The Stormwind Chronicles: The Phoenix Orb

Ana

One thing I noticed about this place is that the people here seem to love wearing robes. Not the ones you use in the bathroom. I'm talking about wizard robes. You know like in Harry Potter, and this place felt like that. There were alot of kids walking around carrying books with strange letters on the covers. In one room there were a bunch of kids mostly around Julie's age practicing how to levitate a statue. In another room I saw another group of kids this time around our age. But they weren't trying to levitate an inanimate object. They launching fireballs at each other (which gave me memories of that stupid lion thing) and it looked like they were fighting. In one corner of the room stood a man wearing the same robes as Ian. He was just watching them fight.

"What are they doing?" I asked aloud
Ian looked back at me looking amused with my curiosity. "Combat practice." He said casually like it was something I should find ordinary.
"Combat practice?"
"Of course. A mage must know how to defend himself."
We continued walking. A mage? Oooookay. I guess that would explain the strange things that have been happening. But, really? Magic? That's impossible. I must be dreaming. No. I'am definately dreaming. I pinched myself on the cheek hard.
"Oooow"
"This isn't a dream" Julie told me. She had been so quite I nearly forgot she was here. "Everything you see and hear is real."
"You make it sound like you're used to all of this." I told her. Atleast I can be sure that they won't hurt me. They would have done so by now I guess but still. I don't trust them fully just yet.
"Of course I'am. I've been here since I was seven."
"You mean you grew up here? Where are your parents then?" I asked her which I immediately regreted. Her smile wavered and she looked down.
"They're gone." She said simply. I didn't ask for an explanation. I knew how it felt.and what she meant by they're gone.
"I'm sorry." I told her.
"No it's fine. It's been a long time and I don't feel that bad anymore when people bring it up." She gave me a smile but I knew she was faking it. She was so strong for a girl her age. "I didn't get the chance to properly introduce myself." She said changing the subject. "My name's Julie. Julie Colthearts. You're Ana right?" She offered me her hand.
I shook it. "Yup. Ana Summers."
"You have a pretty name. It's nice to meet you Ana."
She smiled again and couldn't help but smile back. She reminded me of my younger sister and how much I missed seeing her smile. A smile I'll never get to see ever again. I shook the thought out of my head. I couldn't afford to be emotinal now.
"It's nice to see you two getting along." Said Ian looking iver at us. "So, you finally trust us now?"
"Julie? Yes. You? I'm not so sure." I replied.
He just smiled. "And why is that?"
"Because you refuse to answer my questions. Where are we? And why are we here?"
"Alright. If it will ease your feelings." He said. "Where are you? Well I assure you this not that magical school that you have read about in that famous book series. No. You're in one of the mage temples governed by the Council of Avalon. A secret organization spanning years back dedicated to the protection of humanity. Behind the scences of course."
"Ok you're completely nuts. A secret organization? Magic and mages? Protection of humanity? What is this Doctor Strange?"  I told him.
"Well, if that's how you want to put it, then yes. One can say that his story was based on us."
"Honestly, are you for real?"
"Of course I'am." He smiled and we continued walking.
"Soooo the three of us here because we are mages too I guess?"
"We believe you to be."  Ian answered. "But."
"But what?" I asked
"Do you believe that you are a mage?" Said Julie.
"I don't know. It all seems too much to take in all at once." I replied.
"You must think about it my dear. If you wish to stay here." Ian told me.
"Stay here? We can't stay here. We have a life to get back to." I told Ian. How does he expect us to stay here? We don't even know where here is. His explanation doesn't exactly add up.
"A life? Trust me child, this is your life now." He gestured around him. "It became your life the minute you stepped into that exhibit hall."
"But we didn't choose this!" I protested.
"No." Ian said. "But it chose you. The only question is, will you accept it?" We stopped in front of a huge set of double doors. There was nothing special about them except for the fact that it was decorated with strange symbols and writing. It had two door handles with dragon designs and I felt a strange wave of power coming from the room. Like the air inside was much heavier and warmer than outside.
"You'd best think about it dear. I believe your friends have already chosen to stay."
I didn't know what he ment and how he could have possibly known that. I didn't have time to think about it because the doors opened and Ian and Julie gestured for me to enter and I did.

The room was big. Like an extra large throne room. The center was covered in a red carpet with golden linnings and marbles columns on each side. Between each column were statues the same statues we had seen in the exhibit hall when we were attacked. But these were different. How? Because there heads turned to look at me whenever I passed by. I looked up expecting to see an ordinary celling. I did'nt expect to see starts. It was beautiful. For the first time in my life I got to see the night sky clearly without the city smog mucking up the view. I guess there wasa glass roof above our heads.  The last thing a saw was the throne. It was made out of marble carved with dragon head designs for the arm rests. At the top of the throne was purple crystal I guess that glowed brightly. The throne was elivated by a dias and sitting on it was old man waering of course robes. But his were gold and much more erabolately designed. He looked about fifty with a long withe beard. He had a warm glow in his eyes. Intimidating but not scary. He smiled kindly when he saw and gestured for me to come forward. I saw my friends Chris and Zander who looked fine. They waved at me but didn't say anything. I stopped a few feet from the throne. Then I noticed the woman standing by the old man. She wore a purple robe just like Ian's. She had long black hair and sea green eyes which were beautiful. She had a warm smile which  seemed  familiar to me. Then, it hit me.
"Mrs. Spellman?" I asked in amazement because she looked younger than she was supposed to be.
The woman smiled. "Hello Ana."