The under world…
By S.O
Swift,
The night was silent as I crept along the narrow passageways. The moon cast an eerie glow on the streets, making them look unreal and dream like. My dark hair cascaded down to my hips. I followed the hidden trail on the wall that glowed softly.
It stopped at a door, there was no handle, there didn't need to be. I traced a symbol on the door, it shone for a few seconds, and then I heard the door click open. The words, 'the path is clear to those who wish to see,' echo in my head almost making me smile.
The door opened without a sound but the occupants all whirled to face me. They all had hostile looks on their faces. Waving at them, I strode over to the pool table, they recognised me and turned back to their conversations.
Everyone was on edge; the vampires had started attacking sorcerers all over the city and werewolves had started to pop up all around the place. Neither liked us sorcerers at all.
All the mages here weren't very powerful, together they could defeat a werewolf or vampire but alone they wouldn't stand a chance. All people who can wield magic is part of the under world, a society made to force back the under creatures.
I found the society and my powers two years ago, I had been abandoned at birth and forced to live in the underside of the city, shuddering at the memory of living on the streets fending for myself all those years.
The scars that mark my arms and legs show that. And two years ago I was caught in between a fight, a sorcerer fight and then I hadn't known that magic existed, but it terrified me.
The air above me had crackled like lightning, fire was thrown and mental attacks were exchanged until there was only one of they're opponent left. He ran away in my direction and stumbled upon me.
The man had thrown fire at me, I'd watched it fly towards me, and then suddenly I was behind him. The defeated mage had spun around in shock and threw more. I had stopped them in mid air and they fizzled out.
Using all my strength I'd raised him into the air, where he'd frantically tried to get down with no success. Then I'd concentrated and touched him on the neck.
I remember the way the skin turned blue and webby like ink through paper and he fell to the ground. I'd turned around when gasps came from behind, the winners of the battle had seen what I'd done, and then I fainted.
Something I'm not proud of. And then they took me under their wing, and for two years I've been trying to control my powers with their help. I've been told I can't tell anyone about my extraordinary powers under any circumstances and not to use them in public and always wear gloves and not let anyone touch me ever.
So I live with those rules and I practise magic when I have spare time. I reach the pool table and say hi to Fin he's the same age as me, tall with sandy blond hair, he transferred to our location for safety.
The reasons or threat he's never told me. And walked upstairs to my bedroom where lay my dreaded maths home work. So I quickly jotted down notes in the text book and swept it all to the side and fell asleep with my shoes on.
I yawned and turned over searching for the cover, it wasn't there and neither was the bed. I was floating mid air! Panicking I flailed, kicking the roof and the floor rushed to meet me.
The floor was hard and unforgiving when I hit it. My head throbbed and my eye had a dark circle of purple around it making it hard to see. I put on my school uniform and as I left the room I found myself thinking that, that shoe print on the roof is going to annoy me later…
When I got down the stairs, I poured cereal and joined the others. There's other kids at the society, we're all trainees, but they're all boys. Sorceresses are rare so I'm on my own at this society location. Joey, Fin, Alec and Derek are sitting at the table. They smile when they see my black eye.
"Swift, so nice to see your sleeping well." Alec commented, which earned a few snickers.
"Yes, it was very peaceful. Until I hit the floor." I said dryly.
I eat a spoonful of cheerio's and looked at my watch 08:30 the bus would be coming soon. I peered into the fridge, bare shelves except from a packet of ham and a carton of half empty milk. I sighed and grabbed the ham, its better than being hungry all second period.
I look at my gloves, made from black silk, I wear them all the time. I don't even haft to clean them or wash them, one of the good things about magic. People at school used to ask about them but I ignored them and after a while they got the message and left me alone.
Sometimes I can be lonely but I cope, I read or do homework or paint the mural on my room if I'm in a good mood. My life is so much better than when I was living on the streets, and I am happy with what I've got now.
The bus pulls in out side and I hop on. I sit in my normal seat away from every one else. And that day of school was very uneventful and seven hours of my life I'm never going to get back.
When I got home the guys were giddy with excitement. Alister our teacher told us we were going on our first vampire hunt. Which shocked me, why so soon? So we set off at sunset.
We were issued with curved silver knives and told to use these as a last resort. A van awaited us and we were driven to a vampire hideout. It looked desolate from outside and did not look like anything could live there.
"Right you're are alone from now on." Alister said and started to walk away.
"Wait, you're just going to leave us?" I frowned.
"Yep." He said and walked away. All of us watched him go until he disappeared around a corner. A silence followed as we looked at each other bewildered. Then a screech came from inside the building and we got into battle stances.
Six vampires bounded out, their lips pulled back into sneers as their fangs came out. They stared at us with crazed eyes as our scent wafted towards them. Two ran at me, their fingernails growing into claws, moving faster than any normal human could. I drew the power from around me and rose into the air. My hair swam around my head like I'm under water.
I pointed at one of the vampires and it froze. Its eyes darted wildly back and forth. Then I walked up to it, pulled off a black glove and touched it on the forehead. The skin turned blue under my touch, as it spread over the vampire's face, his eyes clouded and rolled back and he hit the ground with a thump. I put the glove back on and tried not to be disgusted by what I had just done.
Turning back to the boys I saw them fighting a vampire each, all of them seemed to be fending them off, except Fin who had a vampire about to bite him. I leaped high in the air vaulting over Alec, Joey and Derek and landing lightly beside Fin, grabbing the vampire by the shoulders throwing him over backwards. It scrambled up and leapt on top of me, pinning me to the ground.
I forced myself to lie still and focus. Feeling the earth beneath me I willed it to rise. And then quickly the ground started to rise in clumps. Before the vampire realise what was happening we were in the sky. Orbited by a solar system of rock and clumps of ground. Then the rocks pelted it from all sides and it let go. The vampire plummeted to the ground, falling, falling, then hitting the ground.
I descended to the ground on a whirlwind of mud and rocks. Upon my touchdown the remaining vampires ran, squealing like scared little girls. The team stared at me open mouthed, I grunted and got to my feet.
"C'mon we better get back." I said and started to walk in the direction of the van, they all nodded and followed. We reached the van, Alister was asleep in the drivers seat, snoring very loudly. I poked him. He look at us, surprised all of us had survived and put the key into ignition.
"So how did it go?" Our teacher asked as we drove. "Did you kill them all?"
"Uh, no. S-Swift started to rise and they all stopped and ran." Stuttered Alec. They're stares made me very uncomfortable, it was silent as we arrived back. The sun was just peeking above the horizon and I'd missed a whole nights sleep, so I collapsed onto my bed, not caring about school and fell asleep.
I woke up with a sore head, threw on some jeans and a t-shirt, and trotted down the stairs. Finding no bowls, I pulled the plastic bag with the cereal in it out of the box and poured milk in.
"No, bowls?" Said a voice from behind. I turned round, it was a woman. Which puzzled me, cause I'm the only girl at this location, but I nodded still eating.
"Do you know why I'm here?" the woman asked. I shook my head still munching on cornflakes. "Maybe Alister had better explain,". Our teacher appeared behind the stranger, and I frowned, this was getting more strange by the minute.
"Yes, Swift, we're sending you to a academy underworld location where there will be other girls learning magic!" He said smiling, the smile was forced, his eyes said, do not reveal your special powers to these people. I nodded.
"When are we leaving?" I asked through cereal.
"Now," The woman replied. "Go pack your essentials."
I stopped mid chew, my jaw dropping, cornflakes falling out. Now? We were leaving now? Did I hear that right. Then I slowly turned around and approached the stair waiting for her to correct me, but she didn't.
I rushed to my bed room, and brought out a back pack. Stuffing the few clothes I have in it and then bringing out my book bag. Stacking my books neatly inside and making sure they wont be bent. I put on purple converse and came back down to where they were waiting.
"Is that all you need?" The stranger asked. I nodded. She looked at the books but didn't argue. The woman walked out the door and I followed, waving goodbye to my teacher and my old life.
The sky was cloudy and grey like it usually is, but I was going to miss the non-stop rain. I got into the woman car, it was sleek and black, like the expensive kinds. The inside was all cream leather and the seat was comfy. She pulled out onto the motor way and introduced herself.
"I'm Miss Margaret." She said.
"I'm Swift," I replied. Then there was a silence and I brought out a book to read. Sometime I must have fallen asleep, because I woke with a start as the car pulled to a stop. Peering out the window there was a large building the size of a church outside.
"Welcome to the society academy." Miss Margaret said with a flourish. We got out, I put on my backpack and looped the books around my shoulder. The white Granit steps framed a large arch doorway, that's huge oak doors hung open. Loads of kids my age and older were sitting, eating and talking with uniforms and ties.
They stared at me as I walked past, taking in my black gloves, my long hip length hair and my books.
"Right, I'll not have time to walk you through anything so I'll hand it over to you roommate, and here is your room." The woman said as we reached a door, which is to be my room for the duration of my stay.
I turned back to Miss Margaret but she was already hurrying down the corridor. I pushed open the door, looking inside it was a decent spaced room with two double beds on each side, plainly decorated but homely. I think I'm going to like it here.
"Hello, I'm Nina." Said a voice from behind. I spun around to see a girl the same age as me with light blond hair and no eyebrows.
"Hi, um, my names Swift," I said, "Are you my roommate?"
Nina nodded, she done a tour of the campus, battle studies,(close combat, magic duels, sorcerer history and magic training) are in the north wing of campus. Maths, English, Art and Home Economics in the south. Lunches, breakfasts and dinners are held in the east wing. The west wing is all dorms. When we were finished, Nina and I sat down on a bench.
"Why do you wear those gloves?" She asked.
"Why have you got no eyebrows?" I retorted and we both laughed. Nina handed me a timetable for classes. Classes start at 10:00 and end at 16:00. Each class lasts a hour and curfew is at eight. Nina goes to the same classes as me so she offered her help.
And my next class is close combat.
"The whole point of this class is to help you if you are attacked before you can use magic." The teacher said loudly, like an army sergeant doing drills, he paced up and down. "So I'm gonna sign you with a partner much stronger than you, and you are not allowed to use magic! At all, is that clear!"
"Yes, sir." The class chorused. Then the teacher read out the names.
"David vs. Wesley. Avila vs. George."… and then came my name, "Swift vs. Jet.". Nina gasped from beside me.
"What is it? Who's Jet?" I asked and she pointed to him and I could see why she gasped. Jet was tall with broad shoulders, muscles wired his arms, he looked like he could squash me like a bug. And he probably would. There is no way I could ever defeat him, ever. Each fight took place, in front of the whole class. Then it was time;
"Swift, Jet, you're up " The teacher ordered. Nina gave me a thumbs up as I entered the ring. Jet the giant entered opposite me.
"Go!" The teacher shouted. We circled, I watched him for the slightest indication of a lunge, kick or punch, none. I remember taking on people like this when I was on the streets. The saying, the bigger they are the harder they fall, drifted through my mind.
Wait, the muscle twitched, he lunged. I side stepped. He whirled round and threw a punch; I caught his fist in my hand. Forcing it back, another, force back, another, force back. I blocked a blow to the head.
I vaulted over his head, landing behind him. Jet tried to spin around, but it was too late, I swept his legs from under him. I tried a wrestling move I'd seen on TV, and fell back on him, elbow first, finishing the fight.
Getting to my feet, Nina started clapping, and so did the rest. I grinned. But somewhere in the back of my mind there was a doubt: How had I done that? How did I move that fast? How did I stop those punches? But I put them aside, because I had just won my first duel.
My next class was magic training. We entered the class room. Nina is ecstatic, she cant believe I won that fight. The teacher of this class is a sorceress, her names Miss Evergreen.
"Class, today we will be attempting nature magic, we will give you a plant and you must will it to grow, Ok?" Our magic teacher said. The class nodded eagerly. The plants were handed out in little plant pots
. All the trainees focused on the plants and nothing happened. I closed my eyes. Picturing a seed being dropped, that seed sprouting, that sprout maturing, that stalk growing, leaves stretching out, a bud appearing, that bud opening and finally the petals of that bud fanning out, the pollen ready for the bees. I open my eyes and there in front of me the flower blooms, a beautiful lily sparkling as if glitter was woven into the fabric of it.
Tears came to my eyes. Miss Evergreen came up to it and gasped.
"Swift, that lily is beautiful." The teacher said, "I've never seen one like it in my entire life, you've got a gift."
A tear slid down my cheek, it was beautiful, so innocent, and something you want to last forever. Then the bell rang.
"Well, class I want two plants on my desk by tomorrow, get the seeds from the campus grounds." The teacher said quickly. Wiping my cheeks, I got up and left. Feeling angry with myself, Alister had warned me, I should have been more careful.
Next I had lunch, maths which wasn't much different from normal school, art, and finally dinner. With that day over I was exhausted with the efforts of remembering all these things.
I lay back on my new bed and brought out a book, one of my favourites, about a fairy who was born with no wings, an outsider, then she discovers she can turn into a bird, she is so happy, but shape-shifting is illegal so she runs away. Somehow I can relate to that. I sigh and drift to the realms of sleep.
"Swift! Oh, god. Swift!" I hear Nina cry out. I look down at her startled face. I was floating. Only three inches away from the roof. I plummet, seeing this is going to do a lot more damage than a black eye, I wish to be any where but here, hitting the floor. Suddenly I'm behind Nina. On my feet. Not falling. She spun round and gazed, shocked at me.
"But…Y-you…Falling!...Uh- Here!" Nina gasped. She was breathing rapidly, "N-not P-possible!"
"Nina." I shook her, "You cant tell anyone! Not ever!"
She nodded, still breathing deeply. I cursed under my breath. How did I not see this coming? Nina was looking at me strangely, like I was a alien escaped from Roswell. I sigh, feeling a headache coming on. Then the alarms blare, the teachers voices echo from the hallway.
"Evacuate, Vampires and werewolves!" They shouted. I exited quickly, filing through the hall with my class mates. When I got out I watched the rest of the kids spew out the massive front door.
"What do you want!" I heard Miss Margaret shout from behind me, I whirled round to see her confronting a large group of vampires and werewolves, they don't team up, ever, it practically a rule between the two kinds. But it seems the rules were made to be broken.
"We want the power," They rasped, "Give her to us and we'll leave." And I felt with a certainty they were talking about me. Miss Evergreen stepped forward.
"You cant have her." She said, then turned and looked at me, "Run, Swift!"
And I ran, sprinting across campus. Leaping faster than I should be able to. My mind reeled, me the power? Why did they want me?
I flashed back to all the times I had power I shouldn't have. The vampire attack, my deathly touch, when I suddenly teleport away, but what do they want that for?
Then I was jumped from behind, I fell to the ground. My wrists were bound tightly, and a gag was tied around my mouth. I was slung over a shoulder and the blood rushed to my head. Then I hit something cold and hard and I heard the sound of van doors shutting behind me. Then the rumble of a engine and the faint memory of being knocked unconscious…
I woke to the sound of voices;
"Is she awake yet?" One said.
"I don't know, poke her." Another said. I felt a sharp nail poke me in the arm.
"Ow, don't you know its rude to poke people." I said.
"Maybe you can tell us why we're here?" The girl who had poked me asked hopefully, she had a mop of jet black hair and deathly pale skin, and sharp fangs that glittered when she talked.
"Can you do special magical things like us?" Said the other girl, who was the opposite, she had a shaggy mane of brown hair with pink rosy cheek and smelled of wet dog.
"What? Like teleport, and float in my sleep?" I said.
"Exactly, see, I knew it wasn't just coincidence that you and I have powers!" The brunette said to the vampire girl.
"My names Shade and I'm a vampire." The vampire girl told me.
"My names Emma and I'm a werewolf." The brunette said grinning.
"I'm Swift, a sorceress" I introduced myself.
Emma,
"I'll be back soon." I said to my foster mum. She gave me a long lecture on how to stay safe. This is where my brain switches off, I can see that she's talking but I never quite hear her.
I just nod and say, "Yes.", "I know.", "Uh-huh.", "I'll be fine, don't worry about me.". It works and I leave. I sling my back pack over a shoulder and strut out. My foster mum, Sally, adopted me a year ago, I've never been fostered before this and let me tell you, life in the orphanage wasn't pretty. The big kids would form into groups and bully the others, I had always been a target, a perky, rosy cheeked brunette.
But they didn't know, that I packed a punch. All my life, I've always been extra ordinarily strong, Olympic strong, and sprinter fast. And as I got older, the bullies realised that, I grew taller, leaner, toned muscles.
Picking on people is wrong so I never joined their groups, that got me into fights but, as most of them know, it's not worth a broken nose. I still cant believe Sally chose me out of all the people in the orphanage. Me, a girl with a disorder for seeing things too brightly, panicking at loud noises that slice through my head like a heated knife.