After what seemed like another long and pointless lesson with Mrs Claudio. Chad wanted nothing more than to run from the school and go straight round to see Greg. He and Rogue had only just found out about the mass ambush and it pained Chad to find out his best friend was being attacked while he let his temper get the better of him again.


They had ninety minutes until their tactics class with Mr Petra; a tutor that since last week, Chad had also grown a dislike to. Rogue sprinted down the corridor with Chad following closely behind. The way was clear and Rogue could see the exit getting closer. She forced herself through the door. Chad had almost made it when a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. He saw the door close itself and lock. Rogue was still running when the door closed on him. Had she not noticed?


Chad turned his head to see Headmistress Avforin standing over him.


"Not so fast, Mr Wizardman," the Headmistress pulled him back before letting go, "We're going to have a little chat," a door appeared in the wall. The Headmistress led Chad by the waist.


"What did I do this time?" Asked Chad frustrated, "I need to be somewhere."


"Do not worry about your friend. Mr Thornton is quite alright."


They stepped into a large room. There were hundreds of filing cabinets lined up against each wall and an oversized desk sat at the far side. The walls were made of brick and there were two large circular windows behind the desk overlooking the two towers, Scenrio and Yatzili. An odd looking small tree grew in the centre of the room twenty paces between them and the desk. It was the head's office, currently occupied by Avforin.


"I always wondered where this place was," said Chad staring past the tree and out of the window showing the house of Yatzili.


"The door to my office can be found by anyone who needs it within the school grounds. Now please, take a seat."


Chad walked the forty-foot pace to the desk and sat down opposite the Headmistress, eyeing her suspiciously, "Will this take long? I want to go see Greg."


A glass of fruit juice appeared in front of him but he did not look at it.


"Drink," said Avforin coolly.


Chad drank reluctantly and put the glass back down with force.


There was a long pause before she spoke again, "What are we going to do, Chad Wizardman?"


"Sorry?" Asked Chad not understanding the question.


"Your head seems to be in many places at once."


"I'm still not following."


"Just a few hours ago you had another small temper outbreak. I do not know why, and I suspect you do not know yourself either."


"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Chad tried to say it like he meant it.


"This is serious, Chad. We have talked about this over and over again."


"What do you want me to do? I can't control the way I feel."


"Play the piano. Try relaxing and don't get so worked up about everything," Avforin stood up out of her chair and walked to the nearest filing cabinet. She took a folder from the top draw and sat back down.


"I play that bloody thing nearly everyday now," said Chad watching the folder.


Avforin raised an eyebrow towards him, "This is what our talks are about. You've got to learn to control your feelings," she opened the folder and began writing notes.


"Do we really have to talk about this now. I would like to go and see Greg."


"I'm afraid not, Chad. You have more important matters to attend to."


"And what's that then?"


Chad heard a large click in one of the filing cabinets to his right. Four of them were attached to a wall that began moving. It rotated round to the left revealing a hidden space. Chad could see a piano coming into view. Once the wall had completed its turn, the piano sat where the filing cabinets had been.


"I want you to play," said the Headmistress in a cool tone.


"Play?" Chad's eye twitched, "I tell you what. I'll leave now and see my friend; then I'll enjoy the tactician class, and then I'll come back and play on the piano," Chad stood up and walked towards the door. Avforin said nothing. The door locked itself as he grabbed the handle. Chad tried opening it normally, he then tried shaking it vigorously when he realised it would not budge. He quickly glanced towards the Headmistress.


"Sit and play the piano," she said in her usual cool tone.


"I don't want to," replied Chad.


"Play."


Chad spun on his heels and raised his hand towards the piano. A fireball shot from his palm and struck the instrument. The piano ignited in flames. His eyes blazed a burning orange colour as he watched the wood burn.


Headmistress Avforin did not flinch or do anything to prevent the flames.


Chad waited for the final explosion, the one he was sure to receive from the Headmistress. His eyes were blue again. He watched the flames dance around the remains of what looked like an expensive piano. He noticed from the corner of his eye that Avforin kept her gaze on him the whole time.


Once the fire became nothing more than ash, which did not seem to take very long at all, Avforin stood up and took a deep breath, "Chad Wizardman! Sit down right now!" Her voice was deep and tenacious, it echoed around the room with tremendous volume. Chad flinched, he did not expect her to scream like that. He reluctantly sat back down in his chair.


"Sorry, I don't know why I did that," he muttered.


"That is why I am here. I am going to help you," replied Avforin calmly.


Chad sighed and started playing with his thumbs.


"Well, we won't be playing the piano today. Is there anything you would like to talk about? Anything at all that's on your mind?"


Chad did not know what was on his mind, he was full of thoughts all the time. He figured that the war was having a big effect on his thoughts and actions. The nonsense about a so-called Guardian that had Greg wrapped up, and it was beginning to change his perspective on what tomorrow and the next day would bring. It was then that a strange feeling came over him, a feeling that he could not explain. Chad felt it before, six days previously by the river when he found Kirsten, and her father saved his life. He thought he somehow knew that Kirsten was thinking about him that very second. He could feel her presence in his head, and he knew exactly where she was, That's stupid, he thought suddenly, She's always in the dungeon, his mind was playing tricks on him, he could feel it but he would not allow it.


"Well Chad..." Said Avforin after a long pause.


Chad did not answer, he realised what it was that he should be doing instead. In Mrs Claudio's classroom, Rogue had asked him as one of her closest friends to escort her into the woods to find what she thought may be the Lumis. His temper was so worked up that he did not pay much attention to what she had been saying to him then. He almost barked at her to shut up about it.


The Headmistress read the expression on his face, "I see you have come to know the next task in your life," she smiled.


Chad returned a blank expression, "I know what I need to do for my friends. I need to leave now, my friend needs me," he gripped the fire gem hanging round his neck although he did not realise he was.


"You are beginning to understand your emotions, that's the first step. You may go, but we will be seeing each other again very soon," Avforin knew he was not talking about Greg. She smiled, knowing he was learning to not always make his first choice the right choice.


Chad stood up and nodded, he ran to the door quickly, almost hitting the strange tree.


"Don't run in the corridors please," Avforin called behind him.


* * *


As Bolgama sat drinking his wine, he wondered to himself how he could convince the young mage Tina to find, and bring to him the Lumis. He knew the power of it had been felt by someone the night before and he was sure it was Tina. Its power has awakened now, it knows it is being sought out by many. Bolgama believed there may have been others that felt its power. The call it made was strong to those that were connected. He himself did not feel it, but a connection he made with Tina meant he could sense others feeling the Lumis.


"Another drink, sir?" Asked Erich as he approached.


Bolgama looked down and was surprised to see he was attempting to drink from a now empty glass, "Yes, sorry, Erich, I was miles away," he handed Erich the glass who turned to the bar and poured him another one.


"Erich, I would like to meet this fire mage. Any knowledge on where to find him. For someone of his unique powers, he does not seem to be talked about much round here."


"I'm afraid the novelty of it all is starting to wear thin these days. I have a feeling he will be marching alongside our officers next summer. That should stir up a conversation or two that may be of interest," said Erich wiping the Bar's surface for the fifteenth time that afternoon.


"How so?" Asked Bolgama curiously.


"It goes back a long way, but to keep it short, the fire wizard's power had always been feared among the rest of us. It's something that has been fed to us through generations since its banishment a thousand years ago. Naturally when the young boy was born with nothing but the gift of fire, it asked questions. Is he the Guardian? Or is he the true Dark Lord? Y'know, that sort of thing."


"Go on," smiled Bolgama sipping his wine.


"Well, towards the end of next year he will be of age to join the soldiers in the war. He will more likely be training as a leader rather than a foot soldier. His strength with fire is unheard of, more destructive than many twice his age. Some say the General himself is relying on people like the fire mage to give a vital push in the battles to come."


Bolgama put the glass down and stared at Erich, "Anything else?"


"Not many are convinced by the General's faith. It is well known that the majority of people here, and in the south, fear the boy will turn on his own kind. Either now or later. Perhaps join the Demon Lord, or even rise up against him and become his very own dark lord and enforce a new reign of terror."


"Sounds very interesting," muttered Bolgama, "Tell me, does this boy have a name?"


"He does, however I am obliged not to say. I can tell you that he prefers to answer to fire wizard, as it stands anyway. That name alone will help you find out whatever you need to know."


Bolgama sighed, "Thank you, Erich. Thanks very much."


"You're welcome. 'Ere, why the interest in him anyway? Like I said, the novelty has worn thin in these parts."


"You forget, Erich, I am a traveller. A story on this fire wizard will excite the people where I come from," laughed Bolgama.


Erich smiled back. He however took the opportunity to leave before Bolgama asked him any more questions. Erich was not a big fan of Chad's abilities. He did not dislike the boy either. He respected Chad's best interests and well being enough to not let the unknown traveller breathe down his neck.


Bolgama dismissed the fireboy for now. He had more important matters on his mind. The Lumis had awakened and he had already found someone to lead him to it. His name was sure to go down in the history books as the man who found and taught the Guardian of Sorcery. Now he knew for sure that all the strangely gifted young mages lived almost of the same age, the Guardian was sure to walk into his life at any moment. He just had to be patient for a little longer.


* * *


Mr Petra watched ecstatically as Rogue Lee, wrapped in a hurricane of wind, shot beams of white light at the approaching numbers, led by Chad Wizardman. Her beams were precise and very accurate, taking out the mages either side of her friend. She was followed by her own squad. All had shields summoned, deflecting all the inferior spells cast by Chad's remaining units.


Chad smiled in return; he cared little for his comrades, who stood very few now. As soon as his squad got close enough he jumped to Rogue's right. Preventing her from striking him head on with her spells. Chad cut down three of Rogue's team, effortlessly burning through their shields. Rogue still had seven more compared to his three. Chad decided to end Rogue's life only seconds before her second in command, Mark Brason. That was his plan, and he meant to follow through with it.


"Don't you come near me, Wizardman!" Spat Lisa Drake moments before her life was cut short by his flamethrower palms.


Jez Arlison swung his sword, it missed Chad's hair by a millimetre. His tall frame made him able to get close to Chad before the fire wizard could judge the space. He ducked only seconds before being beheaded. Chad punched the tall Yatzili student in the stomach, he fell instantly. Chad felt the fallen foe's insides burn.


Out of nowhere Rogue grabbed Chad from behind. She wrapped her arms around him, giving him no freedom to move, "After I win, you better help me find a way into the woods," she whispered in his ear.


"I said I'd help you didn't I? Let go of me now," whispered Chad trying to break free.


"You've been very distant today," Rogue let go of Chad, he stumbled forward and turned to face her.


"I've offered to help. I'll do what I can," Chad's body burst into flames. He saw a smile creep onto Rogue's face and she looked past his shoulder.


Chad instantly spun round and Brason burst into flames as they made eye contact. His sword was all that was left as it clattered against the floor. Chad turned back to face Rogue, his hands were raised ready to attack. Rogue held out her staff also ready for his attack.


"Stop!" Shouted Mr Petra just as Chad raised his hands further to attack. They both lowered their arms and looked at the tactician with blank faces.


"There is no need to continue further today."


"What!" They both said together, "I would have won!"


"I'm sure you would have," replied Mr Petra.


Chad and Rogue were not sure which one he was talking to, but assumed it must have been themselves.


"It's about time," retorted Kirsten. She stood arms folded behind Mr Petra and glared at Rogue with angry eyes.


"I'm sorry I knocked you out early, Kirst, but I had to so I could get to Chad," said Rogue sympathetically.


"Don't worry about it," said Kirsten in a tone that meant she would not forget about it anytime soon.


"Yeah thanks, Kirsten. You sure did help standing in my way like that," laughed Chad.


"Mark, would you come here for a second please," said Mr Petra looking at Brason.


Brason brushed ash out of his hair as he walked over. It disappeared before it even touched the ground, "Yes, sir?"


"I have an errand for you. Can you deliver this letter for me to Mr Alay? It's very important," Mr Petra handed him a letter that had been sealed at least ten times, "Do not lose it whatever you do."


"Sure, I'll take it," Brason took it and walked out of the room making sure to stare at Chad until he was out of sight.


"What's in the letter, sir?" Asked Chad curiously.


"Nothing of great importance. Just old teacher stuff," replied the tactician quickly, "Now then, that was once again an excellent display. Well done, Rogue, your defence system worked tremendously."


"Thank you," replied Rogue politely.


"Why didn't you let us finish?" Asked Chad.


Mr Petra watched Chad closely and beamed, "It's the intensity of it all, young Master Wizardman. Next week is examination theory day, where rivalry matters. Now you are both going to be wondering who would have won. We will find out in next week's class."


"That's stupid," replied Chad


"Maybe it is. We shall have to see, won't we? I trust Greg will be back by then?" Asked Mr Petra.


"Yes he will be," replied Rogue, "He was not hurt today. He will be up and about tomorrow."


"That is good news," the tactician sympathised, "Class you are dismissed now. Enjoy the rest of your day."


The students left the room quickly. Mr Petra stopped Chad as he walked past, by holding onto his shoulder.


"What?" Asked Chad stubbornly.


"Watch yourself Chad. I feel a strange essence surrounding you. Plan your next moves carefully," said Mr Petra letting him go.


"Thanks, I guess," replied Chad moving away quicker than before. He jogged to catch up with Rogue. Now it was time to go and see Greg.


* * *