Elemental Mazes Excerpt:
All Rights Reserved
“Master Marcus Aurclius Marci f.
Cornelius n. tribu Galeria Scipio Pius, we ask you to name the students chosen
from The Arebba Magical Institute!”
Once again the hand spun and went
straight and when the palm opened and flattened the ball of light was a daisy
yellow, and the first name was shot in the air. “William Williams, Air.’ A boy
from the seventh year table stood up. He had grey hair and his smile reminded
Katy of a villain in the comic books she collected, she shivered as she saw his
acid green eyes. This was one that needed to be taken out of the equation as
soon as possible, before he took them out.
The
next name was ‘Rebecca Jones, Spirit.’ Katy looked at the girl with spiked
rainbow hair, punk style clothes and thought this girl was who know who she was
and Katy envied her. Katy looked at her silver eyes to find herself reflected
back. The girl gave her a sad smile as if she know Katy wore a mask. That Katy
put her true self on a shelf in the farthest parts of her mind, that she was
losing her mind and herself. Katy was going to turn away when the girl mouthed
‘It’s okay to not be okay. Be yourself and life will fall into place.’ Katy
stared but mouthed ‘Thank you.’ But Katy knew she needed her mask, needed to
hide at least half of herself. Katy blinked and pushed the envy down and the
tears back and turned back towards the creepy hand. After all nobody could see
the cracks behind her façade and mask.
The
next name called was ‘Jonathan Miller, Fire.’ An eighth year boy stood up and
made his way to the front. He had a swimmers build. Shockingly he looked like
he spent most of his time in the water. Fire elementals tend to hate cold and
water sports because their element flows through them. His eyes looked like
orange flames on open water and his hair was a sun burnt ginger. Katy smirked
and sent a thought to Gaivan. ‘Great a
soulless competitor. Wonder how many souls he will eat.’
Gaivan
laughed. ‘Bad stereotype Katy. I am sure
he is a great guy.’
‘Eh, either way the ginger is going
down.’ Katy turned her mind back the ceremony.
‘Jacklyn
Smith, Earth.’ The sixth year girl with mousy brown hair stood up and made her
way to the front. Every muscle tense. Katy lifted an eyebrow. ‘Why put your
name in if you feared it?’ It wasn’t fake, Katy knew fear well enough to tell
if it was faked. Gaivan answered her unasked question.
“The
Smiths from Areeba are big in the Mazes. Every time it has come up a Smith must
be in it. Both her parents missed it but both sets of grandparents were in the
tournament. I wouldn’t be shocked if she was only in it because of that.”
Katy
looked at the small girl, she was fourteen and in a tournament she felt
obligated to be in; Katy hoped she didn’t get hurt in this, because the fear in
those sand diamond colored eyes spoke her true thoughts about being in this
tournament.
Katy
turned away from her when the last name for Areeba was called; ‘Stephanie
Johnson, Water.’ A tall girl stood from the seventh year table. Her hair was a
violet grey that was common among water sirens. Sirens could be of any element luring
their prey into volcanos, into tornados or hurricanes, into mountains, even
into lightning storms, only the water sirens were in abundance, however, and
this girl was one, or least half of one. Katy looked into the siren’s eyes of
milky grey that was almost white. Full. A siren was in the tournament. The
siren seemed shocked when she saw Katy. Even sirens had a respect for the
Ondines. The siren bowed her head slightly. An Ondine relative perhaps? Katy
nodded back. The girl then took her place before they were seated by their
headmistress.
Oeric
smiled. “There we have the team for the Areeba Magical Institute!” Headmistress
Emma Martin stood from her magical seat, magical because Katy was sure there
was no way a person could actually sit in that dress, and moved her team to
their table, as the hall cheered for them.
The
hall quieted once more and Oeric raised his hands. “Master Marcus Aurelius Marci f. Cornelius n. tribu Galeria
Scipio Pius,” and wasn’t that name getting annoying, sometimes traditions seem
to be created to annoy people. “We ask you to name the students chosen from
Salvador’s School of Fine Magical Arts.” The hand did it’s now so amazing spin
and flatten routine, and a ball of snow blue energy formed and called out the
first name; ‘Lucas Sosa, Earth.’
The
sixth year stood up and he was tall. He had sepia skin and his eyes were a
reddish terra cotta color. He walked with confidence. This person knew his
power and knew what he could do. The question was, would that be his downfall?
The
next name was called before Katy could watch Lucas more, something about his
magic made him stick out; and she wanted to know why.
‘Arthur
Ramero, Air.’ The sixth year walked up and took his spot next to Lucas. Arthur
chatted with him for a few seconds. Katy saw the white outline of power outline
the yellowish color of his aura. It matched his dusty sand colored eyes that
had a white pupil instead of black. His hair was also stark white but the tips
that glazed his shoulders, those were a deep yellow color.
‘Mariana
Flores, Spirit.’ Was the next name called and Katy looked to where the ninth
year girl stood up from the ninth year table. Her skin was a golden tawny color
and her hair was dark amber with sun kissed streaks. Her eyes through held the
color of bluish purple lighting. Her power showed in her eyes, it was as if white
diamond lightning bolts were shooting through them at a constant rate, much
like high static heat lightning. She would go far, Katy was sure of it.
The
next name was shot out of the hand. ‘Camila Ruiz, Fire.’ The seventh year girl
stood up and stood out. Her hair was styled in a flame shaped beehive, quite
eccentric, it started out at the bottom red and then going into oranges and
then yellows and then lightest of blues, and the tip was white, much like a
reversed flame. Her eyes were orchre color with more red in the undertones. She
was proud of her element and wasn’t afraid to show it.
“She
isn’t afraid to let her Fire Pride roar.” Katy chuckled.
Gaivan
nodded. “Well, you went and got this rainbow hairdo. Though I am glad you
didn’t cut it. You would look strange in short hair.”
“Yeah,
I was going to but I have always had long hair. Maybe I should have done
something like that.” She stated.
“No!
I mean, the rainbow is cool, but that is a lot of bleaching and dying and it
would ruin your hair. I heard mom talk about it.” Gaivan shrugged it off.
Katy
gave him a look but turned back to the front, as Gaivan berated himself in his
head. ‘Smart one Gaivan. Why don’t you just confess your feelings. You are only
thirteen for goodness sakes.’
The
next and last name for Salvador’s was called; ‘Rafael Herrera, Water.’ The eighth year boy stood up and moved to the
front with the rest of his group. He wasn’t the type to pop out at you. But
there was a silent danger from him. The type that came out from the shadows
before you know what hit you. He was tall, muscled but not bulky, he had crew
cut and his eyes were his defining feature, they were white. Pure white. There
was not a speck of color in them, even from blood vessels. There was a flow of
power crashing like waves around him. And suddenly Salvador’s team felt like
the one to beat, even over Cleopatra’s.
Oeric smiled.
“And there we have the team for Salvador’s School of Fine Magical Arts!” With
that announcement Headmaster Sebastian Torres danced, and there was no other
word for the way he moved, his team over to their table.
