Well? I am!
So far, A Glitch in Time is turning out to be VERY long! When I post the whole thing, I had BETTER get some serious comments because this past month I've been working my butt off at that, editing, adding, hatching ideas, writing, yeah, you get the picture. This is the biggest TNM project yet! And remember part 4? And how long it took me to write that? Well so far, this is AT LEAST double part 4!
And because I'm in the mood for it, I'll give you a sneak peak of it. And to all the readers:
THE
ENDING
WILL
SHOCK
YOU
The end of the preview. Which is on about... Now.
~~~~~~~
"The newspaper archives are right this way," The wizard library volunteer said.
"Thanks," Destiny said.
Ever since Noah had revealed that Marcus was his great-granddad, she had been researching him, looking for any hints that could be useful. From Noah's knowledge she had learned that Marcus was an only child and had lived until he was sixteen years old. He was a very advanced student that even Dragonspyre Academy was impressed with, and she knew they were strict when it came to students. His academic level was so high that he constantly made newspapers, them saying how great and dedicated he was. She was mainly scanning for any hints of Legendary Wizards activity.
Destiny walked through the archieves hall, scanning the newspapers that were printed when Marcus was alive. Destiny chose a few months worth of newspapers and looked until she found something:
A New Age of Wizards
Recently, there have been some advanced students making their way towards the highest academic achievement possible. There are some very dedicated students in which have made the honor roll so many time in which they have to be reconized for their strong efforts.
Destiny leafed through the biographies for dedicated students until she came across Marcus:
Marcus Dawngem
Marcus is a fellow fire student who has achieved honors since he was seven. His extrodinary ablities for Fire Magic has allowed him to rise up and up until he has gotten to where he is now: at the top of Dragonspyre Academy. "He always studies hard and tries his best," Says his sister, Cassandra Spellfountain, adept thautamerge.
Destiny read on the biography and other newspaper articles until she came across a newspaper with an interesting header:
Dawngem Fades
Fellow wizards, old and young, grandmaster and novice, are now saddened by the shock of the sudden death of Marcus Dawngem, at the age of sixteen. The high-achieving grandmaster fire student was found in his room, lying on the floor, stone dead. His eyes were wide open along with his mouth, but no one has any idea why this sudden tradgedy has taken its toll. "He was just fine the day before," His family claims. "Then all of a sudden, he goes into his room, and he stays there for hours. We call him to dinner, and when he didn't come, we rushed to investigate. And there he was, just dead. We have no idea why all of a sudden, this, this ordeal for us is taking place!"
For those who don't know who Marcus is, he was a high-ranked fire student. At novice his professor could see just what Marcus held in store. "He was so bright," Professor Firestone, teacher of Fire, said. "I could instantly tell that he was so capable of many things. It is a great loss to have such a young and brilliant mind lost."
Marcus reached apprentice soon, then became initiate in a matter of days. In just two months, at the age of nine, Marcus was a grandmaster and unbelievably, still moving. During his lifetime he has achieved countless honors since the age of eight. "I honestly think he had more then the capacity to become a future teacher of Dragonspyre Academy," Shares his friend, Patrick Thundershard, master diviner. "He even tried to create his own spells! Even though we were best buds, I always looked up to him. Even at death, I still do."
We will all mourn the loss of Marcus Dawngem. Funeral services will be conducted at the Dawngem home, next friday starting at 10:00 am.
Destiny had never realized how much even she was saddened until now. She could tell that everyone had had high expectations of him. Then all of a sudden he was gone. Sighing heavily, she cleaned up the newspaper articles and put them back in place. Destiny picked up her Scavenger's Staff of Sagas and exited the library. She was also now level 23, wore the Initiate's Uniform, was still sticking with the Onyx Studded Boots, and was really proud of her hat, the Animated Tri-Corn. It was a rare item and was no longer sold.
Nikki fluttered up to her. I read most of the article, She said. Until you put them away. It's kinda sad, isn't it?
Destiny nodded. "It is indeed,"
Well, I meant you putting away the articles, actually, Nikki admitted.
Destiny glared at Nikki.
Kidding, Nikki muttered. Take a joke, will you?
"The death of someone that great isn't a joke," Destiny said as she exited the library.
Jessica sneaked behind the houses in the Commons as she eyed her target.
Her eyes followed the thautamerge around, and when Sophia stopped at Zeke and Eloise, Jessica closed in a little to hear the adept better.
"What was that again, my dear?" Eloise asked, straining to hear.
"I need a Cardinals Cap, Rouge's Robe and Jester's Slippers," Sophia ordered. "All purple with a dark green trim. Girl kind."
"Your reason to purchase them?" Eloise asked. When Sophia raised an eyebrow, Eloise said, "Sorry dear, a student just asked me to ask why wizards purchased things for a survey. My apologies if I seemed suspisous."
Sophia smiled. "It's okay," She said. "I'm buying the outfit as a birthday present for a friend," Sophia answered.
Eloise turned to another sheet of paper in a notebook and added up the cost total. "That'll be 1980 Gold," She said.
Sophia looked through her pouch for a while as Eloise bagged the robes. When Eloise turned to Sophia again, Sophia had the appropriate amount of gold. She handed the gold to Eloise. "Kinda costly," Sophia admitted. "I only had 2000 gold in there."
"Oh well, it is for a friend," Eloise helped. "It'll be worth the smile."
"Yes, yes it will," Sophia answered. "Thanks Eloise! Nice doing business with you!"
"Have a nice day!" Eloise waved as Sophia skipped away.
Jessica calmly stalked Sophia. Then she calmly reached for her wand and aimed it at her.
Jessica knew that casting spells wasn't tollorated in the Commons. But did Jessica care? No. She didn't.
Going ahead, Jessica tried a Vampire, to start off easy.
Her spell succeeded.
Jessica grinned as the Vampire was set loose.
Life and Ice, especially Ice, would pay for the misery they had afflicted to her.
The wizards in the Commons, especially novices and apprentices, screamed and ran away from someone or something. Sophia looked around to see what the sudden screaming was about, then she saw the vampire fluttering in the air, delebirately ruining the peace that was meant to be in the Commons. Sophia was surprised when the Vampire went for her.
Sophia took out her new Krokotopian staff, but then realized that if she casted spells along with the necromancer, she would get in trouble, too. She might not even win.
All she could do was run.
So that's what Sophia did.
Sophia ran around the Commons, trying her best to dodge the vampire. Seeing the success, the necromancer began to cast another spell.
Sophia looked around earnestly for help, hoping to spot the administration or some brave students. Unfortunately, there weren't.
Things were in her own hands. She had to act, and act quick.
Then she remembered something that Professor Icetalon (A fat fairy) had said to his students, "When in a tough spot, use the advantage of your surroundings. This is the Ice Wizard's normal specialty."
Use your surroundings.
Right when the necromancer had summoned a skeletal pirate, which lunged for Sophia, the adept rushed through the decision, barely pausing to think.
Sophia jumped headfirst into the lake. The advantage when Ice Wizards swam in water, they could breathe and their eyes wouldn't sting. Then Sophia froze the surface of the lake, trapping herself in the waters. Nice work Sophia, She complemented. Quick thinking and good defense. You're growing into a successful wizard of Ice.
The encouragement didn't last long, however. The skeletal pirate and vampire were relentless and wouldn't give up. The vampire's claws scratched rapidly at the Ice unsuccessfully. The status didn't discourage him, however. The skeletal used the tip of its sword to puncture and hack away at the surface. It was actually making some progress. Just a few more moments and the barrier would be penetrated.
Just as the shield of Ice was about the break away, a familier voice saved her.
"I heard screaming in the Commons. What's going on?"
All of a sudden the vampire quit raking as did the pirate with his sword. Sophia swam and pressed her face to see who had stopped them.
It was Destiny.
"Jessica, what's going on?" Destiny persisted. Sophia clarified that Jessica was the name of the necromancer.
"Death spells on the loose," Jessica said. True. "I'm trying to get them under control." False.
Sophia took a deep breath and used the her staff to break the Ice herself. The look on Destiny's face was inevitable when she saw Sophia clamor out of the lake. Tired, Sophia melted the sheet of Ice spreading the lake, and the skeletal pirate gave way. The vampire resisted and held his own by taking advantage of the fact that he had wings, but then they were too frail and gave way along with the pirate.
"Sophia?" Destiny asked, unable to hide the shock in her voice. "Wha-what in Merlin's name were you doing in the lake?"
Sophia ignored Destiny's question and said instead, "I've got them under control now." Sophia turned the necromancer called Jessica. "Now, I need answers. Clearly you were the one who attacked me."
"You did WHAT?" Destiny shrieked.
The sprite next to Destiny-Nikki was her name, wasn't it?- chirped something ununderstandable. "No, Nikki, she didn't deserve it!"
Nikki talked back.
"That's your opinion!" Destiny protested. She turned back to Jessica, clearly mad. "Why?"
"I hate Ice and Life," Jessica muttered. "I told you that a long time ago."
"A long time ago was barely two months!" Destiny said. She started to say something, but before she could, Jessica interrupted her, before she had even begun. "A long time in my standards," Jessica said.
"So you hate Ice and Life," Destiny said. "That nowhere means that you can rush into the Commons and just attack someone!" Destiny looked around her. "The Commons is empty because of you! Do you know what this means Jessica? Do you?"
"What?" Jessica snapped.
"Suspension!" Destiny yelled. "And that's getting off EASY! This is worth EXPELLATION! If the administration were to find out about this, which they will, and find the culprit, you will be expelled!"
Jessica stared at Destiny. Finally she said, "Expellation is a risk I'm willing to take to exact my revenge on those schools." She said. Then Jessica turned away from Destiny and Sophia.
When Sophia was sure that Jessica had gone, she nudged Destiny. "It sounded like you knew her," Sophia said.
Destiny nodded. "I do. She's a friend of mine."
Silence had fallen between them. "I'm sorry Destiny," Sophia said, beginning to cry. "I really am!"
Destiny hugged Sophia. "Its not your fault," She soothed. "We all know that Jessica brought this on herself."
I would like to say that on that certain night, that Destiny had a peaceful and dreamless sleep. But, I can't, seeing how that dream is vital to the story and this part particurally. That, and it just wouldn't make sense to say that she had due to the amount of stress she currently had pressed on her.
After the long day in the library and the stress from the newly erected fight between the two necromancers, Destiny went to bed, after settling Nikki in. As she faded into sleep, she thought of the great loss of Marcus, and hopefully not Jessica.
Destiny was surrounded by sand.
Krokotopia. She was back at the Oasis.
Before she could open her eyes, she spotted a familier figure.
Balance!
Destiny walked up to him. Balance was smiling. He looked around as if they were sharing a secret and everyone was going to hear it, there was no one around. Then, out of thin air, he pulled out a sword. The steel blade appeared to be attatched to an unusual hilt: It appeared to be made of a dragon's talon.
Balance then turned the sword around and cut himself on the arm. A few drips of blood came seething out of the wound and onto the sand. It seemed to form as a solid.
Balance picked up the now-solid form of the blood up. Destiny turned her attention to the wound for a split second, it was already healed. She figured, because,
1) It was a dream
2) Destiny figured that those kind of things would happen to a Legendary
It seemed that Balance was now trying to puncture the solid form of the blood with the sword. It couldn't cut through, it seemed to be inpenitrable, strong.
Destiny could now hear a rustle in the sand, another boy was here. And above him, the sky seemed to darken, as if night were approaching. The boy pointed to it with his right index finger, and seemed to be giddy, as if he had found it. Then the boy dissolved into sand along with the night sky directly above him, but his giddyness remained.
But in his place was another boy. He picked something off from the ground. He seemed to be holding ashes. He fashioned the ashes into many things: first a staff, then a book, a stuffed animal, a firecat, and so on until he, like the privious boy, turned into sand, the ashes with it.
Destiny turned to Balance once more. He stepped closer to the Oasis water and rummaged through it for something, the ripples evidence of it. Finally he pulled out an aqua-colored jewel, water still dripping from it.
She woke up. But not just on instinct: there was a red-hot burning at her hip. She quickly felt around it, and was almost half-surprised that it was the Communication Stone. She peered at it. She wondered if it were Jason or Noah. The message answered for her.
I finally reached grandmaster! Jason said.
Really? Destiny wrote. That's great! Congradulations, commander. You're the first member of the Order of the Spiral to reach that rank.
And not just that, He added. Dragonspyre is thinking of accepting me!
Okay, now that's great! Destiny said. Then, thinking of the recent event, Destiny wrote, But the battle still rages on.
Uh oh, Jason wrote. What is it now?
I had a dream, Destiny replied. It's not like the one I had in Krokotopia or the one after the mission in Marleybone pointing to Jessica. It was a variety of things. And guess who's in it?
Who? Jason inquired.
Balance.
Oh, gosh. Jason said. This is GREAT! It could be leading to the descendant of balance!
Actually, Destiny corrected. Descedants. More then one.
Nice, Jason complemented. So, what happened first?
First off, Destiny started. Balance had this sword appear. It had a steel blade and the hilt was a dragon's claw or talon, however you want to put it.
Oh, that's easy, Jason wrote. Either Dragonsword or Dragonblade.
That seems about right, Destiny approved. The next one was this; Balance cut himself. Blood came out, then it transformed into a solid. He tried to use the sword to penitrate it, but it seemed kinda, kinda strong.
A little harder, Jason admitted. I'm thinking Strongblood.
Okay, these next two are tricky, Destiny said. This boy appeared, and there was night around him, even though the rest of the sky was in the tone of light blue. He was pointing to it and seemed happy that he had spotted it.
There was silence from Jason. That one he had to figure out, apparently. Finally the stone burned. Keywords are night and spotted. Nightfinder? He tried.
You're good at this, Destiny said. But, there's something familier about the last two names.
Nightfinder and Strongblood?
Yeah, Destiny said. Where have I heard those two before?
Once you mention it, Jason said. I think I've heard them before, too. But this isn't a trip to memoryland, if there's such a place. Is there any more of them?
Yes, Destiny wrote. The next one is when a boy picked up ash and molded it into a variety of items.
You said that that this would be hard, Jason pointed out. That's easy! Ashwielder, no duh.
Okay, there's one more, Destiny replied. Balance kneeled down and picked up this jewel from the Oasis lake.
There was no reply from Jason for at least ten minutes. That could mean a whole bunch of last names. But one of them, oh gosh.
What's one of the last names?
There are a whole buch of options, Jason wrote. But one of them, the one that stands out the most, is Seagem.
Well, there you go. Just needed to let some of it out, I guess.
