The Guardian's Son

prologue

-V-

"Cerskia was a prosperous island city in the middle of the Irish Sea, it was destroyed by a rogue hurricane about 2000 years ago, and we have yet to understand much of it from what little remains on the island," said Mrs Stevens, droning on like she usually did during history. Vice scoffed quietly. He never expected this part of the course to be accurate, it never was. He hadn't met a single person who didn't play into the hurricane nonsense; Cerskia had been protected from natural disasters like that, however, he never expected people to not have any doubts at all about it. He desperately wanted to call her out on it but didn't fancy getting in trouble for the first time in his first term at sixth form. Looking at his textbook, he read on from the passage the teacher was currently reading out: local rumours around coastal towns, such as Holyhead, have been circulating ever since the destruction of the island, it is said that roughly 2000 years ago a giant sea monster killed all the inhabitants of the city and that the surrounding sea is extremely haunted. it is generally accepted in those areas to stay away from the beaches, but there has been no solid evidence to prove that this is the case.

The bell went, pulling Vice out of the book and back to reality.

"Don't forget the 8 mark question due for last period!" Mrs Stevens called a collective sigh came from the students filing out of the classroom for lunchtime.

Vice dumped his backpack under his desk with a sigh and sat down heavily. School was never his strong suit, he only went because his father wanted him to fit in and have friends his own age. Vice knew that a 2000-year-old basilisk was not a good friend to have but what 16-year-old didn't want a giant talking snake as a frienemy?