Classifying Chaos

Story 1: A HUGE Mistake

Day 0

"Are all the preparations met?!" comes the booming voice of the headmaster. It always makes my heart skip a beat because we all know what he's capable of. Last person who didn't clean his plate fast enough after dinner, spent the night as a black mouse in a snowy plain being chased by owls. 

"Yes sir!" we all reply in unison, no one wants to be turned into something undesirable tonight, and I know certainly well that I do not. Plus, I was being truthful, I actually have finished preparing the ritual arc for tonights casting. Ritual arc, mostly a fancy name for some quick drying paint on the ground with conjuring runes in the pattern, rookie stuff. That being said that's probably why they gave the task to me in the first place, given the last potion batch I made...  well poor Connor... I hope his skin goes back from purple eventually. 

We gather in out designated locations: four on each side, and the headmaster at the front. The ceremony begins.

"Here me disciple of great Armadon! We gather in the light of the quarter moon, that tonight we bring about a creature that will surely be the most magnificent in all of Earth! We here today will drag from the mystical realms of Ara Chima a real phoenix!"

"That explains all the gun powder we needed," I hear whisper across the room.

"Silence! There will be no absentminded blabbering upon this sacred alter!" the headmaster continues. 

The headmaster slams his cane upon the middle of the alter and it begins to shine a brilliant golden. The headmaster leans his head back and begins to chant the words of the ancients passed down to him by the previous headmasters. None of us know the words to say it along with him so we just bow our heads and cast the potion mixed upon the runes. Sparks of lightning begin to fly from the conjuring runes. 

"Oh hear us great lord of the skies, we ask that we might see your godly form tonight. May your flames come down to cleanse the Earth of this rubbish human filth and grant those of us who are grateful with immortality so that we may serve you forever!"

"Wait serving him forever? I didn't sign up for that! I just thought it would be cool to do magic and stuff. I don't want to be some bird's servant the rest of my li- well the rest of eternity. Also what was that about burning the world, I have a dog out there, and I swear if this phoenix hurts my dog he has another thing coming to him." I scream at the headmaster! 

The light on the floor goes dark.

"Andrew," the head master says, bowing his head.

"Yes... sir?" I reply, my voice shaking.

"Did you just interu-"

He's cut off the alter spurs to life with a brilliant red flame. The ground shakes causing the headmaster to fall to his knees, he looks terrified.

"Look what you've done," he screams.

The alter is too light to look at and I cover my eyes with my arm and robe. A screech fills the air along with the sound of crumbling stone and the smell of burning flesh. I look up, the light subsiding. 

"Where?" I manage to get out before a coughing fit takes my words from me. We're no longer in the cave that we use to secretly practise out banned arts. We're on a mountain? Or at least I am, I don't see anyone else. I look around me, I lay in a pile of sticks and hay. 

"Where in the world am I?" I say out loud not expecting an answer.

"I would like to know the same thing," a deep, kind voice replies. I look up, it's the phoenix, he stands at the far side of what I now see is a nest. "You're the only survivor child. I know not where the rest of your... group went."

"You're an actual phoenix!" I squeal, "An actual phoenix, this is incredible!" I'm on my feet staring at the beautiful creature in front of me. I notice the lack of flames. "You seem a lot less... on fire, then in the tales though?"

A gentle laugh fills the air followed by "Only when I'm anger... or very hungry." 

"Oh! I suppose that makes sense. Having a nest made of flammable things would seems rather pointless if you were on fire all the time," I respond nodding. I walk over to the edge of the nest and look down. "Wow, we're pretty high up, huh?"

"We are indeed, and this area is familiar to me, yet it's not the same home I remember."

"Oh, well when you put it that way it does look a lot like Blue Grass Park. Just I don't remember there being a phoenix there when I drove by the other day."

"Oh dear, I believe I know the answer for what has occurred, but I'll need to see your ritual arc first." 

"Oh, okay it should be in the cave system west of here, but how do I get d-" I'm cut off by the wind blowing through my hair and clothes as we swoop down towards the entrance to the cave. "That was awesome!"

"Not often a human gets to fly, you're lucky indeed. Although, it looks as if your artistic skills could use some work."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the ritual arc and tell me whats wrong about it."

I stare intently at the circle, studying ever detail that I carefully put in. Then I see it. 

"I put the world guild arrows backwards!"

"Yes, and I believe what happened was this ritual caused our two worlds to mend into one. Look over in the water there and tell me what you see?"

I walk over the the stagnant cave pool. Oh! Theres little water nymphs!"

"Yes, it would seem that Ara Chima and Earth and joined into a single world... that does not bare well for either the humans or the mystical. We should return to my nest, this world is no longer safe for humans." he states before he grabs me by my shoulders again, then carries me back up to the nest?

"Why is it no longer safe for humans?" I asked quite puzzled.

"Because war is coming, but you'll be safe with me young one."