This is chapter one of the story I am starting, featuring Destiny Diamondblade (my account name lol), Zach Stormdrifter, and Sonia Magicstrider. Enjoy! (unfortunately i did have to type this out word by word bc of technical issues). Keep checking in for edits!
Sonia Magicstrider opened her eyes. She glanced at the electronic clock on her bedside table and sighed. It was 2:00 in the morning. She cast a forlorn glance at her wardrobe where she knew her wizarding gear was hanging. Tomorrow was her first day at the Academy. She sighed again and turned on her side, admiring how the light blue of the blanket went with her dark brown hair. Sonia gaze fell on her twin brother, Kai, who was sleeping soundly in the bed across the room. With yet another sigh, she turned back to the ceiling and the dull flickering lamp that her worrier of a mom insisted she keep on.
The Magicstriders had never been exactly rich. They lived in an old weathered house just outside of Lamplight Town and about a day away from Firefly Forest. Not exactly prime real estate, but it was home.
The Magicstriders were rich in one thing, however: Talent. For generations, Sonia’s family had been extremely smart in terms of spells and enchantments. Sonia’s parents themselves, Adalynn and Andrew, were teachers at the Academy.
Sonia looked at the clock. 2:10. A sigh. Then, something else.
Something that wasn’t a sigh. It was a wood-creaking, a slithering noise, and a rustling. Sonia froze, sweat starting to bead on her forehead because of the heat. But the sound faded away, and all Sonia could hear was the hoot of an owl.
“Sonia?” It was Kai, sitting up in his bed. Sonia sat up as well. “Yes?” She responded, voice trembling.
“Did you hear that?”
Sonia nodded and looked out the window uncomfortably. Kai shook his moppy black hair out of his eyes. “We should go look for it!”
“But… we’re not supposed to be out after dark…” Sonia said, always the rule-follower.
“They won’t know. They’re asleep," said Kai, always the rule-breaker.
“I don’t know… we have no idea what it could be!”
Kai put on a demure face. “Oh, come on! Pleassssse?” He begged, clasping his hands together.
Sonia rolled her eyes but said, “Fine.” Kai was already opening the door. Sonia put a sweater on and followed him, and they tiptoed past the living room.
As they walked down the foyer, Sonia’s mom’s pet, a Frostfang, almost woke up and gave them away, but at the last second, Sonia gave her some sleeping pills, and Blizzard fell into a doze once more.
Kai softly closed the front door behind them, and they started exploring the Mid-forest, the woods that connected Firefly Forest and Lamplight Town. It was dark, and it had an aura of foreboding. Green fern fronds that seemed friendly in daylight seemed menacing in moonlight. The leafy trees that seemed to protect Sonia in daylight trapped her in darkness now.
Sonia uneasily followed her brother, both sticking to the well-worn path that eventually led to Firefly Forest.
Then suddenly, a chill that grasped Sonia’s bones swept over them. But it wasn’t just a gust of wind.
That cold held fear in its arms and it shoved that fear right into Sonia’s heart.
And Sonia felt it.
She shivered and stopped, hyperventilating. “Let’s go back,” she told Kai, blocking his path. “No,” Kai said. He pushed past Sonia and kept walking.
Sonia was torn. Do I go back home or stay with my brother?
Something slimy brushed past Sonia’s leg. She gave a little yelp and caught up with Kai.
They walked down the forest path, swiftly and quietly. But then they stopped. They slowly turned towards each other, eyes wide.
The noise was back. The wood-creaking, slithering, rustling noise. It started faint. Then it got louder.
Sweat dripped off Sonia’s chin. Her breath came fast and shallow, and she felt like her heart was going to explode right out of her chest.
A twig snapped somewhere close by and shadow engulfed Sonia and Kai. They both ran blindly away, getting violent scratches on their legs and arms from the plant growth. As they came into view of the house, Sonia ran faster, until she was up the steps of the porch. She collapsed on the ground, panting and crying from fear. Kai reached up for the doorknob, shaking.
And as he touched it, Sonia thought she heard a maniacal laugh.
Sonia blinked open her eyes. Someone was shaking her. She turned around in her bed and moaned, “Kai, stop-” she paused mid-sentence when she saw that it was not Kai who was shaking her, but what looked something like a fairy. “Hi! I’m Noot,” the creature said brightly, waving. “I take all the new students to the Academy!”
Sonia’s heart skipped a beat. She was ready for this. Sure, she was exhausted and traumatized from last night’s experience, but this was the Academy Noot was talking about. The Academy! She jumped out of bed, beaming, and opened the door of her wardrobe.
“Good, you received the robes Gale sent you,” Noot said, pulling out the black-and-gold robes that were in a heap on the floor of the wardrobe.
“But-but I thought I was going to wear these,” Sonia stammered, pointing at the metal-and-mesh armor that was hung up in the middle of the wardrobe.
Noot shook his head, his eyes twinkling with confusion and amusement. “No, we wear the standard school robes only, unless on a quest,” he said, his voice edged with meaning.
“Quest?” Sonia echoed, perching on the corner of her bed. “And where is Kai?”
Noot’s wings twitched as he replied. “Some wizards get chosen to go on quests for one reason or another. And as for your brother… he’s already at the Academy.”
“I can’t wait to see him again!”
“Umm…” Noot said, tugging at the collar of his brightly colored robe. “You might not see Kai for a while…”
“Why not?” Sonia asked anxiously. Noot sighed, his eyes darting around the room. “He’s… different. You’re different,” He murmured, sounding like he was choosing his words carefully. Sonia blinked, confused. “How am I different? Is the academy divided by gender or something?” Noot just shook his head no.
That’s not an answer!
“Change.” Noot ordered, pointing at the clothes Sonia was to wear. Sonia stared at Noot, waiting. Noot just stared back, not moving, except to itch his leg.
“Noot?” Sonia asked, tilting her head to one side.
“Yes?”
“Leave the room, please.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Zach Stormdrifter kicked his blankets off, grumbling about the heat. He groped for his wristwatch on the bedside table. It was 2:00 in the morning. Still complaining, he got up and opened his closet door, frowning at the long black and yellow cloak that his parents had hung up immediately after they got it, along with the note from the school’s principal, Gale. Zach was bubbling with excitement at the thought that he would be going on a quest to save the Academy. Apparently he would meet his quest partners later. Why can’t I do this alone? Why do I have to go with partners?
Zach frowned again, and pushed back some clothes. Where is it? Finally, he caught a glint that showed through some jackets. He yanked them apart and marveled at the golden armor that shone before him. It was heavily encrusted with jewels, and their scattered light illuminated the closet. Zach’s brother, Leo, had saved up and bought it at Lamplight Town for his own quest. And now it belonged to Zach.
Zack reached up as far as he could to get to the golden hilt that hung from the ceiling. Ripping it down, he unsheathed the blade. It was also gold, double-edged with a gap down the middle. Peering into the gap, Zach could just see the tiny ball of energy that would cast a spell. He put the sword back in its sheath and glanced at the robes, then back at the gear. Hmmm…
Zach’s frown turned into a smile. I should wear the celestial gear for school! I’m going on a quest, after all!
The Stormdrifters were an extremely well-off family. They lived in the biggest house in Lamplight town and were known for being bold and sometimes overly confident.
Zach looked around the hot, dark room. He didn’t know why, but he felt something sinister. And as he thought that thought, a tendril of black smoke drifted through the window and wrapped itself around Zach. It felt like tiny little glass shards were stabbing him. And they were freezing. He shivered, but the cold only bit harder. Then it pulled tighter.
The window closed.
The door, which locked from the outside, gave a loud click.
The tendril formed itself into an eye. Zach’s heart like to froze.
The shadow emblem.
Before Zach could gather his wits and run, the eye turned into a snake and coiled around him once more. It raised its head and Zach heard a deep, guttural voice in his mind, even though the snake’s mouth was not moving.
We are coming. Be ready.
The smoke evaporated all at once, leaving only a cold sense of foreboding.
Zach ran to the door and found that it was unlocked again. He yanked it open and ran out of the house and onto the streets of Lamplight Town.
It was quiet as Zach strolled through the cobblestone pathways. It was weird, the quiet, especially at 3 o’clock, when everyone was usually getting up to go to work. But at least it wasn’t hot and stuffy like it was when it was crowded. It was just warm.
Which, for the first time all summer, Zach didn’t mind.
Something flitted past him, out of the corner of his eyes. It stopped, and turned to look at him. “Zach?” It squeaked.
It was tan colored, with a v-shaped smile and white clothes with colored fragments and Astral signs. It had bee-like wings and beady eyes. “Hi! I’m-”
“I know who you are,” Zach interrupted rudely. He was not in the mood. He felt like he was going to get PTSD and here was this Noot guy, smiling like he was the happiest thing on Earth! Then he pointed out, “It said your name in the letter.”
Noot just smiled. “Follow me.” Then his face turned serious. “We need to get you to the Academy.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Destiny Diamondblade stared into her cat o’ lantern’s eyes, trying to find out the time. She had read how to in a book, and had been trying to get it down perfectly.
Destiny sat cross-legged on the floor, constantly shaking her bubblegum-pink hair out of her eyes. Her cat, Moony, was silently staring at her as she held her face in her hands and inspected her pupils. They were wide. Destiny squinted at Moony’s face, trying to ignore the bright yellow stars on her fur that were pulsing. Even without those pulsing stars, Destiny knew there was trouble. She had known it ever since she had received that note from Gale with her robes.
Destiny reached over and turned off the night light. Her 5-year-old brother, Thomas, moaned a little, but Destiny paid no heed and returned her gaze to Moony’s eyes. Then she straightened up triumphantly. It was 2:00!
As Moony jumped off the bed, Destiny’s thoughts returned to the letter. She grabbed it from the bedside table.
Welcome to the Academy! I will say this in advance and hope you shall be a great addition to our prestigious school. (Noot shall pick you up in the early morning.) Be warned though; you have been chosen to go on a quest to save Firefly Forest with two other people. More details will be revealed to you soon. Until then, I wish you luck in your classes.
Sincerely,
Gale
Destiny sighed at that last sentence. She knew that was next to impossible.
The Diamondblades lived in Lamplight Town, in the far corner. They were by far the worst family at spells and had been that way for years. They were very clever, however, and that had helped them in their surprisingly large number of quests. Destiny’s mom, Hazel, in fact, had gone on a quest about 15 years ago.
Destiny turned the night light back on and grabbed a notebook. Then she picked up her magic quill she had gotten for her birthday. She had never been able to use it, but she knew she had to try if she was to learn any spells.
2 hours later, Noot came in.
Destiny had not gotten the quill to write anything.
“Hi! You should already know me. Are you dressed? Do you have your school stuff? Are you going to bring your cat?” Noot asked.
Destiny cringed at the rush of questions. “No, yes, and yes,” she said. “Let me change.”
Noot politely backed out of the room until Destiny called him back. Moony was put into a cage and they left the room.
They reached a small cove ringed by a cliff, under the shadow of the Academy. Destiny gave Noot a questioning look.
“The Academy got rid of its steps when the…” Noot trailed off, then glanced at Destiny’s face. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I just don't want to put us in any danger if it's taboo…” Noot handed Destiny a blue glass teardrop with a gold chain connected to it. It had a small book inside. It was small enough that Destiny could wear it around her neck, but it was big in Noot’s tiny hands.“An amulet to get to the Academy,” Noot explained. He took it from her hands and stared intently at it until the cover of the book opened and the pages fluttered back and forth.
Nothing happened.
“Hmmm… It is new, so maybe wait a while for the portal to open.” Noot handed her back the amulet and turned around.
Destiny looked down at the open pages of the book, flapping madly. Then they slowed, and the pages started turning a purple-ish black at the edges. They started crumpling, shrinking into the center, until the book looked like a balled up tissue. An icy-cold wind gusted into the cove.
Frightened, Destiny looked up at Noot, to see if he had felt the bitter frost. But his back was turned to her, and he was muttering to himself (“These walls oughta get some support, they seem weaker by the day”), apparently not noticing anything that was going on.
Destiny looked back at the book, expecting shriveled pages, but instead they were back to normal, fluttering harder and harder by the millisecond.
Noot turned around just as the portal opened with a burst of wind.
“Finally! Come on, Destiny! It might feel a tad bit uncomfortable, but…” Noot’s reassuring voice faded away with him as the portal devoured his beckoning hand.
Destiny hesitated, then reproached herself for it. *Oh, for goodness’ sake, Destiny, how can you go on a quest if you aren’t even brave enough to go through a portal!*
Destiny reached out her hand to the portal, stuck it in there. Then suddenly, she was yanked into the vortex as it closed behind her.
The Academy was amazing. Dark blue and red banners with gold flapped gaily in an unseen wind in the Grand Hall, and floating candles hovered around the corners, making even the darkest places full of warmth. And the students. They were *everywhere*. They were reading on benches, practicing spells on dummies propped against the wall, chatting and gossiping with friends, or just admiring the paintings that adorned the walls. A floatling stood to one side, organizing wands.
“Who’s that?” Destiny asked, pointing to it. Noot chuckled. “That's the Academy merchant. We're fifth cousins, I believe. Come, you must talk to Gale, the headmaster,” Noot added, dragging her by the hand and surprising Destiny with his strength.
Gale was a tad bit bigger than Noot, with grey skin, light silver hair, and red and gold robes with a blue collar. His wings were made of lightning, and he had a ribbon-like yellow tail.
A boy was already talking to Gale when Destiny approached. He looked to be about her age, with mousy brown hair. He was wearing celestial gear, to Destiny’s awe, and he seemed to be arguing with Gale. “Why can’t I wear this? It’ll help me!” The boy said indignantly. Gale shook his head. “My answer is no, Zach, and that’s final. Go buy some robes from the merchant.” Gale's tone was firm. Zach left with his shoulders sagging.
Noot waved to the headmaster. Gale looked up at them and his eyes brightened. “Noot!” He called, returning his wave. “And am I right to call you Destiny?” He asked brightly, meeting Destiny’s gaze.
“Y-yes,” she stammered, famously shy.
“Then welcome, Destiny. Please, let me lead you to your first class.”
And with a sweep of an arm, Gale led Destiny to her future.
I am done! Plot ideas, ships, and constructive criticism are all welcome! Hope you like it! (I got a computer from school so I can copy and paste now!)
Chapter 2 will be out soon!
Sorry for the parts where you have to scroll sideways!
Amazing!