The Game Of Mages (Wattys2016)

Chapter 3: Alexander

"Dante..I'm saying this as a friend...you are not welcome here...at 7 in the morning.."

The sun was only about to rise over the hills, shining down through the clouds on the small rusted dirt roads of KingWood. Everything was sleeping soundly so the air was still. The line of buildings and houses seemed to sag their tired and sad faces toward the graveyard that stood across from the marketplace. Two houses rested at the top of a long hill at the edge of the town. Behind the houses were miles upon miles of forest.

Behind a house which was painted a sunset orange was a boy with short brown hair. With his baggy gray cargo pants and white tank top was illuminated by the sun rise. He was looking up into the back window of the Skyking home.

"Go home Dante. I will see you later." Alexander said followed by a yawn. Dante stomped his foot childishly as he looked up at Alexander.

"Come on Al! I'm bored! Besides it's your 16th ageday today right? Gotta get up bright and early!" Alexander rolled her eyes after rubbing them. She was wearing a gray tank top with black sweat pants.

"Dante...all I want for my ageday right now is sleep." With that Alexander shut the window and began walking away. Dante sighed and picked up a pebble. He threw it at the window, getting the attention of Alexander once again. She opened her window again.

"What!?" She said bitterly.

"Please?" Dante pleaded.

"Ugh fine. One second." Alexander said closing the window and getting dressed. She put her long black hair in a tight ponytail and put on a clean gray shirt. She put on long black pants and grabbed her satchel. She grabbed an umbrella and shoes. After getting everything she needed, she marched out the door yawning.

Dante smiled, eyeing her carefully. "Why the umbrella?" She chuckled.

"They don't call this the internal rain hold for nothing." She said, starting to walk. Dante walked alongside of her scanning the scenery.

She sighed heavily looking at the sky. "Dante? I don't want it to be my ageday." Dante turned to Alexander confused.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I always have the burden of remembering that it was my fault that my mother is dead." She said seeing it was about to rain.

"Al. It wasn't your fault. You were a baby at the time." He said slightly worried.

"But my mother died giving life to me. And I don't my father has forgiven me just yet." She opened her umbrella, raising it above her head.

"Why is that?" Dante asked now deeply confused.

"He has been so...strange lately. Giving me odd looks. Yelling at me when I mention Magecraft near him. He even had yelled at Gale for practicing." Alexander paused. "I don't know anymore."

Dante stared at Alexander with a burning concern for her. A idea soon popped in his head. Stopping he let Alexander step in front of him.

"Dante? What are you-"

"Spar with me." Dante said plainly. Alexander chuckled, thinking he was joking.

"Dante. I don't think that is such a good-"

"Come on Al. You scared to spar with me?" Dante raised his hands, shifting his feet back. "Afraid you would lose?"

Alexander scoffed pulling out a ring of keys from her satchel. She raised one, that was red and shaped like a spear, in front of her. "Me? Afraid of fighting you? Don't made me laugh." She raised the key above her head and said. "Lancer!" Silver flames arose from the key, swirling itself. A long silver staff dropped in her hands. At the tip was a large, red triangular blade with a stripe down the middle. She pointed her spear at Dante. "Ready when you are."

Dante raised his foot. "Ready." He slammed his foot down and the ground underneath them rumbled. Chunks of rock arose from the earth as 7 boulders and circled around Dante. Alexander pulled the spear close to her waiting for Dante to strike.

Dante waved pointed at Alexander and two of the boulders flew in her direction, flying in from the right and left. Alexander blocked the one on the left and jumped forward to advoid the one coming in from the right. The boulders collided, smashing each other to millions of pieces. She rolled toward Dante, spear raised. Dante raised his hand to the sky and three boulders zipped into the sky and began raining down on Alexander. She jumped out of the way of one and sliced through the second. Before the third one could hit the ground, Alexander jumped ontop of it, launching herself into the air above Dante. With a yell, she got ready to hit Dante from above.

Quickly recovering, broken rock from the boulders formed around Dante's arms and his raised his arm to block Alexander's attack.

The metal and rock clanged together, releasing a sudden whisp of air to blow around them.

"That's enough you two." Alexander spun around to see her brother Gale standing a few feet behind her with three umbrellas. One was open and above him while the other two in hand. He smiled at them. "You began sparring without me? Happy ageday Alex."

Alexander smiled and the spear slowly evaporated back into a key. She put it back into it's ring and into her satchel. Dante threw a small rock at Alexander and it hit her lightly on her side.

"I win." He grinned. Alexander rolled her eyes smiling and began walking toward Gale. She noticed that it was raining cats and dogs as Dante handed her a umbrella.

"Come on you two. We gotta get ready to visit our mom at 10. Also Dante. I think your grandma is calling." Suddenly a inhuman screech sounded across the town.

"DANTEEEEEE!"

Dante began sprinting home, while Gale and Alexander laughed. Gale and Alexander soon walked home. A thought came to Alexander.

"Maybe...I can be happy for a little while longer."