The Magories and The Great Book of Secrets

The School-Castle part 1

The sun peeked early over the valleys and mountains of Magory County. Rubio hardly slept. No sooner had the light reached the small round window of his room than he jumped out of bed and put on his blue overalls and green cape on his back. It was a big day. Classes were to begin. His parents would have been very proud of his first day at school-castle as a Magory. It was a special day for any Magory. Since his parent's mysterious death, when he was still a baby Magory, he was raised by his aunt and uncle, Mabel and Romeo. They always treated him as their own son. His cousin, Orion, was like a brother and he had grown up with him and had great adventures. Rubio had black hair covering his forehead and had two eyes like bright blue oceans underneath. Despite his tender age, he had strong arms and a strong body.

He would always get up early, right after Uncle Romeu and Aunt Mabel, to help with the chores. Orion almost needed to be pulled out of bed. He was always the laziest.

He went down the stairs two at a time and reached the kitchen. Mabel, his aunt, already had a table full of berries of all colors for breakfast. Mabel always wore colorful dresses with straps, her long brown hair in a braid and her eyes were brown like the color of the earth.

-"Hello, good morning, my little Magory! Did you sleep well?" - Mabel asked with a grin on her face as she placed a bowl of red berries, Rubio's favorite, on the table.

- "Auntie, I'm starting classes today at the great castle, you cannot continue to call me a little Magory" - said Rubio, filling his hands with berries and popping them in his mouth.

Mabel laughed disguisedly.

- "I know, it's just that you will always be my little Magory".

It seemed as if it had been yesterday that Mabel had received the sad news of the death of her sister, Mia, and her brother-in-law Lucius and had to take care of his nephew, who was in fact already well grown. Although Rubio knew that his parents had died in an accident, he avoided mentioning the subject. It seemed sometimes that it was a forbidden topic at home.

- "Is Orion not up yet?" - Mabel asked worried about the time, because she knew that her son was slow at doing anything; from dressing to eating and she did not want the two Magories to be late on the first day of school. Rubio shrugged, for he knew nothing.

- "I'll go up and call him, Aunt Mabel" - Rubio said, running towards the wooden stairs, which he climbed in a matter of seconds. He opened the bedroom door and burst in.

- "Cousin Orion, wake up! It's time to get up" - he said, shaking his cousin, who was wrapped in his white sheet and had his face covered.

- "Let me sleep just a little longer" - he said in a sleepy voice.

- "You can't ... classes begin at the school-castle today" - Rubio said, opening the small round window.

- "Close the window!" - Orion demanded irritably.

- "I'm waiting for you downstairs for breakfast. We cannot be late for school-castle, especially on the first day of school" - he said as he left and closed the bedroom door behind him.

- "Breakfast, breakfast is ready!" - He said, pulling away from the white sheet. He put on his Magory uniform and his red cape. He barely washed his face, and was still sleepy when he went down the wooden stairs, almost stumbling and falling. He walked into the kitchen rubbing his eyes and yawning. He was short and squat, had a small protruding belly and chubby hands. His tousled hair was honey-colored, his nose freckled with rebellious freckles, and his brown eyes gleamed at the sight of so much food.

- "Wow! Fresh berries!" - He said, his eyes widening, taking in everything on the table.

- "Good morning, little Magory" - Mabel said, smiling as she finished washing the last berries to put on the table.