Chapter 3

Jasper, Alex and I were in a large gym built into the headquarters. "This place was originally used for exercising, but now we use it to train The Four." Jasper was explaining. "Here in the gym, you will learn rock climbing, cliff scaling, sword fighting, gymnastics, magic learning, monster fighting, and receive your tools."

"Ooo! Magic learning! That sounds like fun." I commented. "And the gymnastics. What are the tools?"

"Well, there's your magic wand, magic tablet, robot friend, jetpacks, high tech armor suit, and invisibility bracelet. The magic wand will concentrate the magic spells you will learn, and the tablet can call anyone, anytime, search things up, and take pictures. Your robot friend is a robot with a human personality and will offer helpful comments. It also has a camera. Jetpacks kinda speak for themselves, and your high tech armor suit can protect you from bullets and magic spells. Finally, your invisibility bracelet will turn you invisible if you put it on. You will also receive a magic bag, which will never fill up."

I whistled. "That sure is a lot of stuff."

"Yes, but you need to learn to use it first."

Jasper pressed a button on his tablet. Suddenly a piece of the floor started rising until there was another wall. Little bumps began appearing. "You'll be starting immediately. This is Stage 1; Rock Climbing." he stated.

I looked up. Now, I'm not too big on heights, but I knew I had to overcome that fear. Alex put on my gear and I put my foot on the wall and started climbing. A few hours later I had managed to fall down a million times and climb to the top zero. "You have to feel the rock beneath you," Jasper said," be a part of it."

I snorted. How am I supposed to feel the rock? I tried that, passing my hands along the rock, trying to feel the bumps. Little by little, I understood. I imagined being the rock, feeling the rock. Hah, that sounds stupid, even in my head, I thought. I slowly shimmied my way up, putting one hand up, then pulling up my legs. I didn't make it to the top, but I did do better.

Again I practiced, getting closer and closer each time. "Woohoo, girl!" I heard Alex from below me, "you're doing it!"

I reached up, following a pattern of green, blue, green, red, yellow, blue, green, and yellow. Every time, at the yellow, I would reach up for a purple, but my hand would slip.

This time instead of reaching for the purple, I moved sideways and grabbed the blue. Success! I clambered up, reaching the top! "I knew you could do it!" I heard Alex yell. I blushed.

"Good job!" Jasper said," Now you can get your first tool!"

He handed me a tablet. I turned it over in my hands. It looked like a normal tablet. "How do you use it?" I questioned him.

"Well, not too complicated."He explained."You press this-" he pointed to a button that looked like a magic wand, "to turn it on. You can search up anything, even magic questions. Now you don't have to ask me! It can also call anyone, anytime, anywhere. Other than that it has a camera and it never runs out of battery."

I held the tablet close. This was the first piece of technology I had ever held. My foster parents didn't like people burying their faces in their phones. "Thank you," I said gratefully.

He nodded. "In two days we will have Cliff Scaling. Get some rest."

It was my turn to nod. I went back to the map room and through the green door to the dormitories. I had already settled in. I had a whole bunk bed for myself. Down at the bottom, we had removed the bed and I had my desk and personal items. The top was my bed.

I sat on the ground where my desk was and started writing my foster parents a letter. Will they even get this? I wondered.

Dear Mother and Father, I hope I haven't worried you too much. I promise you don't have to send the police after me. I doubt they would find me anyways. I love you always and forever. I would never run away because I didn't love you if that's what bothers you. I'm safe and sound at-

I looked around. Where am I anyway?

- at a friend's house. I ran into the warehouse because that is where we were meeting.

That bit was partially true at least. I sighed and kept writing.

You have every right to be angry. I just want you to know, I'm safe. And I will come back.

-Lia :)

I looked at my work. I nodded.. This isn't especially truthful or believable, but it would do. I walked to the map room and looked around for The Fairy Godmother. She was standing by the map, looking at a giant black castle. "Godmother?" I asked," can you help mail this? It's to my foster parents."

She looked at it. "Of course dear!"

She threw it into the air and (you guessed it) went,"Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!" The letter disappeared in a flash of light.

I thanked her and walked into my room.

There was one day left until the next trial, and Trish hadn't spoken to me or gotten out of her bunk. I stood below her bed, knocking on the headboard. "Come on, Trish. I don't know why you're sulking, but I really need your help."

I heard soft sniffles coming from the bed, and I sighed. "I'm coming up." I climbed up the ladder, and sat down next to her. "Please tell me what's wrong."

She wiped the palm of her hand across her face. "It's all my fault.'

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's all my fault that The Cloak Keeper has the cloak. It's all my fault we're going on a quest. I should have realized it wasn't you. It's all my fault that good, innocent people will die. It's all my fault that all of this is happening, and I will never be able to make it up to you, or The Godmother, or all the people that are going to die."

I inhaled sharply, ready to deliver a speech. But she looked so miserable, so instead, I reached forward and hugged her. She stiffened up, then relaxed and returned the hug.

I leaned back and looked her square in the eye. "None of this is your fault. Anyone could have made that mistake. We are going to train me, and then we're going to go get that cloak. And I really need your help. I know you're feeling sad, but you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and help out. We won't be able to do this without you."

She took a few deep breaths and then nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Lia"

I nodded and gave her a smile, now ready for the next trial.

"Stage 2: Cliff Scaling!" I heard Trish yell as I ran into the room.

"Sorry I'm late!" I panted. Trish frowned."Lia, you need to learn not to be late. If this was real, one of your friends might have died." I nodded. "Sorry." and I was. I looked down, avoiding their eyes. I knew that I had disappointed them. I turned, looking up at my new challenge. Wow. I breathed out. The ceiling had grown taller, possibly by magic, and a giant mountain had grown up before me. "Your first test will be to climb up the mountain. Once to the top, there will be multiple challenges to overcome. There will be a giant ravine to climb down at the end. Good Luck!" Jasper was explaining.

They all walked out of the gym, leaving me to face the mountain. I turned after them, about to ask where my climbing equipment was, then realized that there was none. Are they trying to kill me? I grumbled under my breath, but walked up to the bottom anyway. The cliff face looked easier to climb than the rock wall had, but I had no equipment, and that made me scared. There were many handholds, so I grabbed a random one. It crumbed between my fingers and dust flew from my hands. Ooo-kay. I thought. This just got a whole lot harder. I had no idea which ones were the fake handholds and which ones were real. I decided to stick with the indents in the wall instead of the ones sticking out, so it couldn't crumble away.

I climbed carefully up the cliff face, testing each hand hold before gripping onto it. Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down. I kept reminding myself. Of course I just had to look down. I wasn't too high up, but I was high enough to make my stomach clench and my sight fuzz. And my left hand let go. Nononono!! I was slipping, and there wasn't any padding below! I was going to die for sure! Suddenly something metal grabbed my flailing hand. "What are you doing? Trying to kill yourself?" A voice said in my ear.

I glared at it, then almost jumped in the air. I stopped myself , because that would have been bad. Floating beside me was a metal mouse! "I'm your robot companion. Ugh. So are you just going to stay there all day? Climb, lady. Climb!"

I scowled at it. "Sure I'm climbing, but you might not have noticed that I'm also falling."

The robot of unknowable gender smiled. "I like your attitude."

I frowned. So I got a mouse as a companion. Unfair. I've seen leopard companions and even gorilla companions. The mouse seemed to know what I was thinking, for he said to me, "Have you ever heard of The Lion and the Mouse?"

I shook my head as he continued. "A mouse was trying to get a berry, but it was too high up. Bravely, the mouse climbed up onto a sleeping lion's head to get it, for his family was starving. The lion woke up and was furious at the mouse, but the mouse said to the lion, "if you let me live, I might someday save your life." The lion laughed at that and let the mouse live, not believing it. But later, the lion got stuck in a hunters trap. The mouse rushed to its rescue and nibbled the ropes until they frayed. The mouse saved the lion. So sometimes, the smallest creatures have the biggest hearts." It frowned. "And yes, I had to include a moral in that."

I nodded. I had heard something like that, except the lion made friends with the mouse when it clambered on the lion's head. I snorted. Guess that just proves how childish these nursery stories have become.

The robot smiled. "Look at that! You're at the top!"

I looked down, startled. It was right. During the story I had been climbing up, not even noticing what I had been doing. I found it amazing that I hadn't gripped any of the fake handholds. And I was at the top. I looked around for the challenges that Trish had mentioned. All I saw was grass, dirt, and snow, stretching for as far as the eye could see.