(Day 5 Onesday)

  A long, red and white carriage comes to a stop, hovering almost two feet from the ground. The side door opens wide, allowing students to disembark. Teens emerge from the vessel, dressed in black and red school uniforms. Their shoulders are cloaked in elbow-length, enchanted, Red Apprentice cowls… all but one. Among the students from the towns of Fellous and West Wall is LaTao… once again, without her Apprentice Cowl. The bare shoulders of her thick, black jacket cause her to stand out.

  As they step from the carriage, they are greeted by several Adeaus Kingdom soldiers dressed in form-fitting, royal blue uniforms with slate gray borders. The closest is a knight with the same color cloth draped over silver armor. She waves and says, “Happy Onesday, ladies and gentlemen!” denoting the first day of the week.

  “Happy Onesday!” LaTao replies, still smiling after her weekend of adventure with her two best friends. Her walk almost becomes a skip as she hurries through the magical city’s entrance. With a bright and shining smile, LaTao takes a deep breath and admires the beautiful ancient architecture. Crimson brick buildings with ancient bone-white pillars surround her. With doors of dark red mahogany, their jagged spire rooftops poke at the sky.

  She points at three apple cores, sullying the pristine streets. With perfect enunciation, she commands the ethis she feels around her. She raises her arm, and the refuse rises in tandem. With a flick of the wrist, the garbage is flung high toward a trash can forty feet away. With her right arm still raised and wrist bent, she continues to walk and watch as the pollution projectiles arc and fall. The first core flies dead-center of the receptacle. The second nips the rim of the can before falling in. The third, however, soars over her target, hitting the ground a foot beyond it.

  LaTao shrugs it off. A poorly aimed apple core is nowhere near enough to ruin her mood. “No big deal. My aim was perfect yesterday when it counted,” she says with a cocky smile.

  “FSH! FSH! FSH!” she says while pretending to hurl fireballs in different directions. “FOOOM!” LaTao holds a dramatic pose as if having just vanquished a powerful foe. She smirks, imagining her future Red Mage Cape flapping in the wind. With her right hand, she reaches up and mimes straightening out the wide brim of her imaginary Red Mage hat. With her pinky sticking up, she looks around and suddenly notices a few eyes pinned on her.

  Oops!

  She clears her throat and bashfully returns to a normal walk. Once near the receptacle, she uses levitation magic to more carefully dispose of the remaining apple core. She then rubs her hands together as if knocking off dust from a dirty task. She reaches into her bulky hip-pouch and checks to make sure her mother’s scroll rests within. With a giddy giggle, she closes the pouch, anxious to put her plan into action.

  I’m gonna start this week off right!

  ***

  LaTao steps into the far-reaching shadow of the three massive towers at the center of K’Laie. She looks up at the high rising eastern tower. Her home away from home stands before her. Reaching eleven stories high, it towers above every other building in the renowned college of K’Laie. Circling the three grandiose dormitories is a wide road of bone-white and blood-red bricks. The red bricks spell out words in the ancient tongue, protecting the lives within. The enchanted path glows faintly beneath LaTao’s boots.

  She crosses the street onto the bright, bluish-green field growing around and between the three towers. The thick, bouncy grass cushions her every step. If nobody was around, I would SOOOO love to be barefoot right now, she considers, wishing to feel the soft grass between her toes.

  She continues on, walking between the north and south towers on her way to the black, eastern dorm. To her left is the ‘boy’s tower,’ coated in white marble. Its thin lines and waves of scarlet mist are invisible at a distance. To her right, a blood red tower of shimmering marble.

  Centered between the three towers, nine dragons are locked in an eternal battle. Chiseled from stone, each glorious beast stands in frighteningly realistic poses. Each massive marble monster was chiseled long ago with painstaking detail. Some have long, snake-like bodies. Few stand on their hind legs, two of which flex to bare their muscular, human-like chest and arms. Light shines from each open, razor-toothed mouth. The beautiful statues spray water with colors according to the dragon’s type, either from their mouths or hands, as if breathing their elemental attacks in a magnificent, colorful display of art. “This still gives me shivers,” she says with child-like, wide-eyed wonder.

  The fountain beneath the dragons constantly whirls in a gentle clockwise circle. The water entrancingly sparkles from the colorful presentation above and glimmers from the shimmering coins below. The fountain’s floor is coated by a bed of glistening currency from all around the world of Galtimer. They were tossed, bearing wishes for success from hopeful apprentices, desperate to pass their tests.

  Most see this as a frightening scene, one they’d hope to never encounter in real life. They hope never to see even one grand dragon in person. LaTao, however, daydreams of the day when she can be depicted in such a scene. When she imagines children reading about her grand exploits and astounding achievements, a smile rushes to her lips every time.

  With the dragon fountain and other towers behind her, the eastern high-rise is all that now towers before her. The outer walls are covered in smooth tiles of black and red marble. A similarly colored gutter artistically spirals, wrapping around the structure. The whirling gutters continue down until it reaches the bottom of the slanted, brim-like awning.

  LaTao steps into the brim’s shade and makes her way to the entrance. With a wave of her hand, the glass doors slide open before her. The path upon which the door slid is a faint red. It glows pink as LaTao steps across. With a similar gesture, she closes the door behind herself, then continues into the wide and spacious lobby. The load-bearing pillars are wide and red. The walls seem decorated with artistic patches of light-red leather for wallpaper, but the borders, counters, and chairs are all white, brightening the room rather well. The lights are heatless flames dancing around enchanted fixtures. They look blocky and don’t quite fit the regal and pointy posh aesthetic… and poor LaTao is completely incapable of ignoring them, rolling her eyes as she does every time.

  Dead center of the lobby is a gray circle. The ten-foot disk stands out from the rest of the floor with a glittery yellow glow at its edge. With but a word, the disk will gently rise to either of the eleven floors. LaTao rarely uses it, though, opting instead to take the stairs that spiral around the elevator’s path. Despite the long walk from the main entrance to the dorm. She jogs up the first four flights of stairs without changing her pace. The second, third, and fourth floors are divided into five rooms, each with four to eight students calling it ‘home.’ Little space is provided for the occupants, ranging from poor to lower middle class. There’s no point even glancing that way in search of her covenmates, being that the ‘poorest’ of April’s friends is more wealthy than LaTao’s family.

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  With the affordable housing area behind her, she enters the fifth floor, an open ‘commons’ where students can play, read, and relax. Daylight shines through tall, wide bay windows. Between them are three sliding double doors that open to two elevated breezeways. One walking bridge leads to the north tower, where all the male students reside. The common areas are co-ed, but entering the male or female dorms requires a level of access granted by a spell. The other elevated walkway leads to the south tower, wherein most of the faculty resides. In the upper levels of the third tower reside teachers and staff. The bottom floors are open to either overflow or students who’d rather not assume ‘male’ or ‘female’ labels.

  LaTao looks around the common area floor. She doesn’t expect Meeka and the coven to be there, but she briskly explores the spacious fifth floor just in case. She peeks into the laundry rooms where a few students are using basic spells to whirl the soapy water filled with clothes. Others use similar spells to spin their clothes dry.

  At desks lining the windows and walls are students reading literature, memorizing incantations, and doing written assignments. Nearby are a few ‘wet bars’ with burners and kettles for brewing tea and coffee. The couches and lounge chairs are empty, which is expected this time of day.

  She walks further to find a few students sitting around tables to play card games and board games. She passes them and the restrooms by. Before circling back to the stairs, she hears the familiar clacking of marbles and glass. As expected, a few students are taking advantage of the two, large, hexagonal billiard-like tables. LaTao smiles and watches as two guys with drastically different styles go head to head in a heated game of ‘No-Nine.’

  In front of a small audience, the two determined players’ eyes dart around as the six remaining bright blue glass balls roll about the gray felt table. The holo ribbons and flecks within the coveted orbs shimmer with glowing light blues, vibrant lavenders, and translucent greens. Only when they come to rest can the viewers see the number within their centers, informing all of their point value. Amongst them, one ball stands out. Not only is it less bright than the others, but the bright red zero glows with a taunting fury, visible perfectly regardless of the ball’s motion, orientation, or the viewer’s location. Between them and the battling boys is a glass window pane.

  With full concentration, the two teens use only magic to manipulate their two ‘cue balls.’ One is red and white, controlled by the taller gentleman. He stands upright, pointing at his ‘Attack Ball’ with his right middle and index fingers; his ring and pinky finger tips are pressed against his palm by his thumb. With quick, precise movements, his glowing hand directs the red and white ball to dart about, knocking the twelve-ball into his opponent’s pocket. Closer to his chest, his other hand is just as busy. His left index and middle fingers are curled, but his pinky and ring finger point together and clumsily direct a tear-shaped, marble ‘ball.’ He keeps it close to his side of the table and uses this bulky game piece to defend his three pockets.

  On the other side of the table is a far more lively Apprentice. He hops around, flinging his arms about like an angry conductor. His ‘symphony’ of clacking mayhem intensifies with passion. He loudly grunts and yells “Hoo!” and “Haa!” as his red and black ‘Attack Ball’ darts about unpredictably. Sure, he’s scoring, but he’s knocking them into his own three pockets as well, accidentally scoring for his opponent. “Fawkin balls!” he yells, accusing the spheres of being cursed by a daemon.

  LaTao shakes her head. The amount of ethis he infuses into his game piece is overkill. Giving hints and tips mid-match is a faux pas she naturally avoids. Oh come on, kid! You’re leaving points all over the place screams her inner monologue.

  On the glass above each pocket, a number glows, revealing the total value of the balls within. The number magically changes with each score. The brash Apprentice knocks the fifteen-ball into his opponent's center pocket, removing the ball with the highest value from play. The center pocket score rises to forty-seven to the cheer of several viewers. Overly enthused, the young Apprentice arrogantly pumps his arms… big mistake.

  Still in his magical grasp, his attack ball obeys his unintentional orders. The once cheering audience now laughs as his attack-ball sinks into one of the pockets. “No no no!” he yells as he frantically tries to remember how to make the ball elevate.

  LaTao shakes her head with her arms crossed. I see. His original spell wasn't to fully control the ball, just manipulate it by pushing it side to side. He’s going to need to end THIS spell n’ cast a NEW spell to levitate it. Once out of the pocket, he can either keep it in full control, or re-cast the same dumb spell like a fool. She sighs with rolling eyes. Her silence is painful.

  As the shorter kid struggles, his taller opponent carefully uses both his attack ball and defensive egg to roll the ‘Zero’ ball toward his own center pocket. All eyes lock on the shimmering sphere, knowing that it will negate the score wherever it lands.

  “NOOOOO!” the bumbling apprentice cries as he desperately struggles. With his attack ball still pocketed, he throws his other hand forward, sending his wobbly defensive egg careening for his opponent’s. It bobbles away, but is far too late. All he can do is watch as the Zero ball sinks. The forty seven disappears, quickly replaced with a big bright zero. “Nooooo!” he whines, knowing that his hopes of winning have all but shattered.

  LaTao winces at his pain. With one hundred and eleven totally available points, losing forty-seven is devastating. The boy finally lifts his attack ball onto the table, but at this point, there are but eight points up for grabs. With far less zeal, he grumpily gestures to direct his tokens around the hexagon.

  His opponent has left his egg to guard the left pocket and is currently guarding the right pocket with his attack ball. He waits for the sour faced Apprentice to try to score, then knocks the ball back into their goal. It sinks in perfectly, adding to his already insurmountable tally. Ignoring the last available point, the bratty loser releases his ethisial grasp on his tokens, crosses his arms, and waits for the last ball to drop.

  The cheers dull down significantly as the audience awaits the game’s official end. Once the final point falls, the bystanders cheer and pat the back of the victor, who nods, enjoying the approval of the smiling faces… as well as the somber expression of his defeated opponent. One set of eyes stands out. His happy mood is soured once he sees LaTao’s incredibly unimpressed expression. He shrugs, as if asking, ‘What’s your problem?’

  “Ya got lucky twice.”

  “Twice?” he replies with a lopsided frown.

  “You’re lucky he dropped his token, for one. Most of all, you’re lucky that I don’t have time to play you myself!” She flashes a cocky smile, then jogs away, continuing her search for Meeka and their coven.

  Once again, LaTao jogs up a twisting stairwell and passes through the sixth and seventh floors without slowing down. On the eighth floor stairwell, she steps into the open area leading to a bay window. Peering out the window, she sees the birdseye view of the beautiful dragon fountain far below. Smiling, LaTao turns left and walks counter-clockwise until she reaches a black-trimmed, dark cherry wood door with ‘Seven’ etched on a golden panel. Below is a deep-purple glass circle. A hint of pink light shimmers from behind the dark, wine colored disk. LaTao lifts her right hand and places her open palm within inches of the glistening circle.

  The Red Wizard, LaTao.

  The disk turns at this thought and will only turn for one other. Once LaTao hears the double click of the door unlocking, she motions for it to open… the door obeys.