Jess yawned and stretched. The whole thing was just a crazy dream, she thought. Looking over at the bedside table, she noticed that it was way past the start of school. In fact, it wasn't even her alarm clock. She gulped and sat up. Pain shot through her back. She looked over her shoulder. "Oh, no." Jess' back had medical tape plastered all over it. Then, Lily walked in. "Feeling better? If you are, Maia wants to talk." Jess looked down and gasped in alarm. Lily was wearing a white tank top and a belt with two knives in sheaths, but that wasn't what was weird. The alarming part was the fact that Lily was wearing army shorts, and her legs were tiger's legs, and she had a tail. "Wha-wha-what...uh...are you...? Jess whimpered. "I'm a Felis. We're half maiden, half wildcat." Jess stared. "Yeah, Maia will explain everything and get you up to date." Lily said. "Yes, her and I need to have a very long talk." Jess said, getting irritated.
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Lily led her up to the balcony. They were in a massive cavern, surrounded by an underground city, suspended over an enormous chasm, the pillars supporting the city lost in darkness. Jess gaped at the size of it. "Maia's up on the balcony with Thundra. I'll let her know you're coming up." Lily bounded up a set of rusted metal stairs on what looked like the main building. Lily yelled "Alright, you can come up now!" Jess climbed the rickety staircase. At the top, she could feel a cool breeze ruffling her hair. Maia had changed her clothes. She was now wearing jeans and a black t-shirt that said Keep calm and be happy, which was crossed out, and RUN! ZOMBIES ARE COMING! was written over it, under a blue zip-up hoodie. There was a slightly taller girl next to her. She had dark skin the color of chocolate, and dark hair braided in cornrows. She was wearing jeans, combat boots, and a purple t-shirt with a silver heart design on it, and there was a long scar on her face and neck. There was something disturbing about her eyes. One was a pale green, the other a cold, steely blue. "Hello, Jess. I'd like you to meet my friend Thundra." Maia said. "Um, hi." Jess said. The girl narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure we can trust her? I'm not taking any chances after Tiffany." "Alright, listen. I don't know who any of you people are, and just because I'm new doesn't mean I'm not trustworthy, and you don't scare m--" the girl grabbed Jess by the collar. Maia stepped in between them. "Stop fighting. I should've known you two wouldn't have gotten along at first. I guess I'd better explain to you about this place." "Yeah, about time." Jess said. Maia sighed. "You're a late bloomer. Most Magicals' powers start to show around the ages of five or six. Anyway, all this you see around you is the Order of Light's headquarters. We are a specially trained army of teenagers and kids that fight the Order of Darkness, along with other supporters of good, such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Camp Half-Blood. The Order of Darkness has recently had its old leader overthrown, and it was taken over by one from our own ranks, Tiffany." Thundra flinched. "Yeah. She has the most powerful magic I've ever seen, with the help of her staff. It amplifies her magical abilities, which aren't as strong without it. Tiffany's also a coward and isn't used to fighting without her staff. Destroy the staff, destroy Tiffany." Maia nodded, and continued. "We have five dorm room buildings in the city, for fire, water, earth, air, and Others. They aren't elementalists, and they are the most common. According to Lily, you seem to be a water elementalist after she saw you talk to a shark and explode a drinking fountain." Jess was still having trouble processing all the information coming at her. "Can you show me my new dorm?" Jess asked. Maia nodded.
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"Here's your new home. Anything you need. It'll customize when you walk into the bedroom. Just don't lose your key." Maia said. Jess shrugged. "I'll be fine. Just...can I keep you on speed dial? Since I'm new I'm gonna need some help." Maia grinned. "You can count on me, bro." After she left, Jess walked into her room. The house instantly customized. There was a huge feather bed with a temperature-controlled, remote adjusted mattress covered in feather pillows and blankets, and a 50 inch flat-screen TV with free cable, and there was even her own mood lighting. The bathroom was huge, with a walk-in shower and a bathtub with jets, and about a dozen different kinds of bath salts. After a nice bath and a foot massage, Jess opened her closet and took out a set of her favorite footie pajamas. Then she noticed a taxidermied cheetah head hanging above the mantlepiece. "I think I'll name you Cleary." she said to the stuffed animal. (That's a nice name.) Jess jumped. "Um, hi?" (I really like your taste in room décor.) "Cleary? Is that you?" Jess felt ridiculous talking to a stuffed animal. (Yes. That's me.) Cleary answered, and turned to face her. (I'm now your advisor.) Jess stared. (What's your power?) "I need to get to sleep." (Goodnight.)
YOU ARE READING
The Magical Quest
AdventureFifteen-year-old Jess has no idea that she's unordinary. She spends most of her time trying not to fall asleep in class, hiding in her room, and eating Pringles. She's not exactly Mrs. Goody Two-Shoes, either. Little does she know that her life is a...
