Ark Kingdom: The Magic Within (Bellarke)

Chapter 1

Ark Kingdom is surrounded by a boundary. It keeps you inside, but mostly it keeps magic out. Of course, every once in a while magic finds its way through the cracks. When that happens it finds a host and latches on. The kingdom has banned magic so if someone has been found that has magic they are floated. That’s when they catapult you through the veil. It sounds better when they say floated. It kills you instantly. It’s pretty morbid, but that’s what they have to do to keep everyone else safe. If you’re under 18 though, they just lock you up. I’m one of the 100 teenagers in the dungeon.

My father found a rip in the veil, which means that more and more magic will start seeping in. We need to find a way to assimilate to the new world, but the council doesn’t want to. My father was going to bring the news to the kingdom, but he failed and was floated for it. I fought the men and got locked up. I have been in a cell by myself for months isolated.

A guard comes to my cell and opens it. “Bind her hands.” He commands the guards with him.

“Wait. No, I don’t turn eighteen for another month!” I yell as I try to break away from the men.

 “Take off the silver.” He looks at the bracelet I got from my father.

“No, it was my father’s.” I fight harder. I break loose and run out of my cell.

 “Clarke. Stop.” My mom’s voice stops me.

I turn around. “Mom? What’s going on?”

“You’re not getting floated. They’re sending you to the old kingdom. Here this will help us know that you’re okay.” She wraps a copper bracelet around my wrist. It has a green, glowing orb on it.

“I have another and it will glow green as long as you are okay. We need to know if it’s safe to go back. I love you. Stay safe.” I start to feel dizzy and fall forward.

I wake up in a carriage. I can hear horses clomping away at the hard ground. I open my eyes to see a boy who has spectacles on his forehead. It’s odd that he doesn’t seem to be using them. They have a band on them that holds them in place. Next to him is boy about our age with medium length, black hair. They notice me observing them. I look down.

“Hi, I’m Jasper. This is Monty.” The boy with the spectacles greets me.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Clarke.” I cringe at their shared gasps.

“We heard that you were here but we couldn’t believe it.” Monty speaks up.

The carriage halts causing me to fall forward. A boy who I hadn’t noticed before catches me before I fall to the floor.

“Thank you.” I look at him and feel a blush rush across my cheeks. He has long brown hair, kind brown eyes, and a handsome smile.

“You are very welcome, m’lady. I’m Finn.” He gives me a bow in jest.

I smile and open my mouth to speak but am stopped when the guards open the door.

“Get out. You will be walking the rest of the way. We are at the crack in the veil. You will travel through it to the Old Kingdom. We are sending tracking birds with you. When you arrive send one back to let us know. We have left the pens and parchment with Wells Jaha.”

They then grab our arms and force us out of the carriage. There are other kids around my age getting pushed towards the veil. Most of them are fighting against the guards. I turn when I hear a loud banging. All eyes follow the same direction to the guard.

“You will go or we will end your life now!” He shouts over the crowd.

“We better go.” Jasper heads towards the veil.

“I want to be first.” Monty pushes Jasper playfully.

“We’ll go together.”

“Agreed.”

“Ready?” Finn asks me.

“I don’t think I ever will be.” I take his outstretched hand and follow the other kids to the glowing green net.

“It will be a day’s walk until we even reach the edge of the veil.” Wells says as he catches up to us.

“Go away, Prince.” I spit out at him.

“I’m here to help keep you safe Clarke.” He looks at me with his sad eyes.

“I do not care. Stay away.” I rip my hand free from Finn’s and hasten my walk.

“Sorry.” I say as I bump into a girl with long brown hair and bright blue eyes.

“You needn’t be. It was my own fault. I was looking for someone rather than where I was going.” She smiles at me.

“I’m Clarke.”

“I’m –”

“Octavia?” A tall man with dark hair and even darker eyes calls out interrupting her response.

“Bell?” The girl next to me calls back and rushes to the man. He hugs her tightly, lifting her clear off the ground. I have stopped walking because I am mesmerized by the affection between the two. They look to be related but how could they be? In Ark Kingdom you can only have one child if that because with the net they are worried about overpopulation.

“Clarke this is my brother, Bellamy.” All of the people around us stop to stare.

“Brother?” I ask, stunned.

“Yes, you were the one that they kept hidden under the floor right?” Jasper asks as he catches up to us.

“You will not speak of it.” Bellamy commands.

“Calm down, Bell.”

“We better keep moving.” Wells pipes in.

“Go on. No one is stopping you.”  I wave my hand towards the veil. The glow from the veil is so strong here that we all look a bit green.

“Look at this!” I look, horrified, to see Finn hopping from boulder to boulder right on the edge of the veil.

“Look out! If you touch the veil it will kill you!” I shout to everyone that can hear.

“I am just fine.” Finn says as he leaps to the next boulder. Two boys climb up onto the boulders to join him. Then the earth starts to shake. It has to do with the breaking veil. Finn wobbles on the edge of the boulder, but luckily slides down away from the veil. The other boys are not as lucky. They crash into the green mist. They scream as their bodies disintegrate.