Monday began like any other Monday. Everyone was frustrated about having to go to school or work again. It was different for Kevin in this case though. This Monday, Kevin was feeling amazing. He had almost forgotten how it felt like to get a goodnight sleep for once. He was, as usual, looking forward to his lunchtime session with Mr Bergstrom. Walking through the school doors and being welcomed by the more than familiar sound of students buzzing and geeks bustling about to get to class before the teacher got there or to catch up on some last-minute reading in case of a pop quiz. It was, for once, a normal day in Armenville high. Kevin walked to his locker and picked out the books before looking around for his friends that usually waited by the lockers till they had all arrived.
"Johnson, you did well in the last game," Thomas, the loud school quarterback and also their football captain. Kevin didn't really care, but Thomas had a knack for leadership and he was intent on keeping Kevin in line. "Just keep it up and we won't have any trouble."
Kevin might have been in a good mood, but even in his good mood, it was impossible to ignore the fact that Thomas had just made a threat. "Don't worry about me, Thomas. As long as the defenders have your back and your arm is in mint condition, we're good to go." The thing about Kevin in his good moods was that he didn't know when he was crossing a line that he shouldn't have crossed.
"As long as you don't mess up," Thomas said as he left leaving Ciara and Jacob who Kevin had not yet noticed until now.
"Someone's in a good mood," Ciara began.
"Yeah, I slept well and for once, I can think clearly," Kevin replied.
"The way you talked to Thomas didn't look like someone who was thinking clearly," Jacob said chuckling.
"Oh, I guess. He did sound kinda off. Plus I'm feeling quite invincible now," he said while flexing his muscles to show just how good he was feeling. The Siege's friends only replied to him with mocking sad faces and face-palms as they walked to their first period.
Mr Bergstrom went on and on about maths concepts that were pretty easy for Kevin though he never paid much attention in class. Classes went on until it reached the lunchtime session with Bergstrom.
......
"I see you're in a good mood," Bergstrom began after getting ready for the session.
"Yes, I am, old Siege, never been better," Kevin jokingly replied causing Bergstrom to go silent for some time it almost seemed like he was a statue.
"How much did you see?"
"The day Ellimir died," Kevin replied letting his mood drop when he remembered that fateful day.
"I don't really think she died then. I just couldn't find her after then," Bergstrom confessed sighing.
"Why not, sir?"
"I'll tell you as soon as you stop time," he said causing Kevin to stop time almost immediately. "Ellimir was an elder dragon, and elder dragons don't die that easily. Soon you'll start developing callings, senses reminding you of her existence. When you do get them, it's of great importance that you follow them and find her. But don't tell anyone about it. Bad people want the elder dragons dead because of how much power they possess."
"Why wouldn't you do it, sir?"
"I was incapacitated when she 'died'," he said making air quotes with his fingers on the word 'died', "My powers were weakened and our generation was doomed to fail. We were..."
At that moment, Ciara burst into the room, panting and drenched in sweat. Something looked different about her, her hair was longer, she was fully dressed in the artra's battle suit which Kevin could remember from the time they were wandering around the Artarak. 'The battle suit looks really good on her', Kevin thought before realising the implications of his thoughts and blocking them out at the same time.
She radiated power that made her feel and look more lethal than she usually did. She took a seat right next to Kevin. She leaned against the desk right behind theirs to catch her breath. She looked at Kevin with a somewhat longing and distant expression and she didn't do anything to hide it as she got ready to start talking to talk.
"You aren't our Ciara, are you?" Bergstrom began. She nodded confirming his suspicions. Bergstrom looked down at his desk as though he had been given the news about a funeral. 'Okay am I missing something here?' Kevin thought.
"I come from the future, but I can't tell you much. It would be risky. All I can tell you is... Speed up his training. I swear, I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot say any more than that." She finished as tears welled up in her eyes causing her to look away. She opened a portal that looked nothing like the ones the artras used to get to Armensia. She took one more look at them and went through it.
"Class dismissed," Bergstrom said, "I need to find new ways of quickening your training. Enjoy your lunch. You've seen nothing yet. Things are about to get bumpy," Bergstrom said in a trance as though he was thinking up new ways to torture criminals.
Kevin let go of his hold on time and made it to the cafeteria for lunch. It was going to be his first lunchtime with his friends this year. This was indeed a free Monday. He reached his friends in the cafeteria and had to lie about how Bergstrom had let him off the hook for that day alone. There was an awkward silence when Kevin took his seat. It seemed like Kevin had bumped into something his friends had been discussing which agitated him.
"Alright, what's going on?" Kevin asked. Ciara slowly turned to him setting down her fork and wiping her mouth with a napkin. The rest kept eating waiting for her to explain.
"One of the members of the Elder Council has gone rogue. There have been rumours that he joined Travas," she explained.
"Which one?"
"Caspro," Isaac whispered. Caspro had struck Kevin as one of the ones he could trust on the Elder Council.
"That has to be a mistake."
"We're just as shocked as you are Kevin. No one expected him to do such a thing. Unfortunately, that's not all," Ciara continued looking away from this time. "He took half of the Elven guard with him. And that includes hundreds of dragon riders. His act has spun Armensia into a state of tension and fear. Fortunately, no one is panicking yet. Harrow and Crystal are not happy at all since the dragons are of their kin."
This wasn't the first piece of bad news Kevin was receiving in one day. He suddenly wasn't feeling like eating anything now. "What do we do now?" Kevin asked causing Ciara to look at him abruptly with an expression of surprise only to mask it immediately.
"The council provided us with a bit of information. The ice dragons sensed Travas' presence near the western borders of Armensia. A team of mages was sent over there to check it out but they found nothing at all."
The name Travas brought shivers to Kevin's spine. He remembered the power Bergstrom had harnessed to try and fight the guy. Even with an elder dragon, the artras had failed to defeat Travas. What chance did they stand now? "How do we beat him without an elder dragon this time?" Kevin said a little more to himself.
"The Homage has one. We just have to find him or her. It could be your brother," Kendall spoke up for the first time. "Your mother was the previous Homage. Maybe you ask her for some advice."
"Okay, I'll see what I can...wait ..... how did you know my....." Kevin was forced to stop his sentence when he noticed the whole school go dead silent. He looked around and everything was frozen. He looked at his friends and even they were frozen. Kevin had frozen time before, but this was different. Kevin lifted up his fork and let it fall. The moment he let go of it, it froze midair. This magic was too thick. 'Why am I still moving though' Kevin thought. He walked out of the cafeteria and right down the hall stood a hooded figure.
His face was hidden under the shadow of the hood even though that wasn't enough to hide his creepy red eyes that were staring intensely at Kevin. His coat was sleeveless exposing his ripped scarred arms that defined otherworldly strength. What was with this guy? Was he the distant cousin of the hulk or something? The aura that was coming of him was like waves of pure dread and it seemed like he wasn't even trying. Kevin guessed he was in really big trouble.
"You are being warned. I'm Texan, one of the Great Seven," a deep voice that caused the lockers to rattle resonated from the hooded man.
......