Serena Cage: Chapter One

Chapter One
The two suns were setting over the Estubian Plains. As I glanced out the window, I could see dark, menacing storm clouds flowing in from the north, threatening to pour out their fury at any moment. I despised Estubian fall weather. The only thing predictable about it was that it was unpredictable. You could find yourself basking contentedly in the warm, hazy light of the two suns, and literally one minute later, you would be drenched and freezing, caught in a sudden downpour.
Turning my attention back to the book on my lap, I sighed. I settled myself deeper into the overstuffed chair that I had sprawled on. I was enjoying the quiet evening.
Not five minutes later, a knock sounded on the front door, breaking the silence that had enveloped the still house. I jumped slightly, startled by this sudden sound. I heard one of my siblings crash through the house to answer the door.
I didn’t move, figuring that it was one of the neighbor kids, wanting to play. I was surprised when my sister called to me, “Serena, you’ve got company. It’s a weird lady!” I heard my mother dash to the door and apologize for my sister’s rudeness. Grabbing a bookmark, I jammed it into my book and jumped up.
When I reached the door, a surprise greeted my eyes. There was a woman, in her mid-thirties by the looks of it, wearing the tackiest clothes I had ever set eyes on. I was amazed that anyone in their right mind would make such repulsive clothing, let alone actually buy something like that. The woman was clad in an electric yellow tracksuit, which was a size too small. She had on high-heeled black leather boots. Several gaudy rings adorned her fingers. The strange lady extended a hand to me.
“I’m Myrie Greentrout,” she said in a low voice. I couldn’t say anything for a few moments. I finally managed to grasp the outstretched hand.
“I’m, uh, Serena…” she started, but the Myrie woman cut her off.
“Serena Cage, I know,” she said, smiling. I noticed that the woman’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. The two eyes staring at me looked haunted, ghostly, like they had seen things that I couldn’t even imagine. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I replied awkwardly, wondering who this Myrie Greentrout was anyway. I glanced at my mother with a look that said: what is going on? My mother replied with an I haven’t a clue look.
“So, what brings you here, er, Miss Greentrout?” My mother asked, trying to sound polite.
“Oh, right,” Myrie said, giggling, which sounded odd because of her low voice. “You wouldn’t know, since none of your family has ever been a Magic.” My mother and I gasped loudly.
“A… Magic… no way,” Mrs. Cage sputtered. She was taken aback. I was too, as I had heard of a few Magics on Dad’s side of the family, but certainly not me… surely I couldn’t have Magical blood.
“Oh, yes, she does have Magic blood,” Myrie said, seeming to read our minds. “I suppose you know what Magics are….”
“Yes, of course we do!” Mrs. Cage spat, astounded that anyone would even think that we didn’t know what Magics were.
Magics were powerful people that could perform…well, magic. Magics were the bond that tied our planet together. They were highly respected, and had saved the empire of Estubia many times. To be a Magic was very honorable. It was very unusual for a Magic to be born into a non-magical family. Most Magics lived very rich, leisurely lives, because the rulers of Estubia didn’t want the Magics to go against them in case of war.
I couldn’t help but smile at this wonderful news. I could hardly breathe, as the thought of actually doing magic was… unbelievable. “So… I am a Magic?” I asked, still not fully comprehending this concept.
“Yes,” Myrie replied, beaming at me.
“So, who are you? And why did you tell me about this?” I then asked.
“Why, dear, I’m your Learner. You will be learning everything about magic from me,” Myrie answered, her smile growing wider.
“What do we do, then?” Mrs. Cage asked.
“What do you mean by that?” Myrie said, confused.
“I mean, well, what do we have to do for you to teach me?”
“Oh, that,” Myrie said, thinking for a while. “All you really have to do is pack up all her stuff, pay me a bit for the required materials, and hand her off.”
“Oh, okay,” Mother said. “Could you wait for my husband to get home? I really would like to talk it all over with him. You can stay for dinner, if you like.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Myrie said brightly. “I will stay then, and we can get everything worked out.”
All five of us Cages and the one Greentrout sat around the mahogany dining table, awkwardly picking at our food. Myrie wasn’t one for small talk; she got right to the point.
“I need to get me by the end of the month at least, earlier if possible. She will need to have all her possessions and a thousand dollars tuition fee,” Myrie said, staring at her food. Both of my parents gasped.
“That is… outrageous!” Alexander Cage, My dad, exclaimed. “Why so much?”
“You didn’t expect your daughter’s full education to be cheap, did you?” Myrie laughed. “That covers everything, including all teaching, lodging, food, and appropriate materials. I don’t find that outrageous.” She does have a point, I thought, praying that my parents would just give Myrie the money.
“What do you mean by ‘appropriate materials’?” Mr. Cage asked.
“Well, there are certain things Serena will need to become a magic,” Myrie explained. “For example, she needs a ring. There are also instruments and things that she needs.”
“Oh. Do we have to pay it all up front?” Mrs. Cage inquired.
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Myrie said, a knowing smile on her lips.
I silently rejoiced. I was going to learn magic! I could hardly keep all of my joy in. I picked at my meal, having lost my appetite to excitement.

Myrie left not long after, promising to come back in exactly six days to get me. My parents were almost as excited as I was about the whole magic deal.
The six days passed in a blur of packing, preparing, and saying goodbye. I was in a daze. I was still shocked when Myrie came to get me.
“Are you all packed?” Myrie asked in her low voice. I nodded. All of my stuff was in three medium-sized trunks. Myrie muttered something and pointed at my trunks. They picked themselves up and headed out the front door, which had been left open.
“Do you have the money?” Myrie asked Mrs. Cage.
“Yes, let me get it for you,” Mom replied, walking out of the room. She came back a few moments later carrying a medium-sized purple envelope. “It’s all here,” she said as she handed the fat envelope to Myrie.
“Oh, wait,” I cried, startling my mother and teacher. “I forgot something. I’ll be back in a minute.” I raced up the stairs.
I wondered to a back bedroom. I found who I was looking for.
“Estin, there you are,” I said, my eyes brimming with tears. Estin was my older brother, my favorite sibling by far. We had been best friends for as long as I could remember. I was hesitant about leaving him behind.
“Serena, don’t cry,” Estin said, scooping me into a hug. “I have something for you.” He dashed into his room, coming back with a locket.
He handed the locket to me. I took it, looking it over carefully. “What is it?” I asked.
“It’s a way we can communicate,” Estin explained, holding up an identical locket that he had been wearing under his shirt. The locket was circular and old looking. It seemed to be made of a seashell. I pondered this thought. “You simply have to open it,” Estin explained, demonstrating. “Then you say, ‘Communicate Serena’, into it. But you replace Serena with Estin, and then you can talk to me. I’ll answer anytime you need me.” I smiled at him, delighted with the gift.
I hugged him once more and said goodbye. As I was walking down the stairs, I heard Estin call out to me.
“Don’t lose that,” he said. “You would be surprised at how much I had to pay to get these.” I had no intention whatsoever to lose it. I turned and blew one last kiss to my brother.

“Got it?” Myrie asked when I came down.
Wiping my eyes, I answered. “Yes, I have it.” Myrie could tell that I was frightened of leaving my family. Myrie knew that I hadn’t known any other home.
“You will see them again, you know,” Myrie told me gently, guiding me out the door. “I will bring you back on the first day of summer. You’ll get to spend the whole summer with them.” I nodded through tears, embarrassed that I was crying.
“I… I know,” I said quietly, stifling a hiccup. “How are we getting there?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Well, I thought we would go by my voetu,” Myrie answered.
A voetu was a way to travel long distances in a short time. They were sort of like a pocket of air that one would ride in. You would sit on the inside of this large bubble of air, and it would life you up and fly you just about anywhere. Only a few people were rich enough to own them, and my parents weren’t those people.
I gasped in surprise and joy. I had never ridden in a voetu before.
Myrie made a strange clicking noise in her throat. Soon her voetu replied to the call. It looked like a floating ball of glass. I couldn’t not reach out and touch the thing. It was surprisingly resistant for a bubble of air.
“We must get going,” Myrie said, interrupting my gawking.
“Okay,” I answered as Myrie climbed into the voetu. I followed her. The voetu was even stranger from the inside. I sat down on an almost invisible seat next to where Myrie was sitting. I looked down. The world outside looked warped and broken through the layer of air. The seat was soft and springy. I bounced on it for good measure.
“To the Greentrout residence,” Myrie said to the voetu. Turning to me, she said, “What do you know about our planet?”
“Well, I actually know a lot for a simple girl like me,” I answered with a slightly proud smile.
“Oh, really,” Myrie said. “Tell me what you know.”
“I know that the planet is shaped like a cube,” I began, inhaling deeply. “I also know that every side of the cube belongs to a different group of people or creatures. The sides all have names according to what they are mainly made of. There is the Plains, or Estubia; the Forests, or Shalin; the Oceans, or Garvish; the Rocks, or Malvaloe; the Deserts, or Reaknos; and the Fires, or Valenque. We live in Estubia. Well, I assume you do. Anyway, Magics keep everyone happy and make sure wars don’t brake out. That’s about all that I know.” Myrie nodded, as if she was pleased.
“That’s impressive, Serena,” Myrie said. “Where did you learn all of that?”
“My mother taught me. I think she traveled when she was younger,” I answered, a pleased blush creeping up my face. i realized that the voetu had stopped. we were landing in a field by a large house.
“Is that your house?” I asked.
“Yes, it is,” Myrie answered, smiling. “Let’s go in. we can get your things unpacked.”
“Where are my things?” I asked, looking all around.
“I had them sent over before we left,” Myrie answered. She started toward the house, beckoning for me to follow.
I gasped as i entered the vast, lavish foyer. Highly polished stairs led to the second level. Myrie headed up these stairs. I followed her into a large bedroom. I saw my trunks piled in a corner. A king-sized bed occupied the center of the room. The floors were the same polished wood as the stairs. The walls were a pale rose that I found very pretty. A quick glace showed her a door (belonging to either a closet or a bathroom), a vanity with a bright mirror, and a large wardrobe. All in all, the room was at least twice as nice as my bedroom back at home.
“This is your new bedroom,” Myrie said. “I hope you find it acceptable.” I found it to be more than just acceptable. i found it marvelous.
“Wow. I just can’t believe its all mine,” I choked out.
“I’m glad you like it,” Myrie said, sounding happy that I found the room nice. “I am going to get dinner on. You can settle in. I will call you down in about half of an hour. The door over there is to your bathroom. There is a closet in there also.” She walked out of the room stiffly.
I sat down on the large bed and heaved a happy sigh. After a few moments, i rose and went over to my trunks. Pulling out clothes and decorations, i began to personalize the room. Soon, i heard Myrie's call for dinner. I went into the bathroom to wash up and stopped dead.
The bathroom was amazing. It was large, with marble floors and sinks. A door by the counter lead off into a large closet. The bathtub was deep. I could tell that i was going to love it here.

“Well, we had better get going,” Myrie said after we had finished a meal of steak and beans. “We have to get there before the shop closes.”
“What shop?” I asked. i had enjoyed the meal. The beans were new to me; i had never had that kind before. They were black with red spots. I had found that i loved them.
“The Ring shop, of course,” Myrie answered, chuckling.
“Ring shop?” I asked, confused.
“Oh, right,” Myrie said. “You wouldn’t know what a Ring was. All Magics wear Rings. They are the things that Magics use to channel their magic. Without the Rings, Magics couldn’t do magic because the power would kill them. All Rings have Chininen Crystals. Chininen Crystals are the most magical object in the world. The more Crystals you have on your ring the more inner power you have. We need to buy you a Ring.” She held up her left hand. I saw a fine, silver ring with a few small crystals on it. So that was what a ring was.
“I see,” I said.
Myrie led me out the door and to the voetu. Myrie got in and told the voetu an address. The voetu rose up and flew off. I could see that a city was coming up. we landed right outside of a new, modern looking building.
Myrie marched up to the door and opened it. I followed Myrie down a hallway and into a room. The room was filled with old and rare looking jewelry. I glanced at some of the prices. They were so high thati gasped. A gangly man walked out of a back room. He approached Myrie and i.
“May I help you?” he asked, and then saw who Myrie was. “Oh, Myrie! It’s nice to have you back. Who is the girl? Oh, I suppose she’s your new student. You will want one of those, then. Follow me.”
He walked out of the room. Myrie and i followed him into a dark, dusty room. Shelves filled with rings filled the walls. The man, whose name tag said “Richard”, looked me over carefully.
Richard them went to one of the shelves and picked up a few of the rings. He walked back to me and gave me a Ring. The Ring was made of a mint green metal. About seven crystals were set into the ring. The ring was plain other than that. I put the ring on her left middle finger. It fit perfectly.
“Give your hand a wave and say movina,” Richard commanded.
I gave my hand a stiff wave and said, “Movina!” a green jet of fire shot out from the finger that I had put the Ring on and hit the ceiling, leaving a black scorch mark. I gasped and apologized.
“Not that one, apparently,” Richard said with a careless laugh. He pulled out another green ring with fewer crystals and handed it to me. i pulled the first ring off and handed it back. Once I had put this ring on, Richard said, “Wave your hand again but this time say Secaort.”
I waved, this time more naturally, and said “Secaort!” nothing happened. Slightly worried, I glanced at Richard.
“That’s not the one, apparently,” he said breezily, selecting another of the rings.
I instantly fell in love with this ring. i thought it was beautiful – possibly the most beautiful ring in the entire store. It was a beautiful ring. Lavender colored metal laced around about twenty-five tiny crystals. I knew that this ring was made for me. I could feel it.
Carefully slipping it on my finger, I looked at Richard. A smile was playing at the corners of his mouth. Maybe he could tell that this was the right ring too.
“This time say avliet,” Richard said softly.
“Avliet,” I said, almost whispering. A beautiful parakeet formed in the air where I had waved. This ring worked for me.
“Looks like we have a winner,” Richard boomed. He was very happy about this sale. Perhaps the ring was special. “That is a very powerful ring. I haven’t sold one that powerful in years.” I didn’t know much, but I figured that what he had said was true. The ring was powerful.
We walked out into the main store area. A few people were looking at the jewelry that was in glass cases. A few were trying bracelets on. Myrie pulled out a small wad of cash and handed it to Richard.
“Thank you for your business,” he said politely. He drifted off to deal with other customers.
“That is a very nice ring,” Myrie mused as we made our way to the voetu. “It is more than three times more powerful as mine.” I unconsciously looked at Myrie's middle left finger. Myrie's ring had fewer crystals. She only had six.
“What does it mean?” I asked. Myrie sighed.
“It means that you are probably the most powerful Magic in over five hundred years,” Myrie said. I blacked out, overwhelmed by this fact.