The stars in the night sky were fading, and the moon had long since fallen. You could sense the sun coming up but couldn't see any hint of it quite yet. I had taken the same path as last time but this present it was a lot darker. I made it to the clearing with no trouble and found the fresh mound of dirt right where Daymond said it was. To my surprise someone had put a stone with the word Hero carved into it on top. Picking up the stone I burned my own word deep into the stone "Bruce".
Jumping over a log, flipping over a stream, and sliding between two thick bushes I ran full speed up the slope. Breathing hard and sweat pouring from my body I made it just in time to see the most beautiful sunrise and to my horror I found it no longer held me like before. All I could see was a blazing ball of fire that would kill anything and anyone if they got to close, and just like Icarus I got burned.
Turning my back to the sunrise I started back down the slop. I was soon in the shadows of the trees walking solemnly back to school. It was getting even darker and black thought crossed my mind. If only Ben had saved Arvola instead of me, Kaleb wouldn't be so heartbroken. The parents of the students that had died would surely have wanted me to die instead of their child. I would have rather die than to see them die, No I didn't see them die I was blindfolded, worst yet I felt them die, and parts of me died with them!
The sobs and screams stared to come back, I could hear each fellow student as if they were holding me when they died, and yet I lived. A small figure was curled around my head holding a sliver dagger close to my throat. it was yet another reminder of that day. The hooded man who had almost taken me, and yet failed when another dagger struck him down. The pain burned throughout me and when the slashkilters blade touched my throat it melted, dripping down my shirt. Rage replaced the pain and it to burned, killing the beast that would have saved me from this torment. The slashkilter screamed in pain as it burned to death. I will live if only to save others from death, no more will die in my place, Atreyu burned with me and the promise we just made.
Seven teachers and my mother found me when I was crossing the clearing, each one terrified that I had been taken again.
"Where were you"
"Why did you burn down the door"
"I was so worried,
"don't ever do that again"
"Daymond said"
It went on like that for ten minutes before they would let me speak and only when I broke free and made my way back to school.
"Griphith stop, What the hell is going on?!" my mother screamed and grabbed me.
My mom had never did that before and she was shaking which wasn't like her at all, my mom was always the strong one in the family, now she was splitting at the seams.
"Mom I'm fine I just came to say good bye to Bruce, everything is okay trust me." I lied.
I let her hug me as she cried, her whole body shook and she was breathing hard as if she had just ran up a mountain. when her sob subsided I gentle pushed her away and said, "I have to go I am going to be late."
"Late. Late for what!"
"I have training with Carla this morning before classes."
"No your coming home now, there's no way you're staying here"
"I am not going, I have to stay here with Kaleb"
"Your talking crazy..."
"No!" I interrupted. "I am staying and learning how to fight. This will never happen again!"
I brushed my mom aside and continued walking, she could have stopped me but I had caught her off guard.
Technically training was supposed to be yesterday, but I had been a little tied up at the moment and I knew Carla well enough now that she would be there for me, and I wasn't mistaken. She was setting at the base of a tree with her sword on her lap and a blindfold in her hand.
I took the blind fold and we began.
Carla was more distance then usually today, and I believe its because of Shawn Clay her younger brother who died during the ritual. The cuts she gave me were shallow and few and she only bruised me a hundred times not two hundred which was the regular. Also she never said a word to me, when she used to give me advice and scold me.
After the three hours of none stop training she sent me away, again not saying a word. And I was forced to renter the school. Most of the students were in the south hall for breakfast but there were a few dragging along, I entered with them keeping my gaze downward. As I entered peoples eyeballs were magically fastened on me and I could feel each one as I sat down with Kaleb, Daymond and Victor.
Carla came in last and sat down next to a few of her friends. No one was speaking and very few people were eating, the mood in the hall was icy to say the least, until.
"Morning students of Ilvermorny," said the head mistress at the center of the center table. "Many of you have heard something about what happened yesterday, and all of you have felt its effect. I've been asked countless times by officials, teachers, parents, and student to explain what exactly happened."
Looking up for the first time I noticed that the center table had a few extra tables and was completely full by all three mentioned.
"We were attacked by a group of people who hate our existence as this group has temporally crippled us. They somehow have manage to strip three of the five main elements from each of us."
At this there were a few mumbles, because most of us, included me, believed there were only four elements not five.
"Our symbol is a star, there are five points to a star not four" she continued. "Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and most importantly Soul. The one element that can't be taken because it resides in all of us, every soul you've touched resides in us forever, even the ones who've fallen. Yesterday six students were killed by the group who did this to us. Arvola Royal, Kimberly Dawn, Shawn Clay, Wilbert Foster, Frost MacRin, and Abby Cline. Due to this classes will be canceled for the rest of this month. Parents will be arriving today and tomorrow to take students home, no one is allowed to leave without an escort. Also services will be held this afternoon and I encourage everyone to join us and pay their respects."
The mayor and some other officials stood up and spoke their peace, many teachers had something to say also but it was all the same things that was said by the head mistress.
Shawn Clay was Carla's younger brother. Knowing nothing about vampires and not sure how much to belive from the moives. I couldn't tell how much she was hurt by what happened but i can tell it efected her.
"So Griphith what really happened up there?" said the black haired boy in Arvola's ho use same year.
He was looking at me with watery eyes from acroos the table. his hands were clenched tightly around his plate knuckles white and shaking.
"Shut up" Kaleb whispered back, "the teachers are still talking!"
"Who cares, they won't tell us what happened and I have a right to know"
"Why becease you were in the same house?"
"No, we were freinds she told me everything"
"Well she never told us about you, Whats your name anyway?" Kaleb asked while glaring at him.
That's when I felt the horrifying power of the headmistress's glare. The others must have felt it to, they all went silent and bowed their heads. I kept my head up and watched the last speaker finished. then we were released from the hall so we could go pack. Mom found me almost imeadily after and walked me to the fire house entrance.
"Mom I am not going until..." I paused knowing that if I said what I really wanted too, she would force me to leave this school. "Until I say goodbye" I lied.
"I know, of course we can wait."
I gently pushed her aside and made my way to the North Hall ignoring the many whispers and glares, none of the teachers hadn't mentioned my involvement but the story had leaked out somehow throughout the student body. Needing to be alone I entered the deserted North hall. The massive closely weaved net hung from wall to wall 20ft above the ground. Through the net I could see hanging obstacle; like walls, platforms, giant wreaking balls which the student used to fight on. Some structure grow from the walls trying to make their way to the center. The only ways into this impressive battle field were thick gym ropes that were evenly scattered near the edge of the nets, next to the walls.
The net was so closely weaved and tight it was like I was on a huge trampoline, I even managed to bounce up and grab a low hanging chain that was attached to the center of a bridge. The bridge was very wobbly and strong meant for intense combat. Running up one side I leaped for a wrecking ball then climbed the chain holding it. Other chains were connected to the wrecking ball chain and went off either towards the wall or other objects. When moving on one thing you could feel the whole maze move with your weight. This spider web of training was very complex. Curling upside down on one chain i made my way to the far wall which was littered with hand holds. Unlike most rock walls this one was easy to climb because the main purpose was to fight not to climb. Mere feet from the entrance to 5 NW 4 hall I let go of the wall planning to use my electrical charge to magnetically swing a chain towards me. The power abandoned me, it felt like it should be there but wasn't. I fell against a swinging log rolled off and fell to the well placed net far below. Lying there with two broken ribs maybe more i tried again, and again. I couldn't even make a spark let alone a lightning bolt.
Running footsteps sounded below me and a rough voice accompanied, "Mr. Palen are you alright, what happened?"
Painfully rolling I could see that it was Mr. Blackwell the history teacher, now running to a gym rope and climbing up. Surprisingly fast despite his short comings.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Watching you of course, you don't think the headmistress would leave you unprotected after what happened. Now's my turn to ask a question. Why did you do that? Are you trying to kill yourself?" he carefully rolled me over to face him.
"No I wasn't! and I don't need your protection" ignoring my ribs rubbing together, I brushed him aside and crawled to the opening in the net he had emerged from.
Ignoring what I just said he picked me up and carried me down the rope easily the he carried me to my hospital bed on the seventh floor, passing most of the school in the process. It wasn't soon after my mom showed up with Mr. Wayne.
"Why would you do this to yourself" my mom cried.
"I didn't"
"don't lie, Mr. Blackwell told us everything."
"Mr. Blackwell is Wrong!" I interrupted. " Mr. Wayne, Can you use electricity even though the other elements are gone?"
"What is this about?"
"I wasn't trying to fall to my death I was going to move a chain so I could grab it using a magnetic pulse but it didn't work."
"Oh, well, I guess that explains things." he lifted his hand and white sparks flew from his finger tips. "Electricity is just a pure version of fire, positive and negative coming together perfectly. Only a few people are able to feel the strange balance let alone use it."
"So what happened then" I said angrily.
"Well I don't know, nothing like this has ever happened to me. With everything that's happened to us, I have no idea what to do. This has been the worst thing wizards have ever done to us."
"Not all wizards are to blame", my mother shouted.
I know she was thinking of dad when she said that. I could almost feel the turmoil burn within her, not a lot of people knew about my dad and I have come to realize that what my parent share might be considered taboo to others.
My mom stayed with me in the hospital and no matter what I said or promised she wouldn't leave. since most healing involved more the one elements so I was forced to heal the old fashion way. Mrs. Evans dropped by with a potion, which I drank, to help with the ribs. All in all it well take a month for my ribs to heal.
T he strangest thing about the funeral is when the families stood up to talk about their loved one I recognized them and yet had no memory of meeting them. Their faces were like old year book photos, I remember them being there but nothing about them. After the funerals the bodies were taken to their homes. Which was the signal for the end of the school year. Whether or not there would be another year was yet to be decided. All I knew was the nightmares would only get worse from here on.