Knight School: A Mystic Brats Novel Vol. 1

Dangers come and go in my life. That’s just how it is, but some things will never stop haunting me. My memory loss has pained me since day one. I thought that I had found some meaning in life without my past... a poor man’s assumption. Without Eddie’s influence, I became lost. Something I’ve been trying to rectify since the beginning of this year. Who would have thought that Ms. Roman was the key to unlocking my answers all along...

“Good evening, Kirk.”

I had just entered my office when he arrived. The nighttime shadows concealed Merlin too well.

“If you’re here for some inadequate form of revenge — then go right ahead,” I sighed.

“Do you even know the forces that you’ve unleashed?” said Merlin.

“Oh, you must be trying to bore me to death,” I said. “That is such a pleasant change from the vanishing act or electricity firing out of your hands’ method.”

“You deserve everything that’s coming for you,” fumed Merlin. “But then again... you already knew that, didn’t you? You knew that I’d do anything to retrieve my daughter, even if it meant letting you get close to my spellbooks. What all did you see, Kirk Louis?”

“A little of this, a little of that.”

I walked over to my Holo-Desk and activated my newest file. The holographic display lit up the room. A complete digital scan of Merlin’s most treasured spellbook. “I will say this much, Merlin, you write the funniest things. Just what is the Mora ritual?”

“...It is not the spell you’re looking for,” said Merlin. “I know now more than ever you wish to remember who you are. I can see the hunger in your eyes for knowledge. No, what you’re looking for is an Amarus Orb.”

“A what?”

“When every Dragon Master is born, their original human memories are removed and placed inside a magical orb. Once the orb is broken, your memories will flux back into your thick skull... if the process doesn’t kill you first.”

“You’re saying that I’ll probably die?” I asked.

“No,” said Merlin. “To the contrary, one Dragon Master did survive. “His name was Amarus. He was the first Dragon Master on earth.”

“You know where I can find my Amarus Orb, don’t you?” I asked.

“Yes,” said Merlin. “It is inside this newly relocated school. Your friends at Legend are excellent at keeping secrets.”

“You’re lying!” I snarled. The Council would never do what Merlin was insinuating.

“But they’re not nearly as good of a secret keeper as Eddie Stern was, or didn’t he tell you that it was he who hid your orb?”

“Get out or I will kill you!” I said.

“My, my, you still do have a temper that rivals Jason Gardner’s,” sneered Merlin. “Isn’t it amusing how much you two have in common?”

“Leave my office, Merlin!”

“I will... after I deliver my warning. It’s why I came here, Kirk.”

“Fine,” I said. “Shoot.”

“Damien Drake will not stop until you and everyone you care about is destroyed. He will challenge you in every way possible. You need to defeat him or this world will end in an explosion of fire.”

“Is he from my past?” I asked.

“Indeed,” said Merlin. “Also, Eviane is coming for Nara, and she will not be happy with what she has done with my Fairy Dust.”

“You can’t stop lying, can you?” I asked. “Ms. Roman would never disobey my orders.”

“If a master of lies says that I am lying, then I must be telling the truth,” sneered Merlin. “Farewell.”

Merlin vanished without another word. He had confirmed some of my suspicions, even if I preferred not to believe them. Damien Drake’s evil face has haunted me for a month now and with it, I could feel a surge of dread. My past is trying to catch up with me and when it does, I’ll be ready... I will ascend to the challenge!

That night, I had fallen into an uneasy sleep. My mind wondered to a horrific nightmare. It was years in the future and the world had fallen into darkness. Many things were different from the beautiful earth we knew. Every ocean, river, and lake were reduced to waterless craters. The light of the sun replaced with pitch-black skies. The ground no longer held grass or pavement, but dirt and sand.

Almost all humanity had been transformed into human/demon hybrids. Only a few people were left unscathed by the dark magic that caused such destruction. Jason Gardner and his younger brother, Dennis, are members of humanity’s last chance at survival. The two men had started climbing to the entrance of what used to be Skyrick.

“We’re almost there, Dennis!” said Jason. “It’s just a little further, bro’.”

Dennis was smaller than Jason and struggled to keep up the pace with his older brother. “Perfect. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold out. Why are we even climbing this stupid mountain anyway?”

“Because there’s something vital up here,” said Jason. “A weapon that can turn the tide in the war.”

“What war?” asked Dennis. “The war’s over! Lancelot won. He destroyed the world and remade it in his twisted image. I don’t know why there is even a resistance.”

“Hey!” said Jason. “As long as there’s at least one human life on earth, it is worth fighting for! We will put things right!”

“Alright!” snapped Dennis. “There’s no need to go all Super Slayer on me.”

“I knew I never should have let you watch that show,” sighed Jason.

“It’s a cool series,” said Dennis. “A vampire slayer in the forties that gains superpowers, uses these new abilities to win his country’s freedom and marries his high school sweetheart throughout a hundred episodes. Greatest idea ever! Plus, y’know, there isn’t much TV shows to watch in a post-apocalyptic society.”

“If only that idea applied to our current situation,” said Jason. “Remind me, why did I risk my neck to get you those DVDs?”

“To show me what the world used to be like,” said Dennis. “The bright blue skies, yellow sun, green grass, and all that crap. You wanted to give me hope.”

“Yeah, try to remember that,” said Jason. “We’re here.”

Jason and Dennis had finally reached what used to be Skyrick, but was now a desolate wasteland. Where thousands of caves that once housed the magical creatures of the earth, was one giant castle.

“So... this where Lancelot lives?” asked Dennis.

“Used to live,” corrected Jason. “If you can call what he does living.”

Jason and Dennis surveyed the castle with decade-old magic scanners. “There are four hybrids on each side,” said Jason.

“So what?” said Dennis. “We fight hybrids all the time. We can take ’em!”

“We don’t need to fight them,” said Jason.

“Oh, come on!” said an annoyed Dennis. “You’re always talking about hope, and how can we still save the earth if we fight hard enough, and now you want to give up? ...Why are you smiling?”

“Dennis, you should know me by now,” laughed Jason. “We are going to fight, but there’s no need to risk a losing battle when we can get what we need and leave.”

“...You have a plan?” asked Dennis.

“Don’t I always?” replied Jason.

Jason removed an ancient stone from his belt compartment. “And what good is a stone going to do us?” asked Dennis.

“This is a Celtic Rune that Nara gave me,” Jason replied. “It’s enchanted to teleport two people inside that madhouse.”

“Then why didn’t we just use it before we climbed here,” asked Dennis.

“We have to be within a certain range of our destination for the rune to work,” replied Jason. “Now do you remember the plan?”

“Sure,” said Dennis. “We grab the orb, then get the hell out of dodge.”

“Right,” said Jason, “and watch the language. You’re way too young for that.”

“We’re about to go on a suicide mission, and yet, I’m too young to curse?” asked Dennis. “You are one weird older brother, Jay.”

“I like to think I’m unorthodox,” said Jason. “Let’s get this over with, so you can binge-watch Super Slayer.”

Jason crushed the rune as a bright-green light teleported the two brothers away. They arrived inside a dungeon, where a golden orb sat on a pedestal.

“Is that it?” asked Dennis.

“Yes,” said Jason. “That is the Amarus Orb and our only chance at survival.”

“Okay,” said Dennis. “Let’s grab it and teleport out!”

Dennis walked up to the pedestal with silent excitement.

“Dennis — wait!”

But it was too late, as Dennis had already picked up the orb. A loud screech wailed throughout the castle.

“What the hell?”

“You idiot!” shouted Jason. “The whole dungeon is enchanted to guard the orb! The moment you touched it — the hybrids were alerted to our presence!”

“I’m — sorry,” said Dennis. “We can still teleport out, right?”

“Not anymore!” replied Jason. “The castle has activated its barrier curse to keep us locked in! Our only hope is to get outside and summon Nara. She’s the only sorceress strong enough to breach the curse!”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Dennis.

Jason and Dennis ran through the castle as they met their first opposition — the hybrids. The hybrids had gray skin, red eyes, claws, long hair, and fangs. The brothers, both clad in armor, unsheathed their swords. The battle lasted for what felt like hours. Neither brother gave an inch and destroyed each monster by removing their heads. It seemed as if fate would finally be kind to the Gardners...

They had made it to the highest tower when it happened. A swarm of Banshees invaded the skies and began to swarm at the brothers.

Dennis looked worriedly at Jason. “We aren’t going to make it, are we?”

“We have one shot,” said Jason. “I have a Quantum Bomb — it can kill every last Banshee in the sky. But it might kill us both if we use it!”

“We don’t have a choice, Jason!” said Dennis as the Banshees started to howl. “Use it — now!”

Jason tossed the Quantum Bomb as one of the skeletal creatures bit Dennis on his chest!

“DENNIS!”

An explosion of light and sound engulfed the tower. When the light faded, a half-burnt Jason knelt over his brother.

“No... no...”

Dennis laid sprawled out with bite marks on his chest. He was still clutching the orb. “Jason... take the orb... and call... Nara...”

“I’m not leaving you!” said Jason. “My last words to Mom were that I’d protect you!”

“We... we both know... a Banshee’s bite is fatal... you can’t save me...” Dennis handed Jason the orb. “I just want to tell you that you have... have always been my hero... you gave me hope when I needed it the most... just promise me you won’t stop fighting...”

“I promise,” cried Jason. “Dennis?”

Dennis looked into his brother’s eyes one last time as he took his final breath.

“Noooo!”

I awoke in a deep sweat. I was rattled. It wasn’t the nightmare itself that frightened me as much as the people I saw. Dennis looked exactly like the mysterious foe from my past — Damien! And Jason — Jason looked exactly like me. I knew this dream was only the beginning of something terrible... something that could destroy me and everyone I care about.