Molward Academy. The finest institution for boys wishing to learn the magic arts. Only the best and the brightest are allowed in, showing proficiency in at least four areas of study. Tuition is quite high, though for the rich boys that apply, money is hardly an issue. The academy itself is a massive, sprawling campus filled with ancient stone buildings, enormous gardens, and a spacious view of the mountains. For those lucky few who were accepted, they would embark on a journey of learning that would prepare them for an exciting career in a burgeoning field that few were privileged enough to learn.
In a nutshell, that was what the boys applying for Molward were told. Getting into Molward was all but impossible for anyone outside of the higher class. Money wasn't the only problem. Magic is a relatively new branch of learning, thought for centuries to be nothing more than tricks and sleight of hand, true magic artifacts had been found, among them the Veneficus Libri, a master book of magic containing all known spells, potions, charms, and other forms of magic. With this book, a whole new branch of study was begun. Due to the dangerous and powerful nature of magic, however, only a select few were being taught it. If you weren't from one of the best high schools in the country you wouldn't even be able to so much as look at a lesser book of magic. If you weren't allowed to study, there was no way you'd be able to score high enough on any off the tests to get into Molward.
However, our story isn't about Molward's history or about the world at large. Rather, it's about a small group of four boys, roommates as fate would have it, who are about to change the destiny of the very world they live upon.
"I. Hate. Charms." Calvin said as he threw his backpack carelessly into the corner before collapsing on the couch.
Eli looked up from his book and said, "I told you to study harder for the test you know. This is what you get for just lazing around all day."
"Eli, have a heart! I wasn't lazing around! I was...observing the rugby team." Calvin said, grinning slightly as he looked over at Eli.
Eli pushed his glasses up and sighed. "Must be nice not having to worry about getting passing grades...Some of us have scholarships to maintain."
Calvin turned over on the couch and said, "Yeah, you're the first guy to ever come to this school who wasn't rich! You must really want to learn magic."
"Well...yeah!" Eli said, closing his book and setting it aside. "Magicians are paid huge amounts of money for their work! My family needs all the money it can get right now..."
Eli drooped as he stared pensively at the table, picking at it slightly. He seemed so out of place amongst the lavish dorm room. It was furnished with a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, and a huge bathroom, though it came at the cost of a single bedroom, shared between four boys. None of the boys minded at all. They had all gotten to know each other within the week and had become fast friends, though they were all completely different. Eli was small, quiet, and studious. His hair was brown and somewhat shaggy, always in a state of disarray from staying up until all hours of the night studying. He had large round, thin framed glasses, hiding his strangely grey eyes, that always tended to droop down to the end of his nose, looking entirely too big for his face. His uniform was shabby and patched, not to mention three sizes too big for his small, frail body. He had had to roll up the sleeves of his shirt and pants several times just to be able to use his hands! Everything about him was weak and runty but he was the nicest guy you could hope to meet.
Calvin, by contrast, was tall and athletic. His uniform was immaculate and his blonde hair was short and orderly, the bangs hanging just slightly over his stunning blue eyes. He came from a particularly wealthy family and had never had to work hard a single day in his life and because of this he was quite lazy and completely laid back. He also had a certain...taste for bigger, stronger men and would spend all the time he could watching the various sports teams practice on the fields. He was never coy about his likes and wore his heart on his sleeve. If anyone teased him or mocked him his whole demeanor would change, taking on an air of authority, usually intimidating the coward who taunted him completely. Of course, when he couldn't, he could always rely on Vincent to help.
Vincent was the biggest of the four, standing at near seven feet tall with a near body builders build, his clothes always seemed to be far too tight, accentuating every bulging curve of his body. He wasn't as smart as the others but he made up for it in sheer determination, often studying with Eli to keep his grades up. His nature was gentle despite his size and he always tried to help people when they needed it. When they had first met Calvin had flirted with him endlessly but Vincent never really caught on to Calvin's interest and the blonde had quickly given up hope, settling for admiring from afar. Vincent's hair was black and incredibly short, spiking slightly in the front. His eyes were a bright green and a smile was almost always on his face. When he wasn't hanging out with Eli to study or when the boys were not all hanging out together, Vincent spent a lot of time with Alec.
Alec was taller than Eli, though only by a foot, putting him at the second smallest in the group, but he had more confidence packed inside him than the rest of the school combined. His hair was a flaming red while his eyes were a dark brown. He always seemed to be grinning, was always up for a challenge, and never backed down from anyone or anything. He had a small splash of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and his body was severely bulky, the size of his muscles attempting to make up for his lack of height. Alec was a bit of a loudmouth and cocky to the extreme, not to mention incredibly competitive, but he also had a fierce loyalty towards his friends, always defending them...except for when he was playfully playing tricks on them or showing off. Eli had many stories about how he had been innocently studying, only to be suddenly dragged out of his seat an into the air, Alex bench pressing him over his head like he weighed nothing.
Calvin was about to speak some words of encouragement, though he wasn't very good at it and always got uncomfortable when Eli mentioned his poorer roots, feeling guilty even though it wasn't his fault Eli didn't have much money, when the door suddenly banged open and Alec walked in, Vincent ducking down and squeezing in after him. Calvin leaped up and said, "Vincent! There you are!"
He ran forward and hugged his bigger friend, Vincent giving him a tight bear hug right back, a smile on his face. "You're always so happy to see me Calvin. It's like coming home to a puppy!"
Calvin winked and said, "You bring out the best in me big guy."
Alec rolled his eyes and sat down at the table, opposite Eli. "Hey, Eli, you're smart right? Take a look at this!"
He tossed a huge leather bound book onto the table, sending several of Eli's notes flying to the floor. Eli sighed and pulled the book closer. The sooner he looked at this, the sooner he could get back to studying. His eyes widened as he read the title. "Alec...where did you get this?"
"Found it in the library and nicked it when no one was looking!" He said with a grin. "That old librarian never lets me check out anything cool so I didn't even bother to try this time. What is it?"
"This...is a really, really rare book of spells!" Eli said, opening it up and turning the pages carefully. "It's second only to the Veneficus Libri!"
"Woah...you'd think they'd keep that under glass or something." Alec said, shrugging. "What sort of spells are in there?"
"Well, it has almost anything you can think of! Spells of invisibility, of transformation, charms, potions, spells to change the body, spells to--"
"Wait a minute! Change the body? What do you mean by that?" Alec asked, jumping up and rushing over to Eli's side of the table to look at the book.
"Um...spells to change the body. Improve strength, increase height, change features, things like that." Eli said warily.
Alec grinned and said, "Oh man! That's awesome! Hey! Use one to make me taller! You're good at spells!"
"I don't know...it could be dangerous!" Eli protested.
"Come on! What's the worst that could happen?" Alec pushed. Calvin and Vincent, hearing this discussion, walked over.
"Give it a try Eli. At worst you could end up making Alec explode and then at least he'd be quiet." Calvin teased.
Alec chose to ignore that statement, for now, and said, "Come on Eli! Go for it!"
Eli sighed and turned a few more pages, finding the spell to increase height. "Okay...I'll try! But don't be mad at me if something goes wrong!"
He read the spell, holding his hand up, energy gathering into the palm of his hand. When the spell was done the energy discharged, sending sparkles over the four men. They waited...nothing seemed to happen. Just when Alec was about to demand Eli try again, something began to change!
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