Prologue to my story

[DarkMage31]

Hey, I'm new to this forum. I'm just going to post the prologue to my story here for you all to read. It's not a RP, or a fanfic, just a regular fiction original story. If I'm breaking any rules, just lemme know and I'll stop. Hope you like it!

PROLOGUE











?Bring him to me,? the deep voice said resounding brilliantly around the incandescently bright room. Burnished walls and pillars perfectly reflected their surroundings, giving the room a peculiar atmosphere. Shapes and figures were extremely distorted as an result of this, making the room uncannily difficult to navigate. A huge domed ceiling dominated the presence of the room, hanging ominously above any of the room?s few daring souls that have tread the buildings sprawling architecture. Any who walked on these floors would experience the illusion of walking above an upside-down ceiling, completely suspended in air due to the immense reflectivity.
Following the large perimeter of the perfectly round room were no more than one hundred seats attentively positioned with their generally high backs pressed against the wall. On one side of the room was a preposterously miniscule seat, which could easily qualify as a stool. On either side of the stool were two other stools, but these were slightly larger and they both carried more of an air of grandeur. And so the chain continued around the room. The stools became large stools, the large stools became studded with jewels, then the chairs began about halfway around the circle. Just like the stools, they got increasingly bigger and fancier, each extremely grand in its own way, but the next always seems to double in splendor. Three quarters around, the seats could easily be identifiable as thrones. Each was a work of art in itself, totally different from its counterpart across the room. The only similarities were the material they were made from. Each throne was made from a precious metal, starting with bronze, going through silver, and finally landing at gold. The only thrones of gold were the last three, directly across from the stools. The biggest and grandest of them all sat there, shining brightly in all its glory and immensity drawing all eyes to its grandeur. This special seat sat directly across from the tiniest stool in the room, both seats linking an eternal ring that has a history that goes back a millennia.
However, each seat in itself was its own piece of history. Those seats, each and every one regardless of size and dignity, was home to the best Wizards there ever were in the whole Myriad. The most remarkable thing, however, is that each and every Seatholder is a descendent from one person: Stampos Engriothiliath, the father of all magic. There was only one man still in direct kinship to Stampos and shares his name, and that man holds the greatest seat in the room.
?Why aren?t you listening to me?? the voice rumbled once again.
?I am, Master,? came the response. This voice was young and willful, yet full of confidence at the same time.
He made his way towards the man lounging in the Grand Throne that did not belong to him, ever amazed with how it looked like he was floating upside down from the domed ceiling. The young man sat down in the golden seat next to the Grand Throne. Unlike the deep-voiced man, he had earned the Second Grand Throne. He was highly tempted to throw the man a scornful glare. No one was supposed to sit on any seat in this room unless you were the current Seatholder for that position. For that matter, no one was supposed to be in here that wasn?t a wizard at all. And that man is not a wizard, though he is close to it. He qualifies as more of a warlock; possessing scant magical abilities, but the abilities exist none the less.
?Then you will bring him to me??
?I will try to convince the council, Master. But you must understand, they don?t think he?s ready yet. They won?t take him until he has his first Convulsion. He?s way to young as it is! He?s only in fifth grade!?
?It doesn?t matter. He holds too much potential and must be on our side when he knows his power.?
?They won?t take him until he Convulses!?
?THEN MAKE HIM CONVULSE!? screamed the deep-voiced man, sending shivers down the spine of the younger man.
?The only way to make someone sever from their Invisible Force is to put them in a situation where they have to.?
The man looked thoughtful for a moment. He scratched his chin nonchalantly, considering several courses of action. A deathly silence hung in the air for quite some time, making the younger man fidgety in his seat. Finally, the deep voice man said, ?Your assistance has been invaluable. I?m putting in two of my agents right away.?
The younger man started to doubt what he had gotten himself into. No one ever said the path to power was an easy one.

​

Hope you liked this short little prologue. As you can tell, I was in fifth grade when I started writing this. The later chapters (4, 5) have been written years later. I kinda picked the story up after a while. Hope you liked it!

Also, if you are interested in writing, you may want to consider joining The Young Writer's Critique Club, my message board for writers. You can post your work and get constructive criticism. The link is in my sig, if you are interested!!!

 

[DarkMage31]

meh, you don't have to read it if you don't want to..........

 

[DarkMage31]

erm... anyone? Anyone care to read this?

 

[Neo]

Hey this is great, but I read it already on ur board. I was Dude2112, remember? Why'd u ban me? Sry if I was being too harsh.

Anyways, like everyone on ur board said, the beginning's too flashy. The rest is great though.

 

[DarkMage31]

Glad you like it. Ah, so that was you? Hahaha, I banned you because you were being rude and disrespectful about someone elses work. You were like, "Stop speling magic like a friggin too year old!!!!!!!1111" lol :D

Those were the days... Anyway, a lot of people tell me to tone down the intro, but I REFUSE!!! lol XD

 

[DarkMage31]

I'm so sorry, but I really have to bump this one up. You know, what the heck... I'll post ch. 1.

I.
THE SCHOOL BULLY











Nick was just leaving school when he was confronted by Vincent, the acclaimed bully of Northern Washington Junior High School. He was a strong, sturdy boy with cold, black, unreflecting eyes sharply contrasted by his short blond hair. He was at least two heads taller than the average seventh grader, and came out on top in every fistfight he provoked. In actuality, he is short for his age of fifteen. He was held back in the first and second grades for reasons not disclosed to the general student body. Such matters are touchy - especially around the school bully.
Nick was wearing his bright yellow rain jacket with a plastic hat placed on top of his head to keep the heavy rain off. The jacket was spotless, despite the wet and muddy trek to school. Nick was always meticulously neat. He hated it when any of his possessions got the slightest bit dirty.
He knew if he didn't leave soon, she would catch up. He didn't want that.
He took a step outside the shelter of the school roof and immediately felt his hat sagging down on his head as a result of the relentless rain. Quite unintentionally, his black rubber boot landed in a fair-sized puddle filled with murky, brown, water alongside the tarmac sidewalk he was treading upon. Nick watched the water fly up from under his boot creating a loud, wet, splash. Some of the murky water droplets landed on the bottom hem of Nick's plastic jacket, soiling the perfect yellow, transforming it into a gloomy offset brown.
Mumbling under his breath something about nasty weather, Nick took his bare hand and rubbed his jacket until there was no trace of mud left visible. Satisfied at last, Nick continued on his way.
Nick turned his head left and right, taking in the beauty of the nature surrounding him. Flowers were in their first bloom, the trees' buds were starting to blossom into magnificent plant life, and grass was springing up out of the wet ground like worms returning to the surface after an excruciatingly wet day. Only the stubborn and reluctant oak trees had still not given in to the rapid oncoming of the reviving season of spring. Their branches remained bare and naked, winding their way up to the heavens and the sun, intertwining and crossing into an endless, bare, woven maze of darkened wood and bark. Sticky sap drooled from certain trees, dripping down the textured bark, headed for the drenched earth where the trees' roots were forever embedded into the depths of the ground. Little flowers were starting to reveal their petals, opening up shyly so the world could see their infinite beauty.
Nick was distracted trying to take in all the beauty, so it was just his luck to bump into Vincent. Nick went toppling over backward with an audible grunt. He landed ####### his behind, which was now covered in sticky mud.
"Hey, here's little Nicky!" Scoffed Vincent. He was wearing an ebony T-shirt with a skull and crossbones printed in white on the frontage of the shirt. Typical bully apparel. His dark blue jeans were soaked through with ooze, and his usually flawless blond hair was matted and stiff with mud.
Through the heavy sheet of rain, Nick could just barely make out a scowl on the bully's face, and about half a dozen minion followers standing behind him.
Nick always hated it when people called him Nicky, or Nicholas. Nick was never one to leap to conclusions or anger easily, but involuntarily he felt his rage boiling up inside him, as it never before has. Nick flexed his fingers, and eventually tightened them into a fist.
"Gonna fight?" said Vincent serenely. Nick knew this was what Vincent wanted. If he fought, he would loose. There was no escape. Vincent's retinue had surrounded Nick and Vincent in a tight circle creating a sort of arena. He felt his face starting to heat. Vincent never traveled alone. He always had his minions to back him up if need be. His followers laughed mercilessly all around him, sending shivers up Nick?s spine.
Vincent had always picked on Nick more than anyone else in the school. Why Nick deserved this injustice, he didn?t know. Sometimes it seemed like both she and Vincent were working together to anger him to the point of fighting, but Nick knew this couldn?t be the case. Ever since the fifth grade, Vincent has always tried to put Nick in a situation where he was forced to act irrationally. Each time, he had failed, however. Nick had always been light on his feet, and had evaded Vincent most of the time. Those times he couldn?t be evaded, Nick used the two things he gathered about Vincent over all those years against him. Firstly, Vincent would never attack Nick if there was someone around. The cause of this seemed obvious to Nick. Vincent wouldn?t want to get in any trouble. However, there still seemed like there was something odd about this habit?. And secondly, Vincent?s companions would always try to surround him. If they succeeded, Nick was as good as dead.
And after all those years, they had finally surrounded him.
Vincent took a step toward Nick, and Nick withdrew slightly. "Pathetic wimp." Mumbled Vincent. The world seemed to slow. He felt like the only one in existence. The world swirled around Nick in a vortex of many colors superimposed on top of his vision. Little specks of light dotted his sight from the intense colorful feeling filling his senses as they swirled across his vision. There was a little tingling sensation running up his arms and legs, trying to spread to his body.
And then, there was an even more abnormal feeling. He felt as if he were one, mind, body, and soul, for a fleeting instant, barely able to appreciate it. In that moment, he felt like he could do anything. Despairingly, he felt the feeling slipping away. Slowly? ever so slowly?. The feeling was suddenly smashed, exploding into thousands of tiny pinpricks running down his right arm and leg. He as stunned by the impact, as if an invisible hammer had struck the essence of Nick?s being, splitting his mind body and soul, sending the shards flying into his arm and leg. He was blinded by a sense of oneness that seemed to be tearing from his soul. He internally felt like he was growing, larger and larger as he was separated from himself. His mind and soul seemed torn between two bodies, one of himself, and the other of himself in the same respect, but? different. Incomplete. He was barely aware of a splitting headache pounding a death-like rhythm in his head, scarring today?s events into his brain permanently.
He was filled, brimming over in that light swirling over his vision, welcoming in more and more of those swirling colors despite his mental tearing. He was sharply contrasted by the pain he failed to sense and the beauty and fantastic nature of the lights swirling around him.
And then, the world was pain as the colors disappeared, the shield to the pain no longer existent. Eyes open wide, Nick convulsed, puking his lunch on the ground. Arms flailing all around him spasmodically, he could not see anything but white light blinding his vision. Devoid of all thoughts but the intense pain that followed the tingling in his arms and legs, the pain seemed to cover his whole body, but in a dark corner of Nick's nearly unusable mind, he knew it followed only his arms and legs.
In a snap, he suddenly became aware of Vincent staring at him. The pain was gone. The swirling colors were gone. The sense of division was gone. He felt whole, normal, but not that fantastic oneness he felt before the splitting. He could think again. Nick had thrown back his head and arched his back backward, his eyes knotted shut from the pain. Knowing how silly he must have looked, he straightened in embarrassment. Nick smiled to himself. He was significantly weakened by his small? experience, but was still ready for anything.
Vincent threw a punch toward Nick, and Nick ducked neatly. A foot came up ready to smash into Nick's ribs. Nick scooted to the side, just barely missing the assault. More punches came. All were aimed for Nick's head. Each time, Nick dodged, but didn't respond. Feeling weaker and weaker by the second, doubts stalked and shadowed Nick's conscious thoughts. Vincent let out a grunt of frustration. Nick was unusually good at dodging things. But with that strength sapping experience that had just occurred earlier, he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Something must be done. Although he tried his hardest, Nick couldn't keep his blinding rage from taking over his reason. No matter how hard he tried, he just wasn?t capable anymore of finding some weakness or flaw in the situation he could use to his advantage. He couldn?t see depth, only what was right before his eyes.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nick thought he saw her. He paused for a second, and turned to confirm. This moment was critical. He was socked in the side of the head full force by one of Vincent's iron fists.
Nick toppled to the ground, and put a hand to his head. Lights and colors swirled in his vision, but not in the same way as before. When he withdrew his hand, it was soaked with blood and mud. Vincent stood over him, smirking triumphantly. The world started to spin. Around, and around, and around?
Everything started to blacken. Vincent and his gang erupted in laughter so hideous it made Nick want to puke once more. Fortunately for him, there was nothing left to puke. The result was a small gagging noise that emitted from Nick?s throat.
Then, there she was. She seemed to break through the sheet of rain, illuminated by an omnipresent light, looking like a savior angel sent from above. Nick suddenly forgot all about hating her. In his pain, Nick didn't see that not a single drop of rain touched her body. Vincent looked curiously at her as well. She gently pushed Vincent out of the way with a coy smile and kneeled down next to the huddled form of Nick. One delicate hand reached towards her face and pulled back a loose strand of soft brown hair. The world seemed timeless, stopped, and inactive for one fleeting instant. Her large, brown eyes stared into his, showing sorrow, understanding, and something more. Anger.
That was the last thing Nick saw that day. Nick's vision faded, and his eyes closed, finally unconscious. Her full lips and thin brow creased into a worried frown, and anger evaporated in her glare. She gently picked him up in her arms and carried his limp form back to his house.

?The message was directly from your female agent. The male succeeded in the separation?.
?Excellent.?
?Yes, I thought the same.?
?To think that we may have on our side one of the most powerful??
?Master??
?Yes??
?We?re not sure if the line was tapped. It was by modified Earth phone.?
?|)4|\/||\|.?
?Yes, I thought the same.?

 

[Ytnim]

Hey I'm no writer or anything but I read and I really like this story. I liked the start, even if Neo said it was flashy. In my opinion I think you should just ignore him. Keep going, I want more!

 

[DarkMage31]

I've got more posted at my writing board (see sig), but unless some more ppl care to look at this, I think I'll take my story elsewhere... :dead:

 

[shining_light]

i like it DM31! it's lookin to boe a really good story~

 

[DarkMage31]

Thanks so much all of you! Here's the next chapter...

II.
A Not So Ordinary Day











Nick's eyes gradually opened, revealing the white, popcorn ceiling of his room. His brown, polished, wooden door was almost completely shut, just open the tiniest bit letting a thin beam of golden colored light seep through the crack. It stood out in the darkness of Nick's room. His shades were drawn, making his room an eerie black. Nick slowly turned over on his side to look at his clock. On the dresser next to his twin sized bed sat a black, sleek, digital clock with bold, illuminated red numbers. The clock read 1:27pm.
With a groan, Nick commenced to sit up in bed. He cried out in pain as he head violently spun with the room, sending him plopping back down on his pillow. His head was screaming and every nerve in his body felt on fire. His vision started fading, being replaced with a white-hot light. The world became silent, visionless, texture-less, scentless, and tasteless. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for his head to stop spinning and his senses to recover the awful shock. Slowly, he began to distinguish voices traveling through the halls. He tentatively ventured to open his eyes, but did not commence to get out of bed.
"I've never seen anything like it!" came a feminine voice, drifting through the slit in his door. Probably her.
"But is it really time?" said another, more mature voice, which he recognized as his mother's.
"There can be no other explanation. I can see it in his eyes. His?I don't know if he is awake, but it is better to play safe." She whispered something in Nick's mother's ear. Nick strained his hearing, but could make out nothing. He heard an awful sob come from the other room.
Nick slowly lifted his arm for his lamp on his dresser adjacent to his clock, noticing how his fingers felt like the were vibrating, but they were actually still. His venturing hand didn't make it half way there before a terrible pain jabbed through the length of his arm. He immediately dropped his arm back to his side, which instantly ceased the pain.
"Believe me. I can tell when an?you know what is to be having convulsions. Please believe me, Mrs. Brosure. I am surprised at how much he took in? after he stopped he was still violently pulsating. The Brosure name is universally known in? you know where." Another piteous sob escaped my mother.
"How did they find us?" Inquired my mother.
"The Pangea knows all." She cryptically stated, as if it were obvious. "We've got the best of the trade on our side." Nick's mother sobbed again.
"Take him. Take him then." Then, she began openly sobbing.
"He will have one more day."
Nick heard paddy footsteps approaching his door. Slowly, it opened with a tiny creak. She stood in the doorway looking at me. Taking me? No one is taking me anywhere!!
"Mia Thornfert." Nick just managed to croak out in a raspy voice, putting the most violent frown on his face that he could muster.
"Today is Sunday."
"Your point being?" said Nick with his throat as dry as some desert he heard of in school. What was it? the Sahara, or was it the Gobi? Where had his mind gone? It felt so weak, so full of limits.
"Tuesday, we leave." Said she, with a calm voice. "I wasn't really expecting this turn in events. Quite interesting."
Nick was utterly confused at this point. "Where am I going with you?"
She's just a girl my age, yet she talks like an adult that has assumed dominance over my life. She smiled a perfect, beautiful smile that reminded Nick of a hideous snake's sly grin, when it was about to pounce on its dinner. Few would think of it that way. "We are going where you rightfully belong."
Nick groaned helplessly. Now wasn?t the time for her silly mind games. Unfortunately, Nick didn?t seem to be able to interpret this one. He felt as helpless as baby bird fallen out of its nest.

 

[DarkMage31]

The low-quality PA system of Northern Washington Middle School crackled for a while, than finally revealed its message: Reminder: Sixth Period Gym Class has been extended for the Sixth Grade. Thank you.
Mr. Baily, the Sixth Grade science teacher said, "Back to our lesson. Vincent, can you tell me what would happen if you mix baking soda and vinegar?" Every hand in the class shot up in the air. Nick even heard somebody say, "This is first grade science!"
"Everybody, put your hand down. The question was for Vincent." Turning his focus away from the class, he centered in on Vincent. With a firm face, Mr. Baily said, "Have you come up with an answer yet?" Vincent stared at Mr. Baily blankly. "Uh, I think, nothing would happen."
"Incorrect, Vincent. Would somebody else like to try to answer that question? How about Nick." Nick's face screwed up. "Mr. Baily, something, you know, my mind. It, well, I don't know?." Pausing, Nick studied Mr. Baily as if he had never seen him before. The world through Nick?s eye?s seemed different now, but he couldn?t place his finger on what exactly has changed. Everything looked the same, but it was? different. Mr. Baily still had that characteristic tiny nose and slicked-back black hair seeping with gel. What could be different? Looking around, Nick observed the rest of his classmates. Nothing different about any of them.
"Just answer the question, Mr. Brosure. For someone who made First Honors for every year you've been here, I would think you should be capable of answering," said Mr. Baily resolutely.
Nick glanced over at Mia, sitting two desks over. His face brightened. "It happened, Mr. Baily! I remember something, from some distant memory? second, first grade maybe?" Mia?s face darkened. She knew the memory was long before then.
"Nick! Answer. The. Question. Now. I know you know it." Vincent, in the back corner of the room, began to look smug. As quickly as he could Nick rambled off, "After mixing the two elements together, it triggers a chemical reaction between the substances, expanding the compound. If placed in a place of limited surface area, It would look like it is exploding. The mixture is commonly used to satisfy small children with a volcano-like effect." Mr. Baily nodded his head approvingly as Nick paused, obviously impressed. Suddenly, Nick's eyes went wide, and he began to speak slower. Mia's face drained. "Unless of course an infusion of bedaroot is applied, which would make the final substance highly poisonous to any living being. It would give the mixture a reddish hue, and any living thing would die within the next week of eating, inhaling, or injecting by way of shot or arrow unless you are treated by a Healer of the Higher Order and the only known antidote, Baka Leaf." Mia cleared her throat. And looked at Nick pleadingly. Nick tried to stop rambling this nonsense, but he couldn't. It was almost as if a force other than his mind controlled his vocal cords, and was claiming its dominance.
He continued, "The Baka Leaf needs to be chewed and swallowed within the next hour for survival to be ensured." Something in Nick had more to say about Baka Leaves and all that nonsense, but it was a this point that Nick was able to make himself stop. Mr. Baily didn?t look too impressed anymore.
"Nick Brosure. I never, ever, would have expected this kind of behavior from you. Mia, can you explain to Nick that there is no such thing as baka leaves and bedaroot and that junk?" Mia's face lost more of its color.
"Well, Nick, it is, uh, unconditional to talk of Bedaroot, well, Baka Leaves, and other, uh, altered items, well, outside of?OH! WHAT AM I SAYING!"
"There is no need to scream Mia." Said Mr. Baily warmly, with a smile stretched across his face. Mia looked down at the tile floor of the classroom ashamedly. What a suck-up.
"Yes, Mr. Baily." She swiveled in her chair to face Nick. "That nonsense you previously described so vividly is apparently nonexistent in the Real World."
"What about the fake world?" scoffed Nick.
"Nick, pay attention." Scolded Mr. Baily. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but what ever it is, I don't like it." Mia's face darkened even more.
Mia cleared her throat and continued. "The only place it exists is in your imagination. You?"
"I know when my imagination is carrying me away, Mia. Somehow, I don't know, but all that nonsense is real." He pointed to his head. "I may sound crazy, but something is happening up here." Mia's eyes pleaded him to stop. Nick knew Mia had some insight to what was happening to him. Mr. Baily, along with several other students, began to laugh. Nick felt his face flush red in embarrassment. The laughter went on for a good five minutes.
Mr. Baily finally came out of his fits of laughter, and said, "Okay, mister mystery man. Detention for you." Everyone broke out in new hysterics, with a new joke to fuel their laughter. Nick's face reddened even more. When he looked at Mia, she looked just as embarrassed as he. Interesting. Now if only he could think straight he would be able to find some meaning to her embarrassment. Had he really lost his sanity?

 

[DarkMage31]

Whoosh! A rubber ball went whizzing by his ear. Another just missed his leg. Nick ran backwards and picked up a nice-looking red ball, not before ducking to let a green ball just miss him. With all his might, he threw the ball at the nearest member of the opposing team. With a cry, she went flying backwards as Nick's well place ball hit her in the shin. One out, fourteen to go. A purple ball came speeding at him chest level. He widened his stance reflexively and caught the ball against his chest. Another came speeding at him. He deflected it with his purple ball. He pegged another guy on the other teem, then ran backwards to guard jail for a while.
Since as far back as he could remember, Nick had always been the best at dodge ball. There are two teams, and they try to hit each other with balls. If you are hit with a ball, you go to the back end of the enemy's side, which is jail. If your teammate throws a ball to you in jail and you catch it, everyone else in jail with you is free, and you get free walk-backs to your side. If you catch a ball, the person who threw it is out. If Nick truly did loose his sanity, he definitely didn?t loose his ability to play dodge ball.
A high ball came soaring over everyone's heads, seeking someone in jail. Nick ran hard, heading towards the jail at the end of Nick?s side of the playing field. He was aware of every subtle detail. His heart was racing in his chest, feet pounded against the gym floor, his arms pumped to keep his momentum going, and his pulse raced in his wrists. Colors swirled around him in a colorful vortex as he took a huge leap, and lifted of the floor. He dove up, reached for the ball, and caught it mid-air. He collapsed on the hard floor on top of two people in jail. He got up on his knees, asked the two opponents in jail if they were okay, then tossed the ball to a team- mate.
"Nice catch!" someone said from jail slightly to his right. It was Mia.
"Thanks!" Nick responded. In the split second wasted responding to Mia, a ball thumped against his back. Everyone on the other team cheered like crazy. It was quite the honor to get Nick out in dodge ball. Nick slowly jogged to the other side. Every teammate of his was trying to get him out of jail. Ball after ball was caught by jail guards in a similar fashion that Nick caught his, save the flattening of two Jail Birds and the gigantic leap. One ball was coming to fast. It would hit the gym wall behind him. Nick wished it would come right to him. And amazingly, it did.
At it's climax in height, when it should have hit the wall and bounced off, it plummeted straight down, right into Nick's waiting arms. Things just get stranger and stranger around here. No one seemed to have noticed the balls odd behavior, they just kept playing. Nick checked the ball for any weighted sides or defects. He could find none. Slowly, he dropped the ball and jogged back to his side. Several of his friends patted him on his back as he arrived back with his team. Picking up another ball, he threw it at a seemingly unsuspecting opponent. It was Mia. She whirled around four times before the ball hit her, turned a back flip, and caught under her legs. Wow. That was freaky. What was even freakier, though Nick, was that no one noticed a thing unusual.
The day continued uneventful as usual, and Nick was in high spirits. He continued to flash back to the conversation between Mia and his mom. What could she mean? What was happening to him? All Nick could do at this point was wait. He thought back to all that wonderful energy that was sapped when he had faced off with Vincent. The memories made him shutter, thinking about Vincent, yet made him want to envelop himself in the swirling colors once more. It felt so great yet pulled so much from him. He longed to know all the answers.
The bus dropped him and four other students off at a corner near Nick?s house. Slowly, Nick walked home, proceeding up his driveway leading to his house. He took out his key and opened the front door.
"Hi Mom!" hollered Nick as he stepped into the house. There was no answer. Usually Nick's mother came running, asking how school was and everything related. The absence of his mother's jubilance somewhat startled Nick. He ventured around the dead-cold house, peering around each corner before he walked. The house was empty, quiet, and still. Nick shivered slightly. It was cold in the house, but he believed it wasn't the cold that made him shiver.
After running a short investigation of the lower level, he headed up the stairs. Where could she be? She is always here! Nick quickly scanned his memory for a time when she was never around the house when he came back. His search was in vain.
A black flash caught his attention. Whirling around, he saw that his mother's room door was closed. Wait a second... I just checked in there, and I definitely did not close the door? Thoughts raced through Nick's head as he debated as to whether or not he should open the door, or run for his life. If only Mia was here, she might be able to do one of those triple-spin-backflipamajiggers. How could he be thinking about her now? He almost forgot how much he had hated her.
Ever since 5th grade?the grade she had arrived at the elementary school? Mia had stalked Nick all over the playground, observing with a keen eye. On several occasions, he had confronted her and told her not to follow him. She would turn him off rather rudely, with all sorts of big words Nick did not understand. She was always cryptic, never fully explaining, but the message had become clear to Nick over time: Shut up and let me do what I need to do. Instead of frustration, hate built up in him and he promised to himself that he would someday get vengeance on Mia for all the trouble she's caused him. But as time went on, Nick realized this was a childish prospect. Vengeance was an entity found only in fairy tales.
The doorknob made a subtle creaking sound as it turned in the door to his mother?s room. Slowly pushing open the door, Nick was startled to find his mother tied up and gagged, sitting in the corner helplessly.
?Mom!? shouted Nick, betraying his presence.
It was just about this time that he got that strange feeling people get when they are being watched. He spun around, and saw nothing. Quietly redirecting his attention forward once more, three figures stood not ten feet in front of him. Two black robed figures stood with their arms crossed standing in front of the most amazing person Nick had ever seen. If he was not frightened half to death, he would have thought himself in the middle of a fairy tale. How in the name of? Nick couldn?t think of how they just appeared. So sudden, so strange?.
The person was dressed in a pale silver robe that seemed to emit a angelic glow around the figure. His sleeves were long and majestic, his white flowing hair coming down below his shoulder-blades. His beard came down long, almost to his stomach, and his eyes were a pale blue, handsome in every respect, yet too old to look appealing to any woman. It was challenging to place an age to this majesty, tall and ageless. However wonderful the silver-clad man looked, the black robed men were those that kept him scared. Each with gaping sleeves big enough to accommodate three arms, they were not hooded revealing bald heads with four black dots forming a box on each one's forehead. Their limbs were muscled and stout, and each had both his hands outstretched as if saying stop. However frightened Nick looked, each had fear etched on their bold, broad faces enough to make him look calm. It looks like they think they about to fight some kind of hairy monster that has the capability to rip out their limbs. Nick took a step back from the trio, sneaking a quick peek backwards to make sure their arms weren?t telling him to stop. There was no one. Am I the monster they are frightened at?
They took a step forward. Is this some kind of assassination group? Who would want me for anything?
The wizened old man put each hand on a black robed figure's shoulder. They began to move backward, and he forward. Nick was petrified. He couldn't move. He wanted to scream out and bash the man's skull in. He had tied and gagged my mom! You better watch you back, mister! Anger welled up inside him, replacing fear. It surged through him, strengthening him to a point where he quivered with rage. His eyebrows knitted together and he fixed his mouth into the most ferocious scowl he could manage. He embraced his anger, his need for vengeance on the man. The tingling in his arms, and now his legs, started. Pain soon followed. He felt himself glowing with energy as his body vibrated. He was surrounded in a swirling vortex of color, though the colors were all shades of gray, and then it happened. He concentrated all his energy onto his hands, meaning to punch the silver-clad man. He was vaguely aware that his hand was glowing in a faint black light. The tingling was concentrated in his hand. Then, his hand was the only part of his body in pain. He drew back his fist and was about to punch when he realized the man was too far away. He had not moved when he came into five feet of Nick. Nick's drawn back hand glowed more ferociously by the second, however faint it might have been. The black-robed men in the back of the room seemed awfully fidgety. The silver robed man scream Stop!, but it was too late. Nick paid attention to nothing but the man. With all his anger and frustration, he lashed out with his fist. Black fire streaked after his fist and lashed out at the man with his follow through like a whip. Just as quickly as he had lashed out with his fist, the man was bathed in yellow light. Oh, what light! It surrounded the man, blinding Nick?s vision, filling his soul with joy. The light seemed to travel along the contours of his body until it got to his hand, where it collected, intensifying as the light from the rest of his body joined together at his hand, accumulating a blue tint as it gathered. The man calmly grabbed onto his fire, and yanked. Nick went spinning into the mans embrace, still connected to his black fire. He noticed the men in the back had their hands glowing white, and before he could blink, he felt a strangling sensation come over him. He wanted to choke, gag, and puke, yet all he could do was stand there looking a fool with his mouth open. The black men sighed, and released their stance. He felt the weight of a net draped over him, made entirely of white weaves of light. He turned around to face the man. He smiled. "I believe it is time you begin your proper education."

 

[DarkMage31]

Nick was flabbergasted. "I go to school, I do my work. What more do you want?" This man certainly was an odd one. For whatever reason, he had no recollection of what had happened a moment ago. What happened? a punch? fire?. If only he could think straight.
?Sir, he?s fighting the Web hard!? said a man in black fretfully. Beads of perspiration glittered in the sunlight streaming through the window as they slid down the man?s face.
"You must remember what you did you must never do again." He turned and faced the black robed men. Reduce the intensity of the Memory Web, men." Suddenly, memories rushed back into Nick's head. The dodge ball game. The fight with Vincent. The black fire. Nick knew there was something amiss. "But before you learn anything, it is time?"
Suddenly, Mia stormed into the room. "Nick, it is time?" she became abruptly aware of The three men in the room. To Nick's surprise, she screamed her lungs out. "No! Don't take him yet! How will I get back? What will happen if?" thousands of questions poured out of Mia's mouth at once. The silver-robed man looked calm as ever.
"As I was saying before I was interrupted," he said coolly, "it is almost time for us to go. The time is almost here?." Mia let out another wail.
"No! The Pangea must have him!" All this discussion puzzled Nick quite thoroughly. Was this the same Pangea she had talked about with his mother the other day? Then, he remembered. Pangea. Greek or Latin for ?all the lands? or something like that. Alfred Wegner and his theory of Continental Drift? the continent were connected into one land form called the Pangea! Where Nick was going, he figured the Pangea was a government that united all the lands.
"The Pangea and its evil ways shall never have him!" thundered the man. No matter how angry he looked, he still looked majestic and regal. "He shall be brought to the Council and will be trained properly!" That startled Nick. Trained. He would be trained. Like a dog. Let someone manipulate him. NO!
"But the Pangea must have him! Politically it will help them recapture the Parallel! We can use him! Manipulate him!" She said these things as if he wasn't there. He didn't know what the Parallel was, or what anything they talked about was, but he did understand some. Even worse than the old man! "Besides, I need a strong Carrier to get home!" Both options sounded pretty bad.
"You will continue to scout here, by Pangea orders," said the man. Do not argue with me. By order of the Wizards Council?" now this was interesting. Wow! A real wizard council! This is too weird! "?he is to be trained to the best of his ability." Nick was flooded with excitement, yet a nagging sense at the back of his mind that said this was just a hoax. He then remembered his mother's tears over him when Mia told her he had to leave. He couldn?t wait for his friends to pop out and say, ?April Fools!?
With her nose turned down for once and the corners of her mouth drooping, Mia looked sulky. Nick actually felt sorry for her. He would have, if this wasn?t a hoax. "You have much to learn Nick Brosure," the ageless man said. "And you also have much to overcome. Your Invisible Force is already slightly tainted, and you haven't begun training. You must come with me, Nick. You can be saved." Mia looked slightly taken aback when right after he said ?Invisible Force.?
"Follow me Nick," said Mia innocently. "Come with me and power and fame can be yours." A glance from the old man silenced her from saying more.
"Lies, lies, lies, and more lies," said the man. "You reek with them." Mia glared hotly at him.
Nick looked from one to the other. But it was clear to him what he would choose. Both parties glared at him expectantly. Nick reasoned out loud, ?Option A: Wizard Council- get trained to the best of my ability, which is zero because I am not a wizard, and look a fool when I find out it is a hoax. Or I can go with option B: Pangea- get manipulated, get trained, get fame and popularity from a group I have never heard of, sounds like a mafia, and is trying to conquer back a world not my own, oh, and not to mention looking like a fool when I find out this whole thing is a hoax. Due to pressing circumstances, I choose option C: Stay Right Here- enjoy a normal life like billions of other people in this world.?
Mia stared at me blankly for a moment, but the guy in the white robe looked understanding. Almost grandfather-like. For a fleeting instant, Nick thought he could trust this guy. Mia, on the other hand?
?Nick,? said the wizened robbed figure, ?there is not choice. Choice is a foolish perception created by our own minds to simulate free choice in a world of fate and destiny. You??
?Enough pointless blather, old man. You need to??
Once again Nick saw the golden glow around the majestic man in the robe. The glow seemed to warm Nick, making him? well? happy. The man?s voice boomed out, the syllables highly exaggerated. He spoke with little effort, but his voice traveled magnificently.
?Silence, Amateur, traitor and liar in every respect. There is no choice. All of humanity?s choices have been made ? all we need to do is carry them out.? He looked at Nick expectantly. Nick looked back blankly. ?The choice has been made, the pact sealed, the agreement initiated. However, our paths may not be set out in front of us as clear as a Depiction?s trace?? Seeing the look of puzzlement on Nick?s face, he said, ?Let?s put it this way: It?s not as easy as following the yellow brick road.? Simple enough to puzzle Nick even more. This man was an interesting character, Nick concluded. The two men in black standing in the background looked unfazed by this little philosophy.
?How can you verify this as true? I can very easily walk away right now and never turn back.? Hints of uneasiness thickly coated Nick?s intonation as he said this.
The man?s answer was simple. ?You will soon know much more than you now do.?
Nick, at this point, was fed up with all this nonsense. It?s a hoax. It has to be a hoax. He tried to turn around and walk away, only to find he couldn?t. As soon as his brain transmitted the signal to his muscles, the man was bathed in the golden glow and Nick felt trapped in a cocoon of dense, unmovable air.
?Like I said, fate works in strange ways. It was not my intent to do that, but rather the intent of the Maker of Fate.? Nick tried to respond, but he felt the air gagging his mouth. It was strange how he could breathe, but not work his mouth. Who the **** is the maker of fate?
?Now, we will leave. Mia, never return to this place. If you do, the council will know.? And with that, Mia fled the building as if death itself was chasing her. Even before her footsteps faded into the distance, the man spoke again.
?Men, you may leave at will.? Both men were surrounded in that joy-bringing light, though theirs weren?t nearly as bright and brilliant. A huge flash of white light erupted from the two at the same time, filling the whole room with the brilliant splendor of magical illumination. Nick was nearly blinded by the brightness, but as soon as the light came, it went, trailed shortly after by a massive thundering noise that filled Nick?s ears making his entire body vibrate with the intense audacity. The man, Nick noticed, was untouched by the phenomenon. What was even stranger, as Nick noted, was that the two men were gone without a trace. Nick was too shocked to realize his airy prison disappeared.
?What in the name of??
?Don?t worry about it.?
?DON?T WORRY ABOUT IT? I WORRY ABOUT IT! HOW CAN ONE NOT WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT??
?Easy there, Nick,? comforted the man.
?Is the end of the world here? Did an asteroid strike? Are we all gonna die?
?Like I said??
?Like you said? Who cares what you say! Out of you, for the past half hour I have heard nothing but BS. And since you are some intergalactic dimensional traveler who has come to kidnap me away to fairy land, I bet you don?t know what BS stands for. IT STANDS FOR??
?Nick, honestly. You don?t have to do this.? the man was actually smiling. Again, grandfatherly. Nick stopped and took a breath. His face was red from screaming, but he wasn?t about to give up.
?I?m staying right here. I don?t know why I even have to argue this! I have a life here, and I love here, wherever here might be to you fairy wizard people. I?m sure you have some name or it, like Factory Land, or Industrial Land, or Money-making Land, or Pollution Land.? The man seemed puzzled.
?Why, we call it Earth. What do you expect??
Now, Nick was frustrated. This was going absolutely nowhere. ?Whatever,? he said. ?Would you at least give me the courtesy of telling me where exactly you are kidnapping me to?? Once again, the man looked puzzled.
?Kidnap? Do you really think that low of me??
?Yes I think that low of you! You break into my house, tie up and gag my mother, bring two macho body-guards who disappear off the face of the earth with big light and noise, you guys get all glowy around the outside, you catch trailing black fire in your fist??
?Which was created by you, I might add.?
?Duly noted. And not to mention being rudely interrupted just a second past, you want to bring me to a wizard council! Wizards don?t exist! When do I get to know when the hoax ends??
The man shook his head with a pained expression on his face.
?Okay, I know maybe breaking it to you this way wasn?t the best way to go about doing it??
?But I thought fate determines that, not your own choice,? countered Nick, thinking by saying this he was using the man?s own reasoning against him.
?Exactly. It could have been no other way,? the man finished triumphantly. Nick groaned. When will it end???
Suddenly, the man tensed, stood up straighter. ?Mia?? he mumbled. A thoroughly angry expression overtook his countenance as his eyes warily darted around the room. To Nick?s utmost horror, his mother had disappeared, no longer bound and gagged as she was just minutes before. He thought he heard the man utter some curse word. Nick reiterated his thoughts. When, oh when will it ever end???

?One more day until the Opening.?
?Then what??
?Then the boy is at the hands of the Wizard council.?
?When can he be ours??
?I have to do some manipulation to the Council, then he will be ours.?
?I trust in your abilities. You are, after all, the Second Grand Throne Seatholder.?
?Thank you Master. Without you, I would be lost.?

 

[Neo]

Yo man, took me long enough to find this thread again!

I didn't realize those last segments are italicized?

Aren't you redoing TYWCC?