The Dark Magic 2

Part 12

Austins POV

Class is finally over for the day. I walked over to the obstacle course. The course was one of the few exercises that is truly safe. A spell is cast over you, which causes you to sort of hallucinate which makes the dull wooden poles look like deadly spiked poles. The pain was also generally fake, although if you fall, or accidentally hit your partner who is doing the course with you, then you normally do get the bruises. Luckily, only a couple of students had gotten real injuries.
I was never really good at the course, but with my newfound powers and increase in physical abilities, I figured I could give it another go. Surprisingly, there wasn't a line, so I walked up to the booth. It was operated by a magical skull, which pretty much only had the capabilities to talk and cast/lift the hallucination spell. He was summoned by a few necromancer students when no one would volunteer for the position.
"Hi, Bonebeard," I had no idea what was up with them, but a group of necromancing students thought it would be a good idea to name him a pun off Blackbeard. He didn't even have a beard. It was also kind of creepy how he didn't have any visual representation for his eyes. He just had two blank sockets.

"Oh, hi Austin," He said in a raspy voice "You've come to try and inevitably fail at the obstacle course?"
"Yes. But not fail," Bonebeard laughed.
"That's what you say every time. Alright, I'll start it up. COme over so I can cast the spell,"
I walked up to him and green smoke erupted from his mouth, smothering my vision. When it cleared, everything looked different. I stood on a creaky galleon, dimly lit by light coming from the captains quarters. The hallucinations were already working.
"Go right on in," Bonebeard said. A creaky door swung open. How fitting that the entrance to the course be a pirate ship. I walked inside, my hand resting on the base of the sword. When I passed through the doorway, a firewall suddenly erupted to life behind me. It was slow-moving, but I knew it would gradually gain speed the further I moved. Directly after this, a spiked ball was thrown at me. I immediately unsheathed my sword and sliced it in half in a single cut. The two halves flew past me and landed in the wall.
"Impressive," Bonebeard said, his voice echoing around inside my head "You might stand a chance after all,"
I ran forward, jumping off walls and dodging spiked poles. I passed through sections of challenges, from spikes floors with only small platforms to jump off of, to armed assailants flying at me. I was jumping off small, rounded tips of wooden beams, which moved precariously over rushing water when a message shot into my brain. It was Skylar. My foot slipped in surprise as I fell, gripping onto the beam to keep myself above the water. It moved around as my fingers dug deeper into the wood, holding on as my life depended on it. I used the momentum of one of the poles jerks to jump off and onto another, turning into smoke as I hit it. I managed to richotched of each pillar and land on the end platform.
What is it? I'm kind of busy at the moment
I sent back.
Hold on I'm sending you a mental image
My vision is suddenly replaced by an image of what Skylar saw. The picture-filled room with words and books all over the place. I quickly scanned them all and felt my stomach churn.
Wow, this is worse than I thought. I need to go, I have to figure something out.
I didn't notice this, but the firewall had already reached me. I was teleported back to the beginning. Bonebeard was laughing.
"Wha-what was that? You managed to get back from your stumble and then you just stop there!"
"Shut up," I said, quickly hurrying away. If what I saw was correct, then we were going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble. I couldn't tell any of the teachers, cause that would lead to more questions, then finding out Skylar was a double caster. And considering how much both our schools pretty much despise the guts out of each other, it would probably lead to an all-out battle. I quickly made my way to Bells dorm. I need to tell them, just in case anything happens. I passed Dennis on the way there, where he suddenly shoulder checked me into the wall.
"Hey!" I semi yelled. he turned at me, a malicious grin on his face.
"Sorry, didn't see you there runt,"
"What do you want?" Any time he shoulder checks me, he wants something. I prepared myself for a fight and rested my hand on the handle of my sword. If he wanted to fight, he had no idea what was coming.
"What do I want?" He asked, innocently "I don't want anything. But I am curious,"
"What?"
"Since you happen to know, where is the location of Aurlium?" (Note: Aurlium is the name of the Light school. So we can actually call it something. If you find a better name lemme know)
"What? I have no idea where it is," I quickly, and silently cast a deflection spell around me.
"You mean you seriously don't think I'd notice that you always talk to Skylar and that she disappears? I see her go into that shed, nearly every week for hours. Sometimes days," He stepped closer to me. I noticed his hand make a quick flicking motion, which was barely noticeable. Good job, I thought, he finally figured out how to cast a spell quietly. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Of course I think your stupid," I replied. He growled and took a step forward. I took two back. As much as I'm confident that I could take him, his axe was looking like it got resharpened, its blade glistening in the sunlight. We both stared down each other, like two cowboys competing over one town. Like the US and the USSR in the cold war. Like you and your screen monitor, hopefully, right now. A friendly reminder to please sit back while looking at the screen.
He snarled and swung his axe at me. I swung my sword at the same time and both blades met with a loud clang. He pushed down, but luckily I was just barely strong enough to keep up. I felt myself beginning to crumble under his intense pressure. I had just enough strength to cast one spell, so I quickly collapsed myself into smoke. Dennis's hammer struck the earth, cutting the cloud in half but not harming me in any way. I quickly left him in the literal dust as I zoomed toward Bells dorm. Sliding under the door, and praying that she wasn't changing, I turned back. She yelped in surprise at my sudden appearance. She calms down when she realizes it's just me and asked "Austin, oh my god you gave me a heart attack...,"
"Sorry," I winced "Its important,"
"What could be so important that you had to teleport into my room to tell me?!"
"Well, I didn't teleport. I mist glided under. Anyway, check this out," I put my fingers to my temples and broadcast the image Skylar sent me to Bell. After a few minutes of checking it out, she was now panicking.
"They know? How? What will happen?" She starts to hyperventilate. I quickly sat next to her on her bed and wrap an arm around her, calming her down.
"Well, uh, hopefully, nothing soon. But if they find out...well then a battles inevitable,"
"We're only 16! How do they expect us to defend against them??"
"They're also probably 16," I replied "Look, Bell. If we can diffuse this situation, then nothing would happen. In fact, Skylars probably already burning the evidence,"
I was completely unsure of this myself, so I could only hope and shoot her a quick message.