Hello, chums! D'n'A Productions here, which stands for Derek (my penname) and Aaron (my friend/partner's penname). We've been collaborating for a while- Aaron usually has the raw ideas with that overactive imagination of his, and I usually extend on it and flesh out the skeleton of the story. Unless you don't like it. Then it's all Aaron's fault.

I'm just kidding! If you don't like it, tell me why (but gently. I don't think any budding writer appreciates or gains much from "U SCK!!! NVR TUCH A KYBRD EVR AGIN!!!")

This is our first "published" story (as in someone is reading it besides us), so bear with me. And without further ado…

Clouds. I hate clouds.

With a groan of exasperation, Karen half-rolled, half-fell out of her bed onto the hard wooden floor of her tree house home. Long, brown hair cascading messily over her face, she stumbled into a standing position.

I hate my house.

Somewhere downstairs, her father yelled something that was probably inappropriate towards her. "Go to hell." she muttered feebly back, loud enough to give some false satisfaction and soft enough to hide her from a beating.

I hate my parents.

Stumbling into the shower, she turned up the leaky faucet and watched as the water dripped almost painfully slow into the sink. Letting her face fall into the growing puddle, Karen laid in the pitiful bath for perhaps thirty seconds before her little, seven-year old sister, Doria, rapped on her door, saying something in an annoying sing-song voice that was drowned out by Karen promptly throwing a wooden brush at the door.

I hate my sister.

No sooner had she begun easing up before her mother, hair drawn into a disheveled bun above her head and eyes popping as Doria huddled in her grasp, whimpering. "It's okay Dori-kins, Mummy will make sure your nasty big sister doesn't throw anything at you anymore, sweetums. Now go to daddy and have a nice hot breakfast, OK?"

Nodding almost imperceptibly, Doria rushed out of the room- but not before checking her mother's back was turned and blowing a silent raspberry at her fuming sister.

"How dare you! Frightening your sister like that! You could have seriously hurt her!"

The rant went on and on- it became little more than a faint buzzing in Karen's ear. She didn't bother to mention the door had been closed; she didn't bother to mention Doria had been the one starting the fight. She didn't say a thing because she knew her mother wouldn't hear a thing she said.

I hate my life.

Seth watched, among the shadowy undergrowth, the young mage-in-training, somewhere in her late teens, stomp out the door, yelling furiously at whoever was inside. She was pretty, in a dangerous sort of way- black widow pretty, with long brown hair and blue eyes that could spark a fire from ten paces. His observation was cut short, however, when his partner, Elton, drew a pistol from its holster and leveled it at Karen. Seth immediately slapped the gun aside, cuffing Elton sharply on the head. "You want to ruin the mission before it even begins?! We follow any young mage we find into that school, then you can go all guns blazing, idiot!"

The admonished Purist rubbed his throbbing head, muttering curses under his breath. Stuffing the pistol back into his belt, Elton pulled out a cigarette, which had become increasingly popular among the Purist ranks, and lit it only to have Seth toss it into the undergrowth as well.

"Oh, light a warning fire for them, why don't you? God, have a little sense, man!"

Yet another Purist joined them on them among the dappled shadows of the tree, a captain bearing the badge of holy fire on his chest. "Ladies, please, break it up! Follow the mage, and no questions asked. We need to be quick if we want to get in before the barriers close!"

Grumbling, the two recruits followed Karen, who was unwittingly leading her greatest enemies to their goal, into the great shadow of Grendel's very own mage training school...

Karen stormed out of her house, eager to get out of that hell pit. She could still hear her father scream at her, but ignored him completely. She stomped through Ellinia and headed towards the Mage School to prepare for her job advancement.

I really hate my life.

There it was- majestic, awe inspiring: Grendel's very own Academy of Young Wizards and Warlocks. Off course, Grendel himself, who spent most of his time in solitary meditation, spent close to no time actually educating the students- it just sounded good when he went to the annual convention of class-heads.

As it was, the Academy was surrounded by innumerable hexes, charms, and spells with the original purpose of simply showing off the Really Old's superior magical capabilities. But now they were being put to use as a faction, called the Dark Brotherhood by some and Purists by others, sought to destroy the impurities of God's perfect world- those who played God.

So it was that Karen found herself swearing all manner of inappropriate things as she tapped her foot, waiting for the invisible barriers to double-check her ID, ask password, so on and so forth, until a tiny hole began unraveling in the suddenly visible, whirling nexus of colors and sound.

High in the trees, Seth, Elton, and their captain kept their eyes pinned on the aspiring mage, waiting for her to cross the barrier.

"I say when she gets the barrier open, we capture her and get through the spell with force," whispered Elton, hand stroking his gun almost lovingly.

This remark was quickly followed by another cuff to the head. "Seriously, what have you done? Left your brains at home?", Seth inquired in a hushed rant, "We get in there like that and the magic will fry us barbecue crispy before we so much as pull a trigger."

"We can't risk screwing up the spell, otherwise the security might get suspicious and think that perhaps there are some people trying to break in," his captain whispered back in a slightly gentler voice.

Really, you think? Seth wondered, but out loud he said, "So just sit back and watch the clouds, moron."

Karen finally reached the seemingly empty clearing in the Ellinian forest where the barrier was blocking the way. She walked up to the multitude of spells, breathing spells of magic and power in a foreign, yet oddly familiar language, until the physical manifestation of defense unraveled itself. Immediately, Elton set the fuse on a bag of bronze mesos, which Seth took and, silent as a shadow, and snuck in with. The bandit Purist was about to follow when Seth cast him a mocking look.

"Let the grease man do his job. The bomb explodes first, then you go in."

Karen continued to walk down the dirt path until she saw the training field. There were already about 10 mages already training for their job advancements. She ran over to find her friend Jessica already training on a straw dummy.

"Hey Jess! How's your training going?" Karen was much brighter now that she was out of her little hell hole called "home".

"It's alright but-"

BOOM!

Karen and Jessica jumped around to see most of the mage's on the ground from what seemed to be an explosion. A pouch of mesos came from the forest and landed at Karen's feet. She looked down for a second, and then her eyes went wide in horror.

"Magic Guar-!"

Before she could finish her spell, the cunning bomb exploded and sent her flying down a steep hill and crashing into a tree with a dull thunk as skull met wood.

Everything went black.

So, how'd you like it? Personally, I think it was all right, but...

Anyways, reviews are welcome! And constructive criticism builds better stories! And we all like better stories, don't we?

SO REVIEW!!! Until next time- ta, chums!