The Gifted Ones 2

[williamlcb]

Hi all. this is my first attempt of ever posting my work online. Do enjoy and constructive criticisms are very appreciated.
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CHAPTER 1: THE PERFECT LIFE
The chirping of the birds outside his tent woke him up. He looked out of the entrance of his tent. It was already morning. It was time to get up and get on with his routine.

He then turned around to look at the person still sleeping who is situated to the next of him. A smile was etched on his face. It was not any ordinary smile. It was a smile of pure happiness. A feeling of being glad for being able to wake up to some kind of happiness.

“Wake up, Max, the sleepy head. We’re going to be late,” he called to the person still asleep to wake him up.

“But it’s still early,” Max replied as he turned around, clearly implying that he is still not ready to wake up yet.

“But today’s Wan. You have to start up early for the student’s assembly. Honestly, you act as if you just started yesterday even though you have been here for a year already,” he started nagging.

Wan happens to be one of the 7 days in the Realm of Magic. The 7 days of the week are Loo, Wan, Goo, Twee, Kore, Pai, and Tix. Wan happens to be a day after the 2nd day of the week after Loo.

“Fine, I’m up already,” Max replied as he got up and followed with him to get ready.

“Good thing we’re not too late,” he replied to Max as soon as they got ready and reached the class which was situated another tent almost identical to theirs but bigger.

“But History of the Magic Realm is boring. I think I memorized the whole book and can score an A in it,” Max replied.

“That was what you said last year for the History of Spell Casters in the Mortal Realm. It was an A-. You messed up somewhere,” he replied again.

Max glared at him. At that moment, someone came in he was dressed in a teacher’s robe which was pale green in colour. The robust and noisy class was soon quiet and everyone looked at the teacher, anticipating the lesson to start.

“Ok class, no reward for guessing who I am. I have taught you last year for the History of Spell Casters in the Mortal Realm paper. In case you have forgotten my name together with the facts of the paper, I am Enlightener Marsusial,” the teacher replied.

Teachers in the Realm of Magic are awarded the title Enlightener as a reward for being able to be enlightened after years researching in the field of their specialisation.

“Let me remind you that this paper will be much tougher that the last paper last year. There will be lots to study starting from the Great Calamity until the war against the Morendo Dynasty which was recently overthrown,” Enlightener Marsusial continued as he started passing papers around the class.

“You’re right. This is going to be another boring year,” Max’s roommate said to him after reading through the paper given by Enlightener Marsusial.

“No, it’s not. Everything in the subject synopsis so much ‘fun’ and ‘interesting’. Tell me again why are we here even though we have mastered all of this?” Max asked after some sarcasm regarding the subject.

“To your niche in the Neutral Zone,” came the reply.

Max turned around to see where reply came from. It was not obviously from his friend who was seated next to him all this while. To his surprise, it was Enlightener Marsusial.

In the Neutral Zone, after the age of 18, it is time to be tested by the relevant Enlighteners on the niche or simply purpose of everyone in the Zone. They have to spend 2 years learning 7 subjects; History, Basic Divination, Basic Magic Defence, Psychic, Manipulation, Healing and 6th sense. After finding their niche, an individual has to specialize in 1 of these 7 subjects. There will further refinement to enable them become better Spell Casters, helping to make the Neutral Zone neutral from any political disturbance.

“So if you are very smart, could you please tell us about the things that happened when the 1st generation of our ancestors arrived here?” Enlightener Marsusial asked.

“Our ancestors came and established a small community here, living for a while coexisting peacefully with the force of darkness for quite a while. This is because people tend to stick together if they have the same goals regardless of their ideology. However, after a while, there were fractures seen. The dark forces decided to be dominant in the ruling the new world. Therefore, they tried to revive back the old ruling that existed before they came to this world. As a result, there was a very strong opposition from the force of good. It was in their opinion that the ruling system of the force of darkness that sent them to exile from the Mortal Realm. As a result to this, none of them can ever return to live a normal life in the Mortal Realm ever again. Nevertheless, the forces of good were not united in combating evil. Some were afraid of repeating history again. This group of people moved away from the community into a place which is known to us as the Forest Of Exile and were never heard of since then. The remaining forces of goodness were not united against combating evil. Each had their philosophy and their own way of fighting of evil. To prevent from further breaking the ties of the dwindling number, they made an oath to fight against their common enemy of evil separately with the victor becoming the ruler. Nevertheless, they were still those that believed that the forces of good should be united together to beat evil. As a result, they refused to go their separate ways but choose to fight evil as a united front. Therefore, the Neutral Zone was created to accommodate them,” Max explained.

“Well, he did a very well done job. What about if I continue about the other half of the module?” Max’s companion asked in a cynical tone after being silent for a very long time.

“No need, CB. Due to someone being too clever, all of you will get extra homework on what Max just explained,” Enlightener Marsusial said, followed by moans of unsatisfied students.

“You will assume that you are one of the people who lived in that time, either the people who left for the forest or the people who left for their own clans. I will leave you now on your own now. After all, you will surely need all the time that you can get to finish your assignment. It’s due next week,” he added still.

Enlightener Marsusial then left the classroom, leaving his students on the assignments to solve on their own. There were people still reeling from the shock of being given assignments on the 1st day school of a new academic year. On the other hand, there were also those who were clustering in groups discussing and making to do the assignment.

“You have to do this, don’t you? Try not to do this again,” Max’s companion said.

He would have been expected to actually conform like the other students trying to do the assignments and not very pleased with Max’s big mouth. Nevertheless, there was not the slightest sign of irritation. Even his voice and tone does not show any anger at all.

He got of from his seat, packed his study materials and started to leave the classroom. All of this was done in a calmly. There was sign of urgency, panic or enthusiasm at all.

“What about the assignment, CB?” Max asked curiously, feeling very strange of his friend’s behaviour since the assignment was given.

CB turned after hearing Max ask him a question. He then opened his left hand widely, exposing his palm. At the same time, he put his right hand below his left hand in the shape of his fist.

“Bookra!” CB shouted a spell as a very thick book appeared from nowhere.

The book was very thick, containing the finished product of the assignment of the day on its cover. There was also CB and Max’s name on it as well.

“How did you know that this will happen?” Max asked CB out of curiosity.

“Simple. You did that in the same classroom to the same person last year. Doesn’t take a psychic to interpret that you will do the same again this year?” came the reply.

“You finished the assignment already? Tell me about the books used to do the research” Moco, one of their close friends said.

The others still remaining in the classroom heard that and gathered around Max and CB obviously wanting to get the easy way to finish the assignment, refusing to let Max and CB find any escape route to avoid them. CB took out a piece of paper in his bag and passed it to one of the nearest person. It was then that the focus was not with CB and Max anymore but towards the person with the paper.

The person with the paper was not stupid. He knew he was on the centre of attention. Without any time, he quickly ran out of the classroom with the paper, chased by the others. It was a funny sight. The classroom now has only CB and Max in it. They did not want to stay there any longer. Max and CB discreetly moved out of the classroom to another place, hopefully far away being the centre of attention.

“Isn’t this the perfect life, Max?” CB asked his friend without looking back at him.

“Yes. I don’t want it to end ever. It’s as if I’m only starting to enjoy it now,” Max replied.