Nights of Fire

Chapter 8: Noel

              All six of us were sitting at the campfire, waiting for me to starte the ranking ceromony, Witney, Lisa, Ricahrd, Matt, Casper and I. Mr.Flarity was at the front eating what seemed to be three s'mores in one. It was getting all over his face but he didn't seem to mind. I ate a burned hot dog on a stick so it was kind of like a corndog without the breading. I sat next to Witney and Casper who were both trying to talk to me at ounce, both trying to get to know me. I have never had extra attention from a guy before so I didn't really know what to do. I answered his questions and politly asked him some, after that, I have no idea. Every 3 minutes or so he would scoot maybe a centimeter closer to me or make up an excuse to pat my shoulder or playfuly punch me. He liked me and I liked him, but that was it, we don't know each other, nothing could happen between us, yet. Finally Mr.Flarity stood up, helping me avoid the awkward boy girl thing. He cleared his throat...

"Hello every one! What a nice week we are having, two newbies in a row!" Every one apluaded. "Noel Shmidt, please stand up?" I did. "This morning we found out that..."He paused, maybe for effect, maybe because he was nervous about what the others reactions were going to be. I know how I feel about this. "She is a Night Rider!" He was doing his best to smile, to try and make every thing all nice and dandy, but it wasn't. Everyone gasped, not happy, surprising gasps, they were nervous, fearful gasps. Everyone looked away from me, clearly terrified. Mr Flarity kept talking, trying to ignore the crowd.

"Noel will be doing the ranking ceromony only shortly, counslers please get ready, Witney, please show Noel to the armory. Enjoy your meal everyone." He sat back down and started munching on an other giant s'more. Witney got up and motioned for me to follow her so I did. We walked back to the collosium and instead of leading me left to the weaponry, she turned right. We went down a small flight of stairs and then opened small bronze doors, Witney had trouble opening them, they were clearly heavy. She walked over to the armor and took down a gold breast plate. "That's all you really need. Do you have your sheild?" When we were walking back to the campfire earlyer, I found out what this sheild could really do, if I run my finger over the black line in the middle, it shrinks and I can fit it in my pocket. I pulled it out of my pocket and ran my finger over the line, it grew back to it's original size. Witney was clearly shocked but she just smiled and whispered. "Awesome."

I was standing in the middle of the collosium, I watched as each camper filled the bleachers. Each of them tryed to get as far away from me as possible. When the counslers entered  the areana and sat on the side benches I could see how nervous they were. Mary Ann, rank 1, was pacing and rubbing her arms. I saw Mr.Flarity stood in the large bleacher that held the microphone. "Welcome every one to Noel Shmidt's ranking ceromony. Rank 1, please enter the areana." Mary Ann scrambled out of the bench area and was now standing in front of me. "Noel, what is your weapon of choice?" I held up my sheild. I could see him nod, no one said anything. "FIGHT!" Mary lunged at me, blasting wind into my chest. I did the only thing that I knew how to do. I turned into  a shadow. I was like black smoke sliding on the sand. I found Mary's shadow and filled it. I could now control her. I moved her arms and opened her hand. Her shadow droped her dagger, then so did the real her. My black smoke form slid away from her shadow and landed over her dagger. I changed back to the normal me and held on to her dagger. Everyone was silent.  Then Mr.FLarity spoke. "Good, Rank 2." 

John walked out in front of me and Mr.FLarity shouted fight again. I took out my sheild and held it up to his face. He fell into a daze but quickly recovered himself. He turned into sand, imatater. I could see no shadow but if I concentrated hard enough I could see grains of sand leap up maybe a centimeter. I knew his path. I turned around and thrusted my sheild out in front of me. If anyone gets to close to the line in the middle that is an enemy to the owner of the sheild, that enemy feels the pain of darkness, that's what Casper told me. I herd John scream and his real form showed. I hit my sheild into his arm that held his sword. He droped it and I picked it up. This time the crowd pulled themselves together enough to aplaud.