Prologue

Dark clouds brewed in the once cloudless blue sky, casting long shadows over the quadrangle garden of the college campus - and the large crowd that had gathered around it. A chilly breeze blew through the canopy of the willow tree and rustled the leaves, breaking the uneasy silence there. Amelia Watson steadied her breath and felt the ominous wind caressing her.

A few paces away, her neighbor Ophelia Lowry was on the ground with an angry, albeit bruised face, while a lithe goon frantically tended to her. Meanwhile, the larger goon stood before Amelia and cracked her knuckles, eagerly raring for a fight. Then, in the corner of Amelia's eye, she saw the fearful, trembling Ina watching the scene from the shadow of the willow tree.

"Ame…" The aspiring detective's nickname escaped Ina's lips.

That reminded Amelia of what she had to do. So, she steeled her stance, furrowed her brow and squared off against the large bully before her.

'Observation, young Watson.' A voice spoke in Amelia's mind, 'Observation is key in investigations… and in combat!'

Those words of advice that Sherlock Holmes shared with her rang clear in Amelia's mind.

Heeding those words, Amelia trained her eyes on her opponent and noted every single detail that she could - from the way that she clenched her left fist more tightly than her right, to the unusual way that she drew her breaths and shifted her weight. So, the moment that the bully even thought of closing the gap to strike, Amelia was already prepared.

Time seemed to slow down for Amelia as the large bully made her play. Anticipating a wild left hook, Amelia bobbed and weaved to the right. The bully's punch knocked off her hat but sailed over her head of golden hair. Amelia then grinned and met the bully halfway - returning the favor with a straight left to the bully's torso and a right hook to her rib.

The bully winced in pain and retreated a pace while Amelia stood her ground, watching keenly once again. How in the world did this small girl manage to hit so hard and so fast!?

It must have been a fluke, the bully decided, so she tried to assault Amelia again. She threw another left hook at Amelia, but the hat-less girl was prepared for her yet again. Amelia weaved to the left this time and followed through with a solid right haymaker to the bully's torso.

Then, just as the bully tried to retreat again, Amelia cocked her head and launched herself at her opponent - headbutting the bully's open jaw with her hard forehead. That strike rattled the bully's cranium and left her barely able to stay up on her feet.

Seeing this, Amelia prepared her coup de grace. She massaged her bruised forehead and then extended both her hands up with open palms.

"When in doubt…" Amelia started as she approached the bully, "Discombobulate!"

With surgical precision, Amelia clapped her opponent's ears with both hands and the dazed bully fell down to the ground on her back.

The bully gradually recollected herself, but her eyes were unfocused with horror. She then growled,

"You bloody gremlin!"

Just as Amelia was about to retort to her downed opponent, however, she noticed a dark, slender shadow approaching her from behind.

Amelia whirled around and saw the second goon, a lithe girl with a scowl more sour than lemons, armed with a handbag of heavy, hardbound textbooks. The agile girl swung the schoolbag around like a short flail and attacked Amelia from a tough angle.

This time, Amelia didn't have time to prepare. She raised up her arms to shield herself from the blow, but the bag struck her with such great force that it rattled her wrists.

"Damn it!" Amelia cursed in pain.

She faced her new opponent with full resolve, but her stance was shakier than before. The lithe bully whirled her schoolbag once more and dared the hat-less girl to attack. Naturally, Amelia was more than happy to oblige - screaming with a shrill voice,

"WREEEE!"

The lithe bully scoffed at Amelia's war cry and whirled her bag again. Amelia, however, ran at full sprint and tackled the second bully with breakneck speed.

"Oof!" The bully gasped for air. She fell back-first onto the ground and her weapon came tumbling after.

Amelia picked herself up from the ground to plan her next move, but she wasn't given a chance to think. An ornate, designer loafer flew from the corner of Amelia's eye and struck her with a vicious kick to the hips. The kick flipped Amelia onto her back and she landed in an awkward position. The sound of a peculiar crack then reached Amelia's ears.

Her golden pocket watch broke under her weight and a pang of terror swept throughout Amelia's entire being. Then, before she knew it, the large bully and the lithe bully each took one of her arms and forced her to kneel down on the dirt.

"You little bitch!" Ophelia Lowry spat on the ground before Amelia, "You do realize who I am, right? You realize who my lovely, lovely friends are too! And yet - you dare to lay a hand on us in front of everyone? BECAUSE OF SOME ORIENTAL!?"

Amelia gnashed her teeth as the two bullies lifted her up to the level of Ophelia's face. However, the trapped girl maintained her composure. Then, she answered with a growl,

"Ina's not just some Oriental… Lowry. Ina's my friend - and she's more awesome than you and your thugs!"

Ina's cheeks flushed red when she heard this. Ophelia, on the other hand, puffed up with rage and screamed like a banshee. She then proceeded to kick Amelia with her designer shoes over and over and over.

"Do you have a death wish, Watson!?" Ophelia shrieked with each kick, "Do you want even more stitches on the back of your head!?"

Blow after blow rocked Amelia to her core while the two goons held her down. Amelia's consciousness was starting to leave her, but she still trained her defiant bloodshot eyes on Ophelia - then to Ina.

'As long as Ina is safe…' Amelia thought as her sight wavered, 'If I can do just that…'

Thunder rumbled in the heavens as dark clouds dominated the skies. Darkness started claiming Amelia's sight too. All she could see was a blurry silhouette of Ophelia Lowry cracking her knuckles and winding up to throw a haymaker that would leave a permanent mark on Amelia's face.

However, before Ophelia's silhouette could pounce, some thin, black line slithered through the ground and grabbed her ankle. Then, the silhouette tripped and drew gasps from the large crowd of nameless faces.

It was only then that Dr. Watson's thundering voice rang clear through the courtyard.

"Hey! What is going on here!?" Dr. Watson demanded as he rushed into the scene, "Explain yourselves this instant!"

A trio of teacher prefects accompanied him and proceeded to break up the crowd, but their warnings mixed in with the cacophony of murmurs and chaos that ensued.

The bullies let go of Amelia's arms, letting her fall down to her knees. Before Amelia could slump over to the ground, however, Ina caught her in her arms.

Ina seemed to be calling out to her, but Ame couldn't hear what she was saying - or even see the expression that Ina had. However, the thin black line that tripped Ophelia lingered around Ina for a brief moment before it disappeared into thin air.

Then, Ame's consciousness left her.

AlterMyth

A Change Of Plans

Sixth Scene - Not Yet

Once again, Ame found herself sinking in the dark ocean of the eye of her mind, but the world around her wasn't as vivid as she remembered. Everything there seemed like ink on aged parchment that had yet to dry. The only colors that she could see were ink black, parchment brown and faint shades of purple and blue.

This time around, she was lying on the wooden deck of a sunken Spanish frigate that had been torn in two in some old war. Despite this, the well-sculpted twin figureheads of the vessel: a confident girl with glasses shoulder-to-shoulder with a demon-like girl with asymmetrical horns, remained mostly intact.

Beyond the forgotten figures, however, Ame couldn't see much else. She couldn't move a muscle either to explore freely like she normally did. Then, instead of the friendly blue shark that accompanied her in her dreams, there were two ghastly hooded beings that loomed over her.

The hoods floated around Ame and their flowing black cloaks trailed behind them like ghastly tendrils. Amelia couldn't see too far, but there seemed to be nondescript human faces underneath their hoods. They also wore long polearm weapons on their back and slung over their shoulders with ebony straps.

The first hood, a tall and slender presence pointed at Ame and spoke words that Ame couldn't comprehend. The second hood, an even taller and more imposing creature, observed Ame and then shook its head.

The two black hoods then had an argument before Ame. It was like a scene that Ame was all too familiar with: a student arguing with her teacher about a test or exam.

All of the sudden, Ame stirred and she hiccupped - interrupting the conversation of the two. They turned to her once more and Ame felt her heart skip a beat.

'Oh shit…!' Ame thought, but she only succeeded in hiccupping yet again.

The second hood shook its head again and walked away from the sunken pirate ship, all the while gesturing to the 'student' to follow it. The first being, unable to refuse its master, lowered its head with disappointment and obliged - but not before it gave Ame one last menacing glare.

When the two hooded beings floated away from the scene, the dark ocean was washed away by a bright blinding light.

Then, Ame came to.

Seventh Scene - Prognosis

Ame awakened in a cold sweat and shot up from her bed with a start. However, when she tried to sit up straight, pain from her chest, hips and wrists robbed her of her strength and she plopped back down. She was forced to look up at an unfamiliar ceiling by an unfamiliar window where the bright light of the sunrise flowed through.

"Ugh…" Ame grumbled. The sterile smell of disinfectant and the atmosphere of utter stodginess in the room reminded her of where she was.

'Uncle Watson's clinic', Ame thought as the gravity of her situation dawned upon her. She was in one of the private clinic rooms on the second floor of the medical practice - a small, bland room with a bed, a table lined with Ame's folded clothes, a cast iron heating radiator and a portrait of Queen Victoria that watched over her like a hawk.

Beside her bed, however, Ame found a second table and a comfortable leather-padded chair that had been uprooted from the foyer of the practice. The table was occupied by the morning newspaper, a handful of old tomes, a half-finished cup of coffee and a now slightly water damaged purple sketchbook.

Ame's broken golden pocket watch was on that table too, sitting on top of a paperback manual for watch repair written in English and French.

"Ina…" Ame whispered fondly.

Moments later, she heard the door of the private room open - followed by a gasp of Ina's voice,

"Ame! You're finally awake!" Ina started as she approached the bedside, "Thank goodness you made it! Dr. Watson said that you almost died!"

Ame took a moment to slowly sit herself upright.

"Uncle Watson's probably exaggerating, Ina." She tried to correct her.

However, when she recalled the pair of hooded beings that loomed around her in her 'dream', her confidence in her own statement wavered.

The clinic room door then opened once more and the stoic figure of Dr. John H. Watson entered the room with a grim expression.

"That was no exaggeration, young Amelia. Miss Lowry and her thugs hurt you more than you may have realized." He then pointed to Ame's bandaged arm and revealed, "I had to craft a concoction of medicines - patent pending - to stabilize your condition and stimulate your recovery. You have been out like a light for five days now. By George, you are fortunate to be alive!"

Ame carefully felt her bandaged arm and thought,

'Was that why those guys left?'

Dr. Watson's grim expression then coalesced into a frown and he continued,

"I cannot stay for long. The board of directors of the Occidental College is having another meeting soon, you see - the third one this week. I will do everything in my power to fight for your case, young Amelia, but I cannot help but think that the board has already made up its mind. Miss Ninomae can provide you the details."

With that ominous announcement, Dr. Watson tipped his bowler hat and excused himself, leaving Ame and Ina alone in the clinic room.

The bedridden Ame then turned to her companion to ask, "What happened, Ina?"

"It's Mr. Steven Lowry - the father of Miss Ophelia." Ina started sheepishly, lowering her head as she sat down by Ame's side, "He is the sitting chairman of the Occidental College. The parents of Miss Ophelia's goons are board members too. They are conspiring to have you expelled for an unprovoked attack on their daughters."

"Unprovoked!? What the fuck!?" Ame shrieked her harsh, unfiltered words and gave Ina a start. She clenched her bandaged fist despite her pain and growled, "Those snakes were attacking you, Ina! How the hell can they get away with this!?"

"Miss Ophelia's father is the police chief of Scotland Yard, as well as a close friend of the mayor of London." Ina explained somberly, "The large goon is the daughter of an American shipping magnate who used to own the college buildings. The lithe one is a relative of the Earl of Sandwich - British nobility- as well as a Member of Parliament!"

"And they're just bitches who hang around Lowry because her daddy's famous!" Ame lashed.

"I know, I know…" Ina agreed wearily, "However, their families are incredibly powerful and influential. They plan to coerce the rest of the board to vote their way. The rest of the girls and even the prefects who saw the fight are afraid of speaking up too. That's what Dr. Watson told me."

"Still! That doesn't mean they can just do whatever the hell they want!" Ame stubbornly complained, "I want to give them a piece of my mind! No - I have to!"

"But Ame, you're bedridden!" Ina reminded, "You just woke up, too!"

Ame sank into her bed with a furrowed brow and she thought out loud,

"I know, but I'm gonna get expelled if I sit here and do nothing. Knowing Ophelia, she's probably throwing a tantrum to her dad to get you expelled too, Ina. She's petty like that. We grew up in the same town, so I know."

"That may be true, but what are you going to do in that state, Ame?" Ina frowned, "You can barely move a muscle!"

When Ina said this, Ame's eyes wandered through the room once more. She glanced at her bandaged arm and then at the morning newspaper on the second table. Then, a smirk formed on her lips and she turned to Ina.

"Yeah, but that can be changed." Ame gave Ina a confident wink and then reminded her, "I'm a Watson too, you know. The dumbest one in the family, but still a Watson! I know how to get out of this rut. I'll just need you to help me a bit, Ina."

Ina tilted her head and wondered.

"Help you?" Ina asked. Then, her face went pale with horror, "Wait… don't tell me…"

"Heeheeheehee~" Ame grinned devilishly at Ina and proposed, "I'm gonna get you to help me whip up a concoction! We've got all the ingredients right here in the clinic. You'll help me, right?"

Shadows shrouded Ina's purple eyes and she felt the walls of the clinic room closing in on her. Messing with medical supplies was neither her role nor forte, after all. However, looking at the bedridden Ame brimming with confidence told her that she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Okay…" Ina answered sheepishly, "But this was your idea, okay? I don't want to lose my job over this."

"I've got ya, Ina." Ame gestured a thumbs up, "Don't worry about it!"

"Easy for you to say." Ina replied. A smile finally broke out on her lips as she asked, "So, what do you want me to do, Ame?"

Eighth Scene - The Wager

Tense air filled the boardroom of the Occidental College for Young Ladies at high noon as the directors gathered around the long, mahogany table. Dr. Watson sat across the table from Mr. Steven Lowry, the chairman of the board, and steeled himself for what he thought was inevitable. In the midst of this tension, Ophelia Lowry sat on a bench behind her father and leisurely sipped a cup of strong black tea.

Ophelia's face, even after five days, had a cotton bandage on her jaw - but Dr. Watson knew that it was just a cosmetic prop. The two goons of the spoiled brat were there too, wearing bandages even though they had fully recovered. All the while, a portrait of Queen Victoria watched the scene from above the boardroom fireplace and seemed to test Dr. Watson's resolve.

The board meeting was already two hours underway when the three girls started giving their wild, falsified accounts of the incident. Their stories drew gasps from the directors, but Dr. Watson sat silently. As a renowned army surgeon and medical professional, he itched to dispute their false claims, but he was alone in the room. All he could do was light a pipe of tobacco with a match and puff smoke with rising anxiety as he waited for his turn to speak.

'What would Holmes do in a situation like this?' Dr. Watson wondered as smoke rose from his pipe.

Then, as if to answer his question, the boardroom door creaked open and a hiccup reached Dr. Watson's ears.

The bullies were still in the middle of spinning their impassioned fictional tale but everyone in the room turned their eyes towards the door. There, the bedraggled figure of Amelia Watson - propped up by a cane and Ina'nis Ninomae's shoulders - trod laboriously into the boardroom.

Ophelia and her goons gasped as if they had seen a ghost, and they weren't far off from the truth. Ame wore the patient's gown from Dr. Watson's clinic under her favorite tan coat, revealing the many bandages and splints that she had to wear to support her battered body. As a matter of fact, her bandages made her appear like a mummy from an Egyptian pyramid - or a walking undead 'zombie' from the same thread as Frankenstein's monster.

Unlike the hale and hearty Ophelia and her companions, Ame looked like a strong breeze could knock her out. Dr. Watson knew that her injuries would have needed at least another week for her to recover. And yet, there she was - standing fearlessly before the firing squad that wanted to expel her.

'You madlass!' Dr. Watson thought. He didn't need Sherlock Holmes to deduce what Ame did to regain that much strength in such a short period of time. The telltale hiccup told him all he needed to know.

He wanted to scold her for messing around with experimental medicines - and to scold Ina for enabling his niece. However, at the same time, an unmistakable smile formed on his lips and confidence - finally - burned in his heart. This was the cavalry charge that he had been hoping for.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Dr. Watson started and puffed his pipe with greater enthusiasm, "We have heard nothing but Miss Ophelia's side for these past two days. I believe it is time for the defense to make their case."

Chairman Lowry and his daughter cringed at Ame's unsightly appearance and Dr. Watson's sudden proposal, but the crowd's attention had already been stolen. He realized that they probably wouldn't listen to him or Ophelia even if he raised his voice. So, the chairman rubbed his temple and decided,

"Fine. I shall allow it. Ten minutes."

"Thank you, Chairman." Dr. Watson smiled knowingly, "Now, I concede my time to my niece. Please lend her your ears."

With that, Ina helped Amelia to the podium.

There, Ame recounted an entirely different tale from what Ophelia and her lackeys had been telling. Every splint and bandage that Ame had on her body seconded her story. Every hiccup that she made threatened to rob her of her balance, but she stood tall with Ina's help. So, the bullies and their parents had no choice but to sit through those ten minutes that felt like an eternity.

Once Ame had shared her piece, the parents of the bullies pulled their seats closer to one another and whispered frantically amongst themselves. Chairman Lowry then turned to Ame and challenged,

"Compelling as your case is, that does not change the fact that you assaulted Ophelia and her friends. The board is still compelled to vote for your expulsion, Miss Watson… but if you make a public apology to my daughter, we could come to an arrangement where..."

"An apology?" Ame scoffed, "No freaking way! Ophelia started this and I defended myself. I defended Ina too. That's all there is to it!"

"What kind of language is that, young lady!?" Mr. Lowry growled angrily, slamming the boardroom table with his fist, "I am giving you a chance, by my authority as Chairman of the board, to absolve yourself of your actions!"

"And I am offering the board a more enticing opportunity - a wager even." Ame countered without missing a beat, "Have you read the newspaper today, Mr. Lowry?"

With that, Ina let go of Ame and handed Mr. Lowry a copy of the morning newspaper. The chairman turned to the front page and started reading.

"Her Majesty, the Queen, has a royal decree. She is looking for noteworthy research to finance to produce great discoveries in the name of Great Britain. " Ame explained as she held onto the podium for support. Her eyes then looked up to the portrait of Queen Victoria over the fireplace and continued, "Substantial grants are up for grabs - as well as royal boons - for qualified projects and academic institutions. Ina and I have an idea for an expedition that could put the Occidental College for Young Ladies on the map."

"Father!" Ophelia interjected bitterly, "Don't tell me you're planning to listen to that gremlin!"

"Ophelia!" Mr. Lowry lashed back, stopping his daughter in her tracks, "We are having a business discussion. Do not interrupt."

The younger Lowry retreated back to the shadows with a sour expression. Mr. Lowry furrowed his brow as he read through the paper. He then passed the newspaper along to the next director and spoke resolutely.

"You are a shrewd young lady, Amelia Watson, so allow me to make a counter-proposal." Mr. Lowry started, "We are inclined to accept your offer - but with a few conditions to make this 'wager' of yours worthwhile to us."

"Lay it on me, buddy." Ame answered gamely, speaking growing eagerness.

Mr. Lowry scoffed at Ame's casual words and then spoke his terms.

"Firstly, the College will not spend a substantial amount for your expedition. Our finances are already tight to begin with, after all. Secondly, my daughter Ophelia will lead another expedition to search for whatever it is you are planning to search for."

He then looked Ame straight in the eye and added,

"Finally, if this idea of yours is a fluke and you fail to achieve your goal - or if Ophelia beats you to your objective - you and Miss Ninomae will be expelled immediately. Do you still wish to proceed with this 'wager' of yours?"

Ame and Ina turned to each other for a moment. The rest of the directors also started whispering amongst themselves while Ophelia and her goons grumbled in the shadows.

After a short while, Ame and Ina smiled at the directors confidently. Ame girl then replied,

"It's a deal."

At this point, Mr. Lowry broke into a fit of laughter.

"You truly are a madlass! We have a deal indeed." The chairman caught his breath and asked, "So pray, do tell. What is this grand expedition you had in mind for your wager, Miss Watson? What sort of fool's errand will catch the attention of the great Queen Victoria?"

When Mr. Lowry said this, Ina stepped forward with one of the old tomes from the library of Dr. Watson's medical practice. She set down the tome on the boardroom table and answered calmly,

"Amelia and I intend to seek and catalogue a mythical creature: the Gallus Herodotus Phoenix."

To Be Continued