Emotionless: (Prototype: Zero book 1) Read online

  Hopper’s destination is Mage Academy. Mine however differs. I want runes. That is all I can think about at this given time. I want to go to an authentic rune place.

  I let my thoughts drift when another brick path laid out before me and went into a different direction. It was darker this way. There weren’t much floating green and blue lights.

  As soon as I stepped off the path to Mage Academy, Hopper's ears popped up, fluffy and white. They were going in the direction I started. The trail went downwards and shifted into steep steps that at first were a grassy hill. Now, the yellow and grey bricks appeared in the form of stairs, and lead me straight down a darkened tunnel. Hopper behind me tried to voice his complaints, but I tuned him out.

  Narrowing eyes slightly, I took a step into the darkness and the whole tunnel immediately shined. Blue, so blue that it somewhat looks as if I was looking at the sky. Runes of all different sizes lit the darkened tunnel. Leaning towards one, I touched it, and vines from a plant coiled out, green and spiked. It twisted my arm and only retracted when I lifted my finger off the rune.

  “At least this place is safe, my Mistress,” Hopper said from behind me. “Looking at runes make you happy?”

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “Forgive me for being rude, my Mistress, but you always carry a passive expression that I hadn’t had a clue of how obsessed you were at rune creating.”

  It wouldn’t be the first time someone has said that to me, nor the last. I remember whenever I created a rune Mum and Dad thought I didn’t like it because I didn’t openly express how happy I was. They took away the books, storing them back in the library only to find me there early the next morning sleeping on a pile of them. It isn’t as if I want to be passive and show nothing. It is that I can’t show anything unless I try. I can’t easily show how I feel, but I can feel it inwardly. The blood that rushes to my face and makes me embarrassed. The flutter in my stomach whenever I create another rune. I feel emotions like everyone else, but it is hard for me to express it outwardly.

  Puffing cheeks, I stepped away from the tunnel wall and looked around at all the others. Almost all of them I knew. Some took me some time to figure out because of the creative design that looped with the symbol it represented. I touched various runes, and strange things came out. Defence runes with stone men similar to mine. Ice, water and fireballs were clustered together on one section of wall. Whoever done this indeed placed runes in proper orders and locations, so it wasn’t necessarily a frenzy to look at them. Healing runes, exotic herbs and gold aura come out and tingled fingertips. The designs looked flawless that I raised my hand and Hopper was about to give me my book when a croaky voice came from the other side of the tunnel.

  “No replicating,” he croaked.

  He raised his hands, and the defence runes on the other side of the tunnel wall shined brighter and giant knights in black armour beamed out. They landed in a kneeled position with their swords sheathed and placed before them. Something out of a dark fairy tale, these knights, one after the other, grabbed the hilt and flew the sword out and directed it at us as the leg they were kneeling on lifted in a bent stance.

  “If they take further action, throw them into the portal rune, my servants,” He said nonchalantly.

  “Wait, my good sir.” Hopper stepped forward, one hand outstretched while the other slipped into his suit jacket. “We didn’t mean to offend. My Mistress, Eileen Frost, was merely admiring the architectural work done to this tunnel.”

  “They’re notal mine,” he responded with a swift nod to the knights that straightened up. “This tunnel is anyone’s but dose runes argh under my protection. Mages come in time n time to draw on the wall of yer favourite rune for others to admire. It is art.”

  “Can I?” I asked in a soft voice, and he tilted his head to the side. It made me step back behind Hopper.

  “Excuse my Mistress. She is not that vocal. She wants to know if she can draw on the tunnel wall.”

  “I think that Highborn of yer already is,” he said.

  While they were talking, I already placed myself in front of a patch of wall that had enough space to put my rune. Raising my finger, I pressed it against the wall and dragged a curved line across the wall. The rune glowed blue before it finished. I see now. Even if the rune is wrong, it will still light up a bright blue to show off. Once that was established, I created a rune that wasn’t particularly mine to show off. Narrowing eyes slightly, I flicked the semi-coma and half bracket around and let them mesh and join into a beautiful, fluent circle. After I had finished, I stepped back and admired the bright blue that moved with power. It looked like it was alive on the wall of runes.

  “What is it, my Mistress,” Hopper asked.

  “Oh, yer made sometin I ave not seen in yers.” The man leant forward and inspected it with great bobbing nods with his head. “Yer Gospel Frost’s granddaughter, aint yer?” I nodded, and he grinned. “This rune as ben torn down the cause of Lowborn tink it is dispectful. I always want it on meh wall.”

  “What is it?” Hopper asked curiously.

  Reaching forward, I tapped the rune, and a holographic picture book came out and flipped pages slowly. The pictures showed a teenage boy in the centre of a distraught place, bodies sprawled on the ground and his boots sleek with blood. He roamed around every hallway cautiously. He took every detail of madness in, as he tried to escape the one place that should have been safe. Mage Academy.

  “The Betrayal,” I answered Hopper.

  I looked up at him. His eyes went wide, as he stared at the in-depth holographic picture book my grandfather created for everyone to remember. He couldn’t speak after the betrayal, his vocal chords burnt from a hex and what’s lost can never be returned. He did the next best thing, and that is design rune picture books that tell a story of emotions and pain. This book was his last piece of work before he disappeared. Going through depression because no one would buy his runes anymore after he revealed the betrayal rune. I remember Grandfather coming into my room, the last time I saw him, and he handed me his prized possession. He wanted me to treasure it the best I could, and I have done so. I only give it to someone I genuinely trust who admired my grandfather also.

  Hopper. And what my grandfather left for me is that book clutched in his hands.

  Chapter 5.

  Eileen – boots.

  Mage Academy. At the entrance, there were steep stairs that look as if it will take another hour to get up.

  After looking at the runes for a very long time and waiting for Hopper to tear his eyes away from my grandfather’s picture rune, we went back the way we came and followed the path up the stairs to the academy in silence.

  There were three figures sprawled dramatically on the first few steps that led up to Mage Academy. Donte was lying flat, Nixon has positioned himself on the stairs above, and Isilies slouched and struggled to catch his breath with deep heavy heaving gasps. Nixon – who is slightly shorter than Donte - was the first to notice us, and he weakly raised his hand in a ‘hello’ wave before he tipped his head back and tried to catch his breath also. They look as if they have run a marathon. All three of them struggled to breathe normally.

  “My Masters, whatever happened to you three?” Hopper asked, and I noticed a hint of amusement in his voice.

  Hopper was more than likely amused that he didn’t have to race around catching two demonic brothers that are so devious and tactful that catching them would be impossible, even for a bunny. For Isilies to catch them, they would have had to of been bored and stopped running long enough for Isilies to grab them.

  “I have to apologise to them in the morning,” Isilies said hoarsely.

  “Why? We beat them. Not our fault they lost,” Nixon said with a roll of his eyes.

  “You both cheated,” Isilies stated.

  “Not once did they say we weren’t allowed to use potions,” Donte said with a smirk. “It was brilliant. Didn’t think that potion was going to work at the start.”
r />   “But the moves to win in chess began to light up on the board when we thought we were fucked,” Nixon laughed.

  “Language,” Hopper drawled and raised his hand. Their chatter turned into silence, and all I could see was the laugh lines that creased as they spoke to each other in silence. “Shall we finally get going to the place we should have been at hours ago, my Masters.”

  With that, the silence on my brothers wavered, and they ran up the stairs with excitement while I stood there. There was this nervous feeling that was swirling in the pit of my stomach. Since we got here, I have been known as ‘Highborn’. First, I feel downsized already by mages because of my bloodlines and secondly, is my family the only noble mages in Sorcerer City. To know us so well by name, we must be popular but are we popular because of my mum, and Dad was at the Organisation or famous by name because my grandfather survived the betrayal when Lowborn’s wanted us all eliminated.

  Is there still a threat here and if so, what is the purpose of us coming here? Hopper hasn’t once made it clear of the real reason Mum and Dad wanted us out of the house. By how he avoided the question with Isilies’s interrogation, I believe he has as much knowledge as the rest of us, and that is none.

  Puffing cheeks, I went up the stairs and flinched when I took another couple steps, and suddenly was up to the top. An illusion? Walking onto the flat surface, I turned around and noticed the stairs downwards looked the same as they did going up. There looks to be a thousand of them and it should have taken me forever to get up, but it didn’t.

  “Portal crystals,” Hopper answered my thoughts. He pointed to the large towers on either side of the stairs. A pink aura resonated between the two. “As long as those two, and as well as the two down the stairs is active, it will only take a few seconds for someone to get to the Academy or to the city.”

  “Did they have this active at the betrayal?” Donte asked, and I cast my eyes down to my boots.

  “No,” Hopper answered darkly.

  “You were Grandfathers Shapeshifter back then, weren’t you?” Isilies asked.

  “Yes, he took me in, and I became his very first Shapeshifter, and he was my very first Master. Any more questions, Master?”

  “Book please,” I murmured and then heard the exaggerated sighs from behind as I stared at the unusual rune that was on the bricks.

  “My Mistress.” I felt myself be picked up and carried towards the doors until I was persistent enough not to want to go back and draw it. “Right now, we’re untimely. Your Mum and Dad will be disappointed as well as the Head Mage. Can we please get introductions out of the way? Afterwards, I promise you can roam around and draw as many runes as possible.”

  “Ok.” I agreed.

  Now at the massive iron-clad doors that look bolted shut for a reason, my eyes seem to widen for a second at the rune and crystal work along the doors. Reaching for it, when fingertips were close to touching, the doors creaked inwards, and dimly lit blue and green lanterns bobbed up and down near the walls. Doors clanked on either side of the long strip of the hallway with the midnight blue carpet that rolled over the brown and grey brick flooring. Walls had strange concept pieces of abstract art that moved realistically. One swirled so much that I felt as if I was going to warp inside of the picture. A part of me believes that would have happened, considering Hopper had to touch my shoulder and steer me away.

  “Do you reckon the foster kid would be here?” Nixon asked Donte.

  “If they were, how were we supposed to know?” Donte replied.

  “Who?” I asked.

  “Nothing.” Isilies raised both arms, grabbed both their heads and pushed them forward. “Walk, you idiots.”

  “My Mistress, stay by me.” Hopper waited for me to catch up. He held a mysterious smile.

  Walking along the trail rug, I noticed gargoyles were hiding in the darkness of the strip along the ceiling. Their heads turned, and darkened eyes watched us with curiosity as we walked down the hallway. Not only them, but armour engraved with runes stood as sculptures along the wall holding Lancers. I can feel the magic throb inside the armour as if there was a human inside of it but it was empty.

  Before we could turn the corner, a young lady that looked to be in her early thirties dressed in something similar to a flight attendant outfit. She walked around the bend and looked at us as if she was expecting us to be there. Hopper stepped forward, placed a hand around his waist and bowed to her.

  “Good evening, I am the escort of Isilies and the triplets, Donte, Nixon and Eileen Frost,” Hopper spoke alluringly, straightened up and smiled. “I apologise for coming so late, and I hope we haven’t inconvenienced you at all?”

  “Not at all,” she shook her head and smiled. “The Headmaster, has told me to show you to your rooms and he will have introductions with you when the other new students come two days from now when next term starts.” she swayed her arm outwards and said, “If you all could follow me.”

  She whirled on her heel and trotted off. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Donte and Nixon snickering at her and blinked. They find everything hilarious. Ever since we got on the train, all they seemed to do is laugh at the other mages. Are they completely oblivious to the fact that we’re outcasts here?

  Nonetheless, I was completely distracted by the rune work along the walls and hidden in places where I wouldn’t really see to think further on that thought.

  It took me a lot longer to follow behind the others. Mr Hopper is tugging my collar and is trying to steer me in the direction we needed to go, not where I wanted to be.

  The flight attendant woman walked up a limitless number of stairs once we turned down the corridor and through a small entrance off to the side on the right. There are large arched windowless windows that looked out, and when I glimpsed down, it was a very steep massive drop that would kill a human or an idiotic mage. I moved back in after Mr Hopper frantically noticed and gave a strangled cry. Annoyed, I looked up the stairs and puffed cheeks. It seems we’re going up to one of the main towers that overlooks the front of Mage Academy and towards the city that glows like magic.

  My legs were aching from so much walking. Once we got up the stairs, I pressed my hand against the bricks interior and felt the beads of sweat run down my forehead.

  Up the stairs, there were only two doors. One was already open, and the woman was standing at it with a warm smile. The other one closed and with a large rune that was illuminated and active. It was a lock rune. No one besides the mage them self can open that door unless it was a powerful master mage. Compelling magic glowed off it.

  The empty nauseated feeling I had moments ago lifted with such intensity of the rune that I mechanically walked towards it. I raised my hand and expected the book to go into my grasp.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the mage said. I turned to speak and tell the flight attendant woman I wanted to when she spoke more. “A Highborn mage lives there, and he is very persistent with his privacy. I would leave that door be.”

  A Highborn mage? Therefore, we aren’t the only ones who are in Sorcerer City and go to Mage Academy. That is interesting. However, it wasn’t as appealing to me as this rune is and nonetheless, I still grabbed my book off Hopper and drew in my grandfather’s book. This rune is unique and attractive on its own. It is very dominant, and I don’t always see dominant runes that stand out and glow as bright as this blue unless a master mage completes them. This rune had the time and precision accounted for before it went up on the door. No one would be breaking it because of the defence symbol as well as protect symbols placed in the centre of the rune.

  “You mean someone other than us was stupid enough to come to Mage Academy?” Donte muttered to Nixon, and he nodded in agreement.

  “My masters, express yourselves privately,” Hopper grimaced.

  “Yeah, forgive my brothers,” Isilies said, and his face hardened. “But anyone who has been openly called Highborn mage ever since we got here would be on edge.”

 
“I can reassure you that the Headmaster's standards of Mage Academy are held high and he will not accept any form of discrimination and can you please remove Eileen Frost from that door. It is highly dangerous.”

  Hopper clasped a hand on my shoulder and tugged me away from the rune on the door and towards the one door that we will be staying for the remainder of my school life.

  After the disappointment, I went through the door the lady gestured towards. The woman left after a few words to Hopper. Blinking and taking in the atmosphere, I stood in a deep red room that has a darkened chocolate covered leather couch that was overlooking the flickering fireplace and widescreen television that was propped up on the bare crimson wall above. There was a shaggy dark brown rug placed underneath a glass countertop coffee table with dark wood oak legs. On the other side of the room is a small kitchenette and beside the kitchenette that’s washed in dark brown and red oak is a small hallway. Laundry, a bathroom was reasonably sized and three rooms. Donte and Nixon will share one, the way they like it. Donte and Nixon are inseparable. They always hover around each other because their personality is so defined and extraordinary that none other than them knows them better than the two of them.

  My room was bare white. There was a dial on the side of the wall. When I moved the hand around, various colours washed on the wall and floors. Puffing cheeks, I left it on clinically white, stepped in and narrowed my eyes at the neon sign and tweet bird perched on the top of the computer desk. The yellow tweet bird looked as if he was smirking at me and was enjoying the fact that he gets to travel for annoyance.