Chapter Fifty-seven— Scene of Defense
Ellie, Bell, Abby and I shuffled inside the Defense classroom. It was almost like a dojo, really. Lots of mirrors and stone, very dark and with racks of weapons on the walls.
There were about four hundred other students in the classroom besides us, which wasn’t a surprise. Unfortunately, despite the amount of students there seemed to be, the professor noticed us when we walked in late. Panicking, we exchanged glances.
The teacher wore a mask. I couldn’t see his face, but he looked almost the same age as me, but much taller. There was something familiar about his posture, how he looked…
“Sit down.” His voice was loud and booming, also magnified. It made me freeze, and I wondered why my heart skipped a beat. Ellie took my hand and led me towards Abby and Bell, who were already sitting down at their desks the moment they saw the teacher’s reaction. “I do not tolerate tardiness.”
“We’re sorry.” The words escaped my mouth before I realized I had opened it. It was too loud, and I almost expected it to echo.
The teacher froze, but then turned away from us and began to talk to the other side of the room. Walking away, I could see his hands were in fists, as if he was fighting off an urge to do something.
There was something from his voice, remarkably deep but also super familiar. If only I could remember, as if the answer was something I had pushed out of my mind.
Unfortunately, I had not caught the teacher’s name, not that I’ve been caring most of the day on what the professor’s names were. Nobody was willing to talk to us, because the teacher was too intimidating for students to talk when he’s talking. He wasn’t scary… Just powerful.
“Today, we will not be using weapons. This means no wands, swords, arrows, spears, or knives.” I saw his eyes flick over to us, too far away to see. If I could see what his eyes looked like, perhaps I would be able to identify him. Abby moved uncomfortably, for knives were her special weapons. “We will be using our body. To know your opponent’s weaknesses is a great advantage. Weak knees, bad shoulder, strained neck…”
He flexed his arms, as if getting ready for a fight. I leaned back, awkwardly admiring his evident muscles. “You will use your hands, arms, and legs to trap your enemy and kill them. Of course, killing is not allowed.”
Yes, but is hurting people allowed? I stared.
“You,” he pointed at a boy in the front row. “Come up here.”
The boy strutted forward, looking confident and strong. He stood in front of the teacher, almost as though he was challenging him.
“We will fight,” the teacher explained. “And you will attempt to fight back using your body. If one of us is in a death position for ten seconds, then one of us loses.”
“So it’s like wrestling.” Ellie whispered to me, watching intensely.
The boy flexed and grinned. The teacher just stood there, tall and magnificently powerful. He was waiting for the boy to come to him.
And the boy did, eventually, when he realized that the teacher wasn’t going to do so. He charged forward, and right when he was an inch away from the teacher-
The teacher had him in a headlock with his right arm, while his left held the boys hands near his stomach. The boy struggled furiously, but the teacher twisted his right arm and-
The boy yelped, and relaxed.
“Ouch.” Ellie whispered. “That ought to pull a muscle.”
“I think it did.” Abby added, staring with slight fear. “But it was proof to show that the teacher could have snapped his neck in a second.”
“You will group up in pairs. Do so in a matter of five minutes, and I will walk around to see how you are doing.” The teacher let go of the boy, who was holding his neck and wincing.
“Mary is with me.” Ellie grinned and slipped her arm through mine.
“Fine.” Bell
“I know I’m wonderful, but y’all shouldn’t get jealous.” I joked, chuckling cheerfully.
“I don’t care who I team up with.” Abby spoke up, straining to get a look at the teacher. “I just want to know who he is.”
I snuck a glance at the teacher, and he was helping a girl do a proper headlock. “I’d say you’re falling for him, Abby.”
“Ew, no.” Abby scrunched up her nose. “I just think he sounds really familiar.”
“I know, right?” I gaped at Abby.
Ellie and Bell
“Then we must have seen him before we met you guys.” Abby explained.
“Oh!” I panicked at the sight of him approaching, and cursed. “He’s coming over here. Let’s move.”
“But I want to meet him!” Ellie groaned, and I took her wrist and pulled, making her walk to the other side of the room with me. Looking back, the teacher was no longer walking towards that spot. Frowning, I saw that he was standing in the midst of students fighting quite professionally, scanning the room. I saw Abby and Bell
“I don’t know who he is.” I told Ellie, while getting ready to fight. “But he freaks me out.”
“I agree, although he is fine looking.” She smirked.
“We don’t know about that. You can’t even see his face.” I snuck another glance at him, and he was helping two guys. “He could be an ogre in disguise.”
“With those muscles? I don’t think so.” Ellie laughed. “I know beauty when I see it.”
“Oh yeah.” My hands turned into fists, and changed my position as if I was going to pounce. Ellie did the same. “Angel of Beauty and all that…”
“Shh…” Ellie grinned, looking around. “Don’t want peo-“
Right when she was distracted, I attacked her. She was quick, though, and dodged me. I managed to trip her, and she fell on the ground. Getting ready to attack her again, she kicks me in the shins and I fall to the ground, laughing. I knew this exercise was to be serious, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I kicked Ellie in her thigh, and she yelped, and hit me in the arm. I giggled, and stood up. Taking her hand and pulling her up with me, I kicked her back in the shin and she hopped up and down, cursing.
Ellie whispered something and I felt as though the ground had been slipped out from under me, like a rug. I cursed and sat up, rubbing my bottom. “What was that?”
“Magic.” She smirked.
I crossed my arms. “Cheater.”
“You’re doing it wrong, you know.” The voice startled me, making me jump. I got up from sitting on the ground, embarrassed. I wiped my hands on my pants, but the medal didn’t do much to help my nervous sweating.
The teacher stepped between Ellie and me, facing me. Ellie backed away, her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a scream of anticipation or shock.
No, no, no, no, I don’t like this! Why should this awkward situation be put upon my shoulders?
The teacher positioned himself, and I tried to not think like a silly school girl. I closed my eyes, and I knew at once what would make my nerves go away. Take a few deep breaths, and to just think on battling. Ignore everybody around me.
And so I positioned myself, and the teacher used the same technique he used on the boy. He seemed to be underestimating me. I raised my eyebrow, letting him know that I wasn’t going to come to him.
He nodded and instead of charging real fast, he walked. Each step gained more speed, and all of a sudden, he stooped down to knock me off my ground-
I jumped and brought my elbow in his back, but then I realized that he wasn’t aiming to knock me out of balance. Instead he stood up real fast, launching me up about a foot in the air. He hooked his hand to my stomach and brought me down to the floor, making me lose my breath.
He may be stronger, but I was angrier.
I grabbed his head in my hands and smashed my forehead against his. The old fashioned trick. He grunted and I kicked him off me, and he stumbled back, but was still in position. I had about three seconds to get up until he was on me again.
His fist shot for my face, and I blocked it with my forearm and attempted to punch him. He grabbed my fist, however, and pushed it back. When he caught my other hand, I knew I was trapped. Both my hands were tangled across my chest like a mummy as he spun me around, and trapped me against him.
I struggled, but my elbows were too awkwardly positioned to fight back. My back was pressed into his chest, which was extremely frightening for me. He held my hands to my chest, and held me like he was hugging me, but more dangerously tight.
Slowly, one of his hands let go of my wrists, but I was too frozen to move. I was absolutely paralyzed in either shock or the fear of not knowing whats going to happen next.
His fingers pressed into a part of my ribs, sending chills down my spine. “This is where your right lung is. If speared by a sword at this particular spot, it could be a death blow and you would die in a matter of two minutes.”
My heart was beating; how could my heart beat so fast? How could I not catch my breath at the touch of this professor?
His hand moved to the middle of my chest, where he pressed into the skin over my heart, using my hand to feel. “Feel this? This is the sternum.” He moved my hand slightly. “If you stab here, it will be an instant death.”
I felt my breathing become light and fluttered, and I was utterly befuddled on how breathy I sounded when I talked. “I thought this was hands only…”
His mouth was at my ear, sending pricks of warm chills down my face and neck. I could feel everything; his hands on mine while stuck to my chest, his breath on my ear, my back pressed into his stomach, my foot touching his…
Then his words seemed to melt my mind, and I think I felt myself weaken inside of myself, deep inside of my soul, as strange as that sounds. “Sometimes you have to pierce the heart to send the message you want your enemy to feel.”
He then let go of me, the places where his skin touched mine still burning in a strange pleasure. He walked away, but the essence of his fresh smell, his touch, and his voice still lingered on me, like fireworks on all my senses.
And then I realized something; despite being so close to that teacher, I hadn’t paid attention to his eyes. The only thing that could tell me who he may be.
Suddenly, I needed something to lean on. My knees were literally weak.
“Whoa there.” Ellie was suddenly beside me, helping me up. “What just happened?”
“Mary, did we just see what we thought we saw?” Abby was gaping as she rushed up to us, Bell
“I…”
“Mary,” Ellie took my shoulders and made me look at her. I saw truth in her shimmering eyes. “What did you just do?”
“I don’t know.” I replied, because it was the truth. I didn’t know what I was doing with the mysterious nameless teacher, or what was going to happen next. All I did know is that Caspian was dead, and what just happened was the most horrible thing I could have ever done to him.
Caspian!
And I felt as if I deserved to be hurt as much as this would hurt Caspian, because unfortunately, I liked it.
My eyes widened in truth. I actually liked it.
Ellie, Bell, and Abby took me straight out of the classroom when the bell rang, away from the crowds.
For me, I was a little numb. I was very tired, very hungry, and aching all over. Ellie was exasperated, though, and Bell
“Mary, do you know what I saw out there?” Ellie smiled. “It was the same thing I saw between the doctor and Nikki! A spark! Something was there, Mary!”
“Ellie, please.” I sighed, breaking away from them. “It was nothing. He was giving me tips.”
“He,” Bell
“He sounded familiar, that’s all.” I bit my lip, and crossed my arms. “I’ve met a lot of people. Maybe it was from the Order of the Sphinx, or the Enforcement, or Mooshu.”
“Order of the what? Enforcement? What the hell are you talking about?” Bell
“You think everything is sexy, Bell
“Depends.” Bell
“But really,” I sighed, looking up at the moon. Night had just begun. “I didn’t feel anything.”
Abby took my arm, making me stop walking. “We’re both mourning Caspian’s death, Mary, but we need to move on. You deserve love.”
“Do I?” I asked quietly, and continued to walk.
Before the others could say another word, Nikki rushed up to me out of nowhere. She was panting, as if she had been running. “Hey, Mary.” She whispered. “I told the Headmaster and he said he’ll think about it. If he lets us go, it’ll be sometime tomorrow.”
“That’s great, Nikki.” I smiled.
“Hey, Nikkers!” Sophia shouted, appearing out of the darkness. “Woman! We must talk about your little prince charming.”
“Hell to Prince Charming, Mary just got crazy with the Defense teacher.” Bell
“Ooh,” Sophia’s eyes lit up. “The Defense teacher? The dude with the mask? Really?”
“No.” I answered sharply, moving straight to the fridge. “Nothing happened.”
Ellie’s parents had made a kind of lasagna looking dinner and had put the left-overs in the fridge. I put my serving on a plate and began to eat, as the others filled up their plates hungrily. Honestly, I hadn’t eaten anything since last night, and those were scraps of dried meat and water.
Bell explained the whole scene anyways, as I munched on my lasagna. Ellie smiled and said it looked like true love, while I shook my head and got another serving of lasagna.
“Mary, this is awesome!”
“No,” I replied back harshly. “No, I can’t do this to Caspian. He was the one I loved, not some flimsy, attractive professor.”
Ellie sighed. “Oh well. At least we can talk about Nikki and her little friend.” She winked.
Nikki blushed, and began to chew her food very slowly. “It’s not a big deal…”
“Ooh, but he was cute!” Sophia grinned, crossing her arms.
“Well, hey.” Bell
“Are we talking about guys?” Lyra poked her head into the kitchen, and smiled.
“Lyra, we all know who you like.” Ellie smirked, waving her sister forward. “It’s obvious for me, anyways.”
“Of course it is, Ellie.” I rolled my eyes. I looked at Lyra. “Who do you like?”
Lyra frowned, sitting at the table with us. “Is it really that obvious?”
“Nah, Ellie can just sense things easier than other people.”
“Well, I’m not a silly school girl, so I’m not going to tell.” Lyra shot a death look at Ellie. “And you better not, either.”
Ellie leaned forward, messing with her lasagna. “Why do you like him, anyways?”
Lyra sighed, staring out the window. “He’s just so… Magical, I guess. Different. He’s so incredible that it’s difficult to explain him. He’s my best friend and I used to like him as a brother, but then I… Changed, I suppose. He’s always intrigued me, and I admire him.” Lyra’s eyes widened, and she looked at Ellie. “Never tell him I admire him, okay?”
“See, this would be better if I knew who he was…” Nikki spoke with her mouth full, which made some of us giggle.
Lyra continued, however. “Have you ever seen him work a sword? Well, I suppose not, because you don’t really know him…” She glanced at Ellie, who shrugged half-heartedly. I wondered if it was a lie. “I tried dueling him once, and I won, but I think he let me.”
“Aww, that’s adorable.” Bell
“Do you think he’s hot?” I asked cheerfully.
“Of course I do! He’s kind of weird, though.”
“Hotness overrules weirdness, my dear sister.” Ellie smiled, and put her dishes in the sink. “I’m going to bed. Anybody else?”
“I’d love to.” I yawned, also putting my dishes in the sink, along with the others. “I feel like I’ve been beat down. Just think, we’ll have to do this everyday.”
“You get used to it.” Ellie grimaced, who walked upstairs to her bedroom. The others did whatever they wanted to, and I thought about Astronomy as I walked up to the attic with Nikki. The professors had wanted us to practice some spells, but it was nine o’clock and I was extremely tired. It wasn’t very late, but I’ve never done thirteen hours of school before.
Nikki and I got dressed in our sleepwear and crawled into bed. Falling asleep was easy.
We woke up earlier, and we got ready and ate cereal, but Wolf wasn’t here in the morning this time.
Today, we learned how to blind people with light in Balance, as a basic spell. I suppose it would be helpful, and Bell
Cyrus Drake had approached Nikki, Bell, and I after class. We were surprised at first, but then we knew why he was talking to us.
“So, the Headmaster agreed?” Bell
“Yes. Unfortunately, he is a busy man and he can’t take you to her. However, I will have the ability during the end of the day, around seven. I know it intersects with one of your classes, but since it’s the second day, I doubt anything important will happen.” Professor Drake’s eyes narrowed. “Of course, unless it’s Umbrata Venustus.”
“Seven is our thirteenth period, right?” Nikki asked.
“Indeed.”
“I’ll miss Defense class.” I realized, and then looked up at Professor Drake’s face. “Not that it’s a problem, or anything.”
“Of course not, Mary. Of course not.” Bell
“We’ll meet up in the center of Dragonspyre at seven. Understand?” Professor Drake ordered strictly. “If you’re late, you’re not coming.”
We were sent out of the classroom after that to go to fourth period, which was Death for me. After learning about some more history and being instructed to practice killing plants, I went off to my Fire, Ice, and Storm classes, which were interesting but not much different from yesterday. We learned a few spells here and there, but they weren’t particularly powerful. For example, I learned to catch things on fire with my bare hands. Only a little fire, of course, but it could spread. I ended up burning my thumb in the process, though.
Swords and Archery was next. I learned a few moves like to extend, beat, or parry, and a few new words, such as ‘En Garde,’ ‘Quarte’, ‘Octave’, and more.
Archery was exactly the same. I shot the same, while Sophia got every shot perfectly. Nothing much happened.
During horseback riding, Ellie and Bell
Umbrata Venustus was a class I’ve been dreading all day. My sisters didn’t look too comfortable either. Fortunately, whatever ritual Wolf was talking about wasn’t today. Everything looked normal, and today he merely talked about embracing darkness and learning what you can from it. Oh, and something creepy, too.
Apparently when you become one of the Umbrata Venustus, you are imprinted with your spirit animal somehow. He wouldn’t tell us how exactly we are imprinted, but only that the animal’s eyes will hold a color of a school, and it doesn’t have to be your own school. Whatever color of school you obtain, you are given a power. Wolf’s was a snake that he showed us on his arm and Abby had admitted seeing a snake for his spirit animal when she first met him. Wolf wouldn’t tell us his power, however.
Astronomy was just like yesterday, except Austin
I bid my goodbyes to the others and began walking down to the center of Dragonspyre. Nikki and Bell
However, when we stopped at our destination, I froze. Cyrus Drake wasn’t here yet, but that’s not why I was reacting so differently.
“By the Fates.” I whispered, turning around in shock and slight fear. “I can’t believe it.”
“What?”
“Mary..?”
The sky was swirling, black and red. It was in a castle-like area, with marble the colors of dark blues, maroons, and browns, with dragon details on every piece of masonry.
He stood in the center of an amphitheatre kind of area, his arms raised, one of them grasping the hair of a young boy, as if he was going to take flight into the starless sky. His mouth was open, and if he was finding pleasure somewhere, he smiled my smile, and groaned. The floor cracked, and a black, scaled hand reached out from the cracks. I heard him laugh while the boy cried in fear as a blackened and tattered cloaked figure rose above the ground, with horrendous scaled hands and yellow cat eyes that poked out from its hood.
In the moonlight, I saw it grow; now realizing that its face was a skull, and every bit of it was a skeleton under its silk, ripped cloak.
Malistaire’s cloak whipped around him like black magic, and black smoke seemed to be forming around him. The monsterous thing lifted its hands, and a black sphere grew from its dead hands.
He threw the boy at the monster, and it grasped the boy in its arms, as if hugging the boy. The boy’s screams were muffled, and I couldn’t see the boy through its tattered robes.
Five black clouds flew into the sky, while the dead thing sunk back in the ground with the boy, a slight tremor through the broken rubble. The things in the sky had no wings, so I knew they would crash into the ground.
I gasped out loud, suddenly realizing where I was. “This is where Malistaire summoned the demons- the Falsarium-Noctis. Where he sacrificed a boy for the Death Titan. Its here.”
“How do you know?” Ellie looked rather alarmed.
“Neither of you were here when I had this dream, but I saw my father summon the demons. I saw him give a innocent boy to the Death Titan. It was here. Somehow, he got inside of the Academy. If my father gets inside of the Academy just as easily as he did last time, then we will be attacked unprepared.”
“Is everything alright?” Professor Drake stood near us. I hadn’t even seen him walk over to us, neverless hear him.
“Professor Drake, how much protection do we have around the Academy right now?” I asked hurriedly. “Malistaire has been inside the Academy. I’ve seen it in a dream. If he can get inside the Academy once, he can do it again.”
“Ms. Ravengem, we have added much more security and magical bounderies to this Academy. Its like a force feild against evil. We will be ready when the time comes, for the Oracle is a great advantage for us.”
I looked at the others in relief. “Thats good.”
Cyrus looked at me funny. “So, you’ve had prophetic dreams?”
“Uh, yes. All I saw was him being here...” I half-lied. “I just recognized the place and it startled me.”
“The Temple of Eons is even higher than the Astronomy tower. Its a very sacred temple, and there will be guards. However, since you’re with me, it won’t be a problem.” Cyrus explained, suddenly off-topic. “Although you must be very polite.”
We walked up several staircases, over a few bridges, and a through corridors. The bridges scared Nikki as we walked, because the higher we got, the higher the bridge. The last couple of bridges were actually so high that the bottom was pitch black. We were sweating when Cyrus told us that we were here.
It was definitely a temple. It was circular and beautiful, made out of white marble with no roof but a star-lit sky. Transparent curtains hung at the top of the temple. There were golden lamps that lit up the temple, withholding a brighter, more beautiful fire that I have ever seen before.
There was a maroon settee in the middle of this temple. Upon the settee lay a kind of woman I’ve never seen before. She wore a white tunic that covered her chest and upper thighs, but the rest of her legs were shown. They were scaled and silvery, like a mermaid but with legs. Her black hair was extremely long and in a braid, and there was a red eye in the middle of her forehead. Her eyes were a creepy torquoise, and her lips were completely white- whiter than her own skin.
She urged us forward curiously, and surveyed us. Her eyes were studying us, and I felt as if we were being mentally interrogated. I saw her frown, and she waved her hand to turn us away.
The guards, knights, took our arms and began to lead us away from her.
“Wait-!” Bell shouted, but they lifted her short body up when she kicked. “Wait! We have to talk to her.”
“Stop!” I blasted the knight’s eyes with light, making them drop me as they covered their eyes blindedly. I sighed, and turned back to the Oracle. “I need to ask you if I could defeat my father without killing him.”
“Mary- this is completely out of line-!” Cyrus growled, taking my arm. I shook it away and glared at him.
“No.” The Oracle’s voice sounded exotic and thick, I turned to see her looking at Cyrus. “No. I see the girl.”
I turned to Nikki as Bell was released from the guards angrily. “You listen to what she says, Nikki. You’re the one with the memory.”
Nikki nodded as I walked up to the Oracle, suddenly feeling nervous.
The Oracle waved her hand slightly to urge me forward and I did what she ordered. She raised her hand and put her finger under my chin gently, turning my face and studying me. “I dont give prophecies easy, girl. What do you wish to seek?”
“I seek to know when the war will begin, and if there is anything we can do to defeat Malistaire without killing him.
“You wish to not kill him?”
“I believe rotting alive, thinking of everything you’ve done is a better way of justice than to be killed and never feel guilty again.” I replied softly.
“Come,” The Oracle pointed to the ground in front of her. “Sit.”
I sat in front of her on my knees.
The Oracle straightened out in front of me, and stared at me for a few seconds. All a sudden, her eyes rolled back into her head and her breathing stopped.
I swallowed, wondering if this was part of procedure.
And then she touched my face, her hands cold as ice, and she stared into my eyes with only the whites and reddish veins showing in her sockets. “I see... I see... Wisdom. Much pain. Your wisdom endures.”
I took a deep, shuddery breath.
She lurched and shuddered, and sounded slightly sick. “Your father has no such humanity in his eyes...”
I leaned forward. She was seeing my father.
The Oracle suddenly shot back, as if a force has pushed her back against her settee. It sounded like she was choking, but I didnt move. I wasn’t sure if I was paralyzed out of fear, or the fact that I didnt know what to do.
I opened my mouth. “Oracle...”
The Oracle took a huge, shuddering gasp, as if her lungs were being squeezed together. “The bleeding night shall unfold, and through the eyes of a betrayer you will gain regretful peace, and a lover will withhold the yearning of the crescent moon behind the forest’s blackened trees.”
The Oracle began to scream horrificly, and I forced myself to move backwards as she lurched and had her body almost lunge at me. I stared in fright as I saw a trickle of blood roll from her eyes sockets, her eyes still rolling back in her head. “Evil will be awakened in the midst of opposite powers, and the loss of a scarlet rose with the eyes of the moon will grip the son of a man who forgets his name.”
The Oracle grabbed my hands, and I tried to tear them away from her and her bleeding eyes, but she held me in a stone-lock. “Please,” more blood spilled from her eyes like tears, dripping onto the white floor. “Make it stop. Please make it stop.”
“I’m sorry, I-“ I was shaking, confused and slightly panicking.
The Oracle got sucked back into her shuddery, bloody state, and pulled away from me. It was as though she was having seizure. “The life of a father shall live once more, while his daughter deceased in the abyss of flame and scarlet blood. The father of darkness shall never leave the mind of thee!”
The Oracle awoke as if she was drowning, and she pointed at the door. “Get out! Out!”
I kicked the floor to push myself away from her and stood up and ran out of the temple, away from the dragon-like Oracle with blood running down her face. I grabbed Nikki and Bell’s hands and ran, leaving a stunned Cyrus Drake and a few guards behind.
The Oracle’s words were ringing in my head as we ran, causing fear to escalate and hopelessness to devour me.
The life of a father shall live once more, while his daughter deceased in the abyss of flame and scarlet blood. The father of darkness shall never leave the mind of thee.
The Oracle had seen our future. My future.
I was to die.
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