Devilpen:
In Lui Kang's voice
"Finally"

pabon:
You are all welcome. However, I am not feeling motivated. If you guys truly care, at least buy the book na! It's been there for days and not even one sale? Help me here. If I am to continue this, I need to know that I can get support. I don't have any other job. It's just N500. Please support your guy!
Here's the link

hidhrhis:

It seems u are nt ready
Eat ur book
Go and check the likes of prominent authors on nl how they are making it

pabon:

Why your harsh words? I was only stating how I feel. Damn! Someone wants to spoil my mood this morning. Why are Nigerians like this? Is that the best way you would have conveyed your opinions?
And it's not like I won't go on and drop more updates. I only said I wasn't feeling motivated to continue. Please, I like to avoid negativism. I'm allergic to it.

hidhrhis:

U are a new writer on nl yet u have many views
I read story based on the number of view and that was how i opted for ur story
U claim u wont drop the part 2 except u get twenty comment yet u got it
Go and check the way the likes of soulouho19 larrysun silver1996 are doing their things.u have to earn it if u want ppl to be paying for ur story like mad. Today if this writers i mentioned want to sell their story i will be among the frontrunner to buy it and ive bought some author story on okadabooks cos theyve being doing this on nl for years and people know they deserve it so bro. I will say it again if u like dont post again we will count it as one of the unserious authours who abandon stories and we will move on. We have enough legend on literature section. Im not saying u shld not make money from ur story but give to the ppl first

2

For the umpteenth time, Vince went into her room to check on her. Thelma slept like a baby, purring ever so occasionally. It was just the way he remembered her, the way she’d roll up like a ball, and sleep her heart out, without any care for the world.
Just sitting there, watching her sleep, he could almost forgive her already for her unwillingness to have sought him out, even without her apologizing. Soon, those eyelids would open, revealing cloud-blue eyes, and then, he wouldn’t be able to do what was right.
Vince stood up. He needed to treat her with a tight lease. She had tried to kill him, after all. He needed to know, to be sure she didn’t still carry those raving tendencies to drive a knife through his heart, or any other tactic she might employ to kill him.
The days following up from that sad event had taken the toil on him. Even now, Vince dug his hands into his scalp, his thoughts running amok at the different ways his life could have ended had Mabel not shown up at the very instant she did.
Thinking about Mabel, the hair on his head began to rise.
Gosh! Why couldn’t he let the issue rest?
Sure, she had failed his trust yet again. A second time! She could have revealed something, a warning, anything. Yet, she didn’t. She’d preferred to act only when it was clear he was going to be hurt. How could he live with that? How could anyone?
For days, sleep evaded him like dogs evaded cold bathwater. His only source of joy was when he thought about Thelma, the prospect of having a family member to engage in conversation. With a real family, that is.
What would they do together when Thelma came through?
For sure, there'd be the finger-pointing, the throwing of tantrums, and the likes.
Whose fault would it be? It had to be hers.
There was no way he could have known she was still alive. He had watched as the palace burned down. Thelma had been too weak from the poisoned drink she’d gulped down, like his parents. That was one thing he was dying to know.
How the hell had she managed to survive?
If they'd planned the arson to kill their parents and get her away, how'd they gotten her out in time?
He had only narrowly escaped because he had gone out to cool off after the angry words Thelma had hurled at him in a bit to sound funny at the dinner table. That had been his saving grace - the only reason he had been able to come out of the situation.
What was Thelma’s story?
Although he didn't want to push his luck, Vince harbored some hope that their mother could yet be alive, somehow. Oh, what he would do to have that come true. His joy would know no boundaries.
Thelma let out a soft snore.
Vince froze. His reverie was gone in an instant as his focus zeroed in on Thelma. She didn’t stir again. Just like that, she was back in her sleep.
Vince almost lost it. It was the first movement he'd noticed since he began checking up on her. He was getting frustrated in her inability to wake up to face reality - the reality she needed to see. And explain.
Vince turned towards the door. He made a mental promise to come back and check on her in two hours. He needed some fresh air. And some food.
His appetite had been dwindling as the days went past. Mabel had warily complained the last time they managed to talk, that he was losing too much weight and needed to eat more purposefully. He’d waved her off as silly.
He knew the truth, though. He couldn’t eat much, apart from the occasional munches he could manage from apples. Apples were his favorite fruit.
He turned the handle of the door, attempting to let himself out. The door wouldn’t open. He twisted and pulled. Still, it didn’t give way.
“What the heck is this?” he asked. He added some extra effort, pulling with both hands, but still, the door wouldn't open.
He stepped back at last; deciding now was the time to use some magic.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
For the second time since he entered the room, Vince froze at a spot.
“Turn around, slowly.”
He hesitated.
“Don’t even for a second think I will think twice before jinxing you should you try anything silly.”
Vince had no thought of doing anything. The sheer suddenness of her awakening and pulling the stunt with the door was what surprised him. How could she be that fast?
He turned around slowly to meet her gaze.
She was out of bed. The stance she took was precisely the way he remembered. She had her left legs pointing towards him, and the other slightly bent outwards.
“What did you do to me?” she asked, her gaze fixed on him, like a lion counting seconds before it tore its prey apart. Her voice sounded husk, not like he'd known it to be. However, it could be something she'd learned to do, to assert her dominance and not look weak, the way she looked now.
Or, it could be that the years and hardship, possibly, had changed her? Right now, Thelma could pass as his mother, whereas she was supposed to be two years his senior. Those times he spent in the OutWorld had added to the disparity in their ages.
“I didn’t do anything. I’ve been waiting to-”
“You should think twice before lying to me. I could put an end to your miserable life here and now.”
“Miserable life? Really? Is that what you think of me?”
She displayed her palms to him. “Why should I think any different?”
Vince looked her in the eyes. Those eyes he’d looked into so many times down the years. It was a trick, one that had worked many times before. It would bring out the sympathetic, loving, and caring side of his sister. However, as he looked, there was no trace of emotion in those eyes.
“I’m your brother, Thelma.”
She didn’t flinch. “Who the hell is Thelma?”
Vince’s hand went to his head instantly. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Hells, did they jinx your brain too?”
She lowered her hands and let it rest on her waist, akimbo. He caught sight of her frizzy hair, untrimmed but just as black as he’d known it.
A draft passed the window.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Who are you?”
Vince walked towards her, not minding that she could be pulling a stunt to catch him off-guard. He had hardly held onto her fingertips than a spell came flying towards them. It hit the top of her head. Thelma fell, her back landing hard on the soft, padded bed. She passed out immediately.
Vince spun towards the door. It was Mabel.
“What was that about?” Vince asked his breathing heavy with anger.
Mabel, a smug expression dancing on her face, looked passed him and rested on Thelma. “Let’s say I was saving your life. Again.”
Vince’s fingers fisted, they dug into his palms. “Are you nuts? We were about to connect just now. I’ve been waiting for this to happen all this while. You just ruined everything. You-”
“No. I saved your miserable life. She was going to use the devil’s grasp, a technique you would know if you paid any attention in light’s defense classes.”
“You’re full of bullshit!”
Mabel turned to go. Thelma didn’t arouse again. “Be grateful that this bullshit worked for you.”
Vince felt like reaching out to her and dragging her hair. How he managed to hold back was a mystery. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t ready to get at the wrong side of the only person with whom he shared common fate at the moment.
Mabel reached the door. “By the way, it was I who jumbled her memories. You owe me two now.”
He’d had it. Vince threw a spell towards her, but she was already out of the room.

3


“How can I forgive that? Put yourself in my shoes, Mabel. Would you forgive you?”
Mabel didn't respond. Maybe it was clearer now. She had terribly hurt him. She'd endangered his life and was undeserving of his forgiveness. What she needed was to step back for a while so she would see the gravity of her fault.
Mabel had kept secrets from him, secrets that would have led to his death. It was unpardonable, at least not now. Having spent tonnes of hours reflecting on the events of that evening, he couldn’t fabricate a rational reason why he should forgive her just yet.
There was one. One which Vince didn't think rational enough.
He couldn't erase the fact that she had saved his sorry ass, as she liked to remind him.
What were the odds he would have helped himself if he had known about Mr. Lance's plans?
Wouldn’t he have panicked and given himself away?
The way Mabel had kept them information, with no one suspecting, not even the evil Mr. Lance, it was genius. Even the principal –who Vince liked to think had an extra eye hung somewhere- hadn’t seen her as a viable threat.
So, maybe she had a point.
Then, there was Mr. Lance’s disappearance, another puzzle he couldn't solve, no matter how many times he tried.
Where did he vanish to?
The Outworld?
Since he miraculously disappeared through the fireplace, there'd been no sighting of him. There was equally no way to track him. Even his wife, Mrs. Mantel, was shocked. Apparently, he had Mrs. Mantel on a spell the whole time. Else, how could she have lived with a man and never wondered why he didn't have any friends? Was there such a man except that he had a bad past?
He had used her, got her to trust him, somehow, either by taking advantage of her emotional weakness or through his excellent use of magic.
“Vince, you are taking this thing too far. Can't you see that?”
“Oh, really?” Vince asked, standing up to look her in the eyes. Mabel had tried several times to talk him out of his hell-bent effort to unravel the mystery. She kept failing.
Like gosh, she didn’t even have that right yet.
Now, she sat on his bed and held his gaze for some seconds. Then, she stood and gestured towards him, attempting to touch his hand. Vince flung her hand away, turning aside. He wasn't going to be baited like that.
She could leave that for the cheap boys who had no self-control.
Mabel spoke, her voice a pitch higher. “Look, I know I did wrong. That's why I've been saying I'm sorry. What more do you want me to say?”
She had a point there. The good thing was that she realized she was wrong. And, at some point, he was going to have to forgive her.
What more did he need her to say?
Well, for starters, he required more explanation on what happened that day from her. Then, he also needed her assistance, to join minds with him, to figure out what they had to do next. Vince needed all the help he could get.
That department was severely depleted – thinking department. Mrs. Mantel wasn't precisely in the right frame of mind. She was still shocked after what happened.
Thelma was not an option either.
“How'd you know what he had planned to do?”
Mabel trudged towards the window. Vince knew what she was going to say wasn't going to be the sweetest thing in the world.
“Well,” she began looking out of the house, “I happened upon a conversation he had with someone. I couldn't see this person's face. However, I heard what they said.”
“How's that possible?”
“Thing is: I was out in the woods. I saw them come, and from the way they approached, I could tell whatever they were discussing needed some sort of privacy. Being naturally curious, I hid and eavesdropped.”
Vince had never heard someone talk so confidently about doing something as despicable as listening to other people's conversations. Only someone like Mabel could pull something like that and come out looking cute.
“To imagine that we had that man living with us all this while.”
“Yeah. I can imagine how that feels now,” she said, wrapping a hand around her body.
Vince looked at her and felt pity. Sometimes, Mabel was just a good girl, even though those times were on the wrong end of the queue.
“Mabel, you should have told me something, given me heads up.”
Mabel turned to look at him. The way her eyes glittered, it looked like she was going to cry. “I'm sorry, Vince. I didn't think you'd handle it well. I had a perfect plan. I knew that I could help you without your help.”
Vince broke the eye contact. “Clearly, you don't trust me. That's not the mark of true friendship. Is it?”
She didn't respond.
Vince had never known why Mabel suddenly started acting opposite of what she'd intended when they left the realm. He never asked. Maybe she’d say something now. However, he didn’t want to ask. He wanted to hear her say it without coercion.
Vince waited for an explanation.
It never came.
Mabel just looked down on her boringly big toes and fiddled with her hair.
Vince’s hand clenched beside him. He restrained himself to not lash out. He turned around. “You can go now.”
“Does that mean I've been forgiven?”
“No. Not till you stop keeping secrets. Even now, you still don't trust me enough to tell me everything.”
Mabel raised her hands in the air. “Vince, you should understand my situation here. You should know that if I don’t tell you some things, it's for your own good. Think of it that way.”
He was defiant. “Friends don't keep secrets, Mabel. Hells, are we even friends?”
The emphasis on the last word was unintended.
Mabel's eyes dilated. “Why would you say that?”
“Cos, you leave me no choice,” Vince screamed at her.
She shuddered, not expecting the outburst. Tears began to flow down her eyes, but Vince wasn't swayed.
“Please leave, Mabel. Go sort your priorities somewhere else. I've got mine too focus on and there's the issue with my sister. Maybe I would form a much better bond with her when she wakes up this time.”
Mabel turned around and left the room.
Vince sighed.
Although he'd feigned defiance, had acted like her tears meant nothing to him much like snows didn’t intrigue Eskimos, he really was smitten inside. Seeing Mabel cry like that had pierced his heart. He would have reached out to her and wiped her tears if the issue of Thelma hadn't come into his mind then.
He was going to settle the issue with Mabel very soon. But, he needed some distance first.
For now, he didn't think he could trust Mabel enough. She might as well be craving for his attention, knowing well that when Thelma came through, she'd be isolated.
Well, she did deserve what she got. Maybe he was justified making it difficult for her.

pabon:
Good evening. I trust you've been taking care of yourself during this lockdown period. A lot of authors have been giving away free copies of their books during this period to help users fight boredom. After some thinking, I want to do the same for a limited time.
so, if you'd be interested in a copy of Mysteries of Noland Book 2, send me an email pabonisking@gmail.com (SUBJECT: MONL2 free copy) and I will send you a copy. I will keep doing this until the 14th of March.
Enjoy!

annayawchee:
I sent a mail

Stay safe bro!

pabon:


I'm sorry. The email address I posted was wrong. It's pabsolined@gmail.com

annayawchee:
I sent another mail

4.


When Thelma woke up again, Vince was there. And although she still exhibited signs of her madness, he managed to get her to listen to him.
He’d explained how that Mabel had jumbled Thelma’s memories to protect them from her. His sister hadn’t taken it easy, threatening to wipe Mabel from the surface of the earth. Still, he’d managed to get her to sit down without throwing things around.
When they began talking, Vince was thrilled. It was a moment of epiphany.
Getting to sit and talk to his elder sister was the best thing he could have wished. Her memories were coming back now. The potions he had carefully prepared -and forced down her throat as she slept- were beginning to take effect.
Vince told her how glad he was to see her. He told her he wanted to know everything, from how she had been captured to where she went and why Thelma looked like she'd aged twenty years ahead.
“You won’t believe what happened to me even if I told you.”
“Try me,” Vince said, nudging her onwards. His patience these days sat on a thin line. Yet, he would wait. Besides, this was Thelma, his beloved sister. Hearing her voice was giving him goosebumps. It was just the way he remembered it, even though she was still a little shaken.
Thelma gave an account of what happened the years she was away. Vince shook his head. He sighed and laughed and cried at times.
“I was taken away by three masked men. They took me to a safe house somewhere outside of Pongash. There, I was put through all manner of stuff you can’t imagine. I went through most of these things without food.”
“Say what?”
Thelma smiled. “Yeah. That’s how they wanted it. They had their reasons for only giving me solid food once in two days. They wanted to erase it from my mind that I was a princess.”
“Did they succeed?”
“Pretty much. They did.”
“Damn.”
“They did it, for a while. When I came out, I was willing to stay out of that place. I mean anything. Slave, whoring, even killing.”
“Oh, dear. That's so bad.”
“That’s why I said you couldn’t imagine the horrible things I went through. What haven’t I done to survive? They wouldn't have it any other way.”
“What are the things you talking about here?”
“Do you really want to hear the details?”
“Yes,” Vince replied, not stopping to consider.
“Let it slide.”
“Trust me, no matter how bad a person you might have been, I can handle it. I promise I won't judge you, no matter what.
“Okay, then,” she said, looking into his eyes. Vince thought the trust could be seen there.
“I killed. Lots of people. Like a freaking hell lot of people. I killed men, women, and even deleted kids.”
Vince struggled to hide the surprise in his eyes. These were the sort of things he wouldn't even believe in his dreams, let alone coming from his sister.
She continued. “You can’t imagine, Vince. That was the only way I could get going. It’s the only way I could survive. I watched as a lot of people got killed before me because of their refusal to obey the instructions. I didn't want to die, Vince.”
She was sobbing now. Vince took her trembling hands. He brought her head to lean on his shoulder and stroked her hair.
“I can understand, Mabel.”
“Can you, really?” she asked, bringing her head to look into his eyes. “Ever killed someone before? Have you had blood splatter across your face, your clothes, and having to deal with the smell, the torment they brought?”
Vince hesitated. He lowered her head to his shoulder again. Vince’s voice came out disjointed when he spoke. “Well, a lot of things have happened to me too. I may have killed one or two persons.”
Thelma turned to look at Vince, her eyes bulging. “Are you kidding me? You've done that?”
Vince nodded.
“When?” Her voice came out excited. She was intrigued that she didn’t have to share the guilt alone, interested in what Vince had to say.
But he wasn’t. He didn’t want the discussion to be about him. He still needed a lot of clarification on stuff that happened to her.
“I’d rather not tell, Thelma,” Vince said, his voice conveying his mind.
Thelma didn’t push it. She’d changed from the girl that would have poked and probed for more, Vince observed.
He looked at, catching her eyes and smiling. “I want to hear more about you.
“Why? None of these things are interesting.”
“Are you kidding me? You have stories that everyone would want to hear.”
Thelma fiddled with a thread on her skirt. “Well, maybe that’s true. What do you want to hear specifically?”
“Everything.”
“Maybe after I hear something about you?”
She hadn’t lost all of it then.
“Mine’s been boring. I ran away. Came here with an arrow protruding from my back. I met the lovely Mrs. Mantel. She may not seem like it now, but she was delightful, as sweet and kind as mum was.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. Then, there was a prophecy. It said I have an uncommon destiny.”
Thelma smiled. “They said that to me too.”
“Does any of that relate to killing your own brother?”
Thelma frowned. “Don't make fun out of it, Vince. It's a sensitive issue.”
“Sorry.”
She shifted. “I think differently after the prophecy, yours anyway.”
“You do.”
“Yes. I have seen the scroll. Powerful stuff. However, I think most of it is untrue. Or misinterpreted. They do it intentionally. They are looking for a way to put an end to your part of the prophecies so they could get the powers for themselves.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Of course, I am. I’ve thought about it over and over and over and over again. The only rational explanation is that there's something wrong.”
“You’re right, Thelma.”
“Of course, I'm right. Haven't you noticed it? People want to put you down so badly, they want to get rid of you. I read the prophecy. A lot of it isn't right. There's a lot that happened to you that doesn’t align.”
“I wish I could have seen the Prophecy for myself.”
“Not really, you don’t. I will tell you all about it as we go on. Flirting with this prophecy will get you killed faster. And, there is stuff there that would make you shudder and want to give up your life before they come true. You don't want to see those, Vince. Horrible things have been said will happen to you.”
“Seriously speaking?”
Thelma nodded.
Vince was mortified. That was putting it mildly. Already, he was beginning to have fear. It was all the more reason he needed to read the scroll. He was going to find a way to do that somehow. But for now, listening to Thelma was the only thing he wanted to do.

5

Mrs. Mantel lay in bed all day. She didn't heed any plea to have some food. As the days went by, she got leaner, and her isolation was already taking a toll on her.
“Mrs. Mantel, you can’t continue like this,” Vince said one morning when he got into her room.
Mrs. Mantel didn't even look up. She was awake all right but just stared at the ceiling.
“It is not the end of the world. Be strong for your son. I know you're going through a lot at the moment. It is very understandable. However, you cannot continue punishing yourself like this. What happened wasn’t your fault. You weren’t in your best state of mind. There’s only so much you could have done. You need to stop beating yourself. You need to eat something.”
“Vince, I know you care about me,” she answered at last, much to Vince’s contained excitement, “but I don't want to deceive me. My life is gone. Look at me,” she said, pointing down at her body. “I’m not getting any younger. Terrible things keep happening to me. All my life has been full of sorrows. It's been one disappointment to the other.”
She wiped the tear that rolled down her eyes. “I lost my husband. Then my boy. Now, my life is in shambles.”
“There's hope yet, mum. Don't think Crayon is lost. I believe, strongly, that he is alive somewhere. I feel that things are going to change. I promise you I will do everything in my ability to look for Crayon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I will put all the elements I possess to good use. Also, I have found some others in school, intelligent friends. They will join me in the search. I'm confident we can do a good job. We will stop at nothing to bring Crayon back.”
“Again, thank you for your concern for my son. However, I don't want you to be. It’s been weeks since his disappearance. What hope is there?”
“Don't be like this, Mrs. Mantel. Crayon is a strong guy. I believe that wherever he is, he is safe or trying to be. What we need is to cook up a plan to get him back to you. I'm confident we can bring him back.”
“I hope so. I really hope so.”
“Everything will be alright,” Vince said, checking her temperature. She looked weak, but her body was warm. “What would you like to eat? I can cook something or have one of the ladies do so.”
She smiled. “Maybe some other time. But when it's my first time to taste food after several days, I'd better not eat anything you prepare. I'd rather not eat anything.”
Vince chuckled at Mrs. Mantel’s attempted humor. She was coming back to herself. “I'm not that bad. See, I have greatly improved. You need to try out some of my new dishes to believe.”
“Whatever, but please, let someone else do the cooking.”
Vince got up and headed for the door. He hadn’t expected to be this successful persuading the woman. Yet, he had done it.
The truth, though, was that he didn’t have anyone else to rely upon to help search for Crayon. He had said that to encourage the woman. However, he meant it when he said he was going to help get Crayon back. Whatever it would take, he was ready to pay the price.
Vince went straight to meet Thelma. She was now occupying the room that Mrs. Mantel shared with the former principal. Crayon's mother had said she couldn't bear to stay in the place as it brought back so many memories she would rather forget. Thelma liked the room. It was the only one available for her use, after all.
He found her engrossed in some novel. It was just like he remembered. Thelma would sit on the edge of her bed, sometimes late into the night, reading one of those romantic books. These love stories never attracted Vince. He loved reality and not some made-up stuff to tickle readers’ fancy.
Although he would love his sister to keep reading, he needed her to cook.
Mabel was another option, but he'd eaten foods cooked by either lady, and he found Thelma's better. It came as a surprise seeing as she'd never been allowed to do any cooking at the palace.
Black and burnt. That was the name of the book. “What is it about?”
Smiling, Thelma looked up. “It’s about Jones, a black American who goes through hell to be with the woman he loves. I'm almost done. I'll tell you all about it when I finish.”
“Thanks. But, no, thanks. I can do without all these made-up romance. What I want you to do is to cook something.”
“You’d have to do it yourself, Vince,” Thelma said, returning to her love tales. “I should have known you didn’t have something more serious to say when you walked in. Go and cook yourself.”
“I can’t. I’m not doing this for myself. Mrs. Mantel has finally agreed to take something. She needs good food, not something made by me.”
“Oh, so you are admitting your culinary skills are next to nothing?”
“I didn’t say so. She just doesn’t want to eat my food.”
“Shouldn't that tell you something?”
“No. It doesn't. Look, are you doing it or not?”
“Have you asked Mabel?”
“No. I prefer your food.”
She blushed. “It’s just that this book would become less interesting next time I come to it.”
“It won’t. That’s if it was interesting in the first place.”
“Alright then, professor. I will cook the food if it makes you stop talking trash about my book.
“I’m not talking again.”
Thelma folded the page where she had stopped. She got up and headed for the door.
“Wait. Come to think of it. I’m your big sister. You should know there is a limit to what I’m willing to do for you.”
“I understand. Now, will you get going?”
“You’re not ordering me out. Are you?”
“Please…Satisfied now?”
Thelma pouted and headed out to the kitchen. Vince took the book up. He peered at the back page, hoping to read something interesting. Thelma came into the room at that moment.
“Not interested. Right? Yet, you can’t wait a minute to read it.”
“I just wanted to see the synopsis.”
“Liar,” Thelma said, poking Vince’s head before running away.
Vince ran after her, pursuing her into the kitchen.

pabon:

Replied. Book sent. Thank you.

annayawchee:
Seen thanks.

I downloaded epub reader!!

Thanks

pabon:


You're welcome. Thanks as well for coming through.
Epub reader is cool. I'd advise Pocket book reader because of the flawless reading experience it gives.

6


Vince risked getting an accident. He could injure someone if he didn't observe caution.
It had been a week since Vince last spoke to Mrs. Mantel, promising to do everything in his power to look for Crayon. So far, he hadn't gotten to any milestone. Because of this, he'd been avoiding catching the woman's eyes whenever they were at dinner or taking nightly breeze outside the house. He tried as much as possible to avoid starting a conversation with her that will lead to that area. He didn't want to disappoint the woman. It was good to see she was finally coming out of her shell to interact with them. He didn't want to break her heart by telling her he had made no headway.
Vince's mind came back to the present after the flash of thoughts. He had an issue here. There were no second chances to succeed. The first chance you get, you take it.
The other boy, Nathan, had his hands spread out, preparing for the attack. A vicious look colored his pudgy face.
Vince smiled. From the look of things, he wouldn't be the one making the first move, just the way he liked it.
Like a lion, he would wait, carefully watching the Nathan, his prey, learning his movement, when and where to pounce and win the duel.
The duel had been Mr. Venture's idea. It was one of the practical classes Vince didn't enjoy attending. The issue he had was that with the things going on, his emotions were unstable.
Unstable visions are the recipe for a false start. Dangerous ones.
“Weaken your opponent,” Mr. Venture had said. “Do it clean, and I don't want any games. Is that understood?”
The boys nodded. Nathan had his dentition displayed, smiling like a simpleton.
This guy thinks he will win a duel against me, Vince thought.
How outrageous!
The truth, Vince knew, was that he was no match. Not the least bit. No one in the school was as good as he was in sparring. This was something he had been learning quite a lot before getting caught in the Outworld. Coming back here, he'd quickly come to realize that no one could match up to his ability. Even back then, he had already been scored a reputation as one of the best in one-on-one duels.
What made this guy think he could be better?
“On the count of three, you begin. One. Two-”
Nathan didn't allow the third to come before he launched his spell at Vince.
“Duriantis!”
The surprise attack caught Vince off guard. He was flung back, down, and hard on the floor. This attracted a lot of wild grins and laughter from the other classmates, especially the ladies. Vince couldn't hide his hurt. His bottom hurt like someone had clobbered him with a hammer.
Vince looked to the teacher, but there was a look of defiance. It had been a clear breach of the rules. However, the teacher made no attempt to call the bluff.
Was that the way he wanted it?
Vince got up, shook off the dust. He was ready to repay the gesture.
Nathan's friends continued cheering him on. Clearly, no one thought what he did was wrong.
Vince could bet everyone would be counting on Nathan to win now.
“That's one to nothing,” the teacher said. “Remember, the person with the highest wins of three attempts wins this set.”
“Alright,” Vince murmured, taking a stance. This time, all of his attention was on the boy.
The teacher counted. “One. Two-”
Before it got to the third ring, Vince acted.
“Draco Miazin!”
Spells, like spikes, shot out of Vince's hand. They went straight for his unsuspecting opponent. The boy got crumpled into a ball-like form. He got pushed back with so much force, he couldn't stop himself. It took him outside the classroom, through the door, and down the staircase.
Everyone stopped. Vince couldn't understand their reaction.
Aren't you guys going to give me the applause?
Vince's face was all red in seconds. This was clearly wrong. It was cheating.
Nobody moved. Not even the teacher. Vince didn't expect that reaction from them. If they'd clapped for Nathan, they should be on their feet throwing encomium. Instead, they stood looking at him like they'd been mummified.
There was nothing wrong. Absolutely. Nothing different from what Nathan did. He had simply modified Nathan's approach.
“What was that for?” the teacher asked, enraged.
Vince looked stupefied. “What?”
“Don't even give me that. Don't you dare it.”
The man's anger was clearly visible. His wrath only added to his lackluster appearance. His nose was red all over and shook his finger, pointing at Vince.
“That wasn't what I said at the beginning. Was it? I told you both to play it square. You outright disobeyed my orders.”
“Huh, what I did was wrong, but what Nathan did wasn't?”
“I know you won't feel remorse. But, you have detention. You will spend the rest of the day in detention, and you will offer staffing service. Any more of this attitude and you will get thrown out, never to return. Do you understand?
Vince kept his eyes low - anger, not allowing him to meet the teacher's gaze - and nodded. “Yes. I understand.”
That said, the teacher ran out to meet with Nathan. The chap was holding his back, as though he'd been hit repeatedly with a baton. Blood, crimson thick, oozed from the back of his head. Vince predicted he would need serious medical attention. He'd be out for some days, at least.
Vince couldn't understand why the boy had taken the hit that bad. He hadn't even used force. As he'd sent the spell out, he'd meant to get the boy down on the floor, the same way it happened to him. Then, they would have been ready for the real deal.
What he didn't expect was the escalation of the effort. He didn't expect that he'd been charged with anger. He had taken it on the boy. Now, he regretted trying revenge.
Nathan, helped by three students, was taken to the school's clinic.
Vince noticed there'd been a change ever since the new principal came into power. It seemed things were now working against him.
As Vince packed up his backpack to go, he could only think about the four hours ahead. He’d never gotten detention at the library. Those who had said it was a pain in the ass.
There was only one positive, something he could take as a good thing. He would get to spend time with Mr. Lapwing. The man had information, and Vince knew he wouldn't feel out of place there.