Next Mage
45.The Only Catch

~Narrator

The Earth seemed to shake and tremor with the sound of a thousand boulders crashing down a mountainside.

Earthquakes split the ground with large, gaping cracks; volcanoes spat and threw mighty tantrums, hot lava erupting from their fiery centers; tsunamis raged with forceful torrents, drowning whole cities in their fury; tornadoes and cyclones terrorized towns and swept up buildings.

The ground shook with millions of footsteps, the Ragnarok's massive army surging forward and destroying everything in it's path. Pandemonium had struck.

The sky was murky with dark, menacing storm clouds, snuffing out any hopeful stars straining to shine through. Only the pale moon was visible, its glowing red surface leering though the hazy night sky: a blood moon.

The blood moon wasn't supposed to happen. The disasters weren't meant to happen. None of this was supposed to happen.

Yet the Ragnarok had accomplished it's goal.

Running before it's army, the Ragnarok cackled, it's wicked laughter rising into the sky. The moon seemed to glint, glowing brighter. Piercing, delightful screams filled the Ragnarok's ears, and the evil creature turned to face the humans. It was a whole crowd of them, eyes wide and frantic, their legs trying to feebly push them forward. The Ragnarok chased them heartily, grinning all the while.

It could smell their terror. The fear was pulsing through their veins, through their blood, emanating from their body. The delicious aroma wafted up towards the Ragnarok, and it breathed it in, the sudden lust for human flesh taking over it's

senses.

Must. Eat.

The Ragnarok ran harder, chasing one of the humans who seemed to be the plumpest and slowest.

That would make a scrumptious, juicy meal, the Ragnarok thought, it's forked tongue darting out to lick it's thin lips.

The rest of the crowd scattered as the Ragnarok pounced on the human, digging it's claws into his succulent, fatty flesh.

The human screamed as his limbs flailed about delightfully, his head thrashing from side to side as blood and bile bubbled at his thick lips. The Ragnarok bit into the human's neck and the human graciously gave up it's life.

The Ragnarok scarfed down it's easy meal, satiated, for the time being. Once the meal was finished, the Ragnarok rose, resuming it's assault on planet Earth once more. ~Marilla's POV

Mom squeezed her eyes shut.

"Okay, now concentrate. It may not be easy at first, but try to relax as you think about the time here ceasing, the time slowing down until it stops fully..." Oliver's mother instructed.

A frown creased mom's brow. Nothing happened.

"Nothing," she sighed. Are you sure I have powers? I may just be normal, really," she insisted. We shook our heads simultaneously.

"Try again, and make sure you only think about the time stopping, and nothing else. If it does stop, then think about time resuming once more, and tell us if it did stop--"

"It stopped! I-it really stopped..." Mom gasped.

Oliver and I stared at her in confusion.

"But nothing happened, mom..." I protested. Oliver's mother shook her head.

"No, to us, it still feels like time is running, but to your mother, Marilla, time had stopped and resumed. Your mother doesn't know how to keep the time still and let us move at the same time, but we'll work on that. It'll probably take about five days to learn that. Then we'll have to get her to stop time for an extended period of time...that will be a lot of work," Oliver's mom said worriedly.

I exchanged an anxious look with Oliver, then looked at my mother, who seemed determined.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be able to do it," she said. I nodded hopefully, and Oliver and I began to walk back to Emma and the rest.

"Oh no--wait!"

We turned around to see Oliver's mom running towards us.

"What is it, mom?" Oliver said quizzically.

"I--*puff*--forgot to tell--*puff*--you something!" She huffed. "I really need to exercise..."

"Yeah, mom?"

"Th-there's a catch," she said. Oliver's face fell.

~Oliver's POV

"The only catch. Did you know...how the Elders lost their powers?" Marilla and I shook our heads, but I thought we could've already guessed. The Ultimate, I thought with dismay.

"The Ultimate," mom said. "It drains so much of your magical energy that there is none left...and you lose your powers. Maybe us adults should do it..."

"No." I objected suddenly. Marilla turned to look at me. "There's too little of you. And you guys There are more teenagers, too. Anyway, I'm the most powerful young mage in the Academy," I said, grinning sadly.

Mom frowned.

"I don't like it... You should only choose four people, one for each remaining element, so that there are still people... left with their element. Are you sure you want to take the risk and sacrifice it?"

Marilla and I nodded.

"Yes."

dashy line thingo

"I'm helping you."

"What?! No no no no no." Marilla objected, and Emma narrowed her eyes stubbornly.

"No, I'm helping you!" She hissed. Marilla put her hands up in reluctant surrender.

"You win, hot-head," she said sarcastically. Then her expression changed from annoyed to concerned "But...you do know what the catch is, don't you?" She asked.

Emma nodded.

"You mustn't tell anyone else, understand?" I warned. "You aren't even supposed to know this...but I guess best friends tell each other everything," I sighed, placing a hand on my forehead in mock exasperation. Marilla slapped me playfully on the arm

"Don't worry, I swear I won't tell anyone," Emma assured, putting her hand over her heart and standing straight as if she were pledging her allegiance to us. Then she leaned in as she brought her voice to a low whisper.

"I already have a good idea for what my Ultimate is going to be," she murmured.

"What is it?" Marilla questioned curiously. Emma grinned at her cheekily.

"It's a secret," she said. I nodded and turned to Marilla.

"Well then, we should start thinking about what to do for ours,"