Chapter 8

Love and Hate

Come on Nash. You can do this. You got the date, the party is here, all you have to do is knock on her door.

A nervous fist made its way up to the door.

Knock Knock

"Who is it?"

"It's Nash."

"I'll be out in a minute."

This is it, Nash. Just calm down. Nash let go a sigh. He immediately took a breath and held it in as he heard the door handle turn. The door opened and there stood the most beautiful thing that Nash had ever seen.

Mia stood in the doorway, blushing furiously at Nash's stare. Her blue, satin dress accented all of the right features. The pale light from the Blue Star that filtered through the room made her almost seem to glow.

"What do you think?" she asked shyly. All Nash could do was stare. If the Goddess took his life right then, he could die a happy man. "Nash?"

Nash snapped out of his shocked state. "Mia, you look exquisite."

"Thank you," she said turning redder. Nash held out his arm as the two walked to the party.

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Steve surveyed the party, drink in hand. There was quite a large crowd and many were dancing to the melodies that the band played. Just wait until we get to the surprise, Steve thought. The room went quiet and Steve turned toward the door. Nash and Mia had entered and were now getting whispers from their peers. The two had done a pretty good job of keeping their relationship a secret, but decided to reveal it now.

The whispers went on for a few more seconds before a voice yelled out, "Well, its about time!"

Laughter from the crowd, as well as the two mages. Steve watched as the Guildmaster and her premier mingled. Good. The people like them together. That's a good sign.

"They make a cute couple, don't they?"

Steve turned to see Amy on the arm of one of the guilds teachers.

"You know it," Steve replied, taking another sip of his drink. The three watched as the two leaders of Vane set out for the dance floor. A melancholy expression crossed Steve's face.

Amy caught his expression. "What's the matter, Steve? No date?"

"No." Steve smiled inwardly. "I'm not as good at expressing my feelings as Nash." His eyes went wide as he looked passed Amy and her date. "Uh, oh."

"What?" she asked, turning.

"Trouble."

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Nash and Mia slowly twirled around the dance floor. Each getting lost in each others eyes. It was as if no one else was around. An empty room, and a dance floor just for them. The band had disappeared and even the music didn't matter anymore. Paradise.

"Move Nashey-boy. I'm cuttin' in." Nash stumbled back from Torach's shove. He watched as Mia helplessly danced off with the large boy. Her eyes seemed to plead to him to take her back.

"TORACH!" The rage in his voice caused the room to go silent. An isle formed from Nash to Torach and Mia. They could all see the rage in the young mage's eyes. No one dared to speak. It was so quiet you could hear . . .

Tap tap-tap Amy looked over to see Steve picking up the pin he had just dropped.

"This was the last straw." Nash's rather high pitched voice, along with his trying to sound tough, made for an odd combination. "You have bullied me since I came to Vane. I have watched you bully other students. You take what you want without regard for others. Now you take Mia away from me. That is the straw that broke the camels back."

"Yeah I'll break your back," Torach retorted. He walked toward the mage cracking his knuckles. The crowd spread out, anticipating the fight.

Mia too saw the fight brewing and started to run for the two, but found her arm restrained. She looked back at her capture.

"Steve, let go of me. I have to stop them.

"Mia look around you. Have you noticed who else is stopping them?" Mia slowly looked around the room. All of the students had the teachers blocked off from the two boys. The teachers tried to break through, but to no avail. "This fight isn't between Nash and Torach, but the students of Vane and Torach. Nash is doing what they won't. He is fighting for them, and I believe in him."

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"This is your last chance to back down Nashey."

"Bring it," he replied through a clenched jaw

Torach reared back and punched high. Nash ducked and hit the boy in the stomach. Torach just smiled.

"You call that a punch?" he laughed as Nash began backing up.

Great, Nash. Now look what you got yourself into.

"Remember what you learned!" shouted a voice from the other side of the room. Nash smiled, and got into the stance he was taught. Torach glared at him. Nash came at the large boy with a right hook. Torach brought up an arm to bat away the attack, but Nash moved under it, using the same move he had used on Steve.

"I can't feel my arm," Torach shouted. That was his cue. Nash spun and kicked Torach to the ground.

Nash pounced like a tiger. His hands moves as quick as lightning, hitting the place he had been taught.

"I-I can't moved," the large boy whimpered. "What did you do to me?"

"I defeated you," he replied coldly. Nash stood and turned his back to the boy. He didn't see Torach's lips move.

"Nash, look out!" cried Mia as she bolted for the premier. Shards of rock appeared over the paralyzed boy, aimed at Nash.

He spun as the rock shot toward him. There was nothing he could do. He brought his arms to his face and braced himself for the blow. The sound of rock crashing on metal echoed through the room. Nash could feel a strong magical force as he brought his arms down. A giant silver shield hovered in front of the young premier. A soft white glow radiated from the center. The entire room, save Torach who still couldn't move, looked to see who had cast the spell.

Steve stood on the side, one hand outstretched, and the other on his head. Sweat dropped from his brow as he lowered his hand and let the shield fade.

A wave of relief washed over Mia as she looked over Nash. Satisfied that he had come out unscathed, she moved to Torach. She stood over the fallen boy. Her face was as cold as the ice she wielded.

"Torach. It is forbidden for a guild member to use magic on another member, unless they are teaching or training.

"But . . ."

"If this were the first time that something like this had happened, I might be able to overlook it. However, recently information has come to my attention.

"Your scare tactics will no longer work here. You have left me with no choice. I hereby terminate your status here in Vane."

"Nooo! I'll get you back for this. I'll destroy you."

"Yes, yes. You swear that one day you will exact your revenge on the guild." Steve walked over to where the mages stood. Talk about cliche. Hey, anyone object to me throwing this guy out on his butt?"

"NO!" the crowd erupted.

With a quick chant, a wind spell lifted him off the ground and Steve guided him out of the room.

Nash gazed deep into Mia's eyes. "Mia, I'm sorry that I ruined the party. I just . . . couldn't let him get away with any more stuff like that."

Mia put an arm around Nash's neck. "Don't be sorry," she said. "As much as I don't like fighting I believe that this couldn't be helped." She put her other arm around Nash's neck, and drew in a little closer.

"Kiss her," came a voice from the crowd.

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Steve levitated Torach out the front door. He had gotten the feeling back in his appendages and was now flailing about wildly. Steve dropped him on the step with a loud thud.

"This is it Torach. You're done, finished, benched. Pack up your things and don't come back."

"Damn you," he spat back. "This was all your fault. Everything was fine until you showed up here."

"Torach, you may want to leave fast. Once people realize that they can use magic on you, how many people do you think are going to want to?" A look of surprise with a hint of fear flashed across the large boys face. He got up and ran toward the dorms.

Steve smiled to himself as he turned to go into the guild. By the time he got back to the dance room, the party had already resumed. The band was taking a small break, but that gave people a chance to mingle. It also meant something else. Time to get ready.

Steve walked toward the stage avoiding the friends he had made at the guild. He wanted to get to the band fast for the final preparations.

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Nash watched as Steve started talking to the band. He nudged Mia who was talking to her mother. She looked up at him. "What is he doing?" he asked, gesturing to the stage.

The room slowly quieted as Steve and a few band members got up on the stage. Steve too was carrying an instrument. It looked kind of like a lute, but not. It was wider at the base, among other things. It also had symbols drawn all down the front.

Nash squinted to see the runes, but couldn't quite make them out. They almost looked like thunder runes. Almost. Most of the room felt a magic aura flare near the stage.

Steve manipulated the air to amplify his voice. It was an old teachers trick to quiet down their students.

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"H-hello everyone." Public speaking always made Steve a bit nervous. "Most of you know me, but f-for the rest of you who don't, I'm Steve. I come from a land far away, but now I'm here. Our premier, Nash, had asked me what kind of music we have there, but there is no way to explain Rock and Roll.' The only way is for you to experience yourselves. I dedicate this song to Nash. To the way he was when he first met Alex." Steve turned to the band, then to the audience again. "Oh, yeah! This instrument is a guitar, and New Orleans is a city."

Steve, once again, turned to the band. He started to count, signaling the start. He started to play the start of the guitar solo. He knew that it sounded a bit off, but it had even when they had practiced it. Oh well, this is the best they are going to get.

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The runes on the guitar started to glow as he began to play. They are Thunder runes, Nash thought. But they look a little different.

Everyone in the room was taken back by the strange music at first. Then he started to sing the lyrics to "Johnny be Good."

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Steve also knew that his voice wasn't the greatest, but again, it was the best they were going to get.

Steve looked around the room. People were really getting into it. Steve sang more of the lyrics that he had memorized, as he looked around the room. His eyes fell on the former leader of Vane. He could barely keep his mind on the song when he saw Lemia "moving to the music."

Steve went into an instrumental, getting hoots from the crowd. By now, even more people were dancing. The instrumental came to a close, and Steve went back to singing. As he came to the end, he knew that he had made quite an impression on the people of Vane.

The end of the song was greeted with cheers and applauds. The band stood and took their bows. As they filed off the stage, Steve was the only one to take his instrument.

He navigated the crowds of people, getting pats on the back, and high fives along the way. Finally he appeared before Nash

"That is Rock and Roll."

"That was quite . . . entertaining," said Lemia.

Mia walked over to the boy with the guitar. "That's quite an interesting instrument you have," she stated.

"You like it?" Steve asked, placing it in her hands. "Try it out."

Mia looked blankly at the guitar for a moment, not knowing what to do. She put the instrument under her arm, as she had seen Steve do. She plucked a few strings. It sounded strange.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You need to activate the runes to get the sound right." She looked at him quizzically. "They're special thunder runes. Easy to use, but not very powerful."

"Let's let Nash try," Mia said, handing the guitar to him. "He is a thunder mage, after all."

Nash took the guitar and activated the runes. He plucked a few of the chords. The sound was even more crisp and clear than Steve's.

Nash gave him a cocky grin. The Ausas and boy could almost see the his ego grow. He handed back the guitar. Steve raised his hand, not taking the instrument.

"Keep it. Consider it a gift . . . to anyone in the guild who can use it."

Nash brought it back and plucked a few more strings.