Chapter 4

Virtial was still worried about Jem after the visit to his house. It was all he could think about as he headed to school the next day. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the father was doing something to Jem, he knew what could be happening but he couldn’t pin something on someone.

Virtial was distracted as he walked into the Academy on First’s Day. When he got to his locker he was exchanging books he would need that day with books he didn’t need. When he closed the door and turned to go to his first class, mathematics. Apparently he wasn’t the only one distracted that morning, because the minute his locker door closed, someone ran into him.

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” said the voice. Virtial picked up a book the person dropped. When he looked up his heart nearly stopped. The person he was looking at was probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her hair was a light brown the hung down to her shoulders and curled at the end, he features were soft a subtle, right in that moment time stopped.

“Um….Do you want to give my book back?” The girl said

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Virtial, embarrassed, gave the book back. “My name’s Virtial, by the way. You new here? I haven’t seen you before.”

“Yeah my names Jocasta, just moved here from Wrolen Pointe on the other side of the Empire. It’s nice to meet you.” She said. She was quite intrigued by Virtial as well.

“What’s your first class?” Virtial asked.

“Math actually” Jocasta said.

“Mine too, are you able to come with me?”

“Sure I was going to hit up my locker but I don’t know where math is. Probably important to get to class rather than worrying about my stuff.”

So Jocasta went with Virtial to math. When the bell rung and math was over, that was one of the times Virtial wished the Math would last longer.

“Thanks for helping me find the class.” Said Jocasta bidding Virtial goodbye.

“Look, let’s do this again. Okay?” Virtial asked.

“Of course” Was the short response. The pair held the stare for a little longer than comfortable. Then they went their separate ways to their classes.

Virtial couldn’t focus all day. Between Jem and Jocasta he just couldn’t bring himself to concentrate on the items that were in front of him.

Virtial was by his locker when he saw Jocasta walk by him.

“Look,” He said ”If you don’t mind I could show you around town.”

“Sure!” Jocasta replied enthusiastically.

“Then grab the rest of your stuff and we can go.”

“Oh, are we going by car or foot?” Asked Jocasta.

“By foot to my house, then by car.”

“Then let’s get going.” So Virtial and Jocasta went out on the town so he could show her around. Ulian was a larger city, and evidence could be found of that as Virtial and Jocasta were speeding down the central highway to the center of the city.

“Yeah, so this is Ulian.” Virtial explained. They drove past tthe west district the skirted the central district.

“Wow, I haven’t really bothered to look around.” Jocasta looked amazed,”I thought that Ulian was a smaller town, I didn’t imagine it being this large.” The city of Ulian had exploded, and what once was a small buisness district had now become a center of a metropolis. Skyscrapers dotted the skyline as the two got closer to the center.

“Well, what did you expect? Staying in the Old District. You don’t see anything!” Said Virtial. Eventually they were in the midst of the bright signs and tall buildings.

“Wow this place is amazing!” Jocasta looked overloaded.

“Yeah, I’m gonna show you my favorite places here,” And so the grand tour of Ulian bagan. They started of by Virtial showing Jocasta the Yare park in the center of the city. They then went and watched some of the many entertainers perform in the government square. After all of this, the sightseeing, they went and grabbed gyros from Virtial’s favorite stall, then Virtial led Jocasta into an abandoned alley and then proceeded to open a door that was so well blended in with the wall, that a person that wasn’t looking for it probably wouldn’t see it.  Then they went up a flight of steps to a balcony high above the ground that had no railing , a building had been built in front of it, on the sign said “Gregorys Gremlins, the tasty snack to eat.”

“Wow.” Jocasta stammered.

“Welcome to my hideout. Probably not the most secure place, but I’ve never seen anyone up here.”

“So,” Said Virtial, sitting down,”What is it you’re doing here?”

“My Dad’s military.” Jocasta said, choosing to stand instead of sit.

“Oh...so you move often?”

“Yeah…I don’t really have friends.” Jocasta sat down and their conversation proceed with silence and eating.

“Look..I um..Really enjoyed today.” Jocasta said. “You’ve been the most amazing person at school lately. Little did I know I would be sitting on the top of a railing less balcony with a complete stranger, not saying that I don’t like you.” She finished.

“No, totally understood. And you’re welcome.”

“So you seem completely smart. Why aren’t you someplace other than here?” Jocasta asked.

“Because, I hate school. It feels so restricted, like they’ll make me learn what they want me to learn, even if I don’t like it.

“But you’re good at it.”

“I know I am. i just...I’ll learn what I want to learn, not what they make me learn.”

“Gotcha.”

“I better take you home before your parents think i kidnapped you.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.” So Virtial and Jocasta made their way back to the car park. Then they headed back to Jocasta’s home, talking about life and Wrelin, the city where Jocasta was from. Virtial was disappointed for the second time that day.

“Look, here’s my number.” Jocasta gave Virtial her number.

“Thanks. Jocasta?”

“Yeah…”

“I...Hope you have a good day.” virtial had almost slipped and said he loved her.

“You, too.”

He then watched her go inside, with her long brown hair streaming behind her. He just wanted to grab her and kiss her, make her feel like she had a friend. But instead he just watched her go, open the door, and walk inside. He felt more unfocused than ever. But then something seemed to click. He didn;t know if it was sub-conscience or his guts.

Something was wrong with Jem.

Chapter 3

    The pitter patter woke Virtial upon Young’s Day, the day in which almost everyone stayed off work as to keep young. He rose from his bed and looked out the window of his room. The day was bleak and grey with very little blue sky to it. Virtial found himself cold, so he conjured up a fire in his hand and kept it close to his body. As he looked out he looked out the window, a thunderbolt streaked across the sky. Some of the greatest wizards had used thunderbolts to charge themselves for difficult battles throughout history, like Smyth in his duel against the 500, he took the bolt and used it to restore himself and heal his wounds. Lightning bolts were as magical as you could get.

Then out of know where, a pigeon came in a hit the window, it was carrying a note in it’s beak. Virtial opened the window, the pigeon gave Virtial the note, on it was scrawled,

                    Dear Virtial,

            Come over, I have something to tell you.

                                        Jem H.

    Virtial stretch his arms up into the air, extinguishing the fire he had just conjured. And he then proceeded to get dressed and go down his stairs to the main floor. His mother came around the corner.

    “Well where are you off to Mr. Rabbit?, Hot date? She said with a smirk.

    “No just seeing someone.” Virtial went out the front door as his mom looked shocked that Virtial was actually going to see someone.

    Virtial made his way to the house that Jem lived in, it looked nearly identical to Virtial’s, save that the windows were painted a bright red and there were geraniums instead of the roses that were in Virtial’s front yard. When Virtual knocked on the door Jem answered.

    “Hey, come in really fast. I want to show you what I learned.”

    Virtial was practically dragged up the stairs by Jem as Jem took him to his room. Once they made it to Jem's room, Virtial looked around. The first thought that came into Virtial’s head was “Generic”. The walls were painted gray, the bedspread was white and there was a dresser with a small mirror in the corner, it almost looked sort of sad. The room was strewn with rubber bouncing balls.

    “Watch.” Was all Jem said. “Levi.” he muttered, his focus on a small rainbow colored ball in the middle of the room. All the sudden the ball started to float above the ground, higher and higher and higher.  Jem’s concentration was incredible his mind was on nothing except for the spell he was casting. Then the ball started spinning faster and faster, faster… The Jems concentration could no longer hold the ball in place. The ball leaped from Jem’s spell and bounced around the room, onto the ceiling and then onto Jem’s hardwood floor. It landed on a vase on the dresser, breaking it with a crash. Virtial focused on the ball and used the same spell Jem had, levitating the ball in mid-air. The room stayed quiet for a moment as Virtial focused on slowing down the momentum of the ball, then he let it drop to the floor. “Everything seemed more still when a bouncy ball isn’t about to kill you.” Virtial thought. Jem looked down, looking devastated.

    “I knew that would happen.” He said, “I’m just a wizard that can’t do magic.” And then he proceeded to collapse on the ground and start to cry. This cry was different from the cry he had cried yesterday, it was one full of disappointment and sadness. Not one of dejection and strife.

“Hey look,” Said Virtial,”It’s okay, you just were a little excited and not completely focused. I’m sure you’re able to cast that spell all the time.” He finished.

“Yeah, but the issue is,” Said Jem,”I just learned that spell a few days ago, I'm not like the other kids who learn magic in their schools. My parents keep me at home so that way I can’t learn. I smuggled out a book a few day ago from an old ladies house, I help her out you know. So I learned the first spell in book. Apparently though, I can’t do magic. My parents were right.” Virtial was shocked, all kids usually went to school to learn the magic arts. Some were more inclined to it than others, but all were usually able to do it, unless you came from a non magic dimension...but even then…

“So you haven't learned anything about magic?” Said Virtial.

“None.” Jem said.

“Well then we’re going to have to fix that.” Virtial said.

“How?”

“By me teaching you how to do magic.” Was the firm answer.

“But my parents…”

“You’re parents don’t know anything,” Virtial said angry,”They’re destroying your opportunities to get started in the world!” Virtial then got up and said “So where is the book you’ve been learning from?” Jem pointed to a book that was blended in quite smartly  in the bookcase. Virtial went, picked the book up and looked through it. It was filled with basic spells and charms that were usually presented to a 5 year olds class, not a nine year old.  

“Here we’ll start with this, a fire spell.” Virtial started to get into teaching mode. “Now the fire spell is a simple spell but you need to know how to visualize it. When you cast a fire spell you’re literally taking the atoms and speeding them up to create a flame, that’s what you need to visualize when casting the spell. Now the activation word is “Fregro” that’s what you’ll say after you are focused and visualizing the atoms speeding up.” Jem and Virtial practiced the spell for 3 hours that day. Then they practiced another spell, then another and another. By the time they were finished they had worked over 9 hours on spells. It was starting to get dark. By this time Jem had learned about 5 spells, each one getting easier as they went along. Virtial did find it a little odd though that Jem’s parents didn’t show up, this was shattered however when Virtial and Jem heard the front door close. Jem started to panic.

“You need to get out of here now!” He whispered hurriedly putting the book away on the shelf and whisking Virtial toward the window.

“Jem get down here!” A masculine voice called

“What’s wrong?” Virtial asked.

“Just go!” Jem replied

Jem opened the window and practically pushed Virtial out.  Virtial was able to put a foot on the ledge of the house and listen to what was going on inside.

    “Jem what are you doing?” The voice said. Virtial noticed the words were slightly slurred together like the voice had been drinking.

    “Nothing Dad.” Jem hurriedly said. The tension was electric as Virtial, even though he could not see the father, could feel him scanning Jem for lies. The father must have decided that Jem was telling the truth because he soon said,

    “Well, Dinner will be soon so you better get your redhead of yours down there.”The door shut and there was nothing more to it.

    “Virtial, go.” Jem said. So Virtial with a quick goodbye, leapt from the side of the building and used an air spell to cushion his fall. As he walked home, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Jem’s home life was less than ideal. Who would want to keep a kid away from magic? Virtial would soon find out.

Chapter 2

Virtial headed down Linked Street, wallowing in his own misery. He was a failure, no other way to put it. And all he could do was mutter to himself how he would show all of them, every last Dulimer. He walked the the narrow grey cobblestoned street with it’s pristine square lawns and the houses all connected. This was his time to think to himself, nobody else to interfere with him, that would soon, not be the case.

“Heya I’m Jem!” Virtial nearly collapsed with the fright of the sudden voice.

Now in front of Virtial was a little boy whose hair was a somewhat bright somewhat dark shade of red, the hair apparently defied the laws of gravity. The boys features were not extraordinary, round eyes, average nose with freckles the splattered his cheeks.

“Aren't you gonna talk?” Jem asked. Virtial immediately composed himself and soon became angry.

“What the heck dude, what are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?”

“I was just trying to be friendly.” The boy looked on the edge of tears.

“Well go be friendly somewhere else, you, my friend are a creep!” Silence. And then before Virtial’s eyes the red headed boy whose name (if you remember) was Jem, exploded in tears on the side of the cobblestone.

“I-I-I was just t-t-trying to make friends. Mama told me I've been too weird and stayed home to much since we moved.” Jem said sobbing,”But you wouldn’t know what it’s like moving away from the only place you knew and coming to some Ulian city and trying to make f-friends.” And Jem proceeded to collapse on the ground, and sob.

“Hey there, stop please,” Virtial cooed, he felt like an absolute heel.”you’re okay I...I was just scared, I didn't know what to do. So I got angry.” Jem looked up quoting Virtial and said,

“Well then y-you my f-friend are a big fat JERK!” Jem screamed the last word, it was an earsplitting scream that Virtial was immediately very worried by, not because of the fact that the scream was loud, but that scream had a large amount of power to it.

“Look here,” Virtial started, “you need to calm down.” It immediately came to Virtial’s mind. A sleeping spell, not so that the boy would actually fall asleep, but so that  he would calm down.

Virtial put his hand on the boy and muttered “tranquilio” controlling his power to keep the boy from collapsing in the street. But this was soon shattered by the boy punching Virtial in the arm. He had the control, and then it was gone. The boy collapsed in a utterly deep sleep, onto the cobblestone. thanks to the punch, way more energy than average went out of Virtial and into the boy. Even when Virtial tried to wake Jem up, the spell, because of retaliation, was way too strong. Great, now Virtial had an unconscious boy on his hands. Oh joy of joys.

When Jem finally woke up he found himself in Virtial’s room. Virtial, not wanting to get in trouble over the “incident” had simply laid Jem on his bed and waited for Jem to wake up.

Virtial’s room was, in a word, quaint. there was very little to it, apart from the bed with a colorful quilt, a chalkboard on the wall and a plush chair in the corner of the room. Virtial didn’t need much, so he didn't have much.

“Where am I?” said a confused Jem. Virtial looked at him, a little worried to tell what happened. what if the kid happened to tell? What is he let out another one of those screams that were absolutely terrible? What if he told someone? Virtial could be accused of being a kidnapper or one of those people who abuse children.

“Wait...yeah I remember you, you’re that guy who went completely wacko on me!” Jem said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “But what happened? Why am i in your room?”

“Look it’s better if you don’t know” retorted Virtial.

“Then I’ll tell everyone I know about you, starting with my parents.” Dammit, he hit Virtial’s fears right on target . But would he really tell, Virtial wasn’t sure, but better to tell then to have a situation on your hands.

“Fine, you got me. I cast a sleeping spell on you. No, not to knock you out, but to calm you down.” Jem looked at Virtial, and then looked down at the quilt.

“That was the nicest thing anyone’s done for me.” Jem said.

“Done what, knocked you out?” Virtial said surprised.

“No, wanted to do something to help me.”

“Well to be fair kid, I sorta did it for myself.” Said Virtial, slightly flattered however.

“I know that, but you still did something that was aiming to help me. I’m sorry i got in the way and charlie horsed you in the arm, wasn't a good way to repay you was it?” Jem asked

“Well I’ll admit,”Started Virtial,”You didn't hold back."He paused then said, "Are you okay now? Not to like, make you mad or anything, but you seem calmer. If I had just gotten as mad as you did, I would be ready to punch another person once I woke up.”

“Well you see,” began Jem,”I tend to go on what my foster parents call my “rampages”. I get really mad and refuse to calm down. They don't resort to magic though, in fact I don't think I've ever seen them use any magic. They just, throw me in my room and let me rage in there. No hands on help. Nothing.”

“Wow…” said Virtial

“I know. So you doing what you did was awesome. Thanks”

“Hey don’t mention it I should apologize for screaming at you, you have no need to apologize for your rage, I caused it. Along with that, sorry for knocking you out.”

“Thanks. So whatcha doing?” Asked Jem with curiosity.

“Homework.” Was the response.

“Can I watch?”

“Sure.”

“How old are you?

“15. You?”

“9.”

And so began the very unusual relationship between Virtial and his red headed friend, Jem.