Tiar was unusual. There was no denying it. Normal people couldn't blow up police cars that were chasing them in a stolen car, without guns or explosives of some sort. The main driver, his older brother, Velti, was a little too preoccupied to notice what he had done. But Tiar noticed, he had felt the terror and then the power flood through his veins. He had shuddered at its enormity as it exploded outwards from him in a wave of energy. He had destroyed one of the chasers at least, and now his mind was reeling. It felt as though he had just past through an infinitely large space, whilst being the size of an ant, and being agoraphobic.
In the back seat he vomited. "Oy! Keep it down back there squirt!" his brother called out over his shoulder, looking back for a brief second. That was the last mistake he ever made. The car swerved and crashed into an oncoming lorry. Tiar thought that that was the end of his life. He saw the rest of it briefly pass in front of his closed eye-lids. After a second he carefully opened one eye. Everything was frozen around him. The window screen was smashed, but still in one piece, rings of broken glass emanated from a point at which Velti's head lay. Somehow he didn't think his brother would see the rest of his life.
After a minute or two, it was hard to say with time frozen, the door opened. A wizened old man was there. "This can go two ways, either time starts up again with you either in or out of the car"
"Out of it I think." Tiar replied.
"Well, get a move on, time wont be held forever!" Tiar undid his seat belt and scrambled out of it. Moments later, with a sort of zipping sound, time began again. The car exploded in a shower of red hot car parts, and what had once been Velti. "We must be moving on. I am Professor Ixrin, you, are no doubt muddled and confused about what is going on, but it will all be explained to you when we arrive"
"Look, thanks for getting me out of the car and everything, but I'm not going anywhere with you"
"You got yourself out of that car, you've already decided the course of your future, now follow me"
"You can't tell me what to do! your not my mother! Heck, I don't even listen to her!" Tiar retorted to the old man.
"I can, I'm glad I'm not, and shame on you, she works hard"
"What"
"I can tell you what to do, you don't have to but that's your prerogative, I'm not your mother, and you should listen to your mother occasionally. How much do you weigh"
"Why"
"I want to know how much magic I need to use to get us to where we are going"
"Where's that? ...anyway, I said I wasn't going"
"You have to, you're now a danger to others, and to yourself, you need to learn control"
"Why did you save me then? if I'm such a problem, why not have just let the car crash kill me"
"Is your life so insignificant that you would just throw it away, besides, you chose to get out of the car"
"I was going to die"
"So why are you complaining"
"I don't know. I'm confused, scared, no terrified, and I just want to go home." Tiar was becoming worn down. It was getting clear that he wasn't going to win this argument. "So where is this place, the one we're supposed to be going to?" The old man smiled briefly. "Glad you came around, it's to the south"
"Around 10 stone. My weight that is, you wanted to know earlier"
"Good enough for me." Professor Ixrin muttered to himself. Then he waved a hand and a shining green portal opened. Then he walked through, well, more sort of stride. Tiar looked around and then followed. Inside was like a long winding tunnel, which seemed to be spinning around him. Tiar took in a sharp breath when he saw it all. "Come on boy!" Ixrin called from about 50 yards away. Tiar ran to catch up with him.
The overall journey took about five minutes. There was suddenly a rift of light up ahead. "Give me a second before coming through, to get out of the portals projectile path, and watch your step coming out." Ixrin commanded Tiar as he walked through.
Tiar took a step back and then ran at the crack, which seemed too small for him to fit through. He emerged at a slight run on the other side. He nearly hit the back of the Professor, but narrowly avoided it by stopping as fast as he could. "Miss Myre, this is the boy, get a student from his age group to show him around and explain everything to him, I've got to explain to the board why we now have another student." With that he sort of faded out. Miss Myre was an old, but sweet dear that was the receptionist of this strange place.
"I'm sorry, but where am I"
"Devon, well, the outskirts of, dear, this is the Holmes Academy For Unusual Abilities. I'll need your name to register you"
Tiar told her, he then went on to ask, "How long will I have to stay here?" She looked over her half moon glasses at him. "I would say something comforting, but it would only be a lie, you'll be here as long as it takes. Would you like me to introduce you to someone who's been here a while? it might make you feel more at home, or at least less over whelmed." Tiar nodded gently, as if taking his time to make sure this was the right thing to do. "What's your birthday, so I know which academic year to put you in"
"12th May, 1988. I'll be sixteen this year"
"Year 11 then. Let me just call up the student list....now, lets see who is free....ah, none"
"Everything all right Miss?" Asked a blond haired boy that had just entered the reception area. "Tiye!, my goodness, what are you doing here"
"The year 7's turned their teacher to stone again, so Mrs. Atheticoss would like you to call the medics." He turned to leave, now that his message had been delivered.
"Tiye? You're 16 right? This is our new pupil Tiar, could you show him around, thanks"
"Hi, come on then." Tiye indicated for him to follow by a slight, quick tip of his head to one side. Tiar began following him. "So, what's your name?" Tiye asked.
"It's Tiar, so how long have you been here"
"A couple of years, I know what it's like to suddenly be put into this world, so don't worry ok? Want to see where you're sleeping"
"Sure"
"It's this way," he raised his left hand to show Tiar, "so, how did they rope you in? What did you do to get pulled in?" He rephrased when he saw Tiars slightly baffled look.
"I blew up a police car. What about you"
"I was forced to climb through air vents to break into a bank by my 'guardian', it really hurt, my mind flipped and suddenly it was a lot easier, partly because the air vent was a lot wider"
"Guardian? Were you in care before that"
"Yeah, my parents didn't want me, so they put me in a home, I got adopted when I was two or three"
"I'm sorry"
"I'm not. So anyway, that is where the girls sleep, don't go up there, you'll be sorry if you do. This is our dorm. I don't think there are any free rooms, so you might have to share, any preference for level"
"Near the ground, I'm not to good with heights"
"I'm on the ground, hey, you want to bunk with me? I've got plenty of space"
"You sure that's all right with you?" Tiye thought a while before replying.
"Yeah, it'll be fine, I'll sort it out later. Want to see where to get something to eat?" Tiar nodded. Tiye led the way out of the building. He then turned left and began a brisk walk. Tiar was close behind him. "So what sports do you like Tiar"
"Football, rugby, you know the contact sports"
"Football eh?, what team to you support?" Tiar mumbled his reply. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that"
"I don't really have a team, I just like playing"
"Fair enough, each to his own, as I always say. After something to eat, we'll go to the sports centre, I think you'll like it." They entered a new looking building. It looked clean and sociable. It was then that Tiar realized that he was hungry, he hadn't eaten since breakfast and now it was nearly one. "Healthy or comfort"
"Comfort please, this is still a big shock to me"
"2 chocolate bars, 2 milkshakes, 2 double cheese burgers, with extra chips, and bacon on the side, thanks." Tiye handed over the money.
"Why don't you just magic some up"
"Money, or food?" Tiye asked.
"Food"
"This," he summoned a ball of light, "only exists as long as it's forced to be by it's creator, it's the same with food, which is just re-arranged light, really. Magic isn't all light, but I'm just using it as an example. There are something's that once created don't need to be sustained. For instance, if you create a rock, the rock will then become real. It's the difference between what could be naturally, and what couldn't. Technically, the food isn't natural because all the ingredients have been put together. But if you wanted say an apple," he created one, "then it would be real once it was created, go on try it." He handed it over. Tiar felt it. It felt real. It smelled and looked real, and when he took a gentle bite out of it, it tasted real too.
"So, how did I blow up the police car"
"Nature is about balance, opposing forces, where there is life there will also be death, where there is creation, there is also destruction, I'm guessing that you just tapped that side of you." The food then arrived. They tucked in hungrily, leaving the plate clean when they had finished. "So, how much do I owe you for lunch?" Tiar asked, feeling guilty that a near stranger had just paid for it. "Don't worry about it, it's your shout tomorrow. Want to see the sports facilities now"
"I don't think I can pay for much of this"
"Stop worrying, once you're properly enlisted you can get a temp job on campus, that's what the rest of us do, well, the older students anyway, the younger ones have it paid for. Well, we all get tokens for food, and when your younger these are enough, but when you reach our age, you start to want a bit more to eat, but they don't give you more tokens, they have no problem with students earning a bit extra though"
"What sort of jobs are there"
"Cleaning, supervising the younger years, taking part in magical research, professors aids, animal carers, paper round, the list just goes on. I chose to do some of the cleaning, I can do it when people are in the dorms and its quite relaxing really. Ah, here's the sports centre, come gym, come battling arena, come lecture hall on Thursday nights." They walked through the big double doors that slid open as they approached. "What's dueling"
"Student on student magical combat, you know for practice and stuff"
"Hi Tiye, you'll never guess what, He's back in the ring and taking offers of fights, hello, who are you?" a girl, younger than Tiar, chirped merrily.
"Flick, this is Tiar, Tiar this is Flick, she gets hyper when she's had too much orange juice"
"Shut up! once! that's how many times it has happened." Tiye looked at her with a side wards glance. "Ok, Twice.....7 times, ok happy no?" She stormed away; they turned and waved delicately to Tiar. Then continued to march away.
"Who was she on about"
"Aremas, I'm the only one that has ever actually beaten him." Tiye bragged, raising himself up a little with pride.
"Is he strong then?" Tiar asked.
"Most of the teachers can't even beat him. Want to meet him"
"Doesn't he hate you for beating him"
"Nah, we've been friends for too long for him to let that get in his way, you'll see. Oy, Aremas, heard you were taking challenges, want another whooping?" He looked over towards them, and then his face lit up slightly. "Tiye!" Her called out, leaping over the rope and dashing over. The two embraced like close brothers. "Aremas, this is Tiar"
"Newbie? Well, Tiar?, don't believe a word this old dog has told you, the sun was in my eyes, and he tripped me up, whilst hitting me in my weak side, that's the only way he won!" Tiar tried to hide a smile.
"I see ring three is free. You up for an initiation into real magic Tiar?" Tiye asked.
"Real"
"There's general magic that anyone with the ability can do, and then everyone has a unique strength in a certain magical field. Well, what fun would it be if everyone was the same?" Aremas was back to the ring now; again he leapt over the top rope. Tiye was a little more conservative; he lifted the top rope up and climbed in between the two. "I think you should know a few basic rules before we begin. First, you take in turns to use a single magic maneuver, it doesn't matter whether it hits or not, you can't use another one until your opponent has made their move. 2 anything goes as long as your opponent is alive at the end of it. You win by getting the other person to surrender"
Tiar looked a little confused. "So what counts as an attack"
"Any tapping and releasing of your own power, no matter how much or how little"
"Tapping"
"He doesn't know how to tap, where did the head find him? on the streets?" Questioned Aremas in disbelief. This seemed to upset Tiar a little. "I didn't mean anything by it, I've just been part of this world for too long, that's all, we'll teach you how to tap, cast and sustain. Try to watch and sense what we do while we're dueling ok?" Aremas asked Tiar. He didn't wait for the reply. He turned, formed a ball with his hands, drew it back to his chest and then jabbed it forward. As he did, he spread his hands out and apart so that they finished up vertically facing Tiye. A wall of bluish light surrounded his, signaling a force field had been formed.
"I skip this turn." Tiye responded, standing there, cross armed, like a statue. Aremas shrugged, put his hand into the ball position again and jabbed it forward, this time not spreading his hands apart, but instead balling his fists and then opening his arms out. Two balls of fire began to orbit around him. "I pass this turn." Was Tiye's response again. This seemed to anger Aremas slightly. He drew his hands into the now familiar ball, and just jabbed them out. Lightning arced across the arena towards Tiye. Tiye responded by holding a solitary hand up. The lightning formed up into a ball. When Aremas had finished, Tiye sent it hurtling back. It struck Aremas and sent him flying. There was a definite thud as he hit the far wall.
"You quitting yet Aremas?" Tiye asked in a laid back voice, almost as if he was bored. Aremas had fallen to the floor after his impact, and that was where he picked himself up form. A crowd was starting to gather. Aremas looked first at the crowd, and then at his opponent. He gritted his teeth and got back into the ring. The balls and the general shield had collapsed. Aremas' eyes rolled up into his head as he withdrew an enormous amount of magic from his mental reserves. He didn't ball his arms again. Instead he crossed them across his chest, resting each hand on the opposite shoulder.
The air around him began to vibrate. Power crackled about him, which formed into a thick blue fog that took on a wolfish shape. "This is why Aremas is nearly unbeatable Tiar, This is his alter ego, the source of his power. And because there's now two of them they get two attacks per turn, which leaves him with one before I can respond. In your own time Gavron"
The wolf opened its eyes to reveal two pinpoints of light. It rushed at Tiye. Lightning jumped between its fist like paws. It thumped Tiye. Not one but several time. Tiar looked away in horror. There was an enormous shockwave that Tiar reasoned was the end of the onslaught. He opened one eye carefully. True, there was a figure on the floor, but it wasn't the one he expected. Tiye stood above the panting Aremas. "Yield"
Aremas was huffing and puffing. "Yeah." he said grudgingly.
"That was amazing! how did you do it Tiye?" queried Tiar.
"Magic, isn't that right Aremas"
"Do I look like I know?, I have no idea how you beat me, he does this every time Tiar, not once have I ever beaten him, or found out how he beats me." Tiye laughed nonchalantly. Tiye held out a hand to help up Aremas. Just then, Flick came running in. "You'll never guess what! Sandy, the narcoleptic prophet just had a vision about your friend there!" she nodded in the direction of Tiar who was looking around as if he was in a dream. "This I have to hear, go on Flick, what did Sandy see"
"Mega big chaos! Apparently, he's got the natural ability to control time!" she whispered in a conspiracy-like manner, that could only have come from watching too much television. Most mages today were reincarnations of mages past, the unfortunate thing was that time wizardry was very rare, with there only being one reincarnated every time, and all the ones before had turned towards the darkness that is inherent in everyone's heart. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, you can't get much more powerful than being able to control time.
Without exchanging words they very carefully began to move away from him. Tiar looked up from the second duel he was watching and walked over to them. "So what are we doing now then, guys?" He asked, as if the evil within him was keeping itself hidden from him.
"Well, we've got lessons starting in about ten minutes, and you haven't formally been enrolled yet, but"
"Yeah"
"Yeah, what's with the but Tiye?" growled Aremas.
"It can't hurt to have him see what the lessons are like, can it?" Tiye asked emploringly. "Over here, we need some serious words." Aremas took a few strides away from Tiar. "Tiye, he's a dark mage, reincarnated, the closer we get to him, the more damage he can do when he returns to his own side. Why are you trying to befriend him, you can't save everyone"
"Aremas"
"What"
"...I saved the last one"
"How much of your power did it take, huh? If I remember correctly, you were near death for a couple of months after that, and they killed him anyway"
"We have no proof he's evil, I mean his good nature might be strong enough to control it"
"I can't argue with you when you're like this, do whatever you want, but leave me out of it." Aremas turned and strolled away, not looking back, not wanting to crumble his resolve.
"Fine." Muttered Tiye and walked back over to Tiar.
"Everything alright?" Tiar asked tentatively, already blaming himself for Aremas' hasty withdrawal. "He's just in a mood 'cos he thinks that your...taking his place, that I'll ignore him while you're around, he always gets into strops when I do things like this, he'll be fine in a week or two"
"Ok...so, what's the subject this afternoon?"