the tenth day? That means I'm a third done!

Confused, Rork asked “Then why did you have me studying those books in there?”

Without blinking, Mikey came back with “To show you that you can't rely on everything being true, even if people are good intentioned, they twist things with their own view of the world and their past experiences. And while all together these books might contain the right information, there is too much filth in between the good parts that it makes it unworthy of your time to try to rummage through it and put together the truth.”

“So how am I supposed to get the truth, you don't expect me to read all those and try and make sense of it, do you?” Rork pointed back to his room most vehemently as he asked his question.

“No, I won't make you do that, for how would you be able to pick the truth out of those if you don't know what the truth is?” Mikey pulled at his beard a little and pondered for awhile, motioning for Rork to sit back in his seat, while he sat in the opposite chair. “I am going to take a real risk here. This wasn't done for me, I actually had to go through all those other books to get an understanding for what's really out there. But I'm not a huge fan of tradition, none of the Grand Wizards really are, so what I'm going to do is just give you something, ahead of when I'm supposed to. You have to promise that you'll only practice what it teaches when I'm around, however. There are some very bad things that can happen, and I want to be able to stop them before this place burns to the ground, though, technically it's already to the ground, seeing as we're well underneath the surface. I guess the refuge would just burn then.”

Rork could feel his facial expression changing as the fullness of what Mikey just said hit him. “We're underground?” Rork's question was met with a slow nod of the Grand Wizard's head. “Then how is it that there are lights at the appropriate time of day?”

“I am the Grand Wizard,” came Mikey's simple reply, which was followed quickly by, “There is little one cannot do with the aid of magic. I have actually enchanted these lights to mimic exactly what is going on above us, so that I don't have to worry about calculating all the milliseconds of light that are supposed to hit us each day. It's much easier just to copy in this case. It will also mimic the weather. I used to have my enchantment just mimic the light, but I really started missing the sound of rain on the roof, so I decided to tweak my spell just a little bit.”

Rork's head furled in concentration, “How did you ever do that? It seems so complex.”

“Well, how about I let you figure that out for yourself?” Mikey grabbed a small box from his robe. He touched the top with his thumb, and immediately four locks undid themselves and opened. From this box he pulled another box and spoke the word “Jinsei.” With another click and whir, the box top sprung up, allowing Mikey to pull it off. He set aside the top and then reached into the box. Rork was surprised yet again as not just his fingers, but his whole arm went into the box, which was no more than maybe 2 inches deep.

Mikey stuck out his tongue slightly as he waggled his arm and the box around a little, until he finally exclaimed “Aha!” and pulled his arm out, this time with a parcel the size of a large book. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Mikey started handing the book to Rork. All the answers and secrets that he would find in there. This one moment and book would change his life forever. Was he really ready for it? Rork could feel his heart pounding as all these questions and thoughts barraged him. Hesitantly at first, but more and more confidently as the book neared him, Rork reached out to grab the book.

When he touched the parcel, the entire world started to spin, voices, both dark and friendly were suddenly all around him, and his view on reality warped and twisted violently, making him nauseous. He blacked out as a dark figure came out of the shadows and reached for him.

Chapter 9

When he awoke, Rork immediately shot up in his bed at the Grand Wizard's refuge. His sheets were drenched, had it all just been a bad dream? He saw his clothes laid out for him yet again, this time, though, he had a white robe, not a brown one.

He slowly got out of bed, wanting to forget the things in his dream. Rubbing his eyes, he moved towards his clothes only to find that the robes weren't white but silver, once the light hit them. He quickly donned them and started for the door, but was quickly stunned by a sudden burst of voices. They came from everywhere, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the very air itself. What had Mikey done to him?

He quickly left the room, and not knowing where else to go ran to the main room, crying out “Mikey! What's going on!? Mikey!” but he heard no response.

Nana, however, came rushing into the room, carrying a pail of cold water and a cloth, quickly helping Rork into the chair and placing the moist cloth on his forehead. The voices slowly quieted over time, and eventually Rork was able to sit up. “What has he done to me?” Rork asked Nana, sweat coming off his brow.

“He's exposed ye to the truth, dearie.” Was all that Rork could get out of her. “Now just relax for a little, the first part is the hardest.” She moved away to let him be, but before she had exited the room she turned around, “Is there anything ye would live for breakfast?”

Rork, not particularly hungry after this sudden... whatever it was... answered quietly, “No thank you.”

“I'll check back on ye later, then.” Nana was then out the door and down the hallway, humming cheerful tunes to herself that didn't seem to fit the situation, according to Rork.

He quickly fell into a fitful sleep, not being able to get much rest, and always hearing the voices. He always awoke in a cold sweat when a dark figure appeared, arms pointed at him, with the words “You are mine” always echoing through his mind as he woke up.

This lasted until another portal opened, and Mikey made another grand entrance, this time covered in dust. He brushed himself off, and moved to the seat across Rork. “Ah! So good to see that you're up!” came his sudden outburst when he noticed Rork there.

“What did you do to me?” queried Rork through cold shivers.

“I did nothing but allow you to see the truth. Apparently you weren't quite as prepared for it as I was, and that was my fault.” He took a moment to let out a long sigh, “but unfortunately time is working against us, and you must be ready soon. Even the terrefolk are starting to turn, and they are a hardy and stubborn people.”

“I must be ready for what?” Rork winced, closing his eyes as another burst of voices barraged him.

Mikey, almost as though he knew what Rork was going through, waited for his wincing to stop before he answered Rork's question. “You must be ready for battle. There isn't much time until the enemy will make himself known publicly.”

“The enemy?”

Mikey looked off into the distance, as if recalling something from long ago,“You've seen him, no doubt, the dark shadow in your visions. He no doubt keeps telling you that you are his. He claims that of everyone, especially those who are close to breaking free. You mustn't listen to him, Rork.”

“Why does he think that he owns me?” Rork was, as always, unsure as to what the Grand Wizard was speaking.

“He claims everyone, especially when they gain their magical ability. You remember how yours happened, don't you?”

Rork nodded, remembering the way that his rabbit looked at him with its empty eyes when he woke up that morning long ago.

“And that is why he claims you. Have you ever heard of someone who did something good when they awakened their magical powers? I know that I haven't in my whole life, and I've been around for a bit. He makes this claim because of the darkness that is in everyone's heart from that day forward.”

“Does he have that right?” Rork was legitimately afraid now, he didn't want to belong to that sort of entity, that dark figure.

“Oh, he does, but that wasn't originally how it was set out. Originally we were to enjoy the magic, pure and powerful, but then we were tricked into twisting that magic. Now we are as slaves to it, always seeking more power over it, trying to not be subjective to its will.”

“You mean that magic can actually have a will, it has wants and needs?” Rork had never heard of this before.

“Of course! It's the reason you're here after all, without it, nothing could have been made that has been made, but you'll learn all that and more when you're feeling better.”

“If I feel better.” Rork crossed his arms defiantly.

Mikey smiled, “You will, the magic is already at work within you, I can tell.” and with a pat on Rork's leg, Mikey stood up and walked down his hallway. “I'll let you rest tonight, you might even try talking to the magic, ask for its help through this, it'll hear you.”

Rork really didn't want to play games in his current state, so he didn't bother beating around the bush. “You really are a crazy old man, talk to the magic? Magic was created by man to help with everyday jobs and necessities.”

“That's what the one in your visions wants you to believe, that's what he wants everyone to believe, but I think you know as well as I do, that that's a lie. But I'll let you decide for yourself what's true or not, I just know what I've experienced, and I can say, that what you believe does not hold up to the things which I have seen. Have a good night.” And with that, he walked through a door and closed it behind him.

(Hey all!  Happy tenth of November! I hear that tomorrow is a big day for a lot of people, and it's apparently corduroy appreciation day or something, though I'm sure many more people are excited about Skyrim.  I know I would be if I had a system which could run it, but alas, I have not as much of these monies as other people do.  But that's ok, for I am content with what I have, especially my wonderful, hot wife.  Anyway, wife aside, I want to thank you all for reading, and let you know that I hope you all are having a good life filled with meaning.  Do enjoy your Friday and your weekend :)  Peace!)

Rork was confused by that last statement, but continued nodding slowly, not wanting to make a big fuss.

“Well, howsabout we get you some training?” Came Mikey's suggestion as he stood up from his chair after several minutes of brooding silence.

“Sounds good, the sooner the better, I assume that is why you brought me along.” Fully rested, Rork was ripping, roaring, and ready to go, and above all else, he was eager to learn new things, especially secrets; he liked secrets.

“Well, first things first, head back to your room, and read all the books in there. That'll be your first lesson.” Mikey lazily pointed back to Rork's room, “Oh, and that's where you'll be spending most of your time when you're not accompanying me on my grand adventures. Nana will make sure you're taken care of. If you have any questions, Nana will take care of those too.” He grabbed a sturdy jacket off a peg as he continued, “Now, unfortunately, I must be off again, for I have a planned meeting with the folk down with the feufolk; I should be back before nightfall, though, wish me luck!” And with a wave of his want, the area in front of him opened into that shimmering circle again, and he stepped into it, despite the fire that was blazing in the portal. Rork could feel the heat from coming from the portal, and it just about matched his feelings at the time. Being sent to his room to study books, and not just that, but all the books, was a little different from what he had originally expected from this great wizard.

Half-way stomping to his room, he reached for the first book that stuck out to him and flipped open the cover. Tossing his shoes onto the ground, he lay on his bed, arms perched beneath him, reading until it started growing dark. He wasn't nearly as angry when he heard Nana come in asking what he wanted for dinner as when he first entered his room. The book was filled with so much information, things he had never heard of before, such as the fact that there were actually eight elements, not just six, and that one of them wasn't even tied to a day, amazing! Trying to take his eyes away from the book was like trying to drag his hand through the pudding that they served at the school on rare occasions, if they could call it pudding.

He managed to meet Nana's gaze long enough, though, to say, “I'll have some mashed potatoes and pork chop stew with lentils and herbs.” Expecting it to take at least a few more minutes he returned his gaze to his book, but was surprised when Nana held the plate in front of his face mere seconds after he looked away.

“Here ya are, dearie, let me know when ye be ready for dessert, and I'll gladly make some for ye.” She just smiled as she handed him his food, and then walked off to continue cleaning the place.

“Thank you!” Rork called out after her as her footsteps grew more and more faint. He wolfed down the stew in less than a minute, despite it being piping hot; it just tasted so good, even better than the Sorcerer's Cup; when he heard the portal opening in the main room. He quickly jumped out of bed, running all the way to the room just in time to see Mikey stepping out of the flaming portal, smoke coming off his jacket. His beard and crazy eyebrows looked a little singed at some of the ends, but other than that, he was completely unscathed.

“So, how are the feufolk?” Rork asked after a minute of being ignored by Mikey.

Mikey, who had already sat down in his chair by the unlit fireplace spoke after a few more moments of silence. “They've all turned.”

Turned? Rork had never heard that expression before, “Turned to what?”

“They are no longer working with us, just as the rest of everyone else is slowly selling themselves away,” came Mikey's brief answer. He started to explain more fully as Rork showed a face that showed that he was dumbfounded, “It started in the far off regions, like your school, and the more remote places of our lands, and then spread inwardly, slowly taking the people and their hearts, until it eventually ended up in the places of power, so much that even the elementals are no longer fully with us.” He shook his lowered head as he took off his hat and threw it onto the hook placed on the wall next to the fireplace.

“Well,” started Rork, trying to cheer up the saddened Mikey, “I'm already halfway through the first book, and it is so full of information, I never even knew!”

“But you haven't read all of them yet?” Came Mikey's query with a raised eyebrow.

Taken somewhat aback, Rork came back with a simple, “No, not yet.”

Mikey chuckled quietly in a way that told Rork that he wasn't laughing because he thought something was funny. “Just wait till you get to the second book, that's when things start getting really interesting.” Mikey slouched a little more in his chair, pulling his long hair over his eyes, massaging them. “Go ahead and continue with your studies for tonight, I have nothing more to teach you at the moment until you finish that which I have told you to do.”

Rork, somewhat let down by Mikey's aloofness wandered back to his room, and cracked open his book again. The time and words flew as he continued reading, learning things he'd never heard before about the magic and how it worked. There was entire section devoted to each element, and his element, life, was chock full of techniques and words to say that would bring him even more power over his element. He finally finished the book late that night, wondering how he had ever gotten along without understanding the material that written in there. Stripping out of his robes and donning his sleep attire, Rork slept, he slept peacefully, and didn't wake until his body had received the rest it needed.

Chapter 8

When Rork awoke the next morning, he found the sun coming brightly through the windows and his clothes already set out for him for the day. He rubbed his eyes and left the bed with a small hop. After donning his robes he was more than ready to start on the next book that was sure to be full of even more help and insight into the world of the magics. He went over to another bookshelf, hand poised to pick out the next one that caught his eye. Odd, he thought, they don't seem to be in any particular order. He arbitrarily grabbed an older book, whose binding was starting to peel off, and flipped it open, scanning the table of contents. What? They only list five elements in here, what's up with that? He started reading, and before long came across several other issues with the book that didn't agree with the book he had just read.

After putting up with half the book, it was already past midday, and Nana came in. “What'll ye be having today, dearie?” She asked with the same smile she had when he first saw her.

“I think just a ham sandwich would be good.” He said, nose still stuffed in his book.

Just like the last few times, Nana turned around and turned back a few seconds later, holding his lunch, ready to be eaten. She held it out to him, asking, “Is there anything else with which I might be of assistance?”

Not really sure of his reading, he decided to ask her. “Did you know that these two books I've been reading don't match up at all? This book says there's eight elements, and this one says there's only five and doesn't mention anything about the weekdays.”

“Sounds a bit fishy to me,” came her words.

“What am I supposed to learn from these books if they can't even match up the facts correctly?” asked an annoyed Rork.

“Maybe that's the question ye should be asking.” Came Nana's quiet words as she started leaving the room, “but you're a smart lad, I'm sure ye'll figure it out, dearie.” And with that, she closed the door, footsteps getting further and further away as she left for her other chores.

Rork, not sure what she was trying to get at just grabbed his sandwich and held it in his mouth as he flipped to the next page, not sure what to believe at this point.

Getting cramped on the bed after a few hours of swapping between lying on his stomach and lying on his back, Rork headed out to the main room, sitting in the big armchair by the fireplace. So entranced in his reading, he was so startled when Mikey showed up in yet another portal, that the book fell into the fire.

Panicked, Rork reached out to grab the book, only to be interrupted by Mikey, “Wait! Don't burn yourself. That book isn't worth it, there's plenty more where that one came from.”

Rork started, “But it's so old and-” but he didn't get the chance to continue before Mikey stopped his words in their tracks.

“That book is full of fallacies and lies. They might have tried to get the right information, but they ended up twisting it and putting it as they see fit, not letting the actual evidence steer their words. Just let that book burn, there are plenty more wrong books from where that one came.” He stayed transfixed on the burning book the entire time, eyes reflecting the fire that was before him.

Confused, Rork asked “Then why did you have me studying those books in there?”

Without blinking, Mikey came back with “To show you that you can't rely on everything being true, even if people are good intentioned, they twist things with their own view of the world and their past experiences. And while all together these books might contain the right information, there is too much filth in between the good parts that it makes it unworthy of your time to try to rummage through it and put together the truth.”

(Hiya!  I'm a ninja!  just kidding... though I think it would be awesome to be one.  Sorry I didn't write earlier in the day like I almost promised to, I made some very delicious sweet potato zucchini  pancakes with my wife this morning after a late awakening.  I stayed up just a little too late playing minecraft and watching minecraft videos last night >.<  Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the middle of your week, as I enjoyed mine.  I look forward to seeing you peeps reading more as well.  Enjoy! )

eight days in, and 13000 words+!

“Mikey?” Rork tried to not laugh, but had difficulty keeping a straight face. “That's not quite as nice a title as Grand Wizard.”

“Hence why I took it,” came the simple Mmikey's reply. “I wasn't really one to enjoy being called Mikey-poo all day long by my peers.”

“So you became the Grand Wizard all because you didn't want to be called Mikey-poo?” Rork was a little skeptical at his story.

“Well, yeah, obviously, what would you have done in my situatation?” smoke rose from Mikey's nostrils as he said this, making him seem almost demonic with the fire behind him.

“I dunno,” came Rork's straight response. “I probably would have asked them not to call me that.”

“Ah,” Mikey pulled the pipe out of his mouth and used it to point at Rork as he made his point, “but what if these were the types of people who wouldn't stop calling you that name just because you asked politely? What road would you take?”

Stuck on the question, Rork was silenced for a few moments. After a little while Mikey put his pipe back in his mouth and took a few puffs before opening his mouth to speak, “You're tired. Your room's all the way at the end of the hallway. Make sure you sleep well tonight, you'll need it.” There was a small glint of softness in Mikey's eye as he spoke. Maybe there's more to him than I first thought.

Rork walked down the hallway, question still on his mind. What would he do if someone didn't stop doing something that he really disliked after he politely asked them. Asking again didn't seem to make any sense, they already declined the first time, and outright rage wasn't really the best scenario either, he knew that first hand.

He dragged his bags into his room and left them on the floor, anxiously dropping into bed. He sighed contentedly; this bed was much more comfortable than the slabs of stone that they called beds at school. He quickly fell asleep, dreaming of his friends and family.

“Alright, awake! Time to rise and shine!” The light hit Rork like a brick to the face. “Up! Up! Up!” This woman's voice was more than just loud, it was obnoxiously loud. “My, ye must have been a tired one, you slept with your robe on, dearie.”

Rork slowly started to stir, eyelids heavier than anvils, and realized that he never fully got into bed; he still had his feet squarely hanging off the bed, planted on the floor. He rubbed his eyes as he slowly managed to find the energy to prop himself up on his elbow and open his eyes part-way to see that he had in fact fallen asleep in his robe.

“Well, how about changing into this nice getup here, dearie?” The woman, dressed in a humble tan outfit with a white belt, had set out some of Rork's clothes for him to wear, under garments included; he flushed slightly, not being used to having anyone, let alone a woman see those. “I'll leave ye to change, let me know if ye have any troubles, or need to know where anything is.” And with that, Rork was left alone in his room.

He glanced about, not really sure what all was there, for there was indeed a lot. He saw books crammed in bookshelves all over, and his bed was across from the door. There was even a small bookcase that extended down from the ceiling. It was a weird room, the material of the walls almost looked like a smooth stone, and there was a desk on the far side, opposite the bed. The room itself was probably no bigger than two hundred square feet, but it felt so large, much larger than his little closet of a room back at school. He even noticed a couch next to the door that he hadn't seen on his way in last night. All the furnishings were rustic colors, apparently Mikey didn't much care for the flamboyant, gaudy style.

After stripping down and putting on his fresh robes, Rork left the room and walked back down the hallway to the room where he had first entered the Grand Wizard's home, or getaway, or whatever this place was. The woman was in the corner, dusting one of the tables which held the skull of some creature unknown to Rork, and it almost looked as though there were some sort of grayish liquid in it.

The woman, realizing Rork's presence as he stepped into the room, turned around. “Well, you look much better now, dearie, what would you like for some breakfast? Just name it and I'll prepare it for you.” She really was a pleasant one, always showing a smile.

“Umm, how about some eggs and bacon? Oh! And a glass of milk?” Rork had no idea what time it was, but judging by his hunger, it was well past noon, and also well past the regular hours for breakfast, not that he was one to complain.

“Alright, it'll be just a moment.” The woman turned around, and after a brief flash of smoke, she turned back, warm plate in hand with eggs and bacon on it, steaming, and a glass of milk in the other hand, condensation falling from the glass as she handed it to him.

Rork didn't realize he was standing there with a slack jaw. “How is that possible? You just brought something from nothing, and some really complicated somethings at that.”

She just winked at him as she said “It's just a matter of mixing magics, that's all, anything is really possible if you think about it for a little while.” She motioned with her hands, hinting that Rork should grab the plate and glass from her.

Rork took the food receptacles and sat down in the chair. Cramming a huge bite of eggs into his mouth, his face melted into a content smile as the warm eggs slid down his throat, leaving a trail of pure bliss and tastiness. “These are great!” he nearly shouted as he stuffed another mouthful of eggs into his mouth, followed shortly by a bite of the best bacon he'd ever tasted before. It was chewy, and yet still had a crisp crunch to it at the same time. He didn't wonder about this paradox, however, for he was too happy to be eating such good food that he didn't have time to figure out the properties of crunch to chew ratios and how tasty they are.

He gulped down half the glass of milk in two swigs, and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Pausing for a moment to take in the taste of everything, he asked the woman, who had returned to her dusting, “So, where's the Grand Wi- I mean Mikey?”

“Oh, he had some important affairs to attend to early today, but he should be back shortly, dearie.” She moved her hand to right beneath her lower lip and made a rubbing motion while looking at Rork, who quickly caught on and rubbed the little bit of milk that was hanging off his lip.

“So, what exactly does the Grand Wizard do?” Rork had never actually heard what the Grand Wizard did, just that he was able to control all six elements.

“Oh, I think he'll tell ye when the time is right, come now, finish your meal before it gets cold.”

Rork, not needing a second reminder, dug into his food with renewed vigor, and washed it all down with the remainder of his beverage, letting out a huge, content sigh as he reclined further into the chair in which he was sitting.

He didn't even realize that he had fallen asleep, but he was awoken suddenly by the clomping of boots on the stone floor. He looked around suddenly, noticing that his plates had been taken away, and there stood Mikey, sopping wet, with streams of water running off him. “Well, Nana's gonna have a fit about this one.” He looked at the chair where Rork was sitting and smiled. Then, without any sort of reason, steam started rising off Mikey's gray robe and white hair. Rork sat up a bit as it continued, not sure of what was going on.

“Oh,” spoke up Mikey as he realized that Rork must have been somewhat worried, “don't worry, I'm just drying off after a bit of a swim. Unfortunately, it seems that more of these attacks are happening, even in the secluded areas of the merfolk.” He took off his hat and twisted it, dripping even more water onto the floor. As the steam slowly stopped, he reached out his hand and drew the skull to him from the table in the opposite corner of the room. He made a quick motion and the water from the floor flew up and, with a second motion of his hand, landed neatly in his cup, which he then downed in one swig.

“Now that just warms the body right down to the soul.” He sat down in the chair opposite Rork and pulled out his pipe, lighting it with a match on the table. “So, I trust that you slept well?”

Rork slowly nodded his head, not quite sure what to make of everything that had just happened.

“Well, it is a very comfy chair, I've fallen asleep there many a time, though Nana usually comes in and shoos me off to bed when I do.”

“Is that the lady who was cleaning around here earlier and made me breakfast?” Rork asked.

“Well, it better have been, or else we've got an intruder here,” came Mikey's reply with a wink. “She probably got your clothes set out for you too, huh? Yeah, she does a very nice job of keeping this place clean, I would be nothing without her, I'd have too much stuff to take care of here, I'm a real slob. Do, please, be nice to her, she is a wonderful woman, and you'll learn much from her, maybe even more than you'll learn from me.”

Rork was confused by that last statement, but nodded slowly, not wanting to make a big fuss.

(greetings again my faithful followers.  I hope you had a great day!  I don't work tomorrow, so I just miiiiight be able to sneak out the next 1667 words before just before midnight.  Also, I hope you all are enjoying the way I've decided to take it, and if you're not, well... too bad, it's my story ;) .  Seriously, though, do feel free to leave comments or ideas on where you might think it would be good to take the story.  Also, a shout out to my wonderful wife, who puts up with me writing after I get home from work instead of helping out with dinner as much as I usually do, she's amazing, and hopefully all those with wonderful wives out there will understand this need to make it known that I have a wonderful wife.  I love you, sweetie :) .  Anywho, enjoy your middle of the week, and I look forward to posting for you all again tomorrow, so don't change the channel.  Laterz!)

To the 7th NaNoWriMo! And beyond!

There was one table left, and they quickly snatched it before anyone else could, even though it was in the corner, where they weren't very likely to get much attention from the wait staff.

“Well, what else are you going to do, Mr. Spontaneous?”

“Well, first,” Rork opened his menu, which caused Akara to open her eyes in mock shock, “I think I'm going to try the,” Rork stopped speaking as he put his finger on the menu and moved it around randomly, and then opened his eyes when he stopped his finger, face dropping slightly as he realized what he had picked, “Pork chop stew?”

Akara giggled at the irony of the situation, “Well, I won't tell anyone what you landed on, just that you chose your meal randomly.”

“Thanks. Though, I really was almost looking forward to trying something new.”

It was almost half an hour before a waiter noticed them and took their order, but they didn't really care, or notice for that matter; they were too busy talking about this and that. The lunch went on wonderfully; the food was better than expected, which was saying something, as the Sorcerer's Cup was already known for their lunch menu. After they finished their meal, and Rork offered to pay for Akara's meal, they headed back to the school. It started snowing when they were about halfway back.

Akara hadn't really noticed it, since she had been talking most of the time on the return trip home, so Rork quickly made a connection with a nearby tree. He moved one of the branches back, the one which was the most heavy laden with snow, and then released it, with perfect timing as Akara walked by, and smacked her in the face with a huge clump of snow.

His smile of delight quickly faded, though, as she became furious, which was not what he was going for at all. “Sorry,” he started to say, but it was too late, the fire was already in her eyes, and he jumped back as a small sphere of fire puffed out, away from her, drying her face and clothes, as well as singeing the ends of Rork's hair.

“Don't ever, EVER, do that again.” With some force of will, it seemed that she managed to put her ferocity away, and she seemed somewhat normal for the rest of the night, but Rork was still cautious around her. He really didn't want to see that again. What really made him worried was that she didn't even have a source of fire, nor her staff on her. If she had either of those, she would have definitely been able to do much more than just singe his hair.

They reached the school, this time the silence was ringing in Rork's ears as they took the steps up to the main entrance. “Well, thank you for the fun time, I've only got a little while until the Grand Wizard is supposed to pick me up, I hope that your next level of training goes well for you. You better study hard though, cuz I'm going to be studying under the best wizard ever, so unless you want to get left behind...” Rork left the message at that, trying to end on a positive note instead of a sad, sappy note.

Akara caught the hint. “You better believe I'll study hard, there's no way a softy like you will ever be able to catch up to me.” And just like that, she ran up the stairs and disappeared into the school.

Chapter 7

The time until the Grand Wizard's coming flew by more quickly than Rork thought it would, and probably faster than he wanted it to. He wanted to cherish these last few moments with his friends and classmates, he knew he wouldn't see them for awhile, but he didn't know just how long that time was going to be. He was excited, though, for being with the Grand Wizard, he knew that he would experience great things, and also learn how to master all six elements. There must be some secret to gaining this ability; maybe it was a time magic lost to most through the ages which allowed the user to study and practice in a time between the time. Or perhaps it was a sacrifice to demons which opened up one's abilities to their potential. Rork had heard of people trying this before with some success, but he really didn't think he could go that far, there were always repercussions, and not very pretty ones at that.

That's how Rork spent most of these last days, wondering about what was going to happen, and how it would happen. Finally, the night before he was to be taken away came, and Rork made sure he had everything ready. He had already written a letter to his mother and sister, and his things were all packed up as tightly as he could get them in his packs. He'd even added more energy to his staff; he wanted to make sure that he was as stocked up on energy as he could be.

He went to bed, trying to get to sleep, but tossed and turned from the excitement and anxiety of the unknown that tomorrow would bring.

He finally fell asleep.

He had been asleep for what felt like seconds when all of a sudden voices could be heard in the hallway, some screaming, some shouting, but all of them shared the same intensity. Somewhat annoyed, seeing as it was way past sleeping hours, Rork got up, only to stand up as his door burst in. There, in his gray robe, stood the Grand Wizard, staff in hand, beard following the current of the air as the door, once again, swung off its hinges.

“Woah!” Exclaimed Rork, quite surprised, as he fell back on his bed. “What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here till tomorrow.”

“In case you haven't noticed, it is tomorrow, now hurry up and get your things, we gotta get out of here.” There was slight panic in his voice as the Grand Wizard said this. “Now,” he added, with a motion of his head nodding towards the door.

Grabbing his things, he quickly donned his bags and sacks, and followed his master out the door, only to see a giant fireball explode in front of them right as he left the protection of his room. Fortunately, the Grand Wizard was there to dissipate it with water before it could do anything. Launching another attack at the red and black robed man who had apparently conjured the fireball, he lit up the entire hallway in front of him with a bright flash, causing the man to fall back, hands over his eyes.

“They're further along than I had hoped. Come, they're after you, we need to get you to safety.” The Grand wizard grabbed Rork's arm and closed his eyes, saying incantations and tracing a pattern in the air with his staff. In front of them appeared a small ripple, which distorted the things behind it, causing them to get wavy and disappear as the area grew larger in circumference, finally forming a circle about seven feet in diameter. A room could be seen through is, and the edges of the circle shown a bright silver and blue mixture. Without saying anything, his master walked through, and tugged him along with him.

He felt no different than normal as he exited the portal into the room. “Huh, I always though teleportation would feel more, I dunno, abnormal.”

The Grand Wizard just went to the fireplace, and used flint and steel to start a small fire in the fireplace. “It all depends on how you teleport. With water, it's not too weird, light gets a little funky, and fire burns a little bit.”

“So, what was all that, back at the school, who was trying to get me?” Rork had a flood of unanswered questions at this point, and while he knew some answers would have to wait, he wanted to know what he could at this point in time.

“They are those who believe that they own you.” Came the slow response after several long moments of silence. The Grand Wizard just stood and looked at Rork for a few minutes; the only action he took was to grab a pipe and light it while sitting down in a giant red armchair. Finally, he motioned for Rork to sit in the seat across from him. “And please, do make yourself at home; you will be living here for some time after all.”

That's not quite the answer for which I was looking. “So, why do they think they own me?” This seemed like a good place to start to Rork, might as well get the basics out of the way, right?

“Good question, my boy, but, unfortunately, that is a question I will have to answer at another time. However, I do know the answer to one of your questions.”

Rork sat up a little straighter, excited to learn some sort of secret knowledge that had been passed down from secret keeper to secret keeper through the generations.

“The bathrooms right behind you, second door on the left.”

Rork, sitting there bewildered, suddenly realized that he did, in fact, need to use the restroom. Must have been all that warm milk I drank trying to help me sleep, he thought as he dropped his bags and opened the door to which his master was pointing.

After washing up, he returned out into the main room. The Grand Wizard was deep in thought, and didn't notice Rork walk up next to him. He jumped slightly as Rork asked “So, what should I call you? It seems like saying 'Grand Wizard' or 'Master' all the time will get a little tedious.”

Gaining his senses again, the Grand Wizard replied, “Mikey, that will do.”

“Mikey?” Rork tried to not laugh, but had difficulty keeping a straight face. “That's not quite as nice a title as Grand Wizard.”

“Hence why I took it,” came the simple reply of Mikey. 

(Not quite sure where it's gonna go from here, this is always the part where I have difficulty, trying to figure out where to go with the basic background info taken care of.  Hopefully you all are liking it, and it should be less Harry Potter-ish from now on, hopefully that won't disappoint too many of you ;).  Anywho, nothing too major going on besides writing and work, and Minecraft.  I got back into that again. A friend and I are both working on it, as is my brother.  It's pretty cool.  We've already got a portal to the nether world, and it's gonna be awesome!  Anyway, hope your Monday was great[it's called Getsuyoubi in Japanese] and hope your Tuesday [kayoubi, I believe] is even better! )

Day 6, WHAT? 10k words? O.o

And with that, the world faded, and Rork sprung up in his bed, wide awake. Seeing the sun coming through his window, he quickly exclaimed, “Oh no! What time is it?” knowing that he was supposed to meet Akara for lunch at the Sorcerer's cup.

He quickly threw on some clothes, not caring what they were, stuffing his feet into his boots just after he had pulled his pants on, all while trying to get a shirt on the other arm. Looking in the mirror, he quickly brushed his hair with his hand, trying to get the mad locks to lay flat.

Suddenly, Donnie's voice broke the mad rush, “Sorry, but you really can't do your hair very well, even if you spend all night on it.”

Rork just rolled his eyes and continued with his routine, putting his scarf around his neck, and then tying it, loosely to keep his warmth in, it looked cold out there today after all, at least from the brief glimpse he'd gotten from his window.

“You want to come to the Sorcerer's Cup with Akara and me today?” Rork asked, hopeful that Donnie would come, he had been rather depressed as of late, since he failed his final, and this seemed like a good opportunity to bring him back around.

Donnie was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth, “No thanks, I really would love to, but I can't exactly afford it at the moment.”

“I can pay for you, if that's what you need.” Rork really didn't want to leave one of their group out if he could help it, and so, even with the hefty prices, he wanted to make sure that that wasn't the reason Donnie didn't eat with them.

“I really meant the time; I have to study my butt off for my next attempt.” Donnie put his hand behind his head, and messed his hair around a little before continuing, “But you should enjoy your time with Akara, it's not everyday that you get the chance to have a one on one date with her.” Donnie raised his eyebrows scandalously as he spoke up again, “maybe you'll even get a kiss at the end of it.”

Thinking back to his dream, Rork winced slightly. “Nah, I don't think it'll happen.”

“Well of course it won't,” exclaimed Donnie, suddenly, “Not if you keep that attitude up! Where's the gung-ho Rork I used to know? Always trying to impress Akara and make her yours? What's wrong, man?”

“I've just been going through a lot lately. This whole apprentice thing is really starting to weigh down on me.”

“It's only been a few days, and you're already feeling bogged down?” Donnie stood up straight from his leaning position which he had taken on the door frame to Rork's room.

“It's not necessarily bogged down, I'm just,” Rork couldn't think of the word he wanted to use. “He's a bit of an eccentric teacher. Let's just put it that way. He also has a very weird, and sometimes slightly cruel sense of humor.”

A simple “Ah,” was all that Rork got out of Donnie.

A few moments of awkward silence followed, until Rork couldn't handle it anymore, “I should probably get going, don't want to keep Akara waiting.” He moved past Donnie, and through the door. “Good luck with your studies.”

“And good luck on not getting kissed.”

Chapter 6

“There you are! I thought that I'd end up walking to the Sorcerer's cup by myself.”

“Glad to see that you're in as cheerful a mood as ever, Akara.” Things are already not going well.

The walk to the restaurant went by slowly, seeing as neither of them really had much to say. Why didn't Donnie come with me? I should have said I would help him study. Anything to stop this silence. If there was one thing he was good at, Donnie was definitely one to keep the conversation going.

Suddenly, as though a random flash of inspiration had come across her, Akara spoke, “So, how did you figure out that you were able to control magic?”

Woah! Thought Rork, talk about random. “Ummm, well, I suppose it was probably when I was really young, and my pet rabbit had died, he was all that I had left of my father, since he left one day and never returned, and I really didn't want him to die. I cried and cried and cried for so long, I was only four mind you, I didn't know any better, and finally wished that he would come back to life. Just imagine my surprise the next day when the next morning he was actually alive and jumping around his cage.”

Akara was somewhat wide-eyed. “You mean you brought something back to life, without any actual training?”

“Well,” Rork paused, trying to not make the next point sound as bad as it could have. “I may or may not have actually turned it into an undead rabbit.”

Akara's eyes got even bigger, and Rork thought they were already quite large. “You performed one of the unforgivable magics?”

“Look, I was four and didn't know what I was doing. My mom killed the rabbit when she saw it, before it had the chance to eat any of our brains and turn us into the walking dead. I don't really like to talk about it because of the stigma that goes along with it. I mean, you know me, I'm not some crazed necromancer, prancing about talking about my undead army, and trying to take over the world.”

Akara's face returned to a somewhat normal state, although her eyes were still somewhat more open than they usually were.

“Please don't tell anyone, I really don't want people thinking poorly of me.”

Akara just nodded, with the same expression on her face, as she stared straight forward.

As the silence started to build up, Rork couldn't take it. “So how about you? When did you know that you could control magic?”

Akara looked away for a second, as though collecting her thoughts, then faced forward again, jaw set, and said “I was in the living area of a home, it wasn't mine or my family's, we were staying there with other people, and we were getting warm by the fire. The room was getting cold, and the fire was dying; it must have been below freezing outside. Eventually, the room was so cold that we could see our breath, and the fire was on its last legs. I guess I just kinda wished that the fire would grow, and keep us all warmer, and it did just that,” the look in her face grew distant as she finished faintly, “it grew.”

“I guess that explains how you figured out what your main element was.” Rork was pretty excited, this wasn't the stuff you hear everyday. Not everyone was willing to share how they figured out that they were a wizard, it was usually graphic, or involved a tragedy of some sort, and he had never heard Akara's story before. “So, what brought that question around?”

Akara shook herself out of her daze, “Huh? What? Oh, I dunno, I was just curious, I guess. I've known you for a few years now, but I've never heard your story.”

“Oh, look, there's the restaurant! What do you think you're gonna get? I'm thinking about the pork chop stew with the lentils and herbs. It's my favorite!” Rork was excited at the thought of this dish, it had been some time since he had enjoyed its wonderful taste.

Akara allowed a small chuckle to escape her lips. “Rork, you always get that dish, we know it's your favorite.”

Rork, feeling somewhat silly, decided to play coy, “Well, excuuuuuuuse me, for finding something I enjoy and sticking with it, miss have-to-try-everything-on-the-menu-before-I-can-decide-what-my-favorite-thing-is.”

She just shook her head and sighed as he acted and moved very dramatically as he said this. He quickly ran to the door, grabbed it, and being the gentleman that he was, held it open for her. “Ladies first.”

The scene was familiar, as it usually was; it was packed again, so much so that they even had to open up the second floor to seat everyone. Rork and Akara instinctively started walking towards their favorite seat, and it wasn't until Akara took off her coat, that Rork caught a bad feeling.

She was wearing the exact same outfit as she was in his dream.

Grabbing her arm, he stopped her, and recommended “Why don't we sit up on the second floor this time, we never have before, and it might be nice for a change.”

She looked at him funny, slightly confused, saying “Alright, who are you, and what have you done with Rork? You never want to try anything new.”

“No, I'm serious,” came his soft reply, “I just think it might be kind of fun. Don't get me wrong, I love that booth, but I think today, seeing as it's a special occasion calls for a special treat.”

With a slanted smile, and a shake of her head, Akara hung her coat over her arm and started walking towards the stairs. “Alright, but if there's something up there that you've done to try and win me again, so help me, I will knock your teeth out, and you won't be able to grow those back in.” The last bit she said with a glare, though there was a little bit of softness in her eyes that Rork could see.

“Well, as usual, ladies first. Rork motioned for Akara to lead the way, and she did just that, curtsying slightly, in a way that was overdone, making fun of most people who act with such pompous behavior.

There was one table left, and they quickly snatched it before anyone else could, even though it was in the corner, where they weren't very likely to get much attention from the wait staff.

(Hey-o!  Glad you all could make it, here it is, the next installment.  Enjoy, conquer, divide, and pillage!  Maybe not necessarily in that order, but definitely do enjoy, or try to.  Thank you to those who are reading, it brings me great joy to know that there are at least a few people who like the story enough to keep reading it.  Have a great week!)

And thus it continues, NaNoWriMo the fifth! >:D

Chapter 5

The next few days brought nothing of importance, besides Akara passing her final exam. Everyone in Rork's level was enjoying the free time after the finals and having a good time at the restaurants and shops that were near the school. Most of them had gotten money or other treats as a way of celebration for the passing of their third level exam. Everyone except Donnie, that is, who was stuck inside studying for his next attempt at his final, with no treats to call his own.

“I almost feel badly for him,” Rork revealed to Akara as he moved to his favorite booth at the Sorcerer's Cup, one of the better restaurants that was still close enough to the school to walk. They both took off their coats and placed them on the coat hangers on the ends of the benches at the booth.

“Whoa!” Rork exclaimed in sudden surprise. “I've forgotten how great you look when you're not wearing your school robes.” Not until after he saw the small fires of anger ignite in her eyes did he realize the full meaning of what he had just said. “Sorry, that's not what I meant! I just...” But he couldn't finish in time to ward off the blow, the damage had already been done, and the smack on the arm was harder than it normally was. Well, that's a fine way to start off this rare evening alone with Akara.

Looking for a quick change of subject, Rork went with the usual. “So, what did you have to do for your final?”

Akara's answer was somewhat curt and straightforward, “You know as well as I that I can't disclose that information to those who haven't yet passed that final.”

“Oh, come on, I'm the Grand Wizard's apprentice for crying out loud; I don't think that rule still applies to me, I don't think I'm even technically enrolled at the school anymore,” Rork pleaded, hoping to get at least a hint of something or a little slack.

“Rules are rules.” Mentioning the fact that he had been chosen to be the Grand Wizard's apprentice didn't seem to cheer up Akara at all. Is she feeling jealous as well?

“So cold. At least you could tell me about your final last year, what did they have you do?”

With a roll of her eyes, and a tone of voice that bordered on whiny, she said, “They had me melt down some iron ore with nothing but a candle, it really wasn't that difficult.” She crossed her arms, obviously upset about something, “When is that waiter going to get over here? We've already been here for like five minutes, what's his deal?”

“Calm down, sometimes it takes awhile, you know that, and the place is packed, I mean, they even opened up the second level today; I don't think this is something over which you should get worked up.” What's with her? He wondered.

“I really just want to get something to eat is all.”

Not wanting to deal with an upset Akara, Rork raised his hand to get the attention of the waiter as he passed by, but he just kept on walking, not even giving him a second glance or reassurance that he would be right back. “Huh, that's weird,” Rork mumbled to himself. Again, he tried to catch the attention of the waiter as he passed by, but with no luck. He looked across the table at Akara, but she was looking off into the distance, not paying any attention to him.

This time, as the waiter came around, rork decided to get up and block his path, hoping to force the waiter to stop, which he did, except that the waiter ended up running straight into him, causing a huge mess as food flew left and right, landing on people's clothes, dinner tables, and the floor.

“What the deuce?” exclaimed the waiter

“I'm so terribly sorry,” came Rork's immediate apology, “I'll help clean it up straight away.” He knelt down to pick up a plate, but his hand passed right through it. Caught off guard, he over extended his hand, compensating for the weight that should have been there, and ended up smacking the guy sitting next to him. “I'm really sorry, sir,” he said as the man turned to look at him, but it was as though he was looking through him, and he was getting terribly angry at that.

“How dare you hit me, a paying customer!” the man roared at the waiter.

“I'm afraid I don't know what you mean; I somehow tripped over thin air and spilled the food, but I never hit you,” the waiter responded in as nice and apologetic tone as he could muster, which wasn't saying much, considering his huge size.

“Oh, trying to get along as if it didn't happen, eh? I think I'll show you what happens when someone wrongs me and tries to get away with it!” The man, quite large himself, jumped from his chair and started pulling up his sleeves, advancing towards the waiter, who put his fists up in a defensive position, waiting for the first blow, so he could retaliate and not get in trouble from the boss. The first man lunged at the waiter, apparently not seeing that Rork was right in between them; even Rork had forgotten that he was there while listening to the arguing and confusion, and he only realized it as the man was in mid lunge, just about to lay on some hurt.

Suddenly, the whole world stopped for a moment, and Rork heard a voice come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “It's not pretty is it?”

Rork, more than confused, could do nothing, but look around, trying to find the source of the voice.

“It's no use, lad, it's just a dream, you won't find me. But back to my previous statement; it's not pretty is it? This is what happens when you only interact with one element, you only interact with one portion of the magic. It gets confused, and while it can still do a few things, it gets angry because it doesn't know who you are, what you really want, or why you want it to do what you are telling it to do.”

“You speak of magic as though it were a person,” Rork shouted out to the voice.

“There's a reason for that, you'll see. But remember, we were never meant to just interact with one element.”

Rork had heard of people who had excelled in one element, gone as far as they could, and then started studying a new element, their second strongest. These magi were rare, only a few out of the entire school were able to do this, and it took many years of work to train yourself to be able to just sense the new element, let alone tell it to grow, or move, or any other level of magic, most quit after being able to tell it to move, for anything more was so demanding on them and their own energy, that it would almost make them too weak to stand.

“I understand,” came his reply.

“No, I don't think you do, not until you've experienced what I have experienced. Then, maybe you will understand.” There was almost a sadness in the voice, but Rork dismissed it.

Suddenly, Rork looked around again, the world was still frozen, and there was Akara, sitting at the booth, looking beautiful as ever. “This is just a dream, right?”

“Yes,” came the now familiar voice.

“Ok, just checking,” and Rork quickly rushed over to Akara and kissed her right on the lips, good and hard.

And that's when the world started moving again, the man punched the waiter, and Akara opened her eyes wide in shock after a second of not knowing what was happening. This was quickly followed by another smack, this time on Rork's face. “Just what do you think you are doing?!” Akara shouted. “I knew I shouldn't have come here alone with you. I was hoping you could get over your past feelings for me, but I guess I was mistaken!” And with that, she grabbed her coat and stormed out of the restaurant.

Mouth open, not sure what to say, Rork sat back down in his seat, not sure what to make of the whole mess. “I thought you said that it was a dream,” he muttered somewhat angrily under his breath.

Again, the world stopped, and the voice spoke again. “It is, I just thought I'd let you have the consequences of your rash actions.” The words were no longer out of his mouth than a chuckle could be heard, which again turned into a roaring laugh. “Sorry, you should have seen the look on your face when she smacked you, priceless, purely priceless. Ok, that's enough fun for today, you'll be waking up now.”

And with that, the world faded, and Rork sprung up in his bed, wide awake. Seeing the sun coming through his window, he quickly exclaimed, “Oh no! What time is it?” knowing that he was supposed to meet Akara for lunch at the Sorcerer's cup.

He quickly threw on some clothes, not caring what they were, stuffing his feet into his boots just after he had pulled his pants on, all while trying to get a shirt on the other arm. Looking in the mirror, he quickly brushed his hair with his hand, trying to get the mad locks to lay flat.

Suddenly, Donnie's voice broke the mad rush, “Sorry, but you really can't do your hair very well, even if you spend all night on it.”

Rork just rolled his eyes and continued with his routine.

(Hey everyone!  I actually wrote this last night, but I forgot to post it before getting into an intense game of Minecraft with a friend who had just bought it.  Hope you all enjoyed the extra hour last night, I know I sure did :D!  Oh, let me know how the story's going, or if there's any blatant typos or mistakes, it would be greatly appreciated.  

PS Minecraft was awesome, we dug a huge mine shaft straight down to the bedrock, and then did a mixture of ladders and water so that you could jump all the way down to the bottom without taking damage and dying! yeah!  Enjoy your Sunday!  Peace out. )

Four days in, and it's still NaNoWriMo!

Rork pinched his cheek to make sure that he wasn't dreaming and expected to feel the tug of sentience pull him back into a morning grog, but nothing came. Instead, there was the Grand Wizard in front of him, looking at him, almost as though he expected an answer out of him at that moment.

Awkwardly swallowing the lump that was quickly growing in his throat, Rork somehow squeaked out a timid “Me?” pointing at himself as though saying the word wasn't enough. The Grand Wizard just let out a short chuckle and nodded his head, adding extra praise and adulation for the great works that he had just witnessed being performed by Rork. Puffed up by flattery, and feeling quite sure of himself, Rork had no problem acquiescing to this once in a lifetime opportunity. “Of course I'd love to not be your pupil.”

The smiles quickly faded on both his and the Grand Wizard's faces as they realized the words that sprung from his mouth.

Back pedaling furiously, Rork tried again, “I mean, I'd absolutely hate being your pupil.” Rork slapped his hand across his mouth. The Grand Wizard immediately started chuckling, which grew into a laugh, which crescendo-ed into a loud guffaw.

“You really should have seen your face,” came the Grand Wizard's words, followed closely by more laughs, snorts, and a little snot dripping onto his white mustache.

Rork, just plain confused now, looked up with a perplexed look upon his face.

With a circular motion, the Grand Wizard muttered a few words under his breath, making Rork's thoughts much crisper and more able to be managed, then said “I put a small hex on you, it was a mixture of both dark magic and life magic, making you unable to say exactly what you wanted to say. I'm sorry, I really couldn't resist. It's also a small initiation tradition for becoming the pupil of the Grand Wizard, I went through it when I became the pupil of the Grand Wizard before me.” Tears were still threatening to roll down his cheeks as he continued, “Now, you should be able to think and speak just fine, remember this, for one day I'm sure you'll be passing it on to whomever you decide to bring up in our ways. I'm actually very excited for this moment, for you are the first I've seen in my search for a pupil who has actually had the right stuff for the position, and I have seen quite a few good wizards, some of them able to use their element at a higher level than you, which is no small feat.

“However,” the joy on his face seemed to dampen slightly with his next statement, “their practice of magic was not of the quality that I sought.” A small frown seemed to build on the corners of the the Grand Wizards mouth, but he stopped it there, instead forcing a smile to reappear just as quickly as it had gone. “And now, I must leave to make preparation for you. You will be accompanying me now, at least on ninety percent of my expeditions, so I may teach you both by instruction and example.” And with that, he took a step away and disappeared in a flash of light which left behind traces of smoke.

Chapter 4

“The guy is bonkers if you ask me,” came Donnie's usual dry remark. “I mean, he put a hex on you? Isn't that illegal?”

“Maybe, but he did save all the professors from the tree falling on them, and he saved professor Turan, so I don't think he's as crazy as he lets on.” Rork replied, trying to sound confident.

“I think I have to agree with Donnie,” came Akara's voice from behind the book which was open on the table in front of where she was resting her head. Her hair shone brilliantly as the light was allowed to hit it again as she closed the book and placed it squarely on the library table. “His actions do seem a little,” she hesitated for a moment, her face twisting as she looked for the right word.

“Silly?” Donnie recommended.

“I suppose that works, but I really don't like it when you fill in my words for me; I completely lose my train of thought.”

“Probably because you're so busy telling me that you don't like me filling in your words.” Rork couldn't help but let out a tiny burst of air despite his best efforts to hold in his laughter. He knew of what Akara was capable when she was upset at them.

And that's when the smack came.

“Don't encourage him,” her voice sounded as though she were hurt, but he knew she was just trying to not let them gang up on her.

Rubbing his arm even though it wasn't sore, he defended his position, “I just don't think that it's really a good idea to pass up this opportunity. I mean, he's the Grand Wizard for crying out loud. He hexed me and I didn't even know it.”

“Yeah, but I also remember two years ago when you tried to put a love hex on me,” Akara paused for dramatic effect, “and it backfired, making you fall in love with professor Onkle for a whole week. You weren't very aware of that either.”

“Yeah, I don't know why it was him, you really could have done better, Rork. He is a little on the, well, larger side of the scale.” Donnie puffed out his cheeks and circled his arms out in front of him, moving from side to side, attempting to imitate the waddle of Professor Onkle.

“Well, it's my decision, and I'm going with it, and that's that, you guys really have no say in the matter.” Rork let his frustration show in his tone of voice as he crossed his arms.

“Sorry, Rork, we just want to make sure that you're not jumping into a bad thing is all, we really are happy for you.” Donnie was surprisingly understanding when confronted solemnly, despite his constant comedy act which he enjoyed doing, that was why he and Rork had grown so close; Rork could actually stand to be around that humor ninety five percent of the time, and Donnie got plenty of chances to practice his one-liners. “Right Akara? We're happy for him.” Donnie moved the spotlight to Akara, trying to take some of the heat off of him.

“Of course we are, Rork,” Akara tried to sound comforting, which was unusual for her, “but like Donnie said, we really don't want you getting into something that's over your head. He dose seem a little on the loopy side.”

“Maybe that's what happens when you can control all the elements, it's like hearing other voices besides your own in your head.” Off went Donnie again.

“Alright, enough is enough!” Rork was done being their humor pin cushion. “I'm going, end of subject.” Trying to quickly move to another topic, he continued, “Donnie, how was your final?”

Taken somewhat by surprise, Donnie was shockingly quiet for an entire ten seconds before replying with a lowered chin, “I didn't pass.” He looked away as he finished.

“What? How is that possible?” Rork asked, “You actually went to all your classes, and you studied your butt off for that test, I saw you leave it on the library chair on several occasions.”

Akara's lips curled upward slightly at the thought of Donnie's butt being left behind.

Donnie, however, was unmoved. “Well, it apparently wasn't enough.”

“What did they want you to do? It couldn't have been too difficult, especially on your day of strength.”

“They wanted me to form several swords out of a small lump of iron. Nothing as difficult as what they made you do, but I guess that's to be expected from the next Grand Wizard.” Donnie evidently wasn't concerned about hiding the disgust in his voice, which hurt Rork immensely.

“It's not like I wanted them to make things more difficult for me. I barely made it out by the skin on my teeth, and there's not much there in case you haven't seen them for awhile, these past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic. I haven't really had a lot about which I could smile.”

“Whoa, guys, calm down, no need to get so intense here. Donnie, have you applied for another final date? You can still do that and have another shot at it, though they might change the objectives of the test since its a redo.” Akara's interjection brought some sense back into both the boys, who both restraightened themselves in their chairs.

“I hadn't thought of that,” came Donnie's eventual reply. “Sorry for snapping at you, Rork, I just haven't been having a very good day.”

“It's no biggie, I've seen you in much worse moods than that, and we're somehow still friends.” Rork's lips turned into a wry smile. “Remember that time when you asked Ilene if she would court you?”

“No! Don't bring that up again.” Donnie put his hands in front of his face, but his smile was still apparent in his voice.

Akara looked puzzled, “What? You liked Ilene?”

Rork just nodded as he continued, “She said that she didn't feel the same way about him, and he was so stung by those words that he was mopey for the next three months, and guess who had to put up with that attitude for the entirety of that time?”

“It's not my fault I'm horrible at telling what girls are feeling!” Donnie exploded in self-defense.

“You know, Donnie, for a Moku, you're really not that smart.” Apparently, Akara had a wicked sense of humor stuffed inside her somewhere.

At that point, another student, one whom Rork didn't recognize stopped by their table. “Yes?” Came Rork's welcome to the young girl.

The girl looked down as she said in a bashful voice “Umm, sorry for interrupting, but I was wondering if you might quiet it down a bit, the rest of us are trying to study for our finals.”

Rork turned bright red as he realized that all the eyes in the library were focused on their table. “Yeah, sorry, we'll keep it down.” Rork pulled his book up to cover his face, not wanting to draw anymore attention to himself than he had already brought upon himself.

(here, again, is the next segment of my wonderful creation, behold it in all it's beauty! Anyway, it's late, and I'm going to bed soon, after I eat some of my wife's amazing stir-fry! Yeah!  Again, feel free to comment on this, or other sections of my NaNoWriMo and other works, I do always enjoy hearing what everyone is thinking.  Peace!)