Chapter 1: Kyana Meets a Birdbrain
Korleva Braginski and Kyana Kirkland were definetly considered an odd pair of best friends. They attended Jones Academy for the Gifted in the New York Countryside with other students like them. However, they were a pair of friends who didn't like to follow the usual alliances at school. A Russian and a Brit being friends? That was unheard of in Jones Academy since World War II. Despite all the odd glares, Kyana and Korleva didn't care. Korleva could use a few choice words, but Kyana wouldn't let her.
And, honestly, the two never expected an adventure to literally pop out of nowhere on the last day of school. It started in Senor Fernandez-Carriedo's Spanish class, final class of the day and the girls were on the edge of their seats. Korleva had the eeriest feeling of being watched.
"Please, Leva," said Kyana. "This school is weird, but not that weird. It's probably just my grandfather playing around with his magic again." Leva shrugged, but remained unconvinced.
"Alright, ninos!" exclaimed Senor Fernandez- Carriedo. "En Espanol ahora, por favor!"
"Dies, nueve, ocho…" chanted the students with their teacher as the seconds ticked down. Kyana began pounding her desk in anticipation and Leva had a huge smile on her face until… BBBBBBBRRRRRIIIIIINGGGG! And a huge cheer erupted from the Spanish class.
"Se diverten, ninos!" said Senor Fernandez-Carriedo. "Oh! Anyone who has the next level next year: Quiero Uds. Leer Ricitos de Oro y Los Tres Osos comienze la pagina trienta y ocho." There were disappointed groans all around the room.
"Lo siento, chicos! Adios!"
"Adios!"
Kyana and Leva walked down the hallway, listening to the cheers of excitement from the other students. (One of the other Spanish students yelled, "Viva el verano!") Leva, however, still felt uneasy. Her heritage has a good feeling about knowing when something was up. Their kind had earned them a number of crazed stalkers over the years. Not many, mind you, but you always got at least one per generation. Kyana banged her should into her friend.
"It's fine," said Kyana. "Besides, aren't you supposed to go home with your grandfather and a couple of your cousins for a few weeks?"
"I was supposed to last year too and then I ended up at your house," replied Leva.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Kyana chuckled.
"It's not, but it's not Russia with Dedushka," said Leva. "Has your grandfather offered to take you to England?"
"Not yet," said Kyana. "I think I annoy him."
"You are one of his happier, more carefree descendants," her Russian friend commented.
"Meh, it's okay," Kyana said with a giggle. "I probably couldn't eat there anyway."
"You once ate fish fingers covered in house sauce, honey mustard, and pepperoni."
"Shut up." Kyana was smiling despite her words. However, a look of horror washed across her face. "Bleedin- I forgot my textbook !"
"Hurry!" exclaimed her friend. "Senor F-C probably will leave to go see Professore Vargas soon!" Kyana nodded, handed Leva her books and dashed off.
Now Kyana had her fair share of strange since she got her invitation to Jones Academy for the Gifted. But her life was about to get stranger. She had arrived just in time. The handsome Spanish teacher was just closing up and had Kyana's textbook in his hands. He was going to give it to her grandfather and since the two didn't get along, Senor F-C was glad to see her. She was walking along with her teacher, who was heading to Professore Vargas, the Italian teacher. When they reached the room, Kyana waved good-bye and turned the corner.
After doing that she immediately rubbed her eyes. There was a man standing there with a visitors' tag on his chest. He had short light brown hair and he wore slacks. The man was looking at himself in a window, his head moving right and left like a pigeon. Kyana leaned a bit, despite her growing eye irritation and saw that the man's nametag read 'Birdbrain' in the handwriting of Headmaster Jones.
Now, Jones Academy rarely had visitors, especially on dates where the students were unaware. And Jones Academy never had visitors called 'Birdbrain'. Was this senior prank? No, Kyana realized; that was yesterday when all of the teachers' underwear had somehow ended up on the flag poles in place of the nations' flags that were usually there. So, who was this peculiar guy?
"Um, excuse me, Mister…Birdbrain?" she called out, getting closer. However, suddenly the man began to melt away. Whatever was bothering Kyana's eyes was going away and she could now see clearly a lion with an eagle's head, cooing at himself in a window. There was a griffin in her school. There was a griffin in her school.
Her question was lost as the griffin's head snapped up. Its head cocked left then right and Kyana stood frozen with fear. Kyana screamed at the top of her lungs at the same time the griffin screeched like it was being struck with a javelin. Kyana finally began running, calling for Senor F-C and Professore Vargas. The long dagger-like talons were reaching out to bat her to the side. The brunette Brit could see them in her peripheral vision when someone jumped out of nowhere and the griffin cried out in pain.
The girl's eyes shot straight to the left to see a boy with black hair in an old aviator's jacket, much cooler than the one Headmaster Jones always wore, and a skull ring. In his hand, a black dagger was protruding from a handle, but the boy grasped it so tight, it could have been part of his hand. He lunged at the monster again. But instead of attacking, the boy slid under the griffin and reaches out for Kyana's hand with his empty one.
But the griffin's paw swatted the boy to the side. He landed into the lockers and fell down to the floors with a loud thud. Kyana screamed and rushed out, trying to get to the injured boy. The griffin blocked her path and squawked so loud it should have woken the dead. 'Stupid Birdbrain,' she thought as she backed up, the griffin stepping closer. Suddenly, an arrow shot out from behind her and hit the griffin square between its eyes. It screeched in pain.
"Bastardo!" yelled a voice from behind. It was Professor Vargas, holding a bow and notching another arrow. "Leave the d**n student alone!" Senor F-C came running out of the Italian room with his battle ax.
"Leave this to me, Lovi~!" he exclaimed, as he rushed toward the griffin, spinning the ax with incredible skill. The griffin screeched, stepping back. It opened its wings intimidatingly, but an arrow shot through one and it cried out in pain. The boy's eyes were opening as Kyana rushed to him, finally able to avoid the monster. Despite the griffin screeching, her and the boy's eyes met, her own bright green with surprise and his stormy and twinkling with either madness or genius-maybe both- and shared a nod. Kyana grabbed his hand and helped him up.
"Get back," he instructed. Kyana backed herself up against the now dented lockers.
The boy ran up behind and jumped on top of the griffin, who reared like a horse. Senor F-C slashed at the griffin's chest almost swiping off his nametag. Professore Vargas continued to shoot arrows at the beast. The griffin was barely crumbling under the three fold attack. Kyana looked for something to throw at it; she would still be staying back. Senor F-C was dodging claws now that he could barely swing with his ax.
"Hey!" yelled a voice. "What's going on here?"
"Headmaster Jones!" Kyana yelled back, scrambling over to the school's owner. "I got attacked by that griffin and and and-."
"Hey, calm down," said Headmaster Jones, "I let him in." The entire battle fell silent. Birdbrain closed his wings and the boy sat calmly on top of the feathered beast. Senor F-C let the tip of his battle ax go to the floor. Everyone just stared at Headmaster Jones. Finally, the silence was broken by a very angry Italian teacher.
"You did WHAT, Hamburger-B*****d?!"
"Let the griffin in!" said Headmaster Jones. "It looked so sad outside and I'm the hero, so…I'm giving him to Iggy!"
"It attacked his granddaughter," said Senor F-C, bluntly.
"Why the Tea-B*****d?" angrily questioned Professore Vargas.
"Go, go, Gryffindor?" offered Headmaster Jones. The boy slid off the back of the griffin as Professore Vargas erupted into scolding expletives at Headmaster Jones. He walked over to Kyana, who smiled.
"Thanks…for saving my life," she said.
"They helped," he muttered. "Who are you?"
"Kyana Kirkland," she replied. "You don't go here do you?"
"No," responded the boy (although he was really a teen around Kyana's age).
"Did Headmaster Jones let you in too?"
"Uh, no. A sleepy guy with a bunch of cats did."
"Oh-Mr. Karpusi."
"Look, I need to find my friend," said the boy, "And you should come with me."
"YOU!" yelled Professore Vargas. The boy pointed at himself. "Don't' act f***ing stupid! Yes, you! What's your name?!"
"Nico DiAngelo." A rare proud smile washed over Professore Vargas' face.
"An Italian," he said. "Seiqui per il suo?"
"Si," replied Nico.
"Half-Sangue?" asked the Italian teacher.
"Si, Signore."
"Muovetevi lungo. And now you, Hamburger-B*****d! A griffin!?"
The boy took Kyana's hand and led her away from the angry Italian. "We need to find my friend Grover. He's probably with your roommate. Do you kno-?"
"He's where?!" Kyana interrupted in distress. "Oh dear…We need to hurry! Follow me!" She called back to Nico as she ran off down the hall.
End of Chapter…
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Translations:
Spanish
En espanol ahora, por favor-In Spanish now, please
Quiero Uds. Leer Ricitos de Oro y Los Tres Osos comienze la pagina trienta y ocho-I want you all to read Goldilocks and the Three Bears starting on page 38.
Viva el verano!-Live the Summer!
Russian
Dedushka-Grandfather
Italian
Seiqui per il suo – Are you here for her?
Si- Yes *note should have accent over i*
Half-Sangue- Half-Blood
Muovetevi lungo- Move along
GOOGLE TRANSLATE WAS USED FOR ITALIAN AND RUSSIAN