Custodes

Chapter one P.o.v: Jonas

I don't particularly like school, not that it can't be fun. I for one love history, but this particular class, science class, isn't exactly my favorite. It's not them it's me. It's just that learning about the "fundamental laws of our universe" while I could break them with a thought isn't my idea of a good time.

Now that sounds dramatic, but I am a human just like you, (presumably) except I can also do magic. I would like to tell you that magic involves cool robes and white tigers, but mostly it involves a lot of reading and, on the off chance that the book doesn't know, guessing.

Lotta good those books do me when I'm waiting for my class to end, and as far as I know time manipulation is impossible, though I am looking into a potion that can slow down your perception of time, so reversing the effect shouldn't be hard. The time is 11:41, and I have an important job to do after class.

I glance around the room, next to me sat my friend Marie looking just as bored as me. She was slightly shorter than me, about five foot seven with shoulder length blonde hair and a gold lip piercing. She had a the build of a runner, but she clearly lifted weights as well The rest of the room was filled by about a dozen kids, few of which I knew beyond their names, and the teacher: Professor Mort. He had broad shoulders and a bushy brown mustache, which was seemingly all the hair on his body, not that i would know.

I checked the time again 11:44. I decided that since I had exhausted the rest of my options I might as well listen to his lecture. After about 30 seconds the bell rang and everyone quickly packed up and left the room in the way that only bored teens can.

As soon as i got out of the classroom i pulled out my lunch"So, have you found it yet?" Marie asked whilst devouring her lunch in seconds, crumbs spilling everywhere. "Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to eating sandwiches, slow down or you'll choke to death" I said, feigning worry. "Do you know how much time humans spend eating, I'd rather spend my time on more important things. Speaking of which have you found it yet?" "No, now shut up I need to concentrate"

I extended my "wizard sense" as i affectionately call it. As a wizard i can "feel" energy around me. When I extended my senses I felt the usual background energy of cell phone batteries and lingering emotions in the air, mostly boredom who would have guessed. I moved towards the halls no one occupied during lunch period, our prey would try to avoid large crowds.

About 40 minutes passed with me trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack and Marie constantly talking despite clear instructions not to. I was about call it quits and head to class when i felt the slightest tug of energy at the edge of my senses, before hurriedly moving out of range. I raised my hand with my pointer finger extended in the universal gesture of "shut up and listen to me" and said "it's somewhere to the east" and pointed in the general direction. If you're wondering how I knew what east was without a compass the answer is that my "wizard sense" also senses the earth's magnetic field, useful for orientation and nothing else.

We speed walked down the halls, moving towards it faster than it was moving away from us. Eventually my wizard sense caught it again before it could get away again. We spent several minutes chasing the thing down, until it was right around the corner. The light was blinking off and on again, of course the thing that doesn't have eyes would choose a darkened corridor with mood lighting. Yep definitely psychological warfare, not a trap or anything.

I held up my fist in the universal sign of "stop, tactical edition" and peered around the corner. It was there in the darkest corner it could find. I turned around and mouthed to Marie "chase it down the corridor in 3 minutes" I then started back the way we came and produced a medium piece of chalk.

I had managed to find the other side of the corridor without moving down it with about 30 seconds left by my count. I started to draw a large circle with the edges up to the walls.