I got out of my bed and went to the shower to wash up. When I was done bathing I tried for what felt like the millionth time to account for what happened yesterday, but it all came up blank. 'What the hell, I can't even remember coming home and getting into bed. The last thing that I remember is football practice.'
Sighing, I got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast but I didn't find anyone there, and that's when I realised that it is five in the morning and everyone was still asleep. That meant I won their silly bet. Ha.
"Hey guys, I win. Dad, I'm expecting that new bike," I yelled to the occupants of the household upstairs.
"It's in the garage, Kev, Dad just tricked you into working for it," Gary yelled back and heard laughter upstairs. 'I really don't mind that because come on. I have a new bike.' I rush the garage and found my brand new blue sports bike waiting for me.
"Thank Dad," I yelled back.
"You're welcome, Kev."
.....
I rode to school on my new bike. It was quite fast, to say the least. 'I'll have to thank Dad again.' I got to my locker but I didn't find my friends there waiting for me as we usually do when one of us hasn't yet turned up. That way we always get to talk before classes start. I grabbed my books and went to my first class, Math. A feeling of dread crossed me when I remembered what happened during the test yesterday.
I entered the class and found Kendall and Ciara talking. I moved towards and sat beside Ciara to hear what was going on today. She turned to me with a weird look on her face.
"You okay," She asked.
"Yes, what happened yesterday," I asked them considering I didn't remember what happened. Ciara looked at Kendall and he nodded.
"You umm.... fainted yesterday," Kendall said with a hint of discomfort in his voice. It reminded me of the way he was whenever he was lying' but I brushed it off as it was the only thing that could come close to making sense. Maybe I didn't lose my memory and was simply passed out the whole time. I couldn't remember fainting and I know the feeling, besides my parents didn't even hint at it. They would have been going nuts about it as soon as I woke up.
"I don't remember feeling dizzy," they exchanged looks again. Okay now, something was definitely amiss about this whole thing.
Ciara turns back to me, "Honestly you passed out when we were talking to the..." She paused, "sorry when you had just finished football practice," she said biting her lip.
At that moment the teacher entered the classroom. Though it was still half-empty. "Ah, Kevin Johnson, glad to find you here. You will be attending sessions during lunch where we shall be trying to straighten your math skills. Clearly, there's a lot you don't know. Until I am confident you can handle math on your own." He says as students begin entering the classroom. "Starting today you will be having lunch with me till further notice." He says as Kendall's eyes widen in disbelief. I was literally the best mathematician he knew and yet here I was being forced to take extra lessons.
'Great, just what I needed to add to my pile of burdens.' I took my seat and tried to listen to what the teacher was teaching. He went through some rather easy math concepts.
'I really wonder what was wrong with me in the previous math lesson.' Lessons proceeded as usual, but this time with my friends ignoring me even more as they had Ciara to occupy them. She was always with the right friend at the right time. I needed to talk to Kendall about this at lunch before my lesson with Mr Bergstrom.
I timed him right before he was going into the cafeteria and pulled him into an empty class. I looked him straight in the eyes. " Kendall, please tell me what the hell is going because I'm losing my mind right now."
"Dude we're not supposed to tell you," he replied.
"Since when do you keep things from me," I asked him taken aback.
"Since Ciara says so," he said and this caught me totally by surprise. 'What the....'
"Since when do you take orders from Ciara. This isn't like you." I asked him.
"That's the thing, she's like the boss. And that's all I can tell you. And if I were you I'd drop it. Sorry I dragged you into this. I should never have shown you that old guy," he replied apologetically. Then he went out of the room and straight to the cafeteria leaving me glued to the spot.
'What old guy?'
.....
'How did this happen,' I thought as I walked to the math class to begin my session. I entered the class and the teacher eyed me. And I thought I saw a flicker of emotion in his stern eyes.
"Your friends seem to have abandoned you," he commented. Weird as it might have sounded, he was right.
"I am not even going to ask you how you know that," I say deciding to play along. "Yeah, so it seems," I sigh. The teacher looked at me some more then began to talk.
"Anyway, I didn't make you fail that test so that I could have time to teach you math. On the contrary, I will be teaching you...."
"Wait wait wait wait," I repeatedly said to make sure I properly interrupted the teacher, "You made me fail that test. What kind of teacher does that?" I asked taken aback by this new information. "Wait how did you even? How did....."
"Would you calm down and let me finish. I am here to teach you magic. I made you fail that test to get your lunchtime."
'You've got to be kidding me.' I thought.
"On the contrary, Mr Kevin," he said as though he was reading my mind.
"Can I ask questions?" I asked him.
"Sure. Anything."
"What?" I blankly say.
"I don't follow. Your friends seem well-acquainted with the concept," he says. 'Huh, so my friends know magic. I'm lacking some memories and my teacher is a serious stalker. What was I thinking playing along since we are still on the subject of my friends?"
"Second question: Why are my friends ignoring me? Why are they answering only to Ciara? And more importantly why are they hiding from me? What happened yesterday and what did happen yesterday, I don't remember passing out and..."
"Whoa whoa whoa slow down. One step at a time, I'll give you all your answers in due time. But you should not let your friends know that I am helping you."
"Why?"
"They have been assigned to someone else and considering Ciara does not want you to know anything you shouldn't. Make sure she knows nothing of this. Or I'll be done for."
"Okay, so what is it? The whole story that is. I need to know everything."
"Okay get ready and comfortable...
Long ago in a beautiful land known as Armensia, there flourished prosperity, peace and harmony, but just like every story, there's always a bad side.
In this land there lived five significant beings; elves, dwarves, trolls, witches and wizards, and lastly Dragons and dragon riders, who are taken to be under the dragons. These five factions or races for that matter lived happily in harmony and peace. (Wait weren't there any humans)
(Don't interrupt me.)
They were all protected by a superior being known as Zaraias. Zaraias watched over Armensia with love until one day seven selfish wizards and witches decided to take the land for themselves.
Each of them travelled on treacherous journeys to conquer seven powerful beasts to corrupt them with dark magic such that they would be granted untold power.
But one of them known as Travas had his own plan to put the others under himself. When Zaraias knew of this he called on two beings from another world, humans, a couple that was bound by love. (Finally there we are)
(Would you shut up?) Their names were Jekyll and Daphne. He gave them untold power to fight against Travas, but these humans saw that they were not powerful enough and were highly out-matched.
So Zaraias told them to pick out four other comrades to help them. He gave their friends powers, but not as powerful as those of Jack and Jekyll with the intention of making them the leaders of this new force who now ran by the name Artras.
One of Jekyll's friends, Tobias, though who had had a feud with him over the maiden Daphne had grown jealous of him. (What are you? Some ancient wizard...)
(The story is more fun when narrated in that kind of language) He went to Zaraias and told him that love makes people blind and reckless. Zaraias was convinced that making Tobias the leader then was the best decision. He then gave the powers of leadership to Tobias.
Jekyll was enraged by his friend's act of selfishness, but before taking any action Daphne calmed him and managed to help him through his pain and let him go for a conflict amongst themselves would only bring more destruction for the land of Armensia.
When Zaraias saw this he was pleased with the couple. He could not change the powers of leadership but signified the positions of power.
He gave Jekyll and Daphne the powers of freedom to defy Tobias which made him special as the others couldn't go against his wishes, and he went by the title, Siege. He gave Daphne the powers to the heart which made her incorruptible and she went with the title, Homage. And Tobias remained their leader making him the Alpha. The team of humans granted powers were collectively known as the 'artras.'
The artras then drove away Travas and his witches and wizards but were unable to truly vanquish the evil. Now and then they would attack so Zaraias made the powers of the artras move through generations with the hope that one day they would destroy Travas once and for all.
"That's one hell of a story you got there, professor."
.....