Theo Remarius's Story

Theo woke up. He got out of bed and put on his clothes like usual. The cacophony of noises greeted him like usual. He ate his breakfast and put away his dishes like usual. It was just another day in the orphanage. Don't get Theo wrong. He was happy at the orphanage. Any other day of the year he would have been a happy, healthy, and skittish, if not overly shy, little boy. Today was different though. He was seven today. It was his birthday, he'd only just recently found out it was his birthday on this exact day. He didn't remember exactly how the matron had found out, he only remembered it had made him sad when he learned it. A birthday should be spent with your family, little Theo thought to himself. But I don't have one. My parents left me here. He played with the other children like usual, and he sat down for lunch like usual. He was starting to feel better when there was a big knock at the front door. Curious as to what it was. Theo snuck over to the front room right next to the door. He heard a man asking the matron questions. He couldn't hear any real words until... "Theo!" The matron called. "Theo, come here sweetheart!" Theo was shocked. Someone was here for him? On his birthday? Could it be?

Theo ran over to the matron at the front door. "Yes m'am, what is it?"

"This man is here for you." she said. Theo looked over at the man, wide eyed. He was tall, wearing a black cloak and he seemed sinister. "Hello little one," he said. "I have a letter for you. Would you like to hear it?" Theo only nodded. He could read it himself, but he wanted the matron to hear too. The man pulled out a small vellum envelope. He opened it, took out and unfolded the letter, and read:

"Dear Future Pupil,

You are formally invited to Perseus Academy where you will learn to become a true hero with both martial and magical expertise. The world needs you and we are not offering you a choice. Know that if you do not accept you will be mercilessly hunted down until death follows. Merely accept and you will be rewarded with a chance to be known worldwide as a great hero by simply taking your guide's hand.

With hope that you will take the right choice,
Headmaster Paracelsus Decaromus."

Theo was shocked. He was... a hero? How could it be? He wasn't strong, he wasn't very smart. What could it mean? He wasn't even tall for his age. Still, it was kind of scary. The letter said they would kill him if he said no. But... on the other hand... being a hero, a true hero. Theo had always dreamed of being a legendary hero, fighting evil and defending justice. It was perfect. The orphanage was always in need of a little help, and if Theo could leave, they'd have less mouths to feed. The matron was just about to protest, opening her mouth and making disapproving eyes at the man. Theo tugged on her dress, causing her to stop herself and look at him. He shook his head slowly. "I will go." He said simply. Her mouth closed and she almost sighed at him. She was worried, he could tell. The matron had raised Theo, he was practically her son. He was about to let go of her dress and walk towards the man, when a swish of motion caught his eye so he stopped. The matron had stooped down and thrown her arms around Theo, she hugged him tightly. "I will miss you." She said. "I'm a big, strong boy. I'll be ok. Promise." He replied. She let him go and he held out his hand to the hooded man. The hooded man nodded and grasped his hand. It wasn't an overly tight grip, nor was it soft and limp. However, Theo knew there was no going back, his grip was firm, he would hold onto Theo until he got to their destination. There was no denying that grip. Before they walked out the door, Theo turned his head and smiled at the matron. He tried to tell her that he was going to be ok with that smile. He tried to tell her how much he loved her, how much he would miss her, and how much she meant to him. Every warm feeling of love and joy went into that smile. He couldn't tell if she knew everything he was trying to say to her in that smile, but all that mattered was that he tried. Ryan blinked when he turned back around, hearing her begin to cry as he did. He knew that if he looked now, he would cry to and beg to go back, but he had to keep going. It was better for them, for all of them this way. When he opened his eyes again, they were there. The campus sprawled out before him. It was a school. An actual school. Theo had only ever dreamed of going to school. It was beautiful. Theo walked with the hooded man until he reached a door. He pushed the door open and walked in, the hooded man following. There were other children in the room. There were four girls and two boys. Theo hoped they were nice. Just then, a very old man spoke, in a very deep voice.

"Welcome to Perseus Academy, young ones, today you will be tested on your current abilities and will be given your quarters, complete with a change of uniform and necessities. We will start with the magical test, touch this orb, if you are indeed future heroes it will glow, confirming your innate magical abilities. Do not fear if you did not notice it earlier as that talent only appear on one's seventh birthday."

He could feel his cheeks beginning to brighten. He was so nervous. There were so many new faces, and he was in a new place, further there was some test they had to take. It was all too much for him, luckily someone stepped forward and went first. Finally, it was his turn to place his hand upon the ball. He stepped forward proudly, shaking off his nervousness. He walked up to the desk and stopped. What if it didn't glow as brightly as it did for the others, what if it didn't glow at all? He was so worried. "No," He thought to himself. "I can't be this person any more. I have to be brave." He placed his right hand on the ball. As his hand approached the ball, it began to flicker and glow. When he finally touched it, the light grew stronger. The ball felt warm in his hand. At first, the glow was very soft, but it was strong, and it didn't flicker. The light itself was in the center of the ball. As he held it, the glow became brighter. The light spread to the edges of the ball. Its intensity grew until it was a bright and strong light. It still wasn't as bright as the girl from before, but it was very bright. He removed his hand, but the light remained. As he walked back to his place in the line, the light faded and went out. Theo had no idea as to the significance of his light. He figured the ball would react differently to different types of magic, but he couldn't interpret their exact meanings. He was ripped from his pondering as the other children gave their names. With that all his previous bravado went right out the door. He blushed again and almost couldn't speak. "Hello," he murmured softly, almost too soft to hear, and just barely getting the words out of his mouth. "I'm Theo." He whispered. "It's nice to meet you." He then stared, as the others did, at the old man who called himself the headmaster. He had no idea what to do next, and he didn't want to do anything wrong. He just stood there, awaiting orders.

Isaiah followed ambiguously. He studied the movements of the man as they entered the next facility, and conjured from his analysis that the man was more than he appeared. He noted that had studied the arcane arts for many years, the man approved this conclusion, and his mind was at ease. Perhaps this man was a wise and mighty mage? Perhaps he, at once time, wielded some legendary weapon in combat? Many a thought ran through Isaiah's head, but this did not deter him from his next task.
Swiftly he stepped forwards. A test of physical strength, be it? This was, indeed, his cup of tea. The boy was rather downhearted that he would be using a weapon that was not of his own possession; however, his father had taught him that skill came not from the blade -- but from the one wielding it. He had spent much of his life training in swordsmanship, and it was now or never.

Isaiah mustered the courage to step forward, being the first to test their might against this practice dummy and the orb. He stepped ever so carefully to the rack, and pulled from it, the heaviest of the wooden swords. 'A perfect fit.' These words he muttered, and slid from his lips as he stood half-eagerly in front of the dummy.
He took a quick breath, and released it slowly. Assuming the stance of a powerful strike, he let the practice sword fly in the direction of the orb. Though, he did not follow up. This was merely a practice swing. He glanced back at his peers and, once again, took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly.

With a valiant battle cry, he maneuvered into swinging stance. Hitting the sphere with an upwards strike, with such force that this pulled him from the earth below, by just a few inches, of course.
He plopped back down to the ground with his eyes on the dummy as if it were an actual combatant.
He relieved himself of this aforementioned stance and eyed the orb.
A smile parted his lips as it shimmered radiantly for a moment. During this moment, he quickly turned to the group of children and gave a thumbs up, along with a childish smirk.

He parted ways with his lifeless, wooden adversary, and placed the practice sword back on the rack.
Isaiah then made his way next to newcomer, Theo, now confident. If not in his magical abilities, then of his strength.

As the last of the children stepped forward to touch the orb Ari simply stood and watched. Her shoulders were arched as she hung her head, twiddling her hands in front of her, occasionally smoothing out her red and white polka-dot dress. This academy was so large compared to her, with high vaulted ceilings and halls wider than her home. The gray stones gave the whole place a damp, unpleasant feeling.
The last child tested the orb, and the headmaster returned it to it's rightful place before ushering them to another room. As she stepped through the doorway goosebumps formed along her arms, and a chill swept through her body. They were asked to take a weapon, and attack a second orb. Ari looked at her outstretched arms as the first boy confidently grasped a weapon and took on the orb. Fighting was something she had never done before, she even set the spiders she found in their house free. Wielding a weapon was not something she was built for at all. She felt so very weak.

Meekly she stepped behind the one who had just returned from the test and the last boy to arrive. Though she believed their names were Theo and Isaiah, she was too afraid to greet them. Especially after such a display from Isaiah, she knew there was no way she could be the second to go. Her head hung low as she hugged her arms around her cold body, unsure of whether she was trembling from the chill, or fear.

When the massive light invaded the room during the previous test, Ebony's hands got a mild, but painful burn. At first she thought of going last for the second test. Her heart was pounding even faster than before. A lump was stuck in her throat, her forehead was soaked in sweat. Her face was cold and motionless as a stone. The girl couldn't take the pressure any more.
Ebony forgot about the pain on her hands and went after the boy, who gave the thumbs up. This cheered her up a little, but her blood was still boiling in her veins. She quickly grabbed the first sword she saw, without considering its weight, but the piercing pain trough her hands was so strong, it caused her to drop the weapon. She squatted to take it again.

The ends of her braids touched her hands. Ebony felt relaxing chill and relief trough her arms, as the pain was fading away. She finally took the sword and realized it was heavy for her. The girl took a lighter one and stood in front of the dummy. She closed her eyes and hit it with all the force she had. The performance wasn't as good as Isaiah's, it was even much weaker, but it was strong enough to make the sound of a solid hit.

The girl looked at the headmaster, and then the other kids. She wished them luck in her mind and joined them.

Theo followed the Headmaster and the others to a different room. As the Headmaster stated, there was a dummy and an orb in the room with a rack of weapons on it, mostly just wooden swords of different sizes. Here they would be testing their physical strength. Theo was nervous. He wasn't very strong, and he wasn't even sure how he'd managed to make the orb glow so bright. This too was something completely foreign to him. Last week he wouldn't have even imagined owning a sword let alone wielding one in combat, or preforming magic spells at all. Now he was at a school for heroes, training to do those very same things. It was like a dream. I hope I never wake up. Theo thought to himself. A swish of movement pulled him from his reverie.

The boy named Isaiah strode forward with his head held high, his eyes burning with intensity. He grabbed the heaviest sword at the rack and stepped up to the dummy with pride and confidence. It was amazing. His back was turned to them, eyes burning holes in the dummy. He appeared to be thinking of nothing else. He moved fluidly, effortlessly, as if he'd been training for this moment his whole life. He swung once, testing the way the blade cut the air. The second time, he entered a deeper stance and swung his blade with such force that it lifted him off the ground! Theo was in awe. Isaiah had obviously been practicing swordsmanship his whole life, or at least since he could hold one. It was breathtaking. Theo stared dumbly at the image before him, that wide back emblazoned with pride, a sword in his hand, the orb shining like the sun itself. Theo was inspired.

Theo thought to himself, "That. That's what I want to be. A confident, proud hero." The girl named Ebony stepped forward next. It was her turn. She took one sword, then exchanged it for a different one. She stepped up to the dummy and swung with all her might, her eyes closed. It thunked solidly. A strong hit, but no where near Isaiah's level. My turn.

Theo stepped up to the rack of weapons, he took each of them in turn, ignoring the heaviest and the lightest ones. He took one towards the middle of the pack, but on the lighter side. He strode up to the dummy, holding the sword in his right hand. He tried to mirror Isaiah's stance, but it felt forced, and unwieldy, he abandoned it. If he had been training his whole life, he could see how he would have adjusted to feel natural, and it was, by far, better than anything Theo could come up with. Instead, Theo moved his body to where he felt most comfortable. Theo stared at the dummy, visualizing how he would strike. He would swing the sword over his head down across the body, turning his hips as he swung. He remembered seeing pictures in books about this. It seemed like the right way to do it. So he did it. Theo lifted the sword high over his head, twisting his back foot onto the tips of his toes, his ankle in the air. As soon as the sword was as high as it could go, he brought it down with every part of his body. He had no form, he had no poise, he was just swinging a wooden stick at a dummy.

It thunked loudly. No where near as loudly, or as solidly as Isaiah's, but it was a good strong hit. Theo could take pride in it. He watched as the orb glowed for a moment, then burned out. He was proud of himself. He'd never done that before. Theo walked back to the rack, placing his sword exactly where he found it, and then returned to the rest of the children, smiling widely. "That was fun." He murmured quietly, it seemed that being shy was still a part of Theo's nature, and he would have to work hard at it.

Theo watched as the others took their turns. He noticed that one of the girls seemed to be emotionally struggling with the idea of the exercise itself. She barely hit the orb and cried as she finished her turn. Normally Theo would have let someone else comfort her. He was far to shy to make a sudden move like this. She was a girl after all. However, there was something about her sadness. It cried out to him. He stepped over to her, ignoring everyone else for that one brief moment and patted her on the shoulder. "I don't know what's wrong." Theo whispered, "But I hope you'll be ok. Is it something you need to talk about? Or will you be ok if I give you a hug? It usually made the other kids at the orphanage feel better when you offer them a hug."

Theo smiled at her, trying to make her forget about being sad. They were in a new place with a whole new set of things to do and places to go. It would swallow you up if you let it. Theo remembered her name was Aria. "It's gonna be ok Aria," he said with a smile. "You can make it through this. Hopefully, if you're lucky you won't ever have to do it again."

As Aria stood lost int the memory of her mother, and the worry for her father, a slender boy approached her. He had landed a fair shot on the dummy, much better than hers. At first she didn't lift her gaze, wondering if he was real, if this place was real, but then he spoke. His voice was clear, and his words were kind. It seemed that he had felt a hardship in life that she never knew based on the state of his clothing.

"It's gonna be ok Aria," he said with a smile. "You can make it through this. Hopefully, if you're lucky you won't ever have to do it again."
The boy's words were comforting as he patted her on the shoulder. She couldn't help but give him a slight smile as she lifted her brown eyes to his face. With a chuckle she wiped the moisture from her eye lashes and snapped the locket closed, letting it drop back onto her chest. The boy's name was Theo as she recalled, he had come in shortly after her. Another late arrival like herself.
I know it seems silly, but I never imagined I was going to be doing anything like this when I woke this morning... turning she took one of his hands in her two small hands and gave it a little squeeze. It was warm to the touch, and she could feel a circular scar on his palm. "I appreciate your kindness, I just miss my father, he would never believe that I just picked up a sword.
Once she dropped his hand she looked around at the faces of the others, "I just don't understand how everyone can seem so...calm. This place is so very strange, I feel like I'm going to wake up and it's just going t be a dream.

"I know it seems silly, but I never imagined I was going to be doing anything like this when I woke this morning..." She said, her voice quavering slightly. She must be terrified. Turning she took one of his hands in her two small hands and gave it a little squeeze. Theo could tell she found his scar because she ran her fingers over it gently.. "I appreciate your kindness, I just miss my father, he would never believe that I just picked up a sword."
Once she dropped his hand she looked around at the faces of the others, "I just don't understand how everyone can seem so...calm. This place is so very strange, I feel like I'm going to wake up and it's just going t be a dream."

"Well," Theo started. "Maybe it is a dream. I dunno about you, but I came here to make this dream last. If it's a dream I don't wanna wake up!" he finished excitedly, still whispering. Though he was talking animatedly, he was still very shy. However, those words didn't seem to make her feel any better, so he tried again. "I can understand that you're scared by the new things that are happening around you. If the sword scares you, you can pretend it's a stick. A wooden sword and a stick aren't much different, except for their shape, but that's not the point. The point is, we can't wish away our time here. I can't really understand missing your family, cause I never had one, but I do miss the Matron at the Orphanage. I'll miss her everyday. However, it's for her sake that I'm here right now, working hard and learning everything I can. The Matron, your parents, they're people we do this for. There'll be things we have to do that we won't like. But those things help you to grow. They're blessings in disguise. At least, that's what the Matron always told me." After that hitherto unfounded mass of words escaped Theo's mouth, he immediately silenced himself. He would have to find a happy middle between talking too much and not talking enough. For now he decided to be silent, and speak when spoken to. He was still having a hard time getting used to the new people around him. Even Aria, though she seemed shy like he did.

Theo's words helped in raising Aria's spirits. For the first time since arriving in the damp castle her fear subsided. He seemed so animate about taking on this challenge, starting this new life, that her apprehension seemed foolish. It panged her to hear that he was an orphan, even thinking about losing her father brought her intense emotional pains. Though she had to leave him behind, at least he was still there, still alive and well. Having one parent was better than none at all.
"Thanks Theo," she whispered with a smile, bumping him slightly with her shoulder, "I feel a little better."
It seemed his kind words were out of place however, since he fell so quiet after speaking to her. She simply smiled and returned her gaze to the swords and the dummy.
Without looking over at him again she took his hand,innocently interlacing her fingers into hers, "Let's be friends Theo...you don't have to say anything, because I have made up my mind already." As she whispered she childishly twirled her hips and watched as the hem of her dress rose and fell as she caused a slight breeze. She was easily humored by the way the candle light shined off of her shoes, and counting the cracks on the floor. Though she was curious to see how long this test was going to last, she was eager to part from the mass of students and explore, possibly get to know Theo a little better.

"Thanks Theo," she whispered with a smile, bumping him slightly with her shoulder, "I feel a little better."

Theo was glad to have done his part and made her feel better. He loved it when the people around him smiled. It warmed him up inside and filled his heart with joy. After that, she simply smiled and returned her gaze to the swords and the dummy. Theo too had returned his gaze to the dummy and the people who were taking their turn with it when he felt something small and cool wriggle its way into his hand. He looked down and saw it was Aria's hand. Theo blushed a little bit. This was something for grown ups to do. He was so nervous, but he didn't do anything about it. There was something nice and simple about it. They were just two kids holding hands.

"Let's be friends Theo...you don't have to say anything, because I have made up my mind already." She whispered quietly. Theo smiled widely. He looked over at her and nodded vigorously, still smiling like a goofball. He would like that very much. Aria was a kind girl, a gentle soul it seemed. He was so glad. He hoped they'd be friends forever. Theo's day had gone from the worst birthday of his life, to a brand new and exciting start of an adventure. It was so beautiful. It was the best wish he could have ever had come true.

Ebony could feel Aria's pain... All those tests, which came out of sudden... the fear to fail at something you're not familiar with, in front of a group of people... Ebony didn't go to comfort her, because she didn't know what to say. Luckily, Theo did. For seconds a new friendship was born in front of everyone. The children were taken away from their old lives in order to deal with something completely new. Each of them needed a friend.

Ebony looked at Ansha, since she was her closest friend so far. "Ansha... whatever is the next test, if we fail, it won't matter... The best way to improve ourselves, is to support each other. I'll give you my support." The girl whispered to Ansha.
Ebony hoped that everyone would become friends. She would give her support to all the kids around her. She hoped that they would support her too.