying to portray a confidence he didn’t feel as he drew her closer.
“That’s Max’s room!” shouted Jimmy. All eyes flew to Max’s room as a beam of light erupted, followed by an explosion of electricity. Shaken into action, Jimmy took off at a sprint.
“Wait!” called Chris, chasing after him and leaving Rachel standing alone.
Jimmy side-stepped the groups of students forming at the base of the accommodation, a mixture from all three of the Elementrix schools, who were getting ready to compete in the Assessments. It was their first night here and they were on high alert already.
Waves of injured students staggered from the building and were directed by staff to the outside arena. Alexander stormed by, grabbing hold of Jimmy and Chris as they attempted to ascend the accommodation stairs.
“It’s Maximus,” said Chris, trying to break free.
“Stay behind me and my barrier,” commanded Alexander.
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