Violet stared at the book for a moment. Her curiosity was stronger it was just a peak- what harm could it do. She flipped the page:
'This is the Journal of Maxwell de Lore
Everything written within the covers of my books is special knowledge that can be acquired with keys
Which I have hidden in various places
But I believe that you will find them and hopefully it's not too late'
After the introduction there was a small passage titled: How to manifest Ether
She skimmed through the steps half-heartedly and to her surprise purple petals appeared, floating gently above her palms.
"Beautiful…." She gasped as she began to concentrate
Golden petals began form and spiral around the purple ones. Her gaze was fixed on the unnatural creations manipulating them and multiplying the petals.
A sharp pain shattered the extraordinary situation and all the petals vanished as she curled in pain. A feeling of emptiness overwhelmed her senses like you run a marathon and become wiped out after.
"Ah…that seems to be my limit…" she whispered to herself a vague memory of what she read resurfaced
She looked at the page again, it stated that mysterious force called ether was can be stored in the body or collected from the external environment because anything alive has ether. The more ether one can store or use the more uses it has...there wasn't enough information for Violet to understand.
The next page displayed a drawing of a human body, possible places for core formation and the movement patterns that ether could move. Violet had a thought, why did they have to limit themselves when she can just have it all?
"…just a little more." She muttered
Rereading the two pages, trancing, memorizing the diagrams until her consciousness slipped ang fingers gripped onto the journal.
---
Violet sprung up violently and looked around at the unfamiliar area. Plain white walls, a bed with purple sheet cover, a white duvet over, packed boxes and a sad grey closet. Ah, her new room….they moved to Goldenville
"When did I sleep?" she groaned "And how did I get to my room? Was it Dad or Asher?"
Memories flooded in. She tried to combine the two methods out of curiosity which proved challenging. How does she know what's ether was it a type of snack?
"You could have put a little more than this, Maxwell?!
After the most embarrassing moments of her life which she shall never talk about! She couldn't quite describe it the feeling. Ether was similar to free flowing water, sometimes it was rough resisting her every thought and other time gentle following her directions.
The feeling was fleeting since ether can only be storing in a core...another hurdle.
An eternity passed, breathing in ether, sending it to one location and molding it into an orb. Finally, a tiny core in her lower abdomen formed. Ether moves through the blood vessels, not hard in theory until she coughed up blood.
After deep concentration and a nosebleed, Violet could only transport ether to her hands to form petals and after that, she shut her eyes to think then….blank
"I should get ready for school." She yawned getting out of bed
Her eyes darted to the golden journal before rushing into the bath to enjoy a soak. Today's breakfast was eggs with bacon and some leafy concoction.
Violet slipped the vegetables into Asher's plate and joined the twins in the car. Their dad kicked them out of the car at school and drove off to work.
---
After parting with the twins at the academy entrance. Violet managed to find her classroom easily with the well-labelled map arriving just in time at eight. The home room teacher welcomed her with a smile
"Everyone. This is Violet and she'll be joined our class this year." The teacher introduced
Violet smiled, "Good morning, it's a pleasure to meet you."
She walked to her table ignoring the voices of confusion from her fellow classmates because her mind was buzzing with thoughts about, Maxwell's Journal. Yesterday there were only two pages with words and other pages were blank. This morning after her bath, another page gained writings and an image.
It was a picture of a lion perched on a column with the words:
'A tribute was built to honor those who have hearts of lions
So when did they become serpents?
Waiting for opportunity to swallow me under'
"What could have happened to Maxwell?" she thought in conclusion
Violet tuned off her spiraling thoughts and focused on the Math class. Ninth grade had other four classes before break time at twelve. She needed to focus, answering some question and asked some until the bell for break. She dashed out with a bag and went to the senior side of the floor.
Griffon Academy: one of the two schools of the town with an emblem of a griffon with a sword behind it. It had eight floors, the first was dedicated for kindergarteners and the eighth for grade thirteen students. As for the other floors they were shared between two grades.
She was entering the tenth graders side.
"Excuse me." Violet smiled interrupting a conversation
They looked at her with surprise.
"I'm sorry for disturbing. Do you happen to know where Alexander Rouge is?" she asked
The seniors gave her directions with bewildered expressions and she easily found him. A teen with pure white hair containing two stripes of light blue and dark blue eyes.
"So fast?" he smiled
Violet snorted, "Was I supposed to wait?"
"No, I am honored that you graced my humble self with your presence." Alexander answered seriously
Violet whispered, "I need help"
"I'm all ears." he told
Violet pulled out a purple cover book from her bag which made him stop for a moment.
"Really, purple?" he blurted out
Violet scowled, "Is there a problem?"
Alexander shook his head with a sigh and listened to Violet's hushed voice. As the explanation continued, Violet did a small demonstration and formed two petals.
"Fascinating….also that is the Leo Statue on the east side of town." Alexander informed
He watched her eyes sparkle as she tapped at the words with more pressure. Alexander took out his history book and a pair of silver glasses with it temples connected together with by a light blue chain.
"Listen here, Little highness- A hundred years ago, Goldenville was a battlefield aiming for newly discovered iron mines which were popular back then. It got so serious that the two fighting sides decided to drop their weapons and sign a peace agreement. Saying they'll share it rather wipe each other out. That statue was built to honor those who died due to their feud."
"Nothing more?" she questioned
Alexander answered, "I aced history. There's nothing….we can go after school but the book stays with me, Little Highness."
"Deal." She frowned
Alexander watched the girl leave with determined steps, smile vanished and eyes gazing to the book on his table. The bells signifying the end of break rang as he flipped with interest.
According to her explanation. There were two methods to manifest ether even though she trying both. A core focused approach: to store and move it through the body when needed or a blood vessel focused approach: strengthening the blood vessels with ether, when you want to manifest it, your source is the external source in the air, living organisms etc.
After break there are five more classes before the end of school at two in the afternoon. By the second period Alexander was speechless. The ether he felt was like a calm breeze, unrushed and going with the motions.
Alexander manifested blue and white snowflakes that left a lingering chill on his palms. He was forced to stop when the Language teacher asked him to come up to the whiteboard.
"....two more hours." Alexander thought
….
The afternoon heat was unbearable when the end of school bell rang at two. Alexander found Violet waiting for him outside his class and couldn't help but chuckle. She dragged him out of the school with determination in her steps and demanding directions.
Alexander sat down on a bench and Violet frowned deeply with discontentment.
"I said I'll help not that I suffer." Alexander commented " The lion statue from her is north by more than 10 kilometers and that's if you can fly above all the buildings and roads so we're waiting for the bus."
Violet got seated. The bus took them to park called: East Lion named after the statue. The statue was a silver sculpture of a closed mouthed male lion seated proudly on a column decorated by engraving flower designs around it.
"No snakes?" She frowned looking meticulously at the monument
Alexander was in thought as well.
Violet interrupted his thoughts, "Maybe it's not on the statue? What this is the lion the snake is trying to swallow?"
"It said the hearts became that of a snake though?" Alexander countered
Violet smiled, "But the person who wrote the passage is still a lion right?"
Alexander let her words sink in and looked around the statue as well as his memories. A place to best swallow a lion when it's not paying attention….he stopped at looked behind the statue at a rundown uninhabitable building.
"History class."
Violet groaned, "Why?"
"See that building behind there? It once held the most notorious gang ever recorded in the history of this town known as the named Viper." Alexander smirked
Violet marveled, "You know your history"
"Can't help myself, one of my favorite subject. I love it" Alexander confessed with a bashful expression
They snuck into the building and entered into the basement. They found a dusty old wine cellar with a diamond shaped hole in the middle. Large barrels filled the room probably what held the gangs liquor supply and tiles scattered everywhere of the room, some broken to pieces littering the floor. As though the previous users were in a rush
"Guess it was wild goose chase." Alexander sighed
Violet held up her hand to silence him as thoughts went rapidly through her mind. She walked over to the untiled hole in the room.
"Why was the Viper gang so notorious?" she asked
Alexander answered, "They stole iron form the mine but there wasn't any evidence. They also had tons of guns so no one really wanted to mess with them back then, you know. No one figured out how they did it."
Violet answered, "They used the tiles."
Alexander stopped and looked at the girl picking up a dark grey tile with a design on it upper corner.
"What do you mean?" Alexander wondered
Violet explained, "When you combine iron with other components such as carbon or tungsten it changes its appearance. It doesn't look like iron anymore so technically they don't have it. The smallest amount of tungsten can make it heavy but turn it dark grey."
"Since tiles were an everyday item…it wouldn't be strange for them to have such items!" Alexander exclaimed
Violet smiled, "Don't like chemistry I assume?"
She collected all the grey tiles that had any form of a design on them since they were lighter that the iron alloys used it was an easy task. Alexander joined her at the hole and was a little surprised.
"I found the heart." She beamed
The tiles arranged properly fit perfectly in the hole and the final design was a heart. When Violet touched it the design glowed brightly and a creak echoed softly.
"Should go?" Violet smiled pointed toward the exit
Alexander agreed, "If she wishes to, who am I to disagree."
The pair quickly jumped up the stairs out of the basement and dashed to the door. It didn't open…they split up to find a window but they didn't budge. Alexander was about to reach the fireplace, Violet pulled him back by his collar as flames erupted form the wood on it. Outside the sunset was preparing to...how long have them been in here?!
"We don't have a choice…do we?" Violet frowned with watery eyes
Alexander coughed, "Let's get it over with…like ripping off a bandage."
"Do you believe yourself?" she smiled
Silence
They returned to the basement and toward the location of the creak. There stood an dark green door devoid of any designs which was slightly open.
Inside they found four knight amours against the wall, each facing the door they entered through. The only source of light were touches mounted on the walls. Each suit of amour was different: one had a sword, another held a weapon, another had no weapon and the last spear.
In the far back, the center of the wall was a podium with a sheet of paper…
"We can go back and break the door?" Violet suggested
Alexander informed, "I tried... it bounced back it me. If we're doing that again you'll be the one."
"Fine…let's go."
Cautiously they went to the paper and it read:
'Every choice has a consequence
I was swallowed up for turning a blind eye
Although have delayed them
I apologize, sadly I have stopped them
Now you have made a choice as well
And are forced to bear them for now they know
That you exist
Will you stand tall, young lions?'
Something unnatural caught Violet's eye, the view was a bit different compared to the one in her memory. Wasn't there a suit of amour over there? The flow of wind was suddenly cut off from the direction of the door. Her senses strained picking up glint of light from the right side. Her mind quickly fit all the pieces together- the door was shut and something was about to hit Alexander who was focused on the paper.
Violet pushed forward pulling Alexander behind with her back facing their attacker and a sword slashed her muscle diagonally from her right collarbone towards the left side of her waist. A thought finally popped in her blank mind...she did it, she saved a friend...a small smile bloomed on her face
Alexander's vision was overwhelmed with bright crimson, he froze and hoped that it wasn't real, everything playing out before him. It dyed his clothes, pushing back nausea as its warmth made his blood run cold and looked at the attacker...the enemy with ferocious eyes
drip...drip
It didn't even register anything yet to Violet as some warm liquid poured down her body onto the floor, no sounds could be heard and the joy of saving Alexander faded, what had she done she wondered….and it hit her, pain beyond her wildest imagination from back radiating outward.
Until a scream tore itself out her mouth becoming music in the closed off room and a new bloody scent perfumed out.
-Violet's sacrifice has left her bleeding, the knights have risen and are attacking. Will she and Alexander survive the trial as young lions? Find out next week.-