(William)

William’s eyes darted from side to side as he shoveled a large spoonful of stew into his mouth. The lawn around him was neatly lined with redwood tables and most of them were occupied. Students meandered toward the steaming cauldrons of a nearby outdoor kitchen and picked up their food.

He had just sat down with Mary, John, and Claire when Ivan and Toby arrived. During the introductions, John banged his knees on the table as he scrambled to get up to shake Ivan’s hand.

“Sheesh, John,” Mary groused. “You almost knocked my drink over.” Her brother appeared oblivious to her complaint and gawked at Ivan. William shook his head.

Ivan and his fans.

“Hey, Ivan, what did you get for lunch?” asked William. “I got the honey roasted chicken stew and corncakes. You should try some.”

“I got the pork and apple pie with buttered carrots. It’s a bit on the spicy side but tasty. I’ll try a bite of the chicken stew in a bit.”

“There is so much great food in Scar, and we get meat every day!” Mary raised her fork. “Back in Pike, all we had was gruel, pottage, eggs, cheese, and stale bread.”

“Ugh, eggs…” William grimaced. “I’m trying to get those permanently banned from my menu.”

“The stew that you’re eating right now actually has eggs in it,” Claire informed him.

William looked at his plate and his eyes narrowed. “Well, I can’t taste them, and I can’t see them… so… they don’t count.”

“Hey, make sure that you don’t overeat,” John warned him. “The Bench Wars are after lunch.”

“The Bench Wars?” William looked confused.

“It’s THE GAME that we play at school,” Mary added and pointed toward Ivan and Toby with her fork. “They’re the enemy.” Toby rolled his eyes, but Ivan looked intrigued.

“So, how do you play it?” William asked.

“It’s the Magic School against the Military School and we finally have some new blood on our team,” said Mary. “At the front of the school, there is a long line of oak benches. They’re about two feet high and not very wide. The game takes place on top of them. Each team’s starting point is at the opposite end of the bleachers. To win the game, the shifters need to reach the home base of the military team without falling off the benches and vice versa.”

“Yeah, and we keep winning,” Toby bragged. The twins glared at him.

Mary stuck her tongue out at Toby and continued, “Well, anyhow, if you’re pushed down, you have to run all the way back to your team’s starting point.”

“It’s basically a wild shoving contest between the two schools that helps with strength and balance.” John jumped in.

“Originally, it was part of the training for the Tower Shield offensive maneuver,” Toby added.

“Right!” Mary leaned forward. “So, the two groups collide and attempt to push the other team out of the way. The Military School has the advantage of numbers and we have shifting.”

“Umm, there are only six of us and there are hundreds of them,” William said, looking concerned. “Do we ever win?”

“Don’t underestimate the power of the bear,” Mary declared. “One of us is worth dozens of them.”

“Bah, don’t get his hopes up,” Toby countered. “We’re going to crush you… again!” He chuckled and gave Mary a smug look.

The banter and posturing continued as they finished their food. After taking their plates to the cleanup area, they made their way to the front of the school. Lin and Baza were already there. Students from the Military School gathered in droves on the other side of the yard. Spectators swarmed the area.

One of the healer girls ran to John and stared at him. “Wow, the scar is gone. I didn’t believe them when they told me. I’ll be rooting for you,” she gushed. “I can’t wait to see you in your bear form.” Her cheeks colored and she ran back to her friends.

“See the girls from the Healing Institute,” John whispered to Ivan. “I’ve got a lot of friends there. If you get hurt, I’ll make sure that one of them patches you up. They’ve got great salves and ointments.”

“Military rules and magic drools.” Toby made a rude gesture and motioned for Ivan to follow him.

William watched Toby swagger off and racked his brain for a comeback, but he could not think of anything.

A few minutes later, a trumpeting sound echoed throughout the courtyard. William turned around and saw a man blowing a yak horn.

“That’s Drake Grey,” said John. “He’s a great caster and the ref for the Bench Wars.”

“Listen up!” Drake bellowed. “Before we start the game, I have a few announcements to make. For those of you that don’t know me, I’m the librarian. It’s simple, really, I like books better than I like people. If you’re late on any of your library books, you need to return them by the end of the day. If you’re unable to do so, talk to me after the game. You don’t want to see my rhino-sized black widow shift ambushing you in one of the school’s dark corridors. I’ll web you to the ceiling and leave you there for an hour.”

Drake glared at the crowd of students. He brushed some invisible crumbs off his shirt. “Alright!” he bellowed.

“There will be no biting.” Drake looked pointedly at the shifters.

“There will be no tripping.” Drake turned toward the Military School.

“There will be no grabbing of other players while you’re falling. I’ll soften your fall with Levitation when I feel like it. Get to your home bases. It’s time for the Bench Wars!”

(Ivan)

Ivan looked over to the shifters’ team. Six hulking bears stood on their hind legs. These were no ordinary hunter bears. These were huge wild bears with thick fur, massive shoulders, and square snouts. From the coloring of each bear, Ivan could recognize most of the shifters. The exception was the twins. He could not tell Mary and John apart.

The lead bear jumped on the bench and roared loudly as soon as the yak horn announced the start of the game. The Military School answered with a battle cry of their own.

The massive bears moved with surprising agility atop of the narrow benches. Lin was the first to collide with Ivan’s team. The initial impact sent several students toppling off. Lin dropped twenty more before she lost her balance. In midair, she transformed into a tigress, landed gracefully, and dashed back to the shifters’ home base.

Students flew off the benches as the game grew more intense. The shifters were making slow gains. Bodies continued to tumble, and the fallen students frantically raced to their team’s home base, to rejoin the game. The school’s courtyard was filled with shouts and cheers. Looking behind, Ivan noticed that the starting point of the Military School was turning into a bottleneck as students vied to get back on top of the benches. Looking ahead, he saw that some of the students braced the ones in front of them, but others blindly rushed the bears. The students that worked together had more success.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Work together!” Ivan bellowed above the clamor. “We’ve got the numbers. Brace the frontline,” he shouted decisively. “Move as one!”

His call for unity was picked up by others. The chant spread.

“Move as one… Move as one!”

The Military School started to regain lost ground. Their progress, slow at first, picked up speed. The bears tumbled off the benches faster than their reinforcements could arrive.

(William)

William was the last bear standing between the Military School and their victory. The wave of opponents crashed upon him as he lowered his body and dug his claws into the wooden surface. There was no space left behind on the bench for a second bear to come up and help him. His teammates were out of the game unless he pushed forward and cleared enough space behind him. The other shifters had already transformed and stood nearby, looking grim.

William dug his claws even deeper into the wood. His hind legs were at the very edge of their starting bench.

Rot and ruin! he cursed. I need a bigger shift. Something massive… I need to be rooted to this bench. Come on, think!

That was when it happened.

The frenzied beating of his heart slowed. He took a deep breath and was filled with serenity. He looked up at the sky and was unable to resist the compulsion to lift his arms and reach for the light. He reached higher and higher. Warmth spread throughout his body and filled him with tranquility. Time slowed. He could have stayed like that, still and peaceful, absorbing the radiant light, if not for a dull sensation at his ankles. Curious, he looked down. What he saw was not his own body.

He had transformed into a tree.

His roots were tightly coiled around the long bench. A group of people pulled at his roots and pushed his trunk. They were trying to shove him off the bench.

Oh… yeah, William recalled. We’re in the middle of the Bench Wars.

He curled his toes, and his roots coiled. He moved his hands, and his branches swayed. Like a toddler taking his first steps, he wobbled ahead. His roots lifted like the legs of an arachnid, and he moved forward. The line of military students toppled over like dominos. The other team clearly did not know what to do when faced with a giant walking tree. Cries of outrage mixed with shouts of glee.

“Alaras’s beard!” one of the spectator’s cried out. “I’ve never seen a Tree Transformation.”

“Is that even allowed?”

“Who cares if it is allowed,” someone else chimed in. “It’s a berserking walking tree! How often do you see one of those?”

“Ha-ha, I love the way it’s tossing students around. It’s so funny.”

The tide of the game turned after that. Bears leaped onto the benches and sauntered after the walking tree.

“The victory goes to the shifters,” Drake roared. “Their fifteen-game losing streak has come to an end.”

William’s classmates mobbed him. Even Lin joined in the celebration. She clapped him on the shoulder.

“You were amazing!” Mary threw her arms around him and whooped for joy.

Woo-hoo!

“We won… We won!” John cheered and flexed his arms in a victory pose. “A Tree Transformation. Whaaa! That was crazy. How did you even do that? He-he, you should’ve seen the way everyone reacted when you shifted. They just stared at you with these dumb expressions like you had grown a second head. The military students had no idea what to do. By the time they tried to dislodge your roots, it was too late.”

“Claire, look at your brother.” Mary pointed. “He’s arguing with Drake.” She laughed. “Hah, he looks so mad! I’m gonna snoop.” She shifted her ears. Her smile was replaced by a sour look.

“Pfft, what a sore loser.” She crossed her arms and stared daggers at Toby. “That weasel is trying to get the Tree Transformation banned. He’s saying that it’s overpowered, and it shouldn’t be allowed. Ohhh, and he thinks he’s sooo funny. Now, he’s making a joke about using axes and torches to even the odds. What a bonehead.”

“I hate to admit it, but he may have a point,” Lin interjected.

“Nah, Toby is just being a nincompoop,” Mary grumbled.

“Well, we do want to keep the game balanced, but we should give Drake at least a couple of weeks to come up with the final judgment.” Lin winked at Mary.

“Yeah!” Mary rubbed her palms together. “A serious decision like that should take a lot of time for thinking.” She grinned mischievously.

The victory celebration was eventually cut short by the sounds of the school bell. The midday break was over, and the students headed back to their classrooms.

“Hey, has anyone seen my Transformation book?” asked William. “I thought I left it right here.” He pointed to one of the benches.

“The last time I saw it, we were sitting at the lunch table,” John replied.

“Hmm, I thought I brought it with me.” William rubbed his chin. “Oh well, I’ll go check our lunch table. Go on ahead and I’ll catch up with you in class.”

“Sounds good,” replied Mary. “I need to return a book to the library before it’s late anyway. I don’t want to get on Drake’s bad side.”

“What other sides does he have?” John countered. “He makes some of the grouchy guilders look downright friendly.” They laughed.

“William, are you sure you don’t want some help looking for your book?” Claire asked.

“Nah.” William waved his hand dismissively. “I always forget stuff. It’s probably right there and I’ll be right behind you.”

“Sure, we’ll see you in class,” replied Mary.

Not wanting to be late, William raced toward the lunch tables. From a short distance away, he could not see his book.

Hmm, where is it?

He checked under the tables and benches, looked in the trash bins, and walked around the outdoor kitchen. He searched every place that he could think of.

The book was nowhere to be found.

Maybe someone picked it up by accident, he thought. Scraps, what if it’s sitting on top of my desk right now.

The thought put him at ease, and he headed toward the nearest school entrance.

I better hurry. I’m the last one out here.

He hastened toward the brick staircase when something shiny caught his attention. A silver book was propped up on the grass, right next to the entrance.

Woah! That looks just like my book.

“Look at that,” he exclaimed. “That’s weird. Is someone pulling a prank on me?” He looked to the left, and he looked to the right. There was no one around. His brows furrowed.

Someone must be flubbing with me.

William walked over and picked up the book. He needed to make sure that it was his. Yep, his name was written on the first page. He snapped the book shut.

The reflective cover caught his attention just like it had in the classroom. Holding the book was like holding a mirror. He could clearly see his face and the outlines of the statues perched on the roof above him.

His eyes widened as one of the statues wobbled. He snapped his head up and saw the statue falling directly toward him. Reflexively, he raised his hands over his head and squeezed his eyes shut. A powerful force slammed into him. When he opened his eyes, the dragon statue hovered above. The maw of the stone beast was agape just inches from his face.

His hands started to shake and sweat rolled down his back. His heart pounded.

I’m Levitating the statue…

He was not sure how long he could keep it suspended but he did not plan on finding out.

Move, William… Move! he told himself.

He dug his heels into the ground and jumped backward. The statue crashed down. The force of the impact caused the wings to shatter, and stone fragments shot out in all directions. Several of the smaller pieces peppered the side of his face and he felt a sharp pain above his left eye. Feeling dizzy, he thumped to the ground. His head throbbed, and he felt something drip down the side of his face. He reached up and touched his cheek. It was wet. He looked at his hand. It was covered with blood.

Before he could make sense of what had happened, a window on the first floor flew open. He looked up and saw a few blurry faces. They were talking to him, but he could not make out what they were saying. His ears rang and he felt lightheaded. A few moments later, he felt a hand on his shoulder. A woman leaned over him. She held a washcloth and a flagon of water.

“The rubble just missed your eye, young man,” the woman spoke in a calm and comforting voice. “You’re lucky… not to mention that your accident happened right next to my healer’s class,” she added. “Let’s tend to that wound.”

“Lady Calla, I got the bandages and the subsidium salve from Zuzu. She said not to worry about anything. She’ll take over the class while we tend to the boy.”

A tall blonde girl, about the same age as William, laid a basket of supplies on the ground next to Lady Calla.

“Thanks, Dahlia. I’m almost done cleaning the wounds. You were sitting next to the window. Did you see what happened?”

“I only saw part of it, but Pansy saw everything,” Dahlia replied. “She told me that he leaned over to pick up a book from the ground when the statue fell. He’s lucky that he didn’t get squished. She saw him Levitating the statue to stop it from flattening him.”

“Levitation you say. Hmm…” Lady Calla applied some ointment to William’s forehead. “I thought I knew all of the casters in the city, but I haven’t met you before.”

“Oh, that’s William Snow,” Dahlia gushed. “You should’ve seen him at the Bench Wars today. He was amazing! You won’t believe it. He actually shifted into a tree and then won the game for the casters.”

“That’s right!” said Lady Calla. “Didn’t you arrive yesterday with Lady Waterlily?”

“Yeah, she’s my aunt.” William could already feel the effect of the salve. The pain was receding. “Scraps, this ointment works fast.”

“Yeah, this is the good stuff,” said Lady Calla. “It has bogmint, lyptus, cloves, zingiber, and feverfew. How do you feel?”

“Well, the pain and the dizziness are gone.”

“Do you think you can stand up?” asked Lady Calla.

“Yeah, I feel much better,” he said as he slowly stood up. He gingerly touched his forehead. “If I got a copper every time I cracked my head, I’d have enough coins to buy a helmet.” Dahlia giggled.

“Dahlia, would you please accompany William up to Lady Waterlily’s office on the second floor. She’s probably there. If you can’t find her, you can both come back to my class.”

Lady Calla looked up and shook her head. “I’ll send a message to the Construction Guild. We can’t have statues falling on top of our students.”

She narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the roofline.