Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

Mako, Aiden and Penelope sat at the last empty table patiently waiting for their teacher to arrive.

“Are you going for training today?” Penelope asked quietly.

Mako nodded. “He left another note telling me to meet at the same spot.”

“What do you think you’re going to learn today?”

“I don’t know,” Mako answered honestly.

“Shhh, the teacher’s here,” warned Aiden.

Professor Blackwood Cain strutted inside the room with his glittery black jacket draped over his massive shoulders, he had thick midnight black hair that was raked back revealing the sharp ends to be bloodshot red, there was a dark black cast of black smoky ink around his sharp electric blue eye that resembled a dire wolf from the north, he examined the room full of kids with an eerie blank face that showed he wasn’t impressed by any of them.

“Good morning,” he greeted sharply.

All the students’ voices cracked when they greeted him back. “Good morning, Professor.”

Professor Cain lifted a terribly heavy book and dropped it straight onto the poor kid’s desk that was sitting closest to him. “This class won’t be like the other foolishness you’re put through,” he said bluntly. “I can teach you to bring your alchemy to life-” his cold eyes looked at every single one of them- “show you spells that can make you stronger, faster, smarter. But only the best pass my class, and if you are here to waste my time, then I suggest you leave this room.” No one left; not because they were confident in themselves but their legs were trembling like feeble leaves do, and so they all stayed seated.

Professor Cain didn’t have to say much more for them to understand that there would be no rule breaking in this class.

He briefly read a few chapters in the massive textbook, but he did make sure to embed in everyone’s head that no one shall leave unless he dismissed them first.

Mako and the others were choking on their growing anguish when finally, the bell tower spoke the time, Professor Cain lifted his expensive jacket and left after promptly dismissing them.

“Well, he was scary,” said Mako with a groan she was holding in the entire time.

Penelope’s shoulders slumped. “Why am I already done with this school.”

Aiden pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “What did you expect,” he said, “warlocks always did have the nastiest of moods.”

“He’s a warlock,” said Mako with a jolt. “I thought warlocks were supposed to be all-knowing spirits, and really really old.”

“No, warlocks don’t age, they’re immortal,” Aiden answered as they left the noisy classroom.

“Why is it that mean people always end up with immortality,” remarked Penelope.

They scurried through the crowded hallway and exited out of the arched doorway, when abruptly their path was crossed.

“Move, water peasant.”

Mako grabbed a hold of Penelope when a cocky boy came shoving through them.

“Hey, watch it!” Mako snarled.

The boy Damian turned with a jeer. “Look guys, the black smoke trash is talking to a Spectre.” His friends snickered. “It’s actually amusing-” he pointed to the three of them- “it’s the peasant, the trash and the disgrace.”

Mako took a step forward when she noticed the glimmer of despair mask Aiden’s face. “Cut it out, Damian,” her hands were stinging terribly and she knew exactly why, the black smoke was reacting to her temper. “Don’t talk to them like that.”

His icy blue eyes glared into hers with malicious smile creased on his face. “Why shouldn’t I,” he retorted. “My family always taught me to put people like you in their proper place.”

Mako felt the greatest urge to punch Damian’s smug little face, and she was just about to oblige that desire, when abruptly, her hand was caught.

“Your hands,” Aiden cautioned Mako before facing Damian. “You know, it’s actually good you three are friends; all the stupidity is contained.”

Damian laughed with disbelief. “Your family already disgraced the fire clan once, Aiden. Don’t do it again by hanging out with them.” Damian walked away proud that he got the last word out.

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Penelope shouted and chucked something across the field. A small rock went flying across the yard and hit Damian right on the head ruining his perfectly groomed hair.

He turned and sneered, “How dare you!”

Penelope played with another pebble challenging Damian, but he seemed to back off when a impending shadow stood behind Mako; she turned to find Bard.

“Damian Spectre, do you want me to call your mother and tell her you’ve been fighting again,” he threatened.

Damian rolled his eyes and glared at Aiden. “I’ll see you back at the dormitory.” And walked off with his cronies following closely.

“What are you kids doing out here?” Bard asked.

“We were heading for alchemy training,” said Mako.

“Isn’t Professor Gregor’s class in the east wing.”

Mako shook her head. “We’re training with Professor Wiggin.”

Bard nodded. “He’s one of the greatest warriors you know, so you better learn closely,” he advised.

Mako watched Bard as he praised Penelope’s terrific aim, but Aiden’s pale face worried her deeply, he was upset over what Damian said, she wanted to reassure him but she was ignorant to what he was so reluctant to speak of. Bard seemed to understand Mako’s concern and he silently patted Aiden’s lean shoulder, Aiden’s desolate eyes rose to witness Bard’s small smile that was more reassuring than a hundred words.

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Bard. “None of it was, Aiden.”

Mako could see that he truly was just a kid under that aristocratic exterior, when he nodded and accepted Bard’s encouragement.

“You kids should get going, you don’t want to be late now do you.” Bard ushered them to hurry, when Penelope began scheming what she would do if Damian crossed her path again, and finally with all her efforts, Aiden muffled his laughter in his turtle neck.

Mako stayed behind. “Bard, what did Aiden’s family do that was so bad?”

Bard sighed. “The ancestors of the Phoenix bloodline were part of the rebellion against the Ministry of Alchemy,” he told Mako. “Poor kid, he wasn’t even part of that crusade yet he bears the sins of his family.”

“Who were the Phoenix family helping?”

“The dark lord of course,” Bard answered as if it was odd that Mako did not know.

Mako followed her friends to the exact same spot Professor Wiggin had brought them last time. She was glad Penelope had lifted Aiden’s mood, but she had questions about the dark lord and she needed answers; would it be wise to ask Aiden about it? She wondered.

They pushed passed the last couple of vines only to find Professor Wiggin seated upon the rock with a cigar placed between his lips.

“You’re here,” he took out the bud and tucked back into his pocket. She dropped her back-bag beside Penelope before approaching her teacher, she stood tall in front of him waiting anxiously for what was to come, but the Professor seemed to just stare into her eyes. “Have you ever attacked someone with your Black smoke before, Mako?”

She froze and was hesitant to answer from guilt and shame but she still replied truthfully, “Yes.”

“Did you ever wonder why your power was so weak yet so uncontrollable?”

Mako was baffled that he knew, but then she remembered Bard’s wise words from earlier ‘to listen and learn closely’, since Professor Wiggin was no ordinary alchemist. “I’ve always wondered why my power wasn’t normal,” she said.

Professor Wiggin chuckled. “Your power will never be normal, Mako,” he stated. “In fact, your power was meant to be extraordinary.” His beefy palm crashed over her heart and a terrifying force immobilized Mako, her body burned with a terrible but great energy, for years she wondered what was missing from her body and this was it. A searing energy churned through her blood and mixed into her soul awakening a greater power she forever wished for. “There all done,” Professor Wiggin removed his hand.

“What just happened?” Mako fell to the floor with her stomach flipped upside down and her heart thrashing like thunder.

“Your powers were sealed away that’s why they were so erratic,” said Professor Wiggin. “But now that the seal is gone, your chakra will flow with the same speed and power as your alchemy.” Mako’s heart was beating in her ears, she took deep breaths and finally felt what everyone around her had already. “Now, you’re ready to train.”

“What’s chakra?” Mako questioned aloud.

Aiden spoke up, “It’s the kinetic energy that fuels your alchemy.”

“Okay, summon a ball of black smoke without losing control,” Professor Wiggin ordered so easily, however for Mako that was light-years away to accomplish.

But still, she held out her palm and pushed as hard as she could to summon just a mere ball of black smoke, but nothing conjured for hours, a few times the slight surge of power would seep through her fingers but no shape or colour would form, she dropped to the floor. “This isn’t working,” she snapped as she wiped her wet brow.

“It’s because you’re scared,” said Professor Wiggin. “You’re scared of what might happen.”

“I’m not scared,” said Mako. “I’ve just never done this before.”

Professor Wiggin summoned a black smoke orb. “Hold out your hand-” she followed as he said and stuck her hand out in front of him, he placed the orb on top of the presented palm. The energy was bit different from hers but it didn’t give her an ominous aura, in fact it felt like a heartbeat. “Your power reacts to the way you feel, kid,” he said. “If you deny it and make it an enemy, then it will spit in your face and treat you like its prey.”

Mako stared into the ebony sphere and wondered how the power within her body even got to such a difficult state. “Oh no, the orb is getting smaller, what do I do?”

“Give it more juice,” he advised.

Mako breathed and summoned something similar to what Professor Wiggin’s energy felt like, and just then, the orb grew a few inches bigger. “It worked!” she exclaimed. “And this time, I didn’t blow anything up!”

“Keep it steady,” warned Professor Wiggin.

Mako’s eyes didn’t leave the black ball that was swirling like a stormy whirlpool on her palm, as times passed she got more comfortable with the rising force that was reverberating like lighting even if the sphere was so small.

“Now, aim at your target,” said Professor Wiggin as he pointed to a large intimidating tree whose trunk was thick and mighty. “And attack.”

Mako took a step forward towards the centre of the tree, she twisted her palm to hurl the extreme force at the target, finally her hand released and pushed with all the strength it had left, but instead of seeing the result of all her training, she was thrown back as everything exploded in her face, and she was on the ground gaping at the blue sky which was spinning like a wheel. “What just happened?” She slurred.

Professor Wiggin was laughing as he approached her on the ground. “That was terrible,” he said bluntly.

“Thank you, Sir,” she said with her voice oozing with sarcasm. “But why did it blow up in my face?”

“It’s all part of the training, Mako,” he answered. “But I had a feeling this would happen.”

Mako laughed in disbelief. “You could’ve warned me,” she said.

He shrugged. “You have to experience at least once what it feels like to get hit in the face. And since your pristine teacher went through this, you had to as well-”

Mako laughed. “Wait, your alchemy blew up in your face too?”

Professor Wiggin grumbled. “Many times, until I finally got sick of it.”

“Why does that make me feel a little better,” mumbled Mako.

Professor Wiggin patted her back harder than usual, “Come on, let’s try it again.”

Training went on for hours, the sun had completely disappeared and the crescent moon had risen high up in the dark blue sky, by that time, Mako couldn’t even close her fist or feel her toes moving, she couldn’t even tell if all her libs were still intact. However, Professor Wiggin still didn’t stop there and he urged her to continue, eventually, her chakra began to fall weak and her alchemy was barely able to form any shape at all, he found that as a sign and ended the session.