1 FIGHT

THE OTHER WORLD

THE PROPHESIED ONE

XAVIER'S ARC

BOOK ONE

CHAPTER 1

MARCO'S TEST

....

"Slow down, Trickles... Now talk calmly."

"Lord Julio, your room vault has been breached."

The count was provoked by the mention in his vault that he didn't wait for Trickles to end his sentence. He sped straight to his room, entered his closet room, and stepped in front of his opened vault. He jostled past the servants, tidying up his room and closet. His other trusted footman, Timmy Kleaves, was already present and stood staring into the empty fault.

"They're both gone, the map and the pearl." Gwennessa and Trickles Kleaves sped upstairs to join them both.

"Gather our people in the courtyard and announce to them that the hunt for Xavier begins tonight and there'll be a special reward. Who can bring him back here alive? Let's find the rascal."

...

WATER and FIRE

"Robert, pick up the pace."

"Bright, block better."

"Stephanie, …Use your water shots wisely," yelled the professor.

"Hhh..." he sighed.

"Joseph, fortify your earth shields better."

Professor Mulder and the other teachers roamed about studying the student's spar inside their chambers and tossing them advice when necessary.

Mulder walked up to the central platform and climbed onto it to get a better view of everyone else.

"Utilize everything you've learned over the past couple of years. Including your element manipulation, elemental battle techniques, element weapon forgery, and skill development," he announced to the multitude of sparring kids surrounding him.

Then he turned his attention to his far left, where his star student was showing off all he'd learned.

"Whoa..." Victor huffed, "too close."

Victor had just dodged flame shots from another student's fire pistol.

"Victor, try to master your speed skill more properly to dodge incoming attacks more swiftly."

The professor yelled over in his direction.

In Victor's moment of distraction, this other student had switched his pistol for a flaming katana and thrust it at Victor's protection suit. The katana dissipated, and there was a bang in the background that made Victor mad.

"Victory lost 30 safe points. A hit like that would have hurt."

Mulder had gotten off the platform and was walking in their direction.

"Don't give in to distractions. You can listen to the advice, but keep your other senses sharp on your opponents and their attacks. That goes for everyone as well."

Victor had dashed backward after his hit but was also up against another speed-skill opponent. He was right on his tail. With every dash or zip he made, Victor could tell he was losing. He had been pinged seven times and had pinged his opponents none.

After giving his opponent a good enough distance, he began to forge his most prized weapon. It began by manipulating a rush of water into the palm of his hand and forming a pole, ending in a long cone. His opponent was coming at him with great speed.

Victor wanted to win. He needed more points to pass the test. He had a Plan B other than his rush-water jousting stick.

He dashed straight at his opponents, then thrust his lance. His opponent boosted himself over the stick by blasting the flamepower to the ground. Just what Victor had anticipated, right where he wanted him above.

Like a reflex, he thrusts his other hand above him in the opponent's direction. In a split second, Victor blasted him with a stream of water. He thought he had finished him off when he had his ping. Until.

He looked up and saw a fireball heading in his direction. Then he blacked out.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Victor awoke suddenly, sitting in a hospital bed. He looked around and realized he was in the school's infirmary. Wasn't the first time he'd been here, but certainly the first he'd been because he lost in a fight?

"Oh, Victor, you're finally awake," a nurse said as she walked in.

A familiar-looking nurse.

"It looks like someone finally put the beast into a coma," she joked sarcastically.

"How long have I been out, Tatiana?" he asked, frustrated she would joke about her patients in such a situation.

"Err..." she thought with the end of her pen in her mouth.

"A few hours, either two or three and a half, and it's Nurse Tatiana. Show some respect, Victor," she said.

"Quit your frowning. You've done way worse to others," she quipped at him. Now on to business." She placed her pen on the paper and on the clipboard she was holding.

"Do you remember anything from the end of the fight?"

He glared at her, unwilling to answer.

"Well, if you won't talk, you can't leave, and it's your choice if you want to stay in that bed forever." She stared at him eagerly.

Tatiana finally broke the tense silence.

"Well..." she turned around to walk away.

"I was asked to give you a checkup and discharge you afterward if you don't want to comply. I can't discharge you," she continued, walking leisurely to the door.

"The last thing I remember is seeing a fireball falling from the sky. Knocking me out." He said it reluctantly. Tatiana was shaking with mirth at the doorway and turned around, smirking.

"Now. How hard was that?" Victor turned away. "OK..." she tried her best not to burst into laughter. "Are you sure that's all you remember?"

There was silence again, then she said, "I'm only asking because of that 'fireball' you saw," she said, air-quoting, "was Marco."

"It's a fireball blast. I know I'm not stupid."

"Well, actually, you are. It was Marco wearing flame-forged armour." Victor was shocked, and it showed.

"But that's one of the..."

"...the most powerful elemental weapons to forge. I know I'm not stupid," she continues sarcastically, but Victor was lost in his thoughts. Tattyanna snapped her fingers at him.

"Earth to Victor. Earth to Victor. Hard to take it in, right?"

"He landed on me with his big, heavy armor and knocked me out, so what?"

"He didn't land on you. You saw him coming and dashed out of the way before you could. Make your next move. He blasted you with a flame wave. Flame armor Powered Flame blast. If it hadn't been for Mulder."

"What did he do?"

"He reinforced your protection suit, but the blast was still powerful enough to pin you against a wall, knock you out, and, from my analysis, give you mild amnesia."

Tattyanna was writing down short notes about the check-up on the clipboard.

"But I have to say you two put on quite a show. I was entertained and impressed."

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

KNOCKOUT

Marco had been sitting still in the same place for over an hour. He had been called by the headmaster to talk about what had gone on at the test today. He didn't know why he had been the only one to be called and why they hadn't also called Victor. Since they sparred together, he wondered if he was in any sort of trouble. He clenched his fist, folded his arms, and shivered at the thought.

"Marco Carvero, Master Franz-zimmer, will see you now."

The school receptionist called out the siren. He stared at her, perplexed, wondering why she hadn't just told him when he was sitting just across from her.

"Marco," she waved her hand at him. He snapped out of his thoughts.

"Did you not hear me?"

"Oh, no, sorry. Yes, I did."

He got up and headed toward the headmaster's office.

"How come you didn't tell me that through the siren?"

Marco thought as he walked past her.

When he entered the master's office, two others were sitting across from him. They turned to look at him, and Marco realized who they were.

.....