Mage Academy

Destiny

Hot Wheeling vertically, through a mass of rough branches, isn't as easy as I thought. Plus, there is hardly any light to guide us the further down we go, so I have to rely on the small expanse of light emitting from my blazing bicycle wheels to make sure I don't crash-land into the hard ground. Fun.

I see the ground, and try frantically to lift my front wheel in time but I'm not fast enough. The next thing I know I am sprawled in a tangled heap on a pile of dirt, my bike on top of me. I groan, Gibby groans, and I sit there for a moment, revelling in my pain.

Then I feel it.

It's HERE. Of course... why am I lying on the ground still? I clamber to my feet, pushing my bike away from me. Its wheels have no Fire on them anymore, and it looks like an ordinary bike again. Not enjoying the darkness, I light a Fire ball. "How many Fire balls have I lit since I came to the Academy?" I wonder to Gibby. He shrugs.

"It's probably a sign-- avoid dark places." He shivers, looking around. "Why can't we go to nice, bright places, like marshmallow valley in Moonbeam?"

"I would love to, but as you know, I have no Portal Pass. This forest is as close to Moonbeam as it gets."

Gibby sighs. "I'm sick of trees."

Max appears through the trees, holding his own Fire ball. "Where is this thing? The heartbeat is strong."

We look around. I can still feel its presence. "Hello?" I call, clenching my free fist. "You called us!"

A twig snaps, and we all jump, twisting around to the source of the noise. "Are you here to hurt us?" Max asks, his voice challenging.

We wait for an answer.

"It's obviously changed its mind about calling us here," Blue says quietly, her voice trembling. "I think we should go--"

"No."

The voice sounds... so strange, so inhuman, yet clear and stable. It sounds like a man with a high pitched, echoing voice, a voice that is speaking a foreign language and trying hard to sound normal. I have never heard a sound like it before. I grind my teeth, and I see Max bracing himself.

"No. I am not here to hurt you." The noise continues, making every bone in my body feel brittle and ready to snap. "I am here to make you an offer."

The voice sounds so sweet, yet cunning. It is the most terrifying sound I have ever heard. I want to run away, but I also want to listen. A shadow appears from behind a tree. The same silhouette from earlier. Tall, so very tall, with long limbs. It comes forward, and I feel powerless, glued to the spot. When the light hits its body, uncovering it, I fall back, and so does Max. My entire body is shaking.

The.... thing, is dark, fitting in perfectly with the shadows, and has bones sticking out of its skin like knives. But it is also strong. The only meat on it is muscle. It has long limbs and large hands and feet that seem too big for it's body. It looms over us with an air of horror, but the most terrifying thing about it is its head. It has a small head, too small, and it looks like a skull with thin skin stretching to its limit. Its eyes are red and set deeply in the head, it has one hole which must be the nose, and a wide, gaping mouth filled with hundreds of toothpick thin, dagger-like, yellow teeth thick with chunks of what must have been its last meal.

The creature stops a few feet in front of us. I can feel my heart trying desperately to break out of its cage. I don't know what to do.

"Are you evil?" The Monster hisses.

"No." I respond quickly, surprising myself.

The Monster smiles slowly, revealing more sinister teeth. "Then how are we talking?" It says simply. "Only the Fated ones get called to me."

"The Fated ones?" Max asks, the fear evident in his voice, masked thickly with fake confidence.

The Monster chuckles, which resembles more of a choking noise. It sounds disgusting. "You two are Fire majors. That is rare in itself. You can conjure Fire in ways that can change the world-- Fire majors are way more powerful than majors from any other element. Fire is destructive, wild, devastating. But it is also beautiful, it is art, and those who yield its power have the ability to do incredible things. Many are good at Fire, yes, but it is not their destiny. To be a Fire major, the magic has to run through your blood. It has to keep you alive. Fire IS alive."

The creature pauses, but not for gathering breath-- It talks craftily, expertly. It controls it's breath. It knows what to say, and how to say it. It is sure if itself, and sure about what it is saying. It even knows how to build momentum, as Max, Blue, Gibby and I are hanging on its every word. Words that seep into me like a knife.

"Have you ever wondered why you both have ghosts?" The Monster booms. Gibby sinks his claws into my shoulder. "Your ghosts are living embodiments of your magic. Your Fire energy created them. It created life. Do you see how powerful you two are? How special? People will try to make you feel inferior, like your abilities are something to be ashamed of. They are jealous. Jealous that they will never yield the power that you too are destined to hold! They want to rip it away from you, hide you in the dark."

The Monster focuses its glaring red eyes at us. I feel cut in half; I want to faint, I feel weak... but I also feel strong and proud. I hold my stance, ready for what is to come next. The Monster slowly smiles, showing more rows of yellow, pin-like teeth. Strangely enough, I am not so scared anymore. The Monster is terrifying, but I believe that it isn't here to hurt us. What really puts me on edge and keeps my fear burning, is the confidence that this Thing holds.

"I am here to show you the light. Follow me, Malory and Maxwell, and you will find your destiny."