Fear No More

Chapter One

I've read stories about how the protagonist has come from an abusive household and how his or her parents have loathed them enough to beat them everyday. I have read stories about how they are orphaned and put in foster homes which do the exact same thing. Yet I wish I could have a family like that. At least they cared enough to do something. My own foster parents couldn't care less if I drew a breath or not.

I never knew about the people that sired me nor did I know about what happened to them. No one seemed to have the answers that I had begun to seek. The only thing that they seemed to have given me was the aptitude for the supernatural. Both within magic as well as transformation.

I found out from an early age that I was the last dragon shifter alive. My entire race has almost been wiped out of existence. The main reason for this is that the dragon race was one of the most powerful races known to this world. And that they were the peacekeepers of our lands. The other supernaturals did not like that and in turn decided to eradicate the so called 'threat'. 

I haven't told my foster parents, who were witches by the way, about my transformative affliction. The only thing I have told them was that I had an aptitude for the elemental arts. I could control fire, wind, and water by thought alone. I was by no means a master, but I did have sufficient enough control to warrant me an attendance to the most prestigious magical arts academy in the country.

This is where my story begins. This is where I would start a new life, afresh and with hopes of leading a normal one. All I wanted was to feel like I belonged. Like I matter to someone. I have been alone since before I could remember and maybe, just maybe, this time could be different.

I knew that I would need to keep the dragon side of me a secret, knowing what the supernatural order would do to me if they knew the truth. Maybe they wouldn't take such measures against someone like me, but you couldn't be too careful, right?

The train I was riding in came to a stop at the academies gates allowing those students to disembark easily. I began to wonder what would happen if normal people disembarked at this location but then I noticed that none did. Not a single one of the normal people on the train even looked up to see the academy. It was as if they could not see it. Interesting.

I stood at the open cast iron gates with the initials, PIMAA, welded within each of the two gates. The road to the academy was a long straight path that lead uphill. Luckily the walk was surrounded by the lush foliage and the forest trees that gave off a very beautiful scenic aura. I was lost within it when I bumped into someone.

"Ow." Came a soft smooth voice from in front of me. The voice immediately caught my attention. It sounded so beautiful. So indulgent. I cast my gaze towards the voice and found a long black haired girl, that had fallen on her backside, staring right up at me.

I quickly offered my hand to aid in getting her to a standing position, which she took without hesitation.

"I am so sorry." I said quickly as I pulled my hand back and tilted my head down in shame. "I should watch where I am going." I immediately said realising that I should not have. I wanted to make friends and lead the life that I wanted. Yet, here I am doing the same things that gave me the outcast visage during primary and high school.

"Don't worry about it." She said with a soft smile as she patted her backside, removing the last bit of dirt from her dark blue robe. "I'm Julie." She said as she extended her hand, offering to shake mine.

I reached forward and gently shook her hand before pulling it back just as quickly. "Victor." I responded as she quickly moved to my right and wrapped her left arm around my right.

"Come on!" She said a little too excited for my pace. "We don't want to be late on our first day, do we?"

"I suppose not." I replied as I let her drag me along. It must have looked funny. A guy who is pushing six foot three inches being pulled my a girl who is just under five feet and ten inches. I wonder what the other students have thought about this matter.

We made it to the academy hall that would house the orientation that was to be given to the new students, just in time. As we took our places, the doors to the hall closed suddenly with loud bangs. An old lady, about seventy or so years of age, began to walk from the left side of the meter high stage in front of the hall. It took her about ten seconds to make it to the floating soft blue orb that hovered about a meter and a quarter off the ground.

She cleared her throat before addressing the students before her. Her right hand came up to smooth the white hair that sat atop her head and then adjusted the black bulky glasses that sat on her nose.

"Welcome to the Prestigious International Magical Arts Academy." She began with a smile as the blue orb enhanced her voice. "The academies purpose is to train you all in your specific magical arts, as well as determine which sector of the normal and/or magical world's you would most likely fit into.

"You will have five years to show to us your strengths and weaknesses that will allow the placement to be smoother. The higher both your academic and magical abilities are, the more chance you have at received a very prestigious job offer.

"Nobility or riches, mean nothing to the staff and myself included. Do not let it cloud your understanding of this school. It most certainly does not cloud ours." She said and I could hear a few chuckles behind me and a few comments along the lines of 'we'll see'.

"Every year, roughly during the middle months. We hold a tournament to display the magical prowess that you have learnt and mastered. Winning this tournament, immediately gets you recognised by a few companies, as well as the reward itself is not half bad.

"If you win, I will personally grant any single wish that you may have. The only limits being, raising the dead to their former selves, as well as allowing for more wishes. Anything else, I am more that capable of doing.

"After this speech, the teachers will come to you and assign each of you a schedule as well as a dorm room. This is non-negotiable. You receive what you receive. Thank you." She ended and then disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"That was really strange." Julie said next to me, causing me to jump slightly at her closeness. "But one wish." She glanced upwards as if in deep thought, fantasising about her intended wish. "I would probably wish for a powerful husband. That way I would be set for life."

"A powerful husband?" I asked a little disturbed by the notion. "What if he doesn't love you?" I added wanting to know her answer.

"Doesn't matter. That is why I am here in the first place." She added as she curled some black hair around her right ear. "I need a powerful husband in order to be set for life. Without it, I would crumble into nothingness. Love takes a back seat to this matter."

I couldn't believe what she was saying. How could someone say such things?

I looked at Julie knowing that if she wanted a strong husband that I would be the perfect fit for her. Especially since I am the last dragon. Maybe I should ask her out. What could go wrong?

"Hey, Julie."  I began my request as she turned to look into my eyes. "I was just wondering...If you would..." I began to trail off in my request before I grew a backbone and asked her properly. "If you would go out with me. Like dinner or something."

She stared at me in what I could only make out as amazement plastered on her face. She was about to respond to my request when a large well built teacher in jeans and a flannel shirt approached us.

"Mr Mc'Arthur, you're with me." He said as he stroked back his black overly gelled hair. "Miss Kale, your with Mrs Stanton over there." He pointed to the young looking woman in a gray business suit, and a long blonde pony tail. He seemed to notice the tension between us and thought that now was the best time to make things awkward. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, no." Julie quickly said as she took a step towards the teacher giving him a lustful gaze. "I was just talking to my friend." My heart fell at that one sentence. Never mind that she is acting like a bitch in heat towards the teacher. Calling me friend when I just asked her out, has just put me in the so called friendzone.

The books I have read has made mention of this numerous times and I knew that it was not the place to be. There was varying degrees of the friendzone and I dreaded finding out to what degree she saw me as.