Chapter 2 - Partners

Alex hurried to class thinking about his meeting with the man. He tripped and fell on his face when he entered his math class. The students there stared at him and chuckled. The teacher helped him up, annoyed.

"Late again for about the hundredth time in a row." The teacher sighed and tapped the computer screen. "Do you have a pass?"

Alex grinned happily and grabbed a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to his teacher.

The class gasped as they watched their teacher read the note. "ALEX YOU PIECE OF S-" He yelled as he stuck up his middle finger at him with a sly grin.

Alex shushed the teacher with his pointer finger and winked," Now, now, Mr. Siren. You'll be fine. Just relax and talk to us about Math 55."

He walked to his seat in the front row of the class. The students there gave him a high five for no reason. It was quite a joy to mess around with the teacher, you just never know how he would react. Mr. Siren marked Alex as here and not tardy due to having a pass. For the last hour and a half he would take the time to ponder whether to call Zotar after school.

When the bell rang to dismiss the class cheered that the last day of school was finally over. Mr. Siren also cheered and shooed the rest of the class out of his room. Alex ran out and as everyone did, he threw his graded papers into the air. Whoever had to clean it up... well sucks to be them. Alex said goodbyes to his friends who were already going off to live alone and join a college. Some went to their cars and headed to the new school they were going to do.

Alex was just about to walk home when a black limousine strolled up beside him. He tilted his head at the car and frowned at it. The passengers' side window scrolled down revealing Mr. Spear's face. Alex stepped back from the car on instinct of running away.

"Say Mr. Carbol , why don't we have a ride to your new home?" the blonde haired man smiled. He got out of the limo and closed the door behind him opening the main door to the car. "Shall we?" He waved his hand at the inside of the limo. Alex narrowed his eyes at Mr. Spear and then back at the car.

Alex frowned, "Hm yes fine." He threw Mr. Spear his backpack and the man almost fell over from the weight. "But I expect to have dinner at 6 and it better be a nice steak." He walked into the car and took his seat. Mr. Spear frowned at the boy and sighed getting into the car with him, setting Alex's bag in the basket. The man sat down in front of him and shook his head.

Alex crossed his arms and put his right leg over his left leg and looked at him with a frown, "What?" He looked at Mr. Spear who was staring at him with a creepy smile. Mr. Spear coughed and looked away at Alex's bag.

"What's in the bag that makes it so heavy?" Spear asked. Alex narrowed his eyes and flicked his hand at his bag.

"Its an encyclopedia of mythical creatures. My parents gave it to me and I like to keep it around me," he admitted blushing looking out the window.

Spear smiled, "Can I look at it?" Alex looked at him and nodded. He watched the man take out the leather book from his bag not looking at anything else that was in there. Mr. Spear opened to a random page and his eyes filled with awe. The pages were tinted orange yellow like an old book, the pictures and writing where as if it was hand written and drawn. Some pages had actual looking pictures of the creature, the pages were dedicated too. Alex always thought of them as really realistic drawings. The man chuckled as he flipped through the book, "Wow they really included real photos of some of these animals huh?"

Alex made an 'are you serious' face followed by an 'my whole life really is a lie' expression. He put his hand on his chin holding it with a pondering look. He watched Spear flip through the book once more before he closed it.

"They don't seem to have a section for Lingle Horns yet though there are still empty pages." Mr. Spear said with a sigh. "No wonder you don't know what they are." He narrowed his eyes at the boy. Alex rolled his eyes at the man and huffed crossing his arms. "I know you're curious about it. I can read your mind." The man frowned, "I need to teach you how to block your mind from mind readers."

Alex almost fell out of his seat, "From," he coughed, "What?" He looked at Mr. Spear with wondering eyes and a curious excited look. The man chuckled at black haired boy. "Wait you said you can read my mind! Does that mean I can too?!" Alex stood up and hit his head on the car ceiling. He groaned and fell back down on his seat holding his head with a wince.

Spear chuckled, "Why yes you can. Along with a lot more."

Alex smiled and looked down at his hands, "So, Mr. Spear. You're going to take me to this place where these Lingle Horn creatures... Who were exiled from this Lingle Horn kingdom. To TEACH ME, a human, to do magic?"

Mr. Spear winced, "Well first off, you can just call me Zotar. And well your entire life is a lie. Your memories were manipulated by your parents." Alex's eyes widened but stayed quite. "I'm bringing you to my mentor's place that I now run. Its an old factory on the outside but on the inside its Outcast Lingle Horn paradise. There we'll get you your memories back and I'll take you under my wing, both figuratively and literally."

Alex looked at him confused but he didn't care. This was the most exciting thing that has happened to him. Well at least that he can remember apparently. I'm insane for not freaking out! I'm f**king crazy for even getting in this limo in the first place. Alex frown and looked Mr. Spear... well Zotar over. The two sat there not talking to each other for the rest of the hour car ride. It was very awkward especially with Zotar staring at him like he was some sort of snack. Alex would only stare back with his golden eyes looking into the cold icy blue eyes of the blonde hair man.

The limo stopped and the door opened for them. Alex drabbed his stuff together and was about to grab his encyclopedia when Zotar grabbed it before him and hopped out of the car. Alex called out in protest and got out of the car looking around about to yell at Spear for taking his book. He got distracted at the sight of a rusted building made of metal and shivered. It looked like a death trap. He put on his backpack and stuffed his hands in his pant front pockets.

Zotar smiled at Alex and walked to the rusted door that looked like it was going to break apart once handled. Alex followed the man and looked back, in time to see the driver flicking his hand at the limo making it disappear. He tilted his head at the driver who looked at him with a small smile. They seem nice. Alex thought looking back at Zotar.

Spear pushed open the door which surprisingly didn't fall apart. He stepped through the doorway and looked back at Alex revealing the sandy color painted walls and black and red carpeting on the polished oak wood floor.

Zotar grinned at the boy and handed him back the encyclopedia,"So welcome to Paradise! Wanna be partners?"