Shikome Gate Academy Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Childhood

         It was a cold night the snow a radiant blue beneath the light of the full moon, giving the impression that winter would never end. The day had been long and full of excitement for the Callahan family, after doing the usual holiday shopping and site seeing. The family gathered in the living room, watching the fire in the old stone heart; on the mantel above hung the five stockings. Mother stood before the Christmas tree putting the last touches on it. At this moment she was holding a crystal ornament that held the memory of the first time that I had played in the snow. It was just before my second birthday, I lay down in the snow waving my arms, to make a snow angel. Then laughing dad picked up some of the snow and made it dance in the air as I run through it laughing even harder than before.
         My eyes wander to my brother and sister who waited for the right time to steal one of five remaining cookies that were on the large oval plate in front of them on the old oak coffee table. Elizabeth playing with her long brown hair, so as to hide the movements of her eyes as she tracked father. Arron biting his lip as he tries to focus on the puzzle in between him and our sister; moving now and again to seem detracted. Even though they knew that father was watching them over his favorite book, his deep blue eyes filled with humor. It was a game they played whenever mom made her special holiday cookies. The only rule was that if you got caught you had to do something silly, like spin around and say “Peter picked a peck of pickle peppers” three times fast then you could eat the cookie you had gotten from the plate. However, if you didn’t get caught the watcher; Dad; had to do something equally silly. Though it was father who did most of the silly things, making the whole family laugh with delight. As he portended to be a dog, or cat rolling on the ground, as the twins pet him or rode on his back like a horse laughing the whole time.
         These cookies were always put in the shapes that best represented the holiday, from the decorated Christmas tree to snowflakes. All of the five remaining cookies were Christmas trees with a star at the top and at least five gumdrop ornaments. Though it was to be expected the holiday of Christmas was a treasure-chest for young kids. As for Arron and Elizabeth it was especially so, our family had finally come together after being separated for four months. Father was a traveling business man who was always on the road for some reason or another; but, he had made it a point to be home whenever he could and always on the holiday’s if possible. He never talked of his work though, outside of a few vague words, he just wanted to enjoy the time spent with his family, always warm spirited, pleased for his family and to have returned home. Though I could tell that the work was catching up to him. As his hair turned peppery with strands of gray.
         I’m the eldest, my name is William, I also came home for the holidays from school. I was a gifted young sorcerer who was deemed a genius by both his teachers and peers alike. The first student who had ever beaten the student Council president in the Shikome Gate Academy’s team ranking battle his first year at the academy. Consequently, I became the new student Council President but due to my age and overall grade I’d been forced to pay a steep price both academically and socially. Though in the end I emerged unscathed and no one has dared to challenge me for the last two years, fearing that to fight me was to admit defeat. I wasn’t a mean person but I was often cold to my opponent defeating them in no more than four moves on average.
         But now I’m home as happy and cheery as ever, enjoying the glow of my family. I was uneasy but couldn’t tell why the day had been calm and each event went off without any problems and still I felt that something was wrong. So without a point to focus the feeling I ignored it, in order to enjoy my time with my family. I had felt it then, but didn’t know that it was the last time I would see my parents alive.
         The evening was winding down as the family sat around the warm fire burning in the fireplace giving the room a warm light that matched the moment we shared. We were all unaware of the looming danger outside slowly closing in. As father finished reading the winter’s tale, he sent us off to bed as he and mom lay cuddling in the living room. It was near midnight now the clouds had role in blocking the light from the moon giving the land outside eerier shadows as the snow began to fall again with wind that could send chills through even the dead. But the house remained warm and comforting.
         “Panta annon,” an assassin whispered as he and two others approached the warmly lit door at the end of the cobblestone street. Each had a black cloak pulled low over their faces hiding them in shadow. They'd been hired to do a simple job, all they have to do was kill a traveling businessman, his wife and three kids, and the job would be over. All of them, disliked the fact that they had to kill children but the money was too good, way to good and only a fool would turn it down they reasoned. So they had been watching the house for the last two weeks waiting for the right moment to strike, it had come. All three were now inside the house moving with the grace of all predators when closing in. The only disturbance was a small draft as the door was opened, subtle but not enough to convey a state of emergency. The fire in the living room had died down to a pile of burning embers filling the room with both heat and eerie light, which cased strange shadows around the room. Two assassins walked silently into the room draggers drawn. The two victims only had a moment’s view of their silent attackers but these men were professionals and before they could raise the state of awareness, they were dead. Our parents had placed too much trust in their magical barrier that they had ignored the warning signs they were so eager to find and yet so eager to dismiss. In the end it didn’t matter they were now paying for it, their family would paying for it. The assassins quietly rested their victims on the couch making sure they would not fall to the ground as they pulled out their now blood-soaked weapons. The smell of blood rose to meet them, along with a sense of black mist filling the house without the resisted being aware of their misfortune.
         William woke up in a cold sweat, the fear that struck him was as unreal as the uneasy feeling he had; now gripped him again with a renewed strength. “Move, damn it, move,” his mind screamed. He didn't know why but he couldn't move. His body was stiff under the warm blankets but still his mind screamed for him to move, he could only fine the strength to move his head and as he did so he saw the man in his doorway. Finally, understanding his discomfort he watched as the assassin cloaked black walked slowly forward. His blood-soaked sword gleamed in the still night. William knew without knowing how what happened, his parents had been killed or his sister or brother and maybe all four but it didn't matter now the assassins wouldn’t let him, live. There was only one chores of action if he wanted a chance to live he needed to fight. If there was ever a time to be a cold opponent, it was now. The assassin lunged aware his presents was known and swung his sword at his pray. William snatched his wand off his bed side table, as he rolled swiftly out of his bed; using his blankets as cover, just missing the blade of his to be killer as it cut clean through the cloth. As he did so he felt a surge of power, however there was no time to question why he felt this power, he summoned his sword, the assassin had made a full wing, his blood intent burning in his eyes. “Mori megil naur,” the assassin growled as this sword made contact with William’s, black flame roaring against his victim, he wouldn’t allow some high school kid to make a fool of him.
         The energy that William felt was small though he knew that the attack was anything but small. Throwing him back out into the hallway and through the adjacent wall. The pain was nearly blinding as he fell to the floor fighting to stay conscious. It was only for a moment but he thought he had heard a scream, a young girl’s scream. He knew that he couldn’t make it to her in time, the noise may have woken her but it wouldn’t have scared her enough to make her scream, there was another assassin here. The assassin wouldn’t have come alone not if he were to have more than one target. Now enraged and stumbling to his feet he swore to himself that he would be next to his younger brother and sister as soon as possible, if only to be there for the last few moments of their lives.
         He burst through the rubble, tears flowing from his eyes only one goal driving him forward; getting to his remaining family and killing any assassin that got in his way even if it took his own life he would be there for them, nothing else mattered. “kalina megil alu,” William screamed the assassin wasn’t expecting the strike though surprised he managed to block the attack, just barely. He was then thrown back through the same wall William had been just moments before and through the stones fire place, landing on the kitchen floor. As the assassin was recovering from the blow William burst into his view and before the other man could react a swift move of the boy’s sword sent the assassins head rolling across the floor to landing into a section of the rumble that was now burning. William’s head was spinning, his only wound was a rather deep slash on his right arm, but that couldn’t account for what he was feeling could it. Or was it because he’d just killed a man in cold blood.
         In any case it would have to wait, he needed to get to his brother and sister now, maybe he could save it least one of them, he hoped. Running to his younger sister’s room, the ringing in his head subsiding enough to alert him to how quite it had become. His hope died as dread took over, the remaining assassin or assassins had done their job and were now free to hunt him. But something felt wrong, the man’s accomplice shouldn’t have had a problems in killing the kids and should have come to kill him by now, if not to save his coworker. The twins didn’t know how to use magic and without it even if they had seen the assassin, they wouldn’t have had any kind of defense. Even if they had attended their first year at Shikome Gate Academy they would be no match for a full grown man with just the basics in killing. William turned the corner as chills ran down his spine, stopping in disbelief, the hallway that was to continue first by Elizabeth bedroom then Akihiro’s was gone.
         One assassin was in the wall adjacent to their rooms, six clear ice spikes plunged through his head, chest, hands and feet, his face showing plain shock; blood flowing down into a circular compression, that seemed to start at his feet and continued out another 20 feet. At the site of this William became pale, his mind racing with a thousand questions that he couldn’t being to understand. Snow was still coming down now, making its way into the destroyed house. William moved slowly as he went forward more stunned than cautious, as he peered around what was left of the hallway wall. He was horror struck when he saw his sister leaning again the remaining wall of her bedroom; her arms loose by her sides, legs out stretched towards the destroy floor boards. She wasn’t moving or trying to keep warm. William ran for her forgetting that an assassin could be nearby falling to the newly compressed earth in his hast, as in the corner of his eye he saw a spark of light. He turned to face it raising his sword to block an incoming attack. But, it didn’t come, William waited a few moments listening as the cold winds ran through him, then called out, “Why are you… Why are you here?!”
         A figure stood in the middle of the compressed earth unmoving, but looking down at something. William thought he could see a hand at the figures feet. William was crying now anger and sorrow swirled together, he waited as a voice he thought he’d never hear again came to him; part sobbing and screaming, “What happen William, why is there blood all over me?! Why is there blood?!!!” Arron’s terrified and despair filled voice said, as the figure fell to its knees splashing in blood.
         Now William walked cautiously toward the figure in the center of the compression, as he got closer the smell of blood became sickening, but William didn’t care as he looked upon his younger brother who had called to him. Feeling silly for thinking that some assassin would use both of his siblings to lure him into a trap; all that was needed was one of them to distract him, “You’re a fool.” He saw for the first time how his brother survived the attack; his hair had turn as white as the falling snow, though it was hard to tell with all the crimson blood soaking his hair, the sign of premature activation of magic power without the summoning of a familiar. “Come on, Arron, we have to go now, it isn’t safe here,” William said calmly as tears of joy came down his face hoping that his sister was still alive as well, as he got to the edge of the pool of blood.
         A sudden wave of panic came over him as he noticed the glow of fire coming from the house. He knew they needed to leave and fast. It wouldn’t take long before people came to see what had happened. The flames acting as a beacon though the explosion that had killed the last assassin would have notified everyone within a mile of the house. William ran into the warm but rapidly cooling blood and grabbed his brother by the arm, pulling him along as they ran to their sister still by the wall large flames burning above her. He finally saw that she was not hurt, but her hair had also turned white, with the haunted expression of one who has seen too much. It was the best William could have asked for out of the events of the night, much had been taken from them, but their lives were spared in the end.
         Though the relief would be short lived, there was, no way that they could remain together at least for the time being. William knew that, he also knew their memories would have to be swiped clean. But why and how did he know this? Why would they need to forget their family and friends to hide, there seemed no point to this what propose could it serve now. Currently he understood why the events of tonight needed to by erased, but still why would all of their memories need to go, it didn’t matter right now he would have time to sort it out later. He had only gone fifty yards from the now burning house when he remembered a key that his father always had around his neck. It was a teleport key though he never let anyone else use it. Father had said, “This key is very important, it helps me move around to places you can’t go to yet. But maybe when you’re older I will show you where it takes me.”
         Now that key was calling to him to take it and run, it would be the fastest way out, where it lead didn’t matter. “Go back, get the key! Go back!!!” William head was throbbing as the words echoed in his head. He had just about enough torment from this night to last a life time and now he needed to face the last of the night’s horrors. It was a frosted move as his body moved more robotically by the passing second, he set the twins down under the large pine tree just a few feet away from where he had stopped then ran back into the house to his dead parents and to the key he now needed. Making another set of bloody foot prints in the snow as he ran.
         The site of his parents was just as revolting as he had imagined and perhaps worse than he had. A burning wood beam had fallen on the leather couch his parents had been laying on. Eliminating their shocked faces and the stabs on their chest as it also burned what had remained of them, William didn’t waste any time; numb from both the overall shock and the desire to save what was left of his family. He could see the key hanging from his father’s neck and grabbed it, ignoring the pain from the burned metal as he ran back outside. His brother and sister were now facing the full cold of the blizzard, one look at them and he knew they wouldn’t last long. So, he picked them both up holding them close as he opened the portal to a place he didn’t even know himself hoping that he had put enough power into the key to make it stable and stepped through not looking back at the life me once had.
         ‘It’s warm,’ that was the first thing that came to his mind when he was through the portal. It wasn’t much to go on but it was something. The room was dark but it was possible to see a few shapes as his eyes adjusted to the light. It seemed that they were in a chapel; it wasn’t big but the stone was welcoming for now, it was far better than the storm. William cautiously set the twins on one of the many benches lining the chapel. They were shaking violently now as he tried to find something that would warm them up. Himself not in such good shape ether his clothes had been torn, burn and what remained was covered in blood. As he looked around the dark room that was becoming more and more visible, he was oblivious to the sound of other footsteps in the room.
         An old man’s voice called out, “Oh, what… No, it can’t be...” William’s body went stiff as the words came to his ears, his grip on the sword he had forgotten about, tautened. The voice it’s self didn’t give him the impression that the man would to try and kill him or his family; it somehow sounded familiar to him but with all that had happened that night he couldn’t help himself.
         “What are you, here for!?” William heard himself say as cold as the night he had just left, as he rushed back towards the twins to take up position between them and the new comer.
         “Well… I am Father Abe Yukio, a close friend of your fathers, William, so please let me help you and your siblings… Or we will have more bloodshed tonight, and I won’t be able to protect any of you.” The voice was shook but calm as the man looked between William and the twins flickers of light dancing on his glasses.
         The preacher took off his overcoat and held it out to William. He looked at the offered coat and hesitated not sure whether to trust the man or not. But when William heard the whimpers behind him he gave in and took the coat dropping the sword to the grown so as to use his good hand.          “Please, Father help us.”
         The preacher nodded of his head, “Yes, I will child, there are also things I know about your families past that you need to know, but first we need to be sure that you and the young ones are out of harm’s way. Come with me, we need to leave.”
         The preacher gestured towards the large oak doors on the other side of the room. “It will not be good to stay here with your ora filling the room, connected to the home you just left. The people who are looking to kill you will try to track it.” Father Abe said tiredly as he made his way to the door digging through his pockets as he did so.
         William grudgingly picked up the twins and quickly followed the man through the doors, into a room that was much smaller than the chapel hall. It didn’t even seem to be part of the same building. Did we just use another teleport key?
         The room was a kitchen a warm glowing fire burning off to one side and oak wood beams overhead closely resembling his old home. The large oak door didn’t belong in this place as it may have been the door looked somehow comfortable in the room but the room seemed uncomfortable with the door. But as the door closed it morphed into a smaller door that matched the kitchens warm style. William didn’t even know if they were in the same building or even the same country, but that didn’t matter, if it were safe he would have gone to a different realm.
         Is it safe here? William tried to ask calmly. The only thing he could accomplish was the word, “safe?” The preacher looked back over his glasses, his eye a rich green turned hassle by the glow of the fire, they were sad eye that spoke only of truth.
         “Yes, it’s safe here, your inexperience with the port key helped quite a bit. They won’t be able to pick up the scent of my magic with your power overwhelming the area, that’s one of the reasons… your father never taught you.” The older man’s voice wavered as he spoke the last words. Knowing that mentioning the parent who was no more would be like a punch to the gut, he paused a moment and looked at the tariffed boy standing in front of him, then pointed to a chair, “Would you like a seat, we need to go over what must be done if you and your siblings are to survive. I will get us some tea and blankets for the three of you. Please put the twins on the couch near the fire, I’ll give you the blankets in a minute.”
         William watched as the preacher left the kitchen, Great what have I done? We’re now at the mercy of some preacher. William’s arms began to ace and thought he didn’t want to let go of his siblings he followed Father Abe’s instructions as he came back into the room three blankets in one arm and a medical kit in the other.
         “Would you like me to rap them up or would you like to do it?”
         “I’ll do it.” William snapped taking a few long strides and grabbing the blankets from the other man. As he did a spike of pain ran through his burned hand. Father Abe let the boy take the blankets and sat down at the table making sure to push the other chair out for William.
         “After your done take a seat and we’ll see about patching your wounds.” Father Abe said coldly then sighed fighting back his irritation and watched William work. The kids had started to stop shaking and had fallen asleep before Father Abe could help them, but he could see that they would be fine in the long run. For the time being he would have to convince William that the plan he and their parents laid out was the best course of action.
         When William finished with Arron and Elizabeth he turned to the preacher, “How can I trust what you say?”
         Father Abe was expecting the question though not this soon, “Well, what reason do you have not to trust me?” William thought for a moment and went he didn’t answer the preacher continued. “The fact of the matter is that your parents and I have setup a plan for this event if it ever happened. Though when we did, we had though one of them would have been able to come with the three of you. Did they send you through the portal with any instructions?”
         “No…” William’s voice cracked, “They died before they knew what was happening.”
         “I see. Well I can’t think of a way I could prove what I say to you but what I can do is make a blood oath with you.”
         “A blood oath? What good would that do?”
“Well, a blood oath would bind me to the oath made on pain of death. So in other ways if I made an oath to do everything in my power to protected your siblings and failed to do so I would die.” The preacher looked straight into William’s eyes as he spoke his voice calm as ever. “I’ve made one with your parents as well. And though they are no more the oath still applies. But as you are of legal age it no longer applies to you.”
         “So what you’re saying is that the blood oath you made with my parents applies to the twins but not me? And that your willing to make a blood oath with me to protect what remains of my family.”
         “Yes.”
         “Why?”
         “Because I believe that it is the only way I can for fill your parents last wishes with your trust.”
         William thought about the preacher’s words as he watched the man put a healing potion on his hand then rap it in white cloth. After which Abe handed the bottle over to William for his own use.

(Authors note: I still need to edit the story past this point. But any feedback is welcome.)

         As he sat down he finally let go of the sword he carried letting it drop to the floor with a clattering thud. His hand was stiff but reluctant to let go as the pressure of the night slowly lifted off his mind his over hand, however, now burned violently as the burns from grabbing the key were remembered. The old preach came back with a tray of tea and snacks only to be looked at but not touched by either man. “We need to put all three of who in hiding, and your father had asked for my help in the matter.” He stated coldly, as the tray was put on the table beside them. “We don’t have the time to disagree on these matters, so I will state the facts as they are…” he stopped then added, “I know that this must be a lot for you to take in, I’m sorry, for that. But in the current situation we have no time. We need to break you guys up and only you can know of their identity. As you are the only one of them with be able to keep quiet, do you understand what I am saying, William.” He stopped again this time looking for an answer. “I know, I always knew…” William stated dryly as his voice trailed off to silences, he knew it from the beginning he didn’t know how but he knew. The eases that it took for him to say that sicken him, but he had nothing left, he had to protect them now.
         “So, I am sorry to say that we needed to erase their memories of you and your family they needed to forget…” this time it was the preachers turn to be hit with sorrow, as the weight of his words hit them both.
         They wait for a moment then without hesitation William asked, “How will we do it?” His eyes were clear now and so was his mind he would do what he had to. The spells only took a few moments and then with tears in his eyes William left, not to be heard from again until the time was right. He would never forgive the old preacher for speaking the truth about what had to happen, but end the end he would never be out of touch with them at least in spirit. His sister would find a home in the Katō household as the only child, of a rich family. She would be cared for as if she were their-own, to them she would be the first child. But for his brother life would not be so sweat the preacher made it clear. That by prematurely using his magic powers was a problem when looking for adopting parents though they want to help and love a child. They don’t what to have a child that could possibly out power them. This was not the case with girls however because girls tend to use their powers prematurely when they are afraid or wish to protect something they hold dear to them. While the boys look for way to fight and look cool. So he would most like be in the care of the crunch from that day on. But William was a soured that he would be well taken care of under the watchful eyes of Father Abe and to be well tempered by the time he reached high school. The preacher agreed to do his best and to put him in the Shikome Gate Academy’s enrollment list when he came of age. “It will be hard on all of us to get passed this night,” Father Abe said swiftly as William was heading out the door into the night, he paused then added, “Be sure in be someone of interest when Arron and Elizabeth get there. So as to be able to help them with anything they may need.” William snapped back, “I plan to be at the highest level, whether you tell me to or not!!!” And with that he left, leave his brother and sister behind. He was at least able to give them the best possible change and the last name of Kobayashi to his brother who would have the hardest time of getting to know himself, among the other kids at the orphanage.
         It was a hard life but Arron grow accustom to it though the pain of not having a family to call his own took its toll on him as he watched his friends come and go like the summer breeze. Do to this he played countless pranks on just about everyone, though he never harmed anyone no matter how mad he got at them. But as for a student he was average and Father Abe never let them slip when it came to school, often making him sit at a desk to study throughout the night.
         It was clear to everyone that saw him that he had used his power in a big way. Aside from the fact that his hair was as white as snow, he had two restrictors on his arms that were just about four times larger than those put on other kids to prevent their power from leaking out. Some even said they could feel some kind of black stain around him.
So when it was time to see what kind of power level the graduating middle school student had, they didn’t bother taking the restrictors off his arms. Claiming that it was clear that he had to be ranted among the highest level of spell caster anyway and that the test was just a formality that they had to preform just to satisfy the schools requirements.
         “Why are you doing this to me? I’ve failed most of the test already, because of these stupid thing on my arms. Can’t we just take them off for the test?” Arron wined as he looked at the metal ball the size of his fist.
         “No, we can’t do that,” the test instructor drone, “But, you’ll pass anyway, as we understand your handy-cap on your magic. Just more the ball and hold it for as long as you can.”
         “It’s pointless these restrictors make it just about impossible to do anything,” snapped Arron as he held out his arms to the instructor as if to emphasize his point.
         “Well that can’t be helped but do what you can and I’ll be the judge,” the instructor add in the same drone as before.
         Giving in to the instructor Arron tried to move the ball but was only able to move it about inches off the ground do to the restrictor’s failing yet another test though he was passed with high marks according to all the test