Chapter one
My life was normal; at least I thought it was. My day after day was the same.
Today was no different. I woke up and got dressed into my usual dark green peasant clothes, then I waddled over to my bathroom and brushed my teeth, after that, I braided my long, red hair into two braids that hung down over my shoulders. I leaned forward and put my face two inches away from the mirror glass. I scowled at my freckles and bright green eyes. I wished I could wear the colors that rich women could wear on their faces, maybe then I wouldn’t think I was so hideous.
I took one last look at my face and turned to walk out of the bathroom.
I plopped on one of the cushions on our floor. I contemplated how hard and uncomfortable they were. But it was all we had, so I guessed I had to make do with them.
The next thing I knew, my mother walked in.
“Are you ready, June?” She asked, as she always did in the mornings.
My mother was the town’s high school teacher. We did school at our house.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” I said.
“Great!” Said mom, “I guess we’ll just wait now…
So we waited for the Senior Year High School
“Alexis!!” I gave her a big hug and we walked over to the sitting room.
“How have you been?” She asked.
“Uh, good I guess.” I sighed.
I always felt kind of lowly around Alexis, she was so pretty and talented. She had dark, curly hair and tan skin with a splash of freckles around her nose, I hated freckles on me, but somehow, she could really pull them off. She also had big, brown eyes that were framed with long, black eyelashes, and a big, beautiful smile. As if her looks weren’t enough, she also was super talented, she was excellent at playing piano and guitar, singing, performing, reading, art, and acting. She wore stylish clothes and jewelry and a little bit of makeup, that was because her parents were on the governments good side, and if you’re on their good side, you can have a few more delicacies than us peasants.
The next thing I knew, there was another knock on the door. I walked over to the door and opened it. There stood Corr, Jennifer Paige, and Max.
“Hi!” I said, “Come on in!”
Corr was tall, he had light blond hair that was sort of long but still boy-length, he had light blue eyes. He was wearing his usual black (sometimes it was gray) and tan peasant clothes. He was friendly, kind, and kind of weird, but it was a good weird and most of us were weird anyways, so I didn’t care.
Jennifer Paige (who preferred to be called Jenny) was EXTREMELY tall, taller than Corr, she had long, blonde hair that went to her waist, she had piercing blue eyes, and her favorite color was purple, she often complained about how she couldn’t have purple peasant clothes because it was “the color of royalty”. So, she settled for soft blue peasant clothes with a pink tie around the waist. She was also good-weird, she was usually happy, and she LOVED animals.
I looked at her again and saw that she was scribbling away on a leather-bound notebook, just like she always was.
“What are you writing now?” I asked.
“Stories…” She said, as usual.
Max had long, dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin. She was always trying to act cool, but on the inside, she was really loving. She loved to read and write.
I led the three to the sitting room and almost immediately Alexis started talking with them.
Then Celast, Seana, and Diana were at the door. I welcomed them in and they went into the sitting room.
Celast was fairly tan with longish, dark hair. She had brown eyes, she was skinny, and just a little bit shorter than me. Her peasant clothes were bright pink and girly. She loved adventure and she was very good with animals, she loved nature and hated things that interrupted it’s natural ways.
Seana was pale, she had blue eyes, and short, rich, dark brown hair. Her peasant clothes were much shorter than everyone else’s, and they were red, with two black ties around the stomach. She was a leader-like person and a tomboy. I often saw her sitting on a bench by the road, thinking. She looked like she was trying to find something that was missing inside of her.
Diana was pale with short, brown hair, and blue-gray eyes. She was boy crazy, she always had at least 3 crushes. She loved to act and do things with her friends.
“Well,” Said my mother, “that’s most of us… Or, at least… all but one…”
Nadath, I thought.
The next thing I knew, the door slammed open and Nadath barged in. He was slightly tall, but not really that tall, he had short, brown hair, he had one blue eye and one brown eye. I wondered if most of the humans had eyes like that.
Yes, Nadath was human. He came from the Milky Way Galaxy to live here in Talonsbarrow with his human family. Nadath hated all things Magic. Magic plants, Magic animals, even Magic people. So, It boggled my mind why he would come to live here.
“Well, um…” Stuttered mother, humans always made her speechless, “I guess were all here now.”
“Yeah, I guess we are.” Said Nadath in a “Oh-I-know-everything-and-you-know-nothing” kind of way, he obviously hadn’t heard about the respect law.
Mother raised her eyebrows.
“Uh, well, I guess we better get started.” Said Celast, trying to avoid trouble.
“Yes, I guess we’d better.” I said.
“Alright.” Mother said.
We learned about philosophy and art and math and history and science, which Nadath seemed particularly interested in.
After everyone left, I took a bath then sat on my bed, wondering about life. Then a thought struck me like a ton of bricks.
The Ceremony of Magic was next week.
The Ceremony of Magic is an event where the whole town comes to the Ceremony Arena. All of the Senior High school age people then go up. Then the ceremony begins, I don’t quite know what they do, but in the end, all of the High school Seniors find out what their powers are. I stood straight up and started pacing around my room, thinking things like:
What will my power be?
What will everyone else’s power be?
Will it be a useful power?
I didn’t know any of the answers. All I could do was wait.
And sleep.
And dream.
And before I knew it, it was the next day, and I was exited.Chapter two
The next week went by like a blur. It seemed like only hours before the day of the Ceremony of Magic came. It was the Twelfth day of the month of the Eagle, the ninth month.
It was the third hour after sunrise. The whole Senior High School class (Minus Nadath, who had other, humanoid plans.) Trudged over to the tailor shop, we were to get clothing for the Ceremony. I didn’t quite understand why we were getting special clothes for the Ceremony, considering that hardly anyone would be watching us.
“Welcome!” Said the small, wrinkled old woman with a smile, “Pick out anything you want!”
We thanked her and started looking through the racks of fancy dresses and suits and whatnot.
I grabbed a few dresses and ran to the dressing room, hoping one would fit. I felt like I had tried on a bazillion-jillion-million-trillion dresses before I found one that I liked that actually fit me.
It was mint-green, with short sleeves and seams down the front that curved in a slimming way (which was good, because I had a tree trunk waist.). It made a V down and then there was the skirt, it was gathered at the top and it fanned out as you looked down. The top layer was made out of a thin, flowy, transparent material, and the under-layer was made out of silk. It was perfect.
I stepped out of the dressing room and nearly fell over at the sight of all my friends in their clothes.
Max was in a black dress that came down to her knees. The skirt was gathered at random intervals, making it look almost polka-dotted. The top was sleeveless, there was a silver belt at the waist and she was wearing a silver jacket over it.
Jenny’s dress came down to the middle of her shins, it was a tank top, but she was wearing a long sleeve, white shirt under it. Of course it was purple—Lavender, to be exact, the top ended at the waist with a braided leather belt around it and the skirt was puffy and flowy.
Corr was wearing a suit, it was just like your classic suit, only this one was navy blue and the shirt was gray, his tie was a bright, happy yellow.
Seana’s dress was long and flowy with a low waist and elbow-length flowy, transparent sleeves. It was a soft, pastel yellow color. It had layers in the skirt that slanted. There was a bow on the waist.
Alexis’ dress was dark green, It had long, loose sleeves that V’d down in the back and touched the floor, the waist was low and it had a V in it, the top had the same curving lines as mine did. The skirt was long and fanned out, but not flowy.
Celast’s dress was very colorful, it had puffed, short sleeves and the skirt went down to the middle of her shins, it didn’t really have a waist, it just went straight and fanned out at the skirt, it had a rainbow, floral pattern.
And finally, Diana’s dress was long, it had really thick straps that might as well have been sleeves, the dress had the same curving lines as mine did, it was a dark purple color, and it had slits in the top and bottom that revealed a lavender color.
“Wow.” I said to myself.
The little, old tailor woman came in.
“Is that all?” She said, “Well, you best be on your way!”
We all thanked her and shook her hand as we went out the door.
“Have a great day!” She said.
Somehow I knew we would.
The time had come, It was evening time. I was running through my house, screaming on the inside.
With my heart racing, feet pounding, eyes out of focus, ears ringing, and stomaching cramping, I ran through my house, trying to find my shoes.
I finally found them, hiding under my couch.
“Honey, you need to calm down!” Said my mom, “You’re going to hurt yourself! Just take some deep breaths!”
I stopped and took some deep breaths, and I swear my heart stopped for a second.
“Mom! I’m going to get my powers today! You can’t expect me to relax!!”
“Well, we’d better go, anyways.” Said mom.
We walked outside and trudged down the path to Magic Hall. We trudged and walked and shuffled and trudged and walked and shuffled some more until we finally reached the Magic Hall. I sighed.
“This is it.” I whispered to myself.
“Bye.” Said mother, “good luck.”
I waved and wished that she could stay with me, although I was a High School Senior, I still relied on my mother’s protection when I was nervous.
We walked through the door and a woman in a long, brown dress handed me a slip of paper. I opened it up and I saw the letter eight. This paper was to determine what place you went in.
Great, I thought, I’m last.
The Magic hall was much like an office, we were in the waiting room, it was a small room, we were sitting on metal chairs with soft padding, I looked around at the gray walls and the looped carpet that went halfway up the walls. There were pictures of famous magic users defeating evil, black magic users. Then I looked at all the people sitting around me. To my left was Max, then Jenny, then Corr, Seana, Alexis, Celast, And Diana.
My heart leaped as a man in a green plaid suit stepped out of the door to the far right of the room. He was digging around in a briefcase.
“Aaah, yes. Uhm, Ahha!” He pulled out a Slip of paper, “Could Maxine please come now?”
Max shakily stood up and waddled over to the door, She went inside and closed the door behind her. The man with the green plaid suit waited outside.
“Ah—now uhm… uhhh. Oh yes.” The man stumbled, “When Max comes out you must not say anything to her, you may converse later when you go to live in the dormitories.”
We nodded.
Then we waited.
And waited…
And waited…
Until finally she came out, eyes wide. We all “zipped our lips” as humans would say, and the next thing I knew, Jenny was called in.
Then Diana.
Then Celast.
Then Seana.
Then Corr.
Then Alexis.
And the next thing I knew I was called in.
I stood up, fell over, walked a little, fell over again, stood up, and threw myself into the room. My mind was blank, yet racing with thoughts, undistinguishable thoughts.
I looked around and saw a man standing at the side of the room, he was wearing old, worn down clothing, he was old, maybe seventy at least. His few whisps of hair were tucked into an old, pointy hat with a broad brim.
“Ah, yes hello.” Said the old man, “I am Argus, please stand up!”
I shakily stood up and leaned on the wall.
“You are--?”
“June.” I said. Now that I said it, it sounded very short, our government had eliminated last names hundreds of years ago. If we hadn’t, I believe my last name would be Flowington… My brain was rambling.
“Ah well, June, This is how we shall do this.” Said Argus, “We will pluck a hair from your head and place it in this.”
He held up a golden goblet.
“And then a puff of fog will come out and wrap itself around you. Then it will disintegrate and you’re eye color will change, depending on your power, which you will then perform. Understood?”
I nodded.
“Good, Step forward.”
I took a few steps forward.
“Turn around.”
I turned around.
The next thing I know, there is a small sharp pain in the back of my head.
“Ow!” I said as I grabbed the back of my head.
I watched as Argus dropped the hair in the goblet. An explosion of purple fog erupted out of the goblet. I screamed and it circled me and then tightened, I was floating in a cloud of fog..
The next thing I know, I’m couching on the floor. Something is different, I feel taller but I’m not.
Argus handed me a mirror and I looked in it and screamed.
My eyes were bright yellow with specks of blue and green and red and orange and pink and black.
“What’s my power?” I wheezed.
“We shall see.” Said Argus, “Now, Perform your power!”
“How?...”
“Will yourself!”
So I willed myself, And the next thing I knew I was shrinking and tightening and sprouting things all over.
What’s happening!? I tried to say, but all I heard was a squeak.
Argus put the mirror down to the floor and I looked at it and squeaked. I was a mouse, with speckled brown fur and beady black eyes.
Then I was growing and sprouting even more things, sharper, harder things, then I was being stretched out.
I looked in the mirror. I was an alligator. The next thing I knew I was getting taller and more smushed and the scales were gone.
I was a shapeshifter.
“Congratulations!” Said Argus
Chapter three
Nevah hated being a Princess. She hated all delicacies and publicity. She hated it so much that she snuck out with her friend every day to look at nature, that was her only joy in life. All she ever wanted was to have a simple life. She wanted to live in a cottage and cook her own meals and sleep on her plain little bed every night. But when she and her brother were chosen for Future rulers of the Dragon clan, That dream was ripped away from her.
But you see, Nevah would never have had a simple life in the first place, for you see, Nevah is a Vampire, and a Vampire’s life is never simple.
“Hello, Nevah.” Said Nevah’s servant friend, Xeethia.
“Hello, Xeethia,” Said Nevah, “Where should we go today?”
“I found a little forest by the stream, I thought we could go on a little walk.”
“Alright then.”
Then they walked and walked until they reached the forest. Then they went inside.
It was a green forest, green trees above, Green moss below. There were butterflies flapping around every 8 feet or so.
“Oh, It’s beautiful.” Said Nevah.
“Indeed it is.” Said Xeethia.
They walked and walked until they were right in the middle of the forest. Then there was a snap from behind. They turned around and saw a person, cloaked in black, aiming a crossbow at them. Nevah decided that it was time to get her Princess boots on.
“Who are you?” She called.
The person took a few steps forward. Nevah saw a badge on the left side of his cloak. She squinted and saw that it was the emblem of the Bat clan, the most evil of the nine clans.
“Run.” Nevah hissed at Xeethia.
“What” Xeethia hissed back.
“RUN!” Nevah yelled.
They pivoted and ran in the other direction. They got a few yards before Nevah yelled:
“We need to fly!”
“I can’t fly!” Xeethia wailed.
“Grab my ankles!”
Nevah grabbed the edges of her cape and she started to move her arms up and down. The cape then merged into her arms and shaped itself to look like dragon wings. Nevah was flying. And Xeethia was holding on to her ankles.
Then there was a whizzing noise, and a grunt from Xeethia. Nevah looked down and saw a dart in her friend’s back. Xeethia’s eyes closed and she let go.
“No!” Nevah screamed.
Then she felt a sharp pain in her own back. Everything went black.
And she fell down, down, down into a rosebush.
