Chapter I
The portal before me swirled and shifted with an iridescent, shimmering light. I peered into it, but kept my distance. I didn't want even a chance of grazing it. I looked up from it uneasily, to my older brother Drake's apprehensive gaze. He was the one who had summoned it, and moments before, he had been the one who broke the news to me: I was a wizard.
And so was he, and our family, all throughout our entire lineage. He had been determined to keep it a secret, however, until I turned thirteen. This was when I'd be able to enroll in the school of Ravenwood, one of the most prestigious for wizards in training.
As one could imagine, this was all very hard for me to take in. I grew weary, unconsciously backing away from the pool of light that illuminated my room. It had to be a joke, some illusion. But my parents had been just as adamant. They stood in my doorway, waiting for me to step inside.
"Go on," my father pushed gently, smiling. Drake walked closer to the portal, nodding towards it as he stood with an arm outstretched to me. I tried to breathe deeply, but found myself holding the air in as I took his hand and he led me through. I shut my eyes instantly, bracing myself for whatever would come next. I felt some motion, and my hair being wind-swept around me. The ground under our feet slipped away. Gasping, I gripped Drake's hand tightly. Moments passed that felt like millennia. There were only some fleeting whirring and swooshing noises, as if we were flying, and then finally I felt solid ground beneath me once more. I held my eyes shut, still, until Drake let go of me.
What came into my vision was nothing exceedingly extraordinary, but it was odd all the same. We had landed in some sort of courtyard, with green grass all around, save for the huge tower that sprawled up into the sky before us. But most surprising was the man that was waiting for us there. His old age showed in every aspect; his eyes wrinkled at the corners, he was tall, yet slightly hunched, and he boasted the longest beard I had ever laid eyes on. His garb consisted of blue robes and a matching tall hat, and he held a magnificent-looking staff in one hand. As the man saw us arrive, he smiled pleasantly. Besides him was an owl, perched on a wooden stand, who seemed to be his pet.
"It's wonderful to see you, Drake," he regarded my brother in a shaky, shrilly voice. "And this must be your sister, Scarlet, if I am not mistaken?"
"It certainly is. Was a bit of a hassle getting her here, though," Drake snickered, and I pursed my lips in annoyance but said nothing. "Scarlet, this is Ambrose. He's the headmaster of Ravenwood, who I told you about."
I glanced at this gentle old man with a newfound respect. From what I had heard, this was a very powerful individual.
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Scarlet GriffenRider," he told me. "Now, all that needs to be done to get you started is to fill out these form, and we will-" A deafening boom echoed through the air, ceasing the headmaster's words. He jerked his head up towards the sky, which now grew hazy with dark clouds. Lightning flashed, followed by another boom. I strained my vision to the top of the tower, only to see the silhouette of a menacing figure appear there in the window. For a moment, I thought I glimpsed a pair of glowering eyes staring back at me.
"No…" Ambrose whispered. Both he and Drake stared with wide eyes.
"Headmaster… is that who I think it is?" My brother asked with deep alarm. The old man nodded gravely.
"Hurry, we must get into the tower," he spoke with urgency. His owl cooed as we all raced inside, narrowly avoiding the rain that began to shower down.
As we entered, a man waited for us inside. He stood about as tall as Ambrose, with raven-black hair that ran to his shoulders, braided on each side. His stare was cold and austere. The dark robes he wore suited him perfectly. I was more fearful of him than even the two beasts that were by his side. They were dragons of some sort, but stood on their hind legs so as to tower over us all, with rippled orange scales.
"And who is this, I wonder? Could it be your newest student?" The man sneered. "You'll need to do better than that if you want to be rid of me, Ambrose."
"Scarlet, Drake, see to those minions while I take care of Malistaire." Ambrose ordered us, ignoring the taunts. So that was his name: Malistaire. It suited him.
Drake hurried towards the dragons, and after a few hesitant seconds, I followed. A glowing, circular grid appeared around us, with intricate symbols that I assume had some sort of meaning. The two monsters stayed to the opposite side of us, and Drake told me to get into one of the circles. As soon as I did, I felt energy being poured throughout me.
"Let's call this your first crash-course in spell casting," my brother muttered to me, half-joking. "I'd usually have my wand for duels, but-" The ring around us pulsed with a glow, indicating towards Drake. He focused intently on drawing some sort of symbol in the air with his hands, and then seconds later a swarm of bats materialized in the center. They looked to have a sort of electrical property about them. They swooped down towards one of the dragons, attacking it in swift movements. They promptly disappeared, and then my turn came. I panicked, looking towards my brother. "A Firecat spell. Try that one. Draw a symbol that looks like this," my brother drew a symbol that resembled fire. I did my best to recreate it, and out from it hopped a flaming panther. It leaped, and swung at one of Malistaire's cohorts.
It was then their turn. The floor around us flooded with water, and I noticed a shark's fin. It leaped out of the water furiously, and bit at Drake. I shrieked, but after he took the attack he went right back into a ready stance.
"Are you okay?" I called.
"I'm fine. It's just magic," Drake assured me. "But you do need to be careful of your energy being drained entirely. Watch out!"
Another Firecat spell that the dragons produced launched towards me. It clawed at me, and I stumbled back, drawing in a sharp breath. There was one moment of searing pain and in the next it was gone. I regained my composure as Drake took another turn.
In my peripheral vision I could see Ambrose trying to cast Malistaire away. They were just taking hits at each other, one after another, but neither seemed to want to back down.
It was my turn then. Before I could do anything, Drake caught my attention.
"Scarlet, I have an idea. I want you to cast Meteor Strike." He quickly taught me how, and I fumbled a bit, but was able to perform it. Two giant, fiery meteors rained down into the henchmen, knocking them dead with ease. The glowing circle faded, and I stumbled towards my brother. I had become very tired.
We both looked to Malistaire, whose eyes gleamed with frustration for a split second.
"This, Ambrose, is just the beginning," he growled his threat and then vanished in a thick cloud of black smoke.
I leaned against Drake, exhaustion overcoming me. He pulled me back up straight, studying me with concern.
"Are you alright?" He asked. I held my palm to my head and closed my eyes as I stood back on my own.
"I'm fine," I replied. Ambrose walked towards the both of us.
"You're a strong one, Scarlet. You learn quickly," he placed his hand on my shoulder to offer comfort. "Perhaps just what Wizard City needs." I smiled weakly at his praise, grateful.
"Now, we need to see what kind of wizard you are," the headmaster told me, raising his hands with both palms turned towards me.
"What kind of wizard I am?"
"There are many different types of magic, and each facet represents an aspect of the natural world around us. Most wizards harness the power of one type much more effectively than any other," he explained.
"Shouldn't we take her to her dorm first? I think she needs to rest," Drake suggested.
Lights began to pour out from Ambrose's palms, surrounding me.
"Once Scarlet grows her powers, she won't become as tired. This will only take a moment."
I felt as if I was getting lighter. I gradually began to float off the ground, as the light around me gradated into different colors. It then became black, and stopped changing. I slowly lowered back to the floor. Drake's eyes were weary, but Ambrose looked indifferent.
"It seems you are a Necromancer, Scarlet," he reported.
"A death wizard." Drake murmured.
"Is that… a bad thing?"
"Oh, not at all," Ambrose replied. "Necromancy is a very powerful branch of magic. One of the most powerful, indeed."
I glanced at Drake uneasily. His expression quickly changed from unease into a teasing smile as soon as he saw me staring.
"Let's get you to your dorm. You need to rest. Merlin knows you'll be getting none of that for awhile." Drake told me.
"Who's Merlin…?" I asked quietly, following both the headmaster and my brother out of the castle, where the sky had cleared up. They both exchanged chuckles.
"Oh, nevermind." My brother gave that smirk again.
Ambrose transported us to a small, circular room with a window on one side, as well as a bed and a desk. I guessed that this was my dorm.
"Now, young wizard, I suggest you get some sleep. Tomorrow I will have Gamma, my owl, come fetch you so we can meet your teacher and get everything straightened out," Ambrose said.
"My dorm is just down that way, so come get me if you need something," Drake added.
"I'll be fine," I replied, sitting down on the bed. It felt so nice on my muscles to finally relax them. The two of them waved me goodbye, and then I was on my own. I was very glad; I needed time to process it all. Before that, though, my body seemed to have different plans. As soon as I laid my head, I drifted off into sleep.