Blood of the Ancients

Chapter One: The Ceremony

The test was today! James couldn't believe it. He was finally going to get awesome powers and new gadgets! James normally liked school, but his classes are just in the way of what's important now. James walked, and walked, and walked . . . and came upon a strange looking rock. He probably shouldn't take it, because backpack organization is key, but he heard that little voice of temptation inside his head say, "DO IT NERD, IT'S SHINY". He took the rock.

Just after he secured his loot, he heard an annoying voice. It sounded like some sort of deranged mixture of a dolphin and a meat grinder. "What do you think you're doing, James?" James turned his head. "Only small retarded children pick up rocks from the ground." It was Dianna Holly. "Shouldn't you be at Starbucks?" James shot back. James proceeded to scream "Ring modulation" as loud as he could handle as he Naruto ran off into the sun. That'll confuse her.

James eventually made it to the school gates. He always gets there early in case he gets tired from the walk, but it can get monotonous sitting there every day with no friends. One of the teachers walks up to James. "How ya feelin' about the placement test?", she asks him. "I have no idea!" James responds. "I guess that's just the way the placement test is.", The teacher says, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

"Biiiiiiing", the electronic bell rang, as a stern, proper voice spoke through the intercom. "Please take note of the schedule change, as all second year students are to report to room 637 for the placement test". James slowly mushed through the sea of students that were headed to the test, and a familiar voice took him by surprise. "hey Jaaaaames" He turned around . . . and saw . . . Mary! He thought she had disappeared after elementary school. "Oh hi!", James returned. He felt the random urge to hug her, but they might as well have been fusing together thanks to the thick crowd. She started trailing off about what their old friends were doing nowadays, but James's mind was somewhere else. He didn't remember her looking like that . . . "James?", Mary asked, waving her hand in his face. "w0t?", James woke from his daze. "Oh, uhh . . . bye!" James shot in a radically different direction from the crowd, just standing in an empty hall, and he face-palmed. "You're an idiot", He thought to himself. He slowly rejoined the crowd, and made his way to room 637.

After the awkward scene, James got on one of the elevators in room 637 that went up to the event hall. Yes, an elevator. In a school. Yes, there are multiple of them. Most kids overlooked the technology of their age, but James, being the very academic kid that he was, was utterly fascinated with these simple elevators. Well, simple by James's time's standards. Everyone gave James a strange look as he gazed with childlike wonder at the electromagnetic mechanisms that swiftly propelled them upwards. Before they knew it, the kids were there. The event hall.

The event hall was the only area in the school with windows, although they had screens to dim the harsh sunlight. The sun gave natural light to the event hall that left many kids in awe. It almost looked like a scene from a movie: warm light hitting a stage, rows upon rows of children sitting quietly in the stands, well dressed officials standing on the stage, and most of all, a solemn suspense drifting through the air.

You probably expected the ceremony to start with microphone feedback, like EVERY SINGLE CEREMONY SCENE EVER, but no. This is the future, and microphones weren't left behind. "Hello students of the academy of ancient arts", bellowed a deep voice. "I am George, the head of the Plano Independent School District, and I have come here to oversee your exam week. For all of the adults attending the ceremony today, could we get a round of applause!". The crowd of parents roared in applause, as the suspense continued to boil to a point where the kids could no longer stand it. "Now let us begin with the attendance awards for our senior students, who have already been training their specialties for two years now", George said with pride. "Noah Hutchinson, our representative for the Scientia branch . . . Alison King, our representative for the Herba branch . . . Gary Stevenson, our representative for the Ferrum branch . . . Jim Anderson, our representative for the Gravitas branch . . . and unfortunately, our representative for the Nox branch is not here today.", George finally finished his monologue and stepped down from the stage.

James's focus broke as he noticed the person in front of him writing frantically on a notepad. "Really, a notepad?", James thought. Writing by hand with ink or lead is rarely seen nowadays. James could even make out some of the words as he was talking to himself. "10th time in a row . . . Nox . . . why aren't people . . . attendance drop in 2nd year students . . ." "What?", James was puzzled.

Several announcements fly right over the kids' heads, as they are too eager to just be tested already. After a long wait, The principal announces, "Alright students, please begin exiting the event hall at this time. The testing schedule should be on your phones, so there is no need for questions."

And off they went.