Young Writers Society

As Maverhov surged from the northern entrance of the compound among his fellow Thieves, a sentry sprinted towards him, clutching his side and panting. The sweat trickling down his face shown like liquid jewels in the torch light.

"Sir!" He gasped, "Sir!"

Maverhov glanced over his shoulder but kept walking, "What? You should be at your post."

"Hold on, Sir. Stop!"

Maverhov whirled around and snarled, "What is it?"

"The wizards..." The sentry hissed.

"What about them?"

"They're here."

"Here?"

"In the compound. They've already killed two men and they're heading for the cells. We've got to tell the others!"

Maverhov stared at the man for a full thirty seconds. He then swore and buried his cleaver into a wooden support. The dregs of his men had already cleared the northern entrance and were roaring through the streets waving their weapons like mad men, while the very wizards they were hunting were roaming about the compund.

"Magic bastards," he whispered. How could he have been so sightless? There was no chance of stopping the crazed mob he had let loose on the city. No chance, whatsoever. He had broken a dam. They would scour the city for any aristocrat wandering in the streets and slaughter them then and there. Oh yes, blood would run in the cobblestone cracks that night. But not the blood Maverhov had intended to.

"We'll try and head them off," he said eventually. "They're not escaping. With or without the girl. Round up a few more sentries. If Arakin is leading them he'll know the fastest exit from the cells will be the east entrance. We go there now."

The sentry nodded nervously. Maverhov unstuck his weapon from the column and began running, the guard tailing him breathlessly.

I think she can be apprenticed to an invented character Jasmine and just have her in a lesson to start with perhaps? Then she can meet the other characters when they return.

Arakin followed Tamora to an another abandoned warehouse that was falling apart by the second. Bursts of multi colored lights flared from inside and cries of agony and fear could be heard. Arakin glanced quickly at Rask and ran inside, followed closly by Tamora and Ferskos.

Ryaka stood next to a bed where the girl was tossing and turning in agony. Arakin cast the novice a look of gratitude mixed with slight annoyance. He walked over to the girl, dodging the bursts of magic flying everywhere. He lay his cool hand on her forehead and she instantly quieted.

What is your name? Arakin asked the girl.

Melody came the faint reply. What's going to happen to me? Am i going to die?

Not if you listen to me. Without opening your eyes, do you see a glowing shape? Arakin asked.

Yes Melody said.

Good. That is your magic. I want you to try and draw some of that out and project it so that it leaves. Do you understand?

I think so... Melody said. After a moment Arakin heard a crash and felt something slice his cheek. He ignored it.

Good. Now do that until your magic is gone and a tiny glowing shape remains. Can you do that?

Yes.

I am going to withdraw from your mind now. You will have to do the rest on your own. Arakin told her as he removed his hand. He opened his eyes and surveyed the damage. Half of the roof had collapsed and something warm and sticky ran down his face. Everyone else seemed fine, if a little shaken. Slowly the girl opened her eyes.

"Come on, we have to get out of here. No doubt the thieves are looking for us this very second." Arakin said. After a moment he added under his breath, "Maverhov will NOT be happy with us."

Melody

I felt the man's presence fade away and for a moment I wanted to lash out and demand that he remove the power that had manifested within my body. Instead, I forced myself to concentrate and, with great effort, began to drain the magic. With every drop that left my body, I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and breathing became easier. At last, I felt like I was in control and slowly I opened my eyes to peer at the strange group around me.

"Come on, we have to get out of here. No doubt the thieves are looking for us this very second. Maverhov will NOT be happy with us." The man who had spoken in my mind had a firm voice and I noticed a shallow gash across his pale forehead. The bold, red blood was in great contrast to his white skin but then, so were those hollow, dark blue eyes.

"Wait. I don't want to go with you. You're magicians!" I exclaimed, springing to my feet but the sudden movement made me a touch dizzy and I soon sat down again.

"Please Melody. Come with us," Ryaka held out a hand.

"Why?" I asked, "What do you want with me?"

"To teach you," A pretty, golden haired woman explained. "And to help you."

"That's much more than the thieves will offer you," A second man added. I hung my head and bit my lower lip hard.

"Yeah," I agreed bitterly, "I suppose you're right."

"Come on. We had better hurry." Tamora said, grabbing Ry's shoulder's and turning him to face the door. "Melody, do you think you can run?"

Melody attempted to stand again and swayed slightly before sitting down again. "I feel dizzy." She said holding her forehead.

Tamora pulled a small vile of light blue liquid from her robe. "Here, stick out your tongue."

"What?" Melody said, eying the vile.

"It will help with the dizziness." Tamora said, approaching Melody.

Melody was reluctant to open her mouth.

"You have to trust me." Tamora urged. Melody slowly opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Tamora carefully let a small drop fall onto the girl's tongue.

Melody jerked her head back with a look of pure disgust. "That's horrible!"

"I never said it would taste like blueberries." Tamora said, returning the vile to her robe. "Stand up."

Melody rose to her feet without problems.

"Let us go, then." Lord Arakin said.

Arakin led the small group back out of the slums. This time they crept in the shadows, not wanting to be seen by any of the slum dwellers. The girl followed behind him and Rask, casting suspicious glances at the magicians and Ryaka. Arakin could not blame her for not trusting them...he himself had not trusted the magicians at first.

As they were beginning to draw out of the slums and the sun was just beginning its ascent, a lone, shadowy figure stood in front of the magicians. Another came to stand next to him, followed by a few others. Arakin held his hand back, indicating for the others to stop, then he took a few steps forward.

"I would stay where you are, if you know what's good for you." a deep voice said, coming from the tallest figure that was the first to appear.

"Hello Maverhov." Arakin said, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment.

"Hello Arakin. Come to steal the girl and make her into another fat and lazy magician, have you?" Maverhov sneered, his gray eyes focusing on the necromancer. "Not that you need any more."

"You know full well why we have come to take her. If we don't she will-"

"Yes, i know. How could i forget? You're little show caused quite a riot five years ago. A lot of the damage has yet to be repaired, and yet you come here again and wreck havoc. Why?"

"I do not need to discuss my reasons with you, Maverhov. Now move, before you regret it." Arakin snarled, raising his hand threatening. A few of the men who stood by Maverhov shook with fear but none fled.

"What are you going to do?" Maverhov laughed. "Shoot a bunch of daisies at us?"

A few of the men laughed, many did not.

"I said move" Arakin repeated. Maverhov smiled.

Arakin clenched his outstretched palm, spoke a word, unclenched his palm, and watched as tiny but lethal spikes of ice shot from his hand, striking two of the men around Maverhov in the chest. Three others here injured.

"Ooo, i'm really scared now." Maverhov sneered again. Arakin's face contorted with rage and he took another step forward. Maverhov's smile disappeared a little.

"I...said...move." Arakin said as Rask came to stand next to him, fangs gleaming. Maverhov cast the black cat an annoyed glance and turned his attention back to Arakin.

"Or what!?" Maverhov asked.

"Or die." Arakin answered with an unnerving calm. "You know what i can do. I'm sure you've heard the stories."

He had heard the stories alright. Tales innard splattered walls and charred corpses. Whispered rumors about long, slow, agonizing deaths and gutted Thieves. Arakin was powerful, no doubt about it, but he was cruel. He was heartless. What scared Maverhov as he stood there - a mask of confident bravado forced upon his features - was that Arakin had the full potential and capacity to gut his body and hang it from the city flag pole, as a macbre warning to any insubordinate Thieves. In fact, Maverhov was surprised he hadn't already.

It seemed obvious that Arakin held the upper hand. A hand he was not afraid to lay on the table. But Maverhov wasn't going down without a fight.

He still had a few cards up his sleeve.

Who said cheaters never prospered?

"Your move, Maverhov," Arakin said carefully. "Step aside and live another day...Or not."

"This is your first and final warning, magic-whore," Maverhov spat. "Leave the girl."

It was Arakin's turn to laugh. The other wizards did as well. So confident, Maverhov thought.

"You know we could continue this verbal joust at any other time, my friend. But I'm in a hurry tonight. And I tire of your disrespect." He leaned forward, "Move, I said."

The Necromancer swept his arm wide - head thrown back - and Maverhov felt invisable hands lift him bodily and fling him and his men at the wall like rag dolls. He felt his back thud sickeningly against the wall and stars erupted behind his eyes, illuminating his vision harshly. He gasped and slid to the ground. Arakin and the wizards were already on the move towards the entrance. He shook his head. That was your last spell, Arakin. The black robe would hang in his doorway by morning.

Coughing, he brought a signaling horn to his lips and blew with all his might, sagging still against the wall. The wizards, nearly at the gate, looked back curiously at the ringing sound coming from the Thieves leader. Maverhov smiled back at them.

I'll see you in hell, magic-whores.

And the explosives set around the east gate - surrounding the wizards - detonated in a mushroom of black-yellow flames, blasting their bodies backwards. The compund trembled violently.

Maverhov grinned.

Melody

I screamed in pain as the ground around us exploded and bold flames etched patterns into my skin. I was thrown to the hard, scorching ground and I raised my hands in protest as the shards of metal and flying clumps of soil and gravel descended. A hand reached down and pulled me to my feet. I cowered against the body, digging nails into nearest piece of flesh.

"Move!" A firm, commanding voice called out and I looked up to see that the leader was encased in a protective shield. A similar, clear dome surrounded the female magician as well as the older, injured man at her side. I let go of Ryaka and cautiously peered up at our own shield. It was different to the others in that it was a pale yellow shade and Ryaka appeared to be struggling to hold it up. Together we ran through a gate and out of the slums.

The group didn't stop running until they were safe within the walls of The Guild. Tamora helped Lord Ferskos sit down on a bench before checking injuries.

((All I've got right now, sorry...))

Arakin glanced at Rask. They planned this. the panther stated.

"Of course they did. They knew we would come for the girl." Arakin murmured, loud enough for only the panther to hear. He glanced over to Tamora, who was checking the girl over. She had a few angry burns on her arms and legs, but was otherwise unharmed.

Arakin started pacing, head bowed in though. Tamora approached him hesitantly but he waved her away. He could attend to his own wounds.

"What happens now?" the girl asked. Arakin glanced her way.

"Well first a meeting must be called, to determine who you will be apprenticed to. Then your training starts." he said, continuing to pace. Finally, he stopped and said, "I will go alert the high lord that you have arrived." and with that he walked off.


"High Lord Kanask." Arakin said, bowing, five minutes later in the High Lord's sitting room.

"Lord Arakin. Tell me, where have you been tonight? I heard a large explosion near the slums about a half an hour ago. Did you, by any chance, have anything to do with it?" High Lord Kanask asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I did. Lord Ferskos, Lady Tamora, and I went into the slums to find the girl. We were lucky we did, for her powers came precariously close to being released. It was the novice, Ryaka, who found her and notified us of her location. He found her, I taught her how to drain her magic, and we were just leaving the slums when Maverhov showed his face. We made him stand aside and then he trigged the explosives he had planted around the east gate, planning on killing us." Arakin explained.

"Maverhov is an ignorant fool. Could he really expect to kill three of the most talented magicians in the guild?" High Lord Kanask asked, shaking his head. "Where are the others? And the girl?"

"Near the guild entrance. I will get them if you wish."

"Yes, do that."

"You were very brave today, Ryaka." Tamora said as she rubbed a salve on the Novice's leg.

"To tell you the truth, I've never been more afraid in my life." Ryaka said. He hissed in pain when Tamora put pressure on an open gash.

"Lord Ferskos," Tamora said, wrapping Ryaka's leg, "can you stand?"

Lord Ferskos stood, stiff-legged. He looked uncomfortable when he put weight on his right leg.

Tamora nodded, "Good, I was sure it was just a bruised bone, but I had to make sure you hadn't fractured anything. Okay, your turn Ry. Stand up." Ry struggled to his feet, but seemed fine once he steadied himself. "Very good."

Tamora heard footsteps and turned to see Lord Arakin returning. "What did High Lord Kanask say?"

"He wishes to see us all."

Melody

"He wishes to see us all," The man declared as he returned.

"Then let's not keep him waiting," The older one, Lord Ferskos the woman had called him, hobbled after the first magician. With a nod, the other two also began to follow and then woman turned when I did not move.

"Come with us, Melody," She called in her soft, soothing voice.

"Okay," I decided, willing my feet to follow. "But can I ask a question?"

"Of course," She replied when I drew level with them.

"What are you names? I know Ryaka and I overheard Lord Ferskos, but I don't know yours or his, or the animals." For the first time, I studied the sleek, black panther, the handsome, white wolf and the strange, dark creature that resembled an osprey.

"I'm Tamora and this is Lord Arakin."

"Lady Tamora or just Tamora?"

Please excuse this, and correct me if I make any mistakes.

Pippa

I awoke early, with unfarmiliar strains of excitement bubbeling around the pit of my stomach. Unable to just lay there with the day that was in it, I got up, and fumbeled around the dark room for my clothes, knocking a pile of books off the locker which Keisha and I shared in the process.
I hastily picked them up, and she stirred, readjusting her quilt around her like a cocoon. Popping her head out over the top, she glowered at me.
"Some of us are still trying to sleep around here!" she snapped.
"Sorry." I whispered. "I'll be gone in two seconds." I picked up my things and scuttled off to the bathroom. She didn't wish me luck, but then, it would have been too much to expect her to.
Once dressed and organised, I hurried down to the kitchen for breakfast, though I knew that it would be difficult for me to eat anything.Still, I couldn't go around fainting on my first day. That would hardly lend the desired impression.
My father was sitting at the table already. He always rose early. "The sun gets up when it does for a reason." He always said. And of course that reason had nothing to do with science or magic or whatever it was that made things work as they did.It had to do with teh fact that the sun wanted everyone to get up at a certain time.
he shook his head as I entered. "You're serious about this, then Pippa, are you? Won't be running back to me in a few hours? You know, you're mother would turn in her grave so she would if she knew that..."
I ignored him. It was the same old lecture which I'd heard a thousand times before. I choked down a slice of bread and a half glass of milk before putting my red hairband in my hair, to keep my hair back off of my face.
"Bye." I called, gathering my things and heading for the door. There was no response.

"Lady Tamora or just Tamora?" Melody asked.

"Novices are supposed to refer to magician's as Lord or Lady, but I prefer to be called Tamora." Tamora said with a smile.

"Goes against regulations." Lord Ferskos snorted.

"High Lord Kanask would not like you allowing Novices to dismiss formalities."

Tamora said nothing, High Lord Kanask wouldn't care why one alchemist was letting Novices dismiss formalities aimed at herself, as long as they didn't dismiss them for every Magician in the guild.

You had best make sure of your ideas, Tamora. High Lord Kanask could become involved, you never know. Sarin said eying Tamora.

With all the commotion in the slums, I highly doubt that. The group entered the High Lord's sitting room.

Sonaine watch from the shadows as the rescue party moved off to see the High Lord. She had wanted to go but she couldn't face going out t the slums again. She just hoped the girl was alright. All the magicians had heard how Ry had helped save the girl and what had happened as they were escaping.
She pulled herself off the wall and started to folllow them at a distance as they walked through the guild towards the High Lord's Residence.