Chapter one

  I Bet I’m The World’s Swimming Champion

  Written by Thomas Sanders

  I am so annoyed to go through fifth grade. The school I’m in, Pine Heather Primary (sorry, I meant Pinhead Primary) is the worst school. And that’s even before last Friday, when I accidently took the P.E. (Physical Examination, not fizz-ad)

  “Charles, how come Jane Page can swap schools? I mean, she’s older than me alright, but she’s not that old to go to junior high,” I asked my father Charles Sanders as he drove me to school. Since I could remember, I never named my father anything else besides his name.

  “Why would you want to change school, Tom?” He looked up into the mirror as he changed through his gears, half laughing.

  “The whole class… right, the whole school thinks I’m a freak,” I replied sulkily. My stomach felt a twinge of pain as I said that.

  “Why’s that? I think you’re more a dweeb than a freak, you know that, Tom,” Charles chuckled through his mossy brown mustache.

  “Not funny at all, Charles,” I darkened my face.

  “How come you’re caring about this? Jane calls you a dweeb all the time,” He adjusted his black-framed glasses and then edged the car out of its parking bay.

  “Because she’s a girl, and girls don’t know what they’re saying,” I continued. “I consider that the boys in our school’s treating me like that because of… uh… never mind.” I caught my step-father’s eyes and quickly avoided it.

  Charles can be a little melodramatic sometimes, like he never ever let me practice his flying cannon ball moves in the water or roast barbecues or even have his own jewelweed for biology class… I just kept wondering why.

  “What’s all that fuss? Come on, spill out the beans,” Charles beamed at me.

  I didn’t respond for a minute. “Nothing, I didn’t know, it was… just a wild guess. You… wouldn’t believe it anyway.”

  “What if I tell you I convinced there is an eighth continent?” Charles raised an eye-brown. “So, tell me. Are there loads of guesses or just one, Tom?”

  I smiled weakly. “It’s hard to explain but… queer things seem to stick their noses in to my business all the time. Like…” I stopped and swallowed hard.

  “Well, like last Friday, I took… the blood test. Yeah, I knew you wouldn’t want me to. Are… you… mad at me?” I said, a little uneasy.

  “Not at all, I didn’t expect a boy like you, could walk the chalks all the time, Tom,” Charles answered, his voice a little darker now.

  I couldn’t accept this sour disappointment in my father’s voice.

  “I figured out why you didn’t want me to take the blood test. Well, my blood, it’s not very normal. It’s not scarlet red or anything. It has this color of dark purple, almost black, the color of amaranth. And the nurse who took my blood freaked out. After that, only Jane Page would talk to me. And now she’s in another school…” my stomach growled at the last sentence. It’s not like I want her back or anything, what I just wanted is a person that I could talk at school. “You’ve known this all along, didn’t you, about that, didn’t you, Charles?”

  “Yes. To be honest, Tom, I’m very surprise that you told me about this after a month, I didn’t tell you just because I want you to have a normal life,” Charles turned at the corner, didn’t even look at me in the face.

  “Charles, are there any other thing you forgot or didn’t want to tell me? Well, about me. I didn’t even know about my blood is different till last month. And why my blood color’s totally different from others?” I asked, biting my lips a little.

  “Oh, yes, here at last, Pine Heather Primary. Have a nice day, Tom.” Charles parked the car near my miserable school.

  “More like Pinhead Primary.” I muttered, as I picked up my stuff. I seriously suspect that Charles changed the topic on purpose, so he didn’t need to chat about those things I’m most anxious to know.

  First period didn’t come out to be so great, because we’re having double fizz-ad, which is like PE—my least favorite subject by my least favorite coach Jenkins.

  “Okay, you cubs! Stand straight! Arms on your side! I don’t want any of you to annoy my class, because that means minus credits! And you’ll never come out of the principal’s office alive!” He barked like a hippopotamus, which made no sense, because hippos don’t bark.

  But when Jenkins barks, it really looks like a hippo who barks. He had small beady eyes, a meaty large body and most of all, a giant wide mouth like a hippopotamus that could bite your head off in whole. Well, I didn’t saw him bite anyone on the head, but I guess it will happen sooner or later.

  I know coach Jenkins was actually in a good mood today, because he usually called us “dirty snobs” instead of “cubs”.

  But the next sentence made my heart sank deeper.

  “Today we’ll going to have a diving test. And those who cannot swim go fuck yourselves in the water until you can! And no questions and excuses, Thomas Sanders! I know what your father said but this is my class, not his! If you ever want to be alive, change your uniform!” Coach Jenkins caught me raising my hands up, and snapped.

  My body felt empty, I remembered that Charles told me never ever to set my feet in a swimming pool. Who knows what will happen next to a boy who had bizarre blood color? To die in the principal’s office? Or to be called a freak? To be frank, I’d rather die. But what could I do? Coach Jenkins was glaring at me.

  I hastily went to the school locker, rummaged on a swimming suit.

  Who should be there in the locker with me, but Bull Bully—Cormac and his gangs.

  “Hey, Sweaty Sanders, you’ve got a problem on diving? I remember: Every time last year we got swimming tests, you went to the bathroom to wet your pants!” Cormac teased, half taunting.

  He’s gangs laughed stupidly, like it was such a big deal.

  Cormac’s the swimming champion in the grade. That’s mostly because he had so much fat, he flow up like a balloon. He could twirl and swirl like a twister in the water and never get drowned, and with those beefy arms and legs like mighty oars, he’s sure like a fat whale.

  “Oh, yeah?” I blurted through gritted teeth. “Let’s see who surely laughs last, Cornflake Cormac.”

  I did expect him to glare at me with his tiny beady eyes, at the least of my expectation, he simply roared with laughter.

  “Oh, you? You think you could beat me against swimming? Oh, yeah, freak, let’s see who laughs while the other get a Z minus!” He strode away toward the swimming pool, still cackling.

  “Duh, like it’s such a big deal.” I muttered through gritted teeth.

  Pinhead Primary had a gigantic swimming pool, about six feet high, which is way higher than my height. Which meant most of my classmates would simply drown if they can’t swim. I stood blankly by the pool, shuddering in the school swimming shorts.

  “Get down under the water, you punks!” Coach Jenkins Barked. “And those who don’t, you’d better figure out a plan before I kick on your butt!”

  Ah-oh, this is simply the most awful day I ever met, aside of the blood test, of course.

  These things happened the next few seconds, before I could even blink an eye and turn.

  Someone punched and sneak attacked me on the back. “Hey! What’re you……”I yelped, before I could finish my sentence, I fell flat in to the deep freezing water. Split! Splash! I was forced to do a flying cannon ball move and drop in to the water, with waves cackling aside of me, and ripples ruffled as I sank in to the water like a huge chunk of rock.

  Cormac’s mocking laughter echoed through the water. I choked and coughed under the water, trying to keep my breath…… Hem? I coughed under water? How’s that possible? Meanwhile, the whole time, my mouth was hanging open the whole time. I guess five whole minutes have slipped through my fingers.

  Bewildered, I shook my head, no, this is just a dream, yeah, just imagination. If I got up, everything would turn back to normal. Yeah, that’ll do it.

  The design of the entire swimming pool is pretty lame, if you ask me. There’s only one place to get on shore, and that’s a hundred yards away from where I dropped.

  I kicked my legs hard, and swaying my arms, I shot out. Like it’s something natural stuff for a looser who can’t swim. I had a wild feeling, like the water’s for me to command, the water is my kind of place.

  I got to my classmates like in thirty seconds. Coach Jenkins had the whistle in his mouth, not blowing it, his beady eyes wide with surprise and shock. Cormac stared at me, glaring his eyes, fixing them on me: “How did you…… you dived a hundred yards in nearly one second…… and you never took a breath when you were under water.”

  My mouth dropped open and it never close in a whole day.

  Chapter one and a half

  The Storm Breaker

  Written by Jane Page Sanders

  The rain splattered and danced furiously on the roads. The wind bellowed and screeched.

  The gray sky suddenly cracked in to half from the sizzling lightning bolts, like a gigantic golden whip, like a gleaming serpent slithering in agile speed through the sky. Thunder bellowed and hovered across the dark clouds.

  “Fine weather,” I muttered, smoothing Angel, the guinea-pig’s fine snow-white fur, she cuddled on my arm, purring in a soft peaceful way.

  I smiled and pursed my lips. I opened my mouth, but words didn’t form, the noisy but adorable sound of the guinea-pig slipped out as I spoke, the sound is a lot like jingles of silver bell, but a lot sharper and harsher.

  “Don’t you be scared of storms, Angel,” I whispered in a soft tone. “They’re just clouds bumping with each other, don’t you tell me that you’re scared of clouds.”

  “No I’m not!” Squealed the guinea-pig, “it’s just that girl over there, she makes me nervous…” she glanced around and looked at the maid, the girl who works in my grandma’s house.

  She’s got a weird name, that girl—Enigma, just Enigma, no last name, nothing else. She’s an orphan, grandma adopted her last week to help with the chores and stuff since I came to study my skills with her. Enigma kind of traveled a long way and decided to work for us so she could have a place to settle down. Grandma never paid her, just accepted her to be a child in this house, that’s all. She’s quite a good maid for a poor family. Enigma’s got water powers so she could sweep the house quite easily.

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  “Why would you be afraid of Enigma, anyway?” I asked in curiosity.

  “I’m not afraid, it’s just this weird scent I smelled out from her, some kind of powers I’ve never scent before.” The genie-pig mumbled, stretching her body and yawned.

  “You could smell people’s abilities?” I gaped at the proud looking Angel.

  “Oh, yes. For example—you, smell of…” she sniffled a little, “well, freshly cut lawn for Plant Conjuring, the scent of goat’s wool for Animal Communication, and this disgusting drug smell for Healing. And that girl over there…” She growled and for a split second, I saw her eyes gleaming fear. “The scent of clear sea water of Water Mastering…”

  “You’re crazy.” I laughed. Though I knew what she meant are the true facts, “There’s nothing wrong about Water Mastering, lots of people can do that.”

  “No, it’s not that, you knew what I meant. The other scent is a bit fishy and mysterious. I’ve never smell it in my whole life…”

  “Is it a disgusting scent? OW!” I yelped a little. The last word is obviously not talking to the genie pig, Angel. It was in English.

  “And what do you think you’re doing, young lady?” Grandma shot me a stern look, “you know better than to fuss with your gruesome little mouse, we don’t have enough money to pay you for the institute, you should just pay attention to your scroll of herbs!”

  “Angel’s a genie-pig, not a smelly rat…” I mumbled, half protesting.

  “Miss Jane Page Sanders, don’t you dare pull my trigger! Or you’ll be sorry for what you’ve said!” Grandma snarled. I could see sizzling light in her eyes… and in her palms.

  “Um… Grandma, could you just please put your hand down? I…” I muttered a little.

  “Tell that rat to leave or shall electrocute it.” Grandma gritted her teeth and shot me a fierce glance.

  “Fine…” I said gloomily, telling Angel to leave.

  “That old prank smells like rain storms…” Angel muttered, and hastily went away.

  “I’m just practicing my genie pig talks. That’s all.” I said innocently.

  “That animal communication is something you’re born to do, not from practice. Now, back to herbs and plants… what is an Ever Tree?” Grandma peered at me through her piercing green eyes.

  “An Ever Tree… Oh, is it this tree that grows forever?” I guessed. I never studied my herb-ology thoroughly.

  “Half correct.” Grandma sighed, “You should answer it completely. An Ever Tree is a tree that never stops growing, whenever it is cut out, it will grow out again. But it never grows a single leaf, only a nymph or a powerful Magistic can make it luxuriant looking by let it grows leaves… Miss Sanders, are you listening?”

  There’s a knock on the door.

  “I’ll get it!” I leaped up from my seat, glad to escape grandma’s boring class.

  I swung the door open. For a split moment, I gaped. It was an old man. He wore a long violet robe with tiny silver moons and little golden suns embroidered on it, and a lilac silky cloak swooping like a mist behind him. The old man had a wrinkled pleasant face, and golden twinkling eyes that looked like shots of sun beams. His hair and beard were all gleaming silvery white, long to his chest.

  The most stunning sight was the ring on his pale fingers, sparkling pure gold, like his legendary eyes. The ring is sun shaped. The glittering diamond ranged the delicate shape of a large S.

  “Ah, you must have been Miss Sanders.” He smiled and shook my hand, “I’m here for Grace Sanders.”

  “She’s my grandmother.” I said, still fixing my eyes on his gorgeous ring.

  “You must have been interested by the ring. You recognize it, perhaps? It belongs to the eldest brother of the Sacredawn family…” The old man’s eyes beamed with delight.

  “Gordon, Gordon Sacredawn.” I muttered. “He created… I mean, he and his three brother and sisters created the Sacredawn Institute, didn’t they?” I said. I adore histories more than studying boring herbs. “My dad’s got one of that, it shaped like a leaf. And sir, you’re his heir. I mean… Gordon is your ancestor, and you’re his heir.”

  He nodded pleasantly, “very clever, my child, very clever indeed. And I believe you knew the four founders of the Sacredawn Institute?”

  “Well…” I counted on my fingers, “There’s this Gordon who controlled light, known as the Light Lord; And Gwendolyn the Water Witch, the next eldest, conjured water; Clara, the second youngest, communicate to nature, as known as the Nature Nymph, and she’s my ancestor.” I stopped, my face darkened, helping myself not to say the last name.

  “Go on, child, say the last name.” The old man urged.

  I shook my head, “I… I didn’t know, sir.” I lied.

  “Well then, it’s Cyril, the Dark Duke, he’s the youngest, controlled dark magic. I didn’t know why these days, people become sensitive when talk of his name, I mean he’s dead for at least a thousand years. And of course, the darkness of nowadays, Aquarius is also a sensitive subject.” He wrinkled a little.

  Then I just noticed something rather peculiar. When the old man came, the storm had stopped rumbling, sunbeams had flickered above the land.

  “Sir, may I ask… who are you?” I shivered when he mentioned the name “Cyril the Dark Duke” and “Aquarius”. Even grandma, the bravest person I knew just snapped when I ask about these two.

  “Jane Page Sanders, don’t you talk to strangers…” My grandma snapped. But when she saw the old man, she stopped. “Oh, Professor Prodige, it’s you! I’m uh… sorry about my attitude. I just thought you’re well… some of his man.”

  “Wait, Professor Prodige? You’re not the previous headmaster of Sacredawn Institute? Are you?” I went puzzled. I’ve been talking to the previous headmaster of Sacredawn Institute and not even letting him inside for tea? What nerve of me?

  “Hate to say I am.” Professor Prodige answered, stepping in to the living-room. “I’m here because of the boy.”

  “The boy?” Grandma was stunned, “what boy?”

  “Jane’s brother of course, your grandson.” Professor Prodige said.

  “Oh, that Tom Sanders,” grandma said. “He’s not age enough, is he?”

  “No,” I grumbled. “That dweeb’s only ten. I’m five months older.”

  “We have a research done. He’s the century’s Full Talent.” Professor Prodige looked serious now.

  “He’s WHAT?” I yelped, leaping from my seat, “But… but I thought I am, or at least I was. I’ve got three talents.”

  “Unfortunately, Miss Jane Sanders, your brother’s powerful, the prophecy sensed him. He’s way much than three talents, maybe he’ll break the record of five talents from me, who knows.” Professor Prodige said darkly, “Your father had told me about his blood color. I think that it’s a dark curse, Aquarius and his wife wants your brother.”

  Splash! The tea set fell from the maid, Enigma’s hands. I guess she’s too scared to hear his name.

  Enigma looked horrified, “His wife’s dead, wasn’t she? Just last year, they say it on the papers.”

  “Yes, my darling.” Grandma said seriously, “She’s dead.”

  “Who… who wants my brother? The… the him? Why would he want Tom? He’s just a boy, not even age enough, he knows nothing about here. There’s no way.” I whimpered.

  “Aquarius needs him, he’s dangerous now, Tom Sanders. Aquarius already set a curse in him, that’s why his blood color isn’t normal, I didn’t know when, when he’s very little, I think. The worst thing is that they already knew the Full Talent is your brother. They’re in Los Angeles now.” Professor Prodige added dark faced.

  “They’ll move toward New York at night fall! They travel and search in a flash, they could travel the whole country in a day!” Grandma was so frightened that she almost screeched out. “Jane! The ring! Use the Transport ring! We’ll need to go back as soon as possible!”

  I grabbed grandma’s wrinkled hands. I twirled the ring on my index finger three times and yelled: “New York city, America!”

  And we disappeared like the bolt of lightning…

  Chapter two

  Our house burst in to flames

  Written by Thomas Sanders

  I’ve got “A plus” that day for swimming lessons. Well, duh, like it’s such a big deal.

  I guess I’d shock Cormac so much, he’d forgotten all about picking on me today. But, boy… was I so wrong of judging like that.

  At lunch time, I was sitting lonely at my table in the corner, scooping up a spoonful of “dirt” and smashing it over and over again in my bowl, as usual. Okay, right. It’s not actually dirt and all, just some gooey and sticky brown stuff that in lunch ladies’ language was “tasty lamb stew”. I picked this because the others are either “dog droppings” (pork broth) or “booger” (lunch ladies call that stuff broccolis). I have nothing against dirt, aside of dog droppings and boogers of course.

  And I picked a carton of chocolate milk. Good thing there’s no cow in the school, or else I’d be tasting mucilage instead of sugar-sweet chocolate milk.

  Than a fat figure came stumbling in to my sight—Cormac Williams was grabbing his huge lunchbox and sitting aside of me at my table. His gangs were hanging behind him like body guards.

  “Nice working on that fizz-ad class, Sanders. At least you didn’t wet your pants in the pool. Oh, I forgot, I wouldn’t see it if you’re wetting your pants in the pool.” He smirked smugly.

  “What do you want, Cormac?” I glared at him, clutching my fists, ready to punch him.

  “Meet you at the secret chamber on third and a half floor, so we could… you got the idea.” He swung his lunchbox open in-front of me. For a split second, I thought he was going to invite me for dessert.

  The lunch box was gigantic, splattered with melted chocolate, bread crumbs and fresh fruit dregs. I could still smell the sweet aroma of chocolate mousses dripping cloud-like creams and delicious scent of Sloppy Joes with hot burned sausages. I swallowed. I bet Cormac wolfed it all up before the aroma was gone.

  But the Chocolate Spreads seemed to gather up in a pattern. Then, I figured a word out—“dead”.

  The secret chamber on third and a half floor is actually a bathroom. It’s between the stair cases from third floor to fourth floor. So there you go, the secret chamber on third and a half floor, simple.

  Cormac wanted to beat me up in a bathroom? I wondered as I got up to the third floor. And there it was, stinky old bathroom lay under my nose, there. I took a deep breath and went inside.

  “There you are, dweeb!” Someone called me sharply. I looked inside the bathroom… no one.

  Then, quick as a blink, one of the doors swung open, I stared at that person. Long dangling hair the color of brown caramel, spilled down to the person’s waist; a pair of eyes that change color every second, like a multi-colored pond, mostly sparkled with emerald green; fine white skin shaded with red of panic… it was…

  “Jane Page? What in the heck are you doing in a boy’s bathroom?” I blinked.

  “None of your business, dweeb…” She muttered, but looking embarrassed, “come on, we’ve got to go back, dad’s waiting!”

  “There you are, Sanders!” But this time, it’s not Jane Page anymore, Cormac appeared in the corridors.

  “No time, dweeb! Grab my hand!” Jane Page yelped, which is technically weird, since when is the way you leave a place by grabbing one’s hand, anyway?

  Unsure, I tugged as her arm. She did this very weird thing by turning her ring on her fingers three times and yelled out loud: “Charles Sanders’ house!”

  There was this flash of purple light, we disappeared from the bathroom. The world seemed to swirl and twirl around me. I’ve got a glimpse of other people’s houses slipping from my eyes. Then…Boom! We appeared at our house.

  “There you are, Tom!” Charles looked pleasant to see me, not at all surprised that we suddenly appeared in the living-room. That was at least the third time I heard the “there you are” sentence.

  “How did you… How come we are traveling so fast? Is that…” I blurted out.

  “Do you think that your head felt okay, young man?” An old lady asked me. She had silver hair tightening up in a bun up on her head, and piercing green eyes that looked like X-rays watching deep inside you.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, why do you ask?” I said a little confused. I saw Charles and Jane Page exchange looks, serious and troubled looks.

  “If you’re treating others with respect,” the old lady snorted, “You should name me ma’am or grandmother.”

  I frowned: “Charles, that old lady’s my grandma? Why didn’t you mention that I’ve got one before?”

  “That doesn’t matter anymore, the thing is, Tom. Nearly everyone throw-up, the first time they Disapparated. Except those who’re born well at it…” Charles expression was sulky.

  “Someone’s coming…” I muttered, though I didn’t know why.

  “How did you know that, dweeb?” Jane Page snapped sharply.

  “I didn’t know. I just felt it. Someone that shared connections with me is coming by the door way…” I murmured.

  There’s only a second that we considered about it. Charles opened his mouth to say something, then…

  WOOSH! The front door swung open. The ugliest man I’ve ever seen stepped in to the house. He’s got scars on his face. His head was bald and gleaming with light. One of his eyes was bandaged by a black eyeshade

  “Cyclops…” Charles whispered under his breath.

  Cyclops cackled: “Well, well, looks like master Aquarius have been right. Charles, my old friend, glad to see you again. And that boy here… the Full Talent in the century, I suppose…” Cyclops eyed at me and bowed, “Master Aquarius have been seeking nine years to seek you, young man.”

  Charles gritted his teeth, “He’s my boy, Cyclops. I’m he’s father.”

  “Are you?” Cyclops mused, sneering a little, “Perhaps master Aquarius himself could explain better.”

  “Has he… has he come?” Jane Page swallowed. Her face was terrible, pale as a sheet. I saw she tried to hide the ring, and clutching my fingers tightly.

  Cyclops cackled loudly, and swung the door open even wider. Jane Page eyed me with her terrified eyes, mouthing the word “leave”.

  Charles shook his head at my sister, “If he’s around, the ring wouldn’t work.”

  To tell you the truth, Cyclops is already very dreadful looking, what could his master possibly be looking? Two headed? Grow fur? Have horns? I was trembling.

  The next sight made me gape and froze, Jane Page was even worse. She looked like her eye balls would drop to the ground. Only Charles looked quite normal, aside of the emerald flames of anger flaring in his eyes.

  This was a sight that will never be wiped form my memories. If you had one word to describe his features, it was not at all “evil”.

  Aquarius smiled deeply in-front of our eyes, breathtakingly handsome looking. He had dark black eyes that were deep and unpredictable like the calm night sky, which could charm every girl in my class with just a single glance. Aquarius’s hair was jet-black like raven wings, curling easily down to his ears tops. He wore a simple black cape, swooping around him while he came in front of us.

  The most incredible thing about him was his age. He’s actually around nineteen, young enough to be my brother. For the first glance, he looked like a normal handsome-looking college age guy.

  “Greetings, young ones,” His voice was charming, but it’s quite weird for a nineteen-year-old to call my thirty years old father and my grandma “young ones”.

  But than his eyes flared with flames, red scarlet flames were gleaming in his dark eyes.

  “He’s casting a spell.” Charles muttered

  The room darkened, jets of dark black flames surrounded the house, tearing and burning it down.

  “So it’s simple, Charles Sanders.” Aquarius spoke in a quiet tone, “I’ll take the boy and you’ll all be safe, unless…” He smiled coldly, and the dark flames surrounded smaller.

  “Why would you want me? You cold blooded monster?” I gritted my teeth. Anger boiled at the top of my temper.

  “Tom, don’t. You’ll only enrage him.” Jane Page whimpered.

  To my surprise, Aquarius just laughed his cold high-pitched cackle that didn’t suit his features. “I wouldn’t want to waste the most powerful Magistic, would I? All