Chapter One: Together Again

[Kyle Ashcraft]

As the Headmaster signified he was reading to begin his speech, Cody stopped talking with another kid he’d been chatting amiably with a few seconds prior and saw back in his seat to watch. The first three sentences started normally, as could be expected at a prestigious college like this. After that, Cody got a little confused. Either he was seriously mishearing something or something else was going on he knew nothing about. Maybe the Headmaster was slightly confused; even though he wasn’t that old the man paused right in the middle of his talking to look around. Cody also noticed a few other kids and older adults had also seemed to share the same effect.

How odd.

Cody ignored his musings and focused on the Headmaster again as he began to speak, only to get stonewalled again in even less words this time. He didn’t see anything that would have hurt the man, but apparently it also affected some of the staff painfully. What in the world was going on?

That’s when the Headmaster suddenly started talking about the students moving to safe locals and things of that nature. Some of the older students and staff were already moving, but many like Cody were still confused. As he got up to be herded away by a staff member Cody thought the Headmaster was shimmering, almost. Some kind of weapon? A student briefly obscured his vision and then there was a teacher behind the Headmaster he hadn’t seen before whispering. Unfortunately, super hearing he did not have, especially in the loud catastrophe the mass of the students and staff was quickly becoming.

What came next was a serious battle Cody had no plan in entering as he allowed himself to be shepherded along to the door. Ohh yeah, not to mention weird creatures and strange flashes of light. If other students weren’t seeing and reacting to the spectacle he might have just assumed he was crazy. No such luck. For a moment it seemed the mass of creatures would simply overwhelm the staff, which luckily seemed to be powerful and skilled in something. The Headmaster finished the thing before it even really started, though, but Cody was forced to turn away after that.

One student had tripped and fallen before getting semi-trampled. Cody helped him up and together the two made for the exit in the middle of the mass of students. He really wanted to sit back and analyze what was going on, but if Cody knew anything it was that this really wasn’t the time for any of that. Move, react, and worry about the things that’ll get you killed later.

[Fantasyotter]

The clustered, cramped, hot, and loud auditorium quickly came to a husg as the schools headmaster or whatever took his spot in front of the collected group. Immediately the oh so significant speech was started as the many other boys around Kolton all listened attentively.

“This, as ever, is an auspicious day. For many of you it is the first step on the road towards a higher calling. The coming months and years that you will spend within these halls will shape you into the elite, the great and the awe inspiring. At the end of it all, those of you that prosper and survive will become Warlocks. Masters of powerful magics and the guardians of a world above and beyond the nor-“

The headmaster came to an abrupt pause and looked around puzzled. All the students looked around puzzled also. This guy just said they would becoming Warlocks or something. This had to be some really big prank show or something. There was no way any of this could be really happening. It was still interesting though, so as confused and weirded out Kolton was he didn't leave right then and there.

“Apologies… the guardians of a world above and beyond the norm and the boundaries of rationality. OW.” This time the pause the headmaster took was much more dramatic and looked painful. Kolton looked around in wonder, what the hell was going on here?! Fright began to take over the boy as he began to feel airy inside, as if he really wasn't there.

“Do not panic! The situation is under control. We are moving you to safe locals for your own protection. Once the danger has been dealt with you will all be able to return!”

Just like that the students took off in 'single file' lines. Though it really looked like a huge jumbled mess. There was no order here, it was all chaos. Not only that, the students were confused beyond all belief because they had just been told that warlocks were real. It was like they had all be plopped into a crazy-house or something. Definetly not what Kolton had signed up for when he recieved the proposition letter from this school.

There wasn't anything else going on for a few seconds besides the general chaos of trying to leave the auditorium. That was, until suddenly, the ceiling seemed to start falling down on them. A chunk hit Kolton in the head which made him cringe and duck suddenly. The sudden movement and the fear and adrenaline pumping through all the other students systems caused him to trip and be virtually trampled.

He fell flat on his stomach and bent his hand painfully and awkwardly underneath him. He cringed again. "Shit!" He yelled as he slammed onto the floor, just as the headmaster began to shout again. This time more urgent.

“GET OUT. NOW! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!”

Oh, great. Fucking great. If it wasn't good enough that he had just tripped in fell in front of a group of other students. He was also probably going to be one of the casualties of whatever the fuck was going on here. That was until some other kid helped him up.

Kolton started to be embarrased. Like any man normally would be, but this was no time to be embarrased. This was time to run like hell from pink monsters that Kolton was only know noticing. "Thanks man." He said before the pair ran for the exits. Making sure to keep eachother in sight.

What seemed like minutes later they were outside of the auditorium a large mass of students congregating out front, most of them still running from the building and the pink monkey monsters. Kolton took a moment to turn around and look at the mess behind him, he turned to the other kid, "What exactly did we sign up for in that letter. Is there a fine print we could have possibly looked over?" He asked.