Knight School: A Mystic Brats Novel Vol. 1

It was the start of a new semester and I had unfinished business to attend too. I woke up at five o’clock in the morning and went two thousand feet below the Academy. This was a place that all students were forbidden to see, a place with only one entrance and one exit. A high-security prison. I came to see an old enemy.

“Wake up, Ocron.”

“Well,” said Ocron from behind enchanted bars. “If it isn’t the fallen angel of Legend, Kirk Louis. To whom do I owe the pleasure of this lovely reunion?”

“We need to talk,” I said.

“Isn’t being defeated by adolescents enough,” said Ocron, “now I have to be interrogated by some pitiful excuse for a teacher?”

“We both know that you weren’t fighting at full strength that night,” I said. “You never wished to kill Jason, and you still don’t.”

Ocron glared at me, masking the pain that he had tried so hard to forget. “Hold your tongue, Dragon Master. You know not what you say.”

“Oh, I know enough to piece together why Jason and his mother are still alive after you had months to eliminate them both. You see, Legend intercepted a message between you and your superior on the night you placed Ms. Gardner in her enchanted sleep. You were begging him to allow their safety, instead of killing the family as they ordered. For months, I wondered why you would try to actually do something decent in your horrid existence. Then, I read Ms. Gardner’s previous medical history. Apparently, she became pregnant a month before your attack, with your child, but she had a miscarriage and lost the baby. That’s why you placed her in an enchanted sleep. You couldn’t stand to lose anyone else you had grown to care about.”

“SHUT UP!” Ocron shouted. “YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING! DO YOU HEAR ME? ANYTHING!”

“After everything you’ve done, Ocron, you deserve much worse than a trip down memory lane,” I said. “What I really want to know is why you brought Queen Eviane’s daughter into our land.”

Ocron turned his back on me and spoke in a determinedly calm voice. “As you mentioned, I take orders just like you do, Louis. The only difference is I usually don’t ask questions.”

“No,” I said. “The only difference is you usually enjoy your orders too much. You aren’t happy unless you’re causing pain and destruction. Then, the one time you had a chance to do the right thing, you still reveled in the pain you caused. I should end your life immediately.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” said Ocron.

“You have the answers I need,” I said. “Now — give them to me!”

“I don’t have them,” Ocron chuckled, mirthlessly. “Why don’t you try asking someone higher up?”

“Great,” I said. “Give me his name and location.”

“His name is Damien,” said Ocron. “He knows every little detail about you, Louis, even the things you don’t. As for his location... let’s say the walls have ears, including these.”

“You’re saying there’s a traitor in Legend?” I asked, skeptically.

“Believe what you want, but I know that I won’t be in here very long,” he sneered. “So enjoy the peace while you can because there’s a war coming.”

I turned my back on Ocron as he yelled at me, “And not everyone will survive!”

Ocron’s words echoed inside my head for hours afterward. Could there really be a traitor in Legend? If there was... who would it be and how far up the latter did it go? I had to figure this out. I had to solve the mystery of why Ocron kidnapped Princess Roman! Even if I had to break the rules once more to find the answer.

My classroom is the smallest in the school at the end of hallway E. I only allow twenty-five students in their first year to attend my lectures and exams. Even fewer kids make it into their second year. By graduation, I have two left and neither one passes. I may have been an instructor for only thirteen months, but I miss my life as a field agent. It was the most important thing in my life since... I gave up searching for my memories.

When I reached the classroom door I saw my teaching assistant, Julie Brooks, organizing digital files while Jason Gardner was flirting with her. Out of all the students, I’ve taught, I would never have expected to see those two become a couple. Jason always had a chip on his shoulder, having anger issues was his defining trait, and I recently thought he would be expelled for acting on these dangerous impulses. Then there was Julie, who was cold and calculating, a person that experienced a magical addiction in her family. These kids were both like a box of matches and gasoline, an explosive combination, to say the least.

Ms. Roman, who sat in the middle row, twirled her hair in a bored sort of way. Her presence here is very disturbing. Once her mother discovers that she was brought to our land by the Order ― something that might have already happened if the Soldier of Osiris was to be believed — Ocron would be right ― there would be a war. The Queen of Aria would do whatever it takes to reclaim her daughter, something my newest student would sorely abject to. I had met them both on diplomatic missions between Legend and Aria. The Queen was possessive, arrogant and borderline obsessive. Ms. Roman had inherited her mother’s long golden hair, light complexion, and magical abilities. The only way to tell them apart was Ms. Roman’s emerald green eyes.

“Attention, Class,” I said entering the room. “This is your second semester of Basic Magical Theory. Will it be hard? Yes. Can you expect thought-provoking lectures and discussions? Yes. If you listen closely, you may just learn something that could save your life ― Mr. Dickenson, will you please leave Ms. Roman alone?”

Barry Dickenson had been leaning over on Ms. Roman’s desk, and trying his best to flirt. Poor Mr. Dickenson. His parents were Legend’s highest ranking agents until they were murdered by the Order. The truth was their murderer was the world’s greatest assassin, Yonus. Mr. Dickenson had definitely lost a lot, but none of it had impacted his confidence. He was smaller than the other students and had been bullied growing up. It was on the day Mr. Gardner arrived that all changed. Mr. Gardner has an undying sense of justice and loyalty that Mr. Dickenson needed in a friend.

“But, Mr. Louis, I’m really think I’m falling for her,” said Mr. Dickenson.

“If you don’t sit down and pay attention, Mr. Dickenson, you will have detention,” I said.

“It’s alright, Sir Louis,” said Ms. Roman, “because he might not have fallen for me yet...” Ms. Roman’s eyes glowed pink as she magically made his desk vanish into thin air. Mr. Dickenson fell flat on his face. Ms. Roman smiled happily and said, “...but he has now!”

The classroom roared with laughter. “Mr. Gardner, would you please help Mr. Dickenson to his feet? Ms. Roman, these Holo-Desks are expensive, could you be so kind and return it?”

“Yes, Sir,” said Mr. Gardner and Ms. Roman together. Ms. Roman snapped her fingers, and her desk reappeared. It was remarkable to see how well Ms. Roman was adapting.

“Now that I have everybody’s attention,” I said, “we can begin our discussion on... the Heart of Aphrodite! This beautiful little object is a golden paperweight shaped like a heart to the common man. But it is our job to know differently, to know its true purpose, and to achieve that we must understand the theory of the enchantment. Because almost every ancient artifact named after a Greek or Roman deity will be cursed. The Heart of Aphrodite is no exception. The goddess Aphrodite imbued all her powers of love inside the heart. And in doing that she made it so if anyone touched it would become an avatar of love. A person who could manipulate and control the emotions of any mortal man or woman on earth, an ability that most people would dream of. The question... is it ethical? What do you say, Mr. Gardner?”

Mr. Gardner stared at me with a burning fury. He knew why I called on him.

“...No,” said Mr. Gardner. “It’s not ethical at all.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” I asked him.

“No, Sir,” said Mr. Gardner, “I wouldn’t.”

“What about you?” I said. “Ms. Roman?”

“It depends,” said Ms. Roman. “Does the Heart of Aphrodite enhance a person’s true emotions, or merely create a poor imitation?”

“Interesting,” I said. “Are you saying, Ms. Roman, that you believe if you can bring out a person’s basic emotions and amplify it by a hundred percent... you would?”

“If it didn’t hurt him, why not?” said Ms. Roman. “If this person really did love me and was afraid to show it... I’d use the Heart of Aphrodite to help move things along.”

“But it wouldn’t be his real emotions,” said Mr. Gardner. “The Heart of Aphrodite merely creates a cheap copy of love.”

“Actually,” I said. “Ms. Roman is correct in a way. The artifact does, indeed, enhance a person’s true feelings of love, lust, obsession, anger, and joy all at the same time. It’s almost as if you’re riding a never-ending rollercoaster. You know that you can’t stop, but that doesn’t bother you it only increases the rush of it. Love is more of a drug than any other type of magic around, class.”

I teleported the artifact in a ball of flames to my hand. This was the first time I had ever demonstrated my powers to this class, and out of all of them, it was Ms. Roman who looked the most intrigued. I sat the Heart of Aphrodite inside a small glass case in front of my desk. It was a heart-shaped golden amulet whose mystic call I heard every night. “Now the reason I can touch this object without being enthralled in its power is that I am a Dragon Master. This means that my soul has already been magically bound to a dragon, for some time now, so I cannot be enchanted again. The Heart of Aphrodite will be on display in this room until Thursday. If anyone tries to steal it... you’ll face far worse than expulsion.”

“Sir?”

I was walking to my office as Ms. Roman approached me. The hallway we were in was crowded and loud. I could barely hear her.

“Yes, Ms. Roman,” I replied. “Can you please speak up?”

“I wanted to ask you something,” said Ms. Roman, raising her voice slightly.

“Fire away,” I smiled, “but a little louder.”

“Why in all the time you visited Aria, didn’t you tell me that you were a Dragon Master?” Nara spoke at such a high volume this time that the entire hallway stopped and stared at us.

“Did the new girl say Aria?”

“That’s one of those other dimensions, right?”

“Is that where she’s from?”

“Who is she?”

Whispers followed us as I took Ms. Roman, by her arm, down an empty corridor. Once I was sure we were alone I said, “Ms. Roman, you can’t speak about your history in public! If I have told you this once, I have told you a thousand times ― Ocron brought you here for a reason! Whether it was to kill you or use your gifts in some sort of scheme you’ll need to keep a low profile. If any of the Order discovered your whereabouts... You must stick to studying and keeping your cover. And to answer your question, your mother forbid me to tell you anything about myself or my land.”

“But why didn’t you tell me anyway,” said Ms. Roman. “You’re letting me stay here, now, against her wishes. You even told me and the class your secret today. Why weren’t you ever honest to me?”

“I wanted to avoid starting a war over nothing,” I said.

“A war?” said Ms. Roman in a horrified whisper.

“Your mother threatened to start a war between our two lands if I disrupted life in her kingdom. The reason I’m telling you now is that everything is going to hell. The Order is orchestrating their biggest move yet. They started by attacking Mr. Gardner and his family, then they kidnapped you, something that could start the biggest mystical war in centuries. You are more involved in this than we ever thought possible, Ms. Roman. You need to trust me, okay?”

“I’m sorry,” said Ms. Roman. “It’s just hard to believe that my mother would start a war for such a small reason. Our kingdom is a utopia. Why would she want to risk the death of our people?”

“There’s a lot about your mother you don’t know, Ms. Roman,” I said. “Even the people we love can keep secrets. The problem is adjusting to life after you discover that.”

“I wish there was someone I could talk to about this...”

“Why not talk to Mr. Gardner or Ms. Brooks?” I asked.

“I prefer not to worry them,” said Ms. Roman. “They’re in love and so happy... I can’t just ruin it for them.”

“Well, if you are dead set against talking to your friends,” I said, “I think I may know someone else you can talk to.”

I went to knock on her office door just as it opened and Mr. Gardner stepped out. “Oh, hey, Mr. Louis,” said Mr. Gardner. “Hi, Nara, what brings you here?” he added when he saw Ms. Roman.

“I’m here to see Ms. Markson,” said Ms. Roman. “What are you doing here, Jason?”

“I had an appointment with Ms. Markson,” said Mr. Gardner. “We just finished, actually.”

“Yes, and I think we’re making progress.”

Mary’s fairy wings were hidden under her clothes. She was dressed in a business suit. “Hello, Kirk. Hello, Nara, are you feeling better?”

“Yes, she is,” I said before Ms. Roman could answer. “I know she doesn’t have an appointment...”

“Well, if anyone knows about showing up unannounced,” said Mary, “it’s you, Kirk.”

“...could you allow Ms. Roman to have a session today?” I asked.

“It wouldn’t be the first time I made an exception for you,” said Mary. “Or have you forgotten about Ireland?”

I half-grinned and half-frowned. “That was a long time ago, Mary.”

“I just wanted you to remember our deal,” said Mary. “But don’t worry, I’m not holding my breath for you to uphold your end of the bargain.”

“There is nothing scarier than a scorned fairy,” I mumbled.

“Is there something going on between you two?” asked Mr. Gardner.

“No!” said Mary. “I can see Nara now if she wants.”

“That would be wonderful,” said Ms. Roman. “Thank you, Ms. Markson.”

“You’re welcome,” said Mary, “and call me Mary.”

“Ms. Roman, I’ll leave you in Mary’s capable hands,” I said.

“I’d better get going as well,” said Mr. Gardner. “See you later, Nara.”

“Bye, Sir Louis,” said Ms. Roman. “Later, Jay.”

As the office door closed behind us, Mr. Gardner looked up at me. “Mr. Louis, did you ever see something that you wished you hadn’t?”

“Yes,” I replied. “It was an occupational hazard back in my field days.”

“Did you ever question whether it would be right or wrong, to tell the truth,” said Mr. Gardner, “about what you saw, I mean.”

“I told my superiors everything they asked about my missions,” I said. “But something tells me that’s not your problem, though. What did you see?”

“It’s about Nara,” said Mr. Gardner.

“Am I going to hear why you couldn’t look Ms. Roman in the eye?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Mr. Gardner sighed deeply. “You know how Nara’s been dating Kevin Tyson for the past month?”

“Yes,” I said. “Ms. Roman has adapted even better than I thought possible. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is I walked in on Kevin kissing another girl earlier today,” said Mr. Gardner. “He’s cheating on Nara, Mr. Louis, and it’s eating me up inside. How can I tell her the truth? She’s crazy about Kevin. Julie and I have even gone on double dates with them. We’re supposed to go out tonight at Duma’s.”

“It comes down to one question,” I said. “Is Ms. Roman your friend?”

“Yes, Sir,” said Mr. Gardner without hesitation. “Julie and I wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for Nara.”

“Then you know what you have to do,” I said. “Real friends tell each other the truth, no matter how painful it might be.”

My phone vibrated inside my pocket. It was a text from Arnold Lassador.

“What’s wrong?” asked Mr. Gardner. “Got spam mail or something?”

“No, nothing like that,” I said. “The Headmaster wants to see me.”

I left Jason and transported to Arnold’s office. He was seated behind a midnight blue Holo-Desk going over digital files. “Good afternoon, Kirk,” said Arnold. “Won’t you have a seat?”

“I’ll stand, thanks,” I said. Even if you’re a teacher it’s not good to be called into the Headmaster’s office. “Why did you summon me, Arnold?”

“Always to the point,” said Arnold. “I like that. What I don’t like is insubordination.”

Arnold activated a holographic video of me interrogating Ocron. I looked into his old, lined, face and saw his grey hair dangling in his eyes. “You weren’t authorized to interrogate Ocron, Kirk. I asked you to leave him to the Council.”

“We don’t have time for the Council to deliberate,” I said. “You heard Ocron, Arnold, the Order is planning to start a war! We need to be prepared!”

“Ocron is a lunatic,” said Arnold. “There is no reason to believe anything he says!”

“I think the fact that he kidnapped Nara Roman is reason enough!” I said. “He violated the treaty between our land and Aria, an act of war, there’s got to be an endgame, and we need to find out what that is before it’s too late!”

“I think we both know what this is about!” said Arnold. “You think that if you can save the world, you’ll regain your old rank! But that’s not going to happen, Kirk, you blew it the day Ocron put Ms. Gardner in an endless sleep! ...Look, Kirk, you may be twenty-nine, but to me, you’ll always be a kid who got in over his head. You were handed the keys to the kingdom and lost them. You messed up. Nobody trusts you anymore. If it wasn’t for having friends in high places you’d been discharged last year. The saddest thing is you still think you can reclaim the role of hero after all this time. I had forty wonderful years as an agent and love to recall every minute of it. You, though, only had five years. Your glory days are over too, and all you’ll ever wonder is if you could have done better. So face it — you’ll never be in the field again!”