Highfield Academy - Revenge of The Crows

Hatchimter the youngest of Lucido’s brothers sat on his newly allocated throne and now ruled over the Tebard’s, his partial victory in securing three such highly respected apprentices annoyed him as he had almost secured more, although his true goal had been the Philips boy named Joshua and his various friends from the Rang team.

Something had gone wrong and Hatchimter knew that his older brother Lucido would be angry but none the less he had in part succeeded and brought additional disruption to the Royal school.

Sandu awoke and screamed as she saw where she was and the beast of a creature near her, immediately she tried to cast a spell, but her wand flew from her hand and broke into several pieces on the floor. Then there were two more screams as Sandu’s two friends Kissilder and Buckless awoke, only they had seen the five guards standing by the door.

To say they were huge would be an understatement, as if these three students stood up their eyes level would only touch the base of one of the guard’s angles. The belt buckles holding up their pants was larger than a normal third–year student in size, and these giants were a distant relative of the Fay known as the Nephelines’, but thought long extinct, only now the three students knew those rumours were untrue.

It was then one of the guard’s ruined the effect of been all fierce as he let off a humongous fart, phew it was worse than a million rotten eggs sitting atop a stagnant pound on a hot summers day, and the huge solid oak door behind the guards vibrated. Sandu blinked as the fumes burned her eyes, but then she did something quite extraordinary.

Sandu spoke to the guard, “How dare you disrespect your king, you should be thrashed for such an insult.” The bewildered guard looked at her, his eyes wide and they glared at her in confused anger.

Hatchimter grinned at the tenacity of the student before him and then spoke, but just as he was about too the guard let rip another fart. Now Hatchimter raised his eyes and looked at the giant guard,

“You stand outside and send in a replacement,” the guard flinched at the rebuke and he regretted he had eaten three barrels of beans for breakfast.

Hatchimter focused on Sandu and her friends,

“I had not granted permission for you to speak, in future do not speak unless permission is granted do you understand?” Sandu never answered and Hatchimter glared at her, “I just ask you a question,” he said and sent a bolt of lashing energy into Sandu.

The spell hit the student like a thunderbolt, and she fell backwards, yet in her mind she kept hearing a small quiet voice telling her she would be mostly unharmed. As Sandu travelled backwards from the spells impact, she rolled and sprung to her feet and then turned to face Hatchimter and immediately submitted to his rule by lowering herself to one knee.

“Sorry my Lord, I had not realised you had given me permission to speak.” Sandu’s two friends had cottoned on and prostrated themselves before the fallen Seraph. Hatchimter just stared been uncertain if these three apprentices were taking the pith from him or truly been subservient.

None the less he sent a second even nastier thrashing spell towards the students and it impacted knocking them backwards and drew blood from their noses and ears.

“In future, be more attentive and listen to when you should respond,” he paused and thought what to say next.

Then Hatchimter grinned, and as he did saliva dripped from his mouth,

“Your old life is gone; you are mine now and will be trained to be my apprentice.”

Sandu eyes widened “Cool,” she shouted, “will it be just like the Sith in Star Wars.” Hatchimter immediately struck at the student a third time, but this time Sandu stood her ground and refused to flinch.

“Good you have courage as well as a tenacious spirit, you are an excellent choice, keep up the enthusiasm and you will do well, as such I place you in overall responsibility for ensuring your two friends do not fall behind, or you shall also answer for them, do you understand?” “Yes, my Lord”, replied Sandu. At that one of the guards opened the door and led the tree newly appointed apprentices away.

The Fay Council were in an emergency meeting and King Thalaba was far from pleased that he had lost three of his students, as they collectively sat they watched the data stream from the interrogations and the mother Dryad explained via her siblings attached to the various delegates present all that they had learnt.

It transpired the Royal Fay were infiltrated still with subjects loyal to the Tebard’s and this came as a shock to Queen La-Fay, as to think she had taken care to ensure all her subjects were treated with dignity, love, respect and fairly. And no one went hungry and all widows. Orphans and destitute were sought out and when found cared for.

The news that selected subjects still clung to the old ways haunted her and confused her mind as to why anyone could think like that. As the Royal audience sat, they saw how each Fay had been compromised and the events which led up to the incident at Highfield Academy and with the kidnapping of three Vlad students.

King Thalaba acknowledge that Merlin had done everything that could be expected to keep both schools teachers and students safe, and that Queen La-Fay was unaware of those involved in this infiltration and deception.

“I am angered we failed those students, also parents were injured, and lives were lost, now we have no means of learning where Hatchimter has taken them.”

His words were interrupted by a small quiet voice.

“Excuse me Sir, but that is not entirely true, as I just might be able to help you there.”

All had forgotten Joshua and Tim were present and they turned to look at the student who had spoken.

It was Merlin who on receiving a nod from Queen La-Fay spoke first.

“Tell me child, explain just what it is that you are saying.”

Joshua swallowed as it unnerved him to be addressing such important and powerful figures.

He gained his composure and spoke. “Tim and I, well we kind of expected another attack, and realised the one weak area in all of the school’s defences was the dimensional fragment which Queen Shellback had opened. It had left a fracture of a sort in dimensional space and although reinforced, to one as powerful as the fallen Seraphs it could be reopened.”

Joshua paused as he swallowed again, and master Tim stepped in to explain. “Josh and I thought it would be wise to take extra precautions, not that yours were not enough, no disrespect.” “None taken” responded Queen La-Fay.

And Tim continued talking. We kind of explained our concerns with our Dryads and they in turn conferred with their parent Dryads. As a result, Mother Dryad loaned us her new-borns, thousands of them and we seeded the rift area, so that if anything should pass, they would attach themselves.”

There was stunned silence as the Royal delegates took in this information, it was King Thalaba who spoke first,

“Why was I not aware and why did you keep this from us?” Just then a bright light filled the room forcing the delegates to shield their eyes.

Michael stood proudly before them only this time he was in full battle dress and struck a freighting appearance.

“That is because I ordered it,” stated Michael, “You were unaware at the time of whom could be trusted, you were compromised badly and I also instructed the Dryads which I need not remind you ultimately answer to me, to not pass any hint of these plans.”

On reflection, the Royal dignitaries could understand why the measures were needed, yet it still pained them to think they had failed in their duties of protecting those under their care. Even if they had been deceived and tricked, they knew they should have done better.

Joshua looked at Michael and on receiving a nod indicating he could continue; Josh took over from where Tim had left off.

“The Dyads were instructed to come to the immediate aid of any students, teachers or guests taken unwillingly from the school. They are too young to actually fight back, but far too small to be seen, and once attached they were ordered via their mother to infiltrate inside the host and ascertain if they were good or evil, and if they required help.”

King Thalaba quickly responded,

“Does that mean we can trace them?” It was Michael who answered,

“Yes and no, I apologise for such a mixed answer, No, for the immediate time, but yes after a few weeks of our time.”

His answer confused those present, but Merlin understood and quickly re-laid the answer through the united Dryads.

“Am I to assume that monster has taken them to Kelldesh?”

There was utter horror as the delegates understood, especially when Michael acknowledge with a nod.

“Gads man then that means they will in their minds have already been away for months, they must believe we have abandoned them, and that there is no chance for a rescue,” replied king Thalaba, who was now feeling defeated, dejected and very frustrated at his inability of saving his students.

“That is not all we have Dryads positioned on the borders of Kelldesh and before their inter-dimension sealed itself closed, we picked up these images from the New-born Dryads,” exclaimed Michael. There streamed the various images as seen by the new-borns and it brought fear to those present in the room.

Huge monstrous Fay which looked like Nephelines could be seen, all in the room had heard rumours of these fierce beasts and the likes of Merlin and king Thalaba had suffered the misfortune of confronting them some many thousands of years earlier. But since then they were thought to all be extinct, only these were larger by over 70% to the ones encountered earlier and looking incredibly barbaric and fierce.

“Impossible,” cried out Queen La-Fay,

“No my lady,” replied Michael, it would appear these are hybrids and created from Lucido’s own personal army, only now we estimate he has some millions of them just awaiting orders to invade, you see now why we are trying to avoid a war and the destruction of humanity.”

“You say son, that you and Tim positioned hundreds of these new-born Dryads, is that correct?” enquired Queen La-Fay

“Yes your majesty and these will have entered the rift before it sealed itself and cut off access to their borders, those that are not attached to the students will position themselves in prime locations so they can gather intelligence and in addition be near to reinforce help if needed.”

King Thalaba was also comforted by this information,

“You did well both of you, thank you, it will make the eventual recovery that much easier,” said Merlin. King Thalaba looked at Merlin and spoke,

“My brother we must mount a rescue soon, as already to the student minds, they have been away months.”

This statement confused Joshua, “Excuse me Sir, but why is that?”

It was Michael who answered,

“Time varies in different dimensions as does its effects on the body, Kelldesh is a part of space which is affected by five huge Orange stars, and each has their own gravitational effects and anomalies that can distort time and physical laws as you know them.”

Joshua tried to imagine what it must be like to live in such hostile conditions, and he prayed the students would be rescued. “Sir why are those creatures so huge and how is that even possible?”

It was Michael again who answered, “It is good to have an enquiring mind, and I suppose as it will be you and Tim who will mount the rescue you need to understand what awaits you there.”

Michal waved a hand and another video stream appear as if suspended in air. “The Nephilim grow to this size because of an overabundance of oxygen in the atmosphere and because their skeletal structures need to be able to withstand the immense gravitational forces exerted on them.”

Michael paused only for a moment and then continued to explain, “They are also cannibalistic and immensely strong, fast also for something that size, in human terms, I doubt that a war ship could stop a single Nephilim let alone kill it, yet they do have a weakness and you should be able to exploit this, to your advantage.”