Race by Aidan McCay (best ebook reader for ubuntu txt) 📕

"Try to hit it harder." Kenshi said.
"It's harder than it looks!" Toby said with a great deal of frustration.
"Then try to do it more like this." Kenshi cupped his hands and pointed them towards the small red target on the far side of the room. After murmuring a few words under his breath, a blue laser-like light flew from his hands to the target. The light hit the direct middle of the red circle."See?"
"OK." Toby grunted. He cupped his hands together and tried again. Last time all that had come out was a thick green light that bounced all around the room, even though Kenshi told him that it should be a thin, blue, perfectly straight beam.
Toby said the strange words again. "Aserb kevy hico jawre." This time a wierd red light shot out like a bullet and made curves and loops as it went until it hit a spot on the wall ten feet to the left of the target. "Maybe I'm saying the words wrong. Can you tell me them again?" Toby asked.
"It's Arseb, kedy, haca, and garweh. Not Aserb kevy hico jawre. And when I said hit it harder, I didn't mean 200 miles per hour. That red one was way too fast." Kenshi replied.
"Arrgh. Arseb kedy haca garweh." Toby mumbled.
This time a light blue laser shot out of Toby's hands, giving a direct hit to the target.
"Wow! Impressive. You're getting better, Toby. Remember, that move knocks out the enemy for five minutes. Very useful for when you're in combat!" Kenshi said the last sentence with a lot of enthusiasm, as though he had used this on somebody before.

Toby had adjusted nicely to living and training at the Young Dragon Mansion. He had been given a nice king sized bed in a room to himself. He was fed nice porportions of food that he liked. Suprisingly, there were lots of other kids that were his age there, too.
He only got to know one other kid there, because he didn't know anyboy else. The kid that he met's name was Darren. Darren was twelve years old, which was one year older than Toby. Their personalitys matched very well and they liked most of the same things. They had very few arguments, and were always found at each other's side.
One day at lunch, while Toby and Darren were sitting together with a few other boys in the Grand Dining Hall, everybody heard a huge crash coming from the training rooms. Several girls and boys rushed immediatly to the source of the sound, and these kids included Toby and Darren. Once there, everybody crowded together at the entrance to the hallway.
A young boy stood in a corner, looking very guilty. Across the hall from him was Yangor's glass vase that was standing on a table.(Yangor was one of Kenshi's three sisters and two brothers that ran the Young Dragon Mansion.) Or at least it used to be there. It was now lying shattered on the ground in about a hundred pieces.
On the other side of the hall Yangor rushed in and stared at the broken vase. Then her gaze slowly traveled to the little boy who had done the crime.
"Did you do this?" Yangor spoke to the boy. She tried to keep her voice calm, but she was clearly very angry. The boy slowly nodded his head. "What is your name, young boy?" Yangor's temper was rising.
"Harold, M-Miss Yangor. Harold G-Green." Harold nervously stuttered as he spoke.
"You are in very big trouble, Harold. Come with me." With that she grabbed the boy's ear and walked away, the boy screaming "Ow!" the whole way.
"I'm glad that wasn't me." Toby whispered to Darren as they walked away with the crowd. "You don't want to get on the bad side of Yangor."

At free period Toby told Darren he was going to take a walk by himself. Toby started to walk on the path that went around the mansion's property. When he was about half-way around, Toby noticed a noise. Somebody was in the woods. Toby cut off from the path and darted into the woods after the sound. He followed the noise until he was brought into a large clearing.
"Hello, Toby. How nice of you to come and visit." The voice came from no one direction. It sounded like a deep male's.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Toby screamed at the forest. He now noticed that a strongly woven patch of leaves covered the exit. Toby was starting to panic.
"I know the names of all the students at the mansion. I have done my research. For years I have been trying to get a kid from there to assist me on my quest to overthrow the most powerful magic child academy in the state. You could help me, Toby."
Finally, a man appeared. He was dressed in crudely woven clothes made from animal skin. He was very thin, as though he had not gotten a full meal in a long time. "I am the most powerful villian in the country. My name is simply Larry."
Toby started to laugh. "Larry? Really? I thought you would have had a much scarier name!"
"Silence!" Larry hissed. "You upset me. Now there is only one way to get back to the mansion with your pesky little friends. You must compeat with me in The Race."
Toby gasped. "No! You can't do that! It must be an adult magician against adult magician! This is against the magic law!"
"I don't follow the magic law. Now, The Race will start in five minutes. I will give you some time to think." With that, he left.
The Race is something Toby leared about in Magic History class. If a magician challenged someone else to it, the both have to do it. The Race works like this: Both people start by battling at the start point. They fight until the first person gets away. Then, both competetors race to a set point. They can get there anyway they can. The first person to the set point gets the advantage of the final battle. Once they are both there, they must do a battle to the death. The winner is rewarded with one wish, and the wish can be anything they want. These battles rarely happen.
Toby unsheathed the sword that was strapped to his waist. Toby had gotten the sword as a present for coming to the Young Dragon. It was now going to try to save his life.
Larry re-emerged and took out his sword. "The set point is at the pond in Hagthord's park."
Toby decided to make the first move. He swung his sword as hard as he could. Larry eaisly side-stepped it and striked back he jabbed his sword at Toby, but Toby blocked it.
Toby lashed out at his enemy, building up with energy at every swing. Larry struck back, this time barly skimming Tob's arm. Toby grabbed his arm where the sword had done damage right as it started to blead. Larry raced away into the forest, laughing. Toby needed to catch him.
Toby decided to use one of his spells. "Kejdda gytre umnith lackel!" Toby instantly transformed into a bird. He flew high above the ground all the way to the park. he landed next to the pond and transformed back into himself. He was the first one here. Or so he thought.
"Finders, Keepers." Larry said creepily. In his hand he was clutching an small purple sphere- The advantage ball.
"I wish for- a bow and arrow!" Larry spoke to the ball. Instantly the sphere morphed into a bow with an uncountable number of arrows.
"If you could pick any weapon of choice in the world, why would you pick a bow and arrow?" Toby thought. Just then an arrow came wizzing by and landed in the complete center of a nearby tree with deadly accuracy. Oh. That's why.
Toby decided to start to run. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Three more arrows pelted the trees around him.
The arrows were starting to come faster. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Toby did a backflip to wave around the on coming projectiles. Thwack! Thwack! Toby had to start deflecting the arrows with his sword to keep them from hitting him. But Larry was learning from his mistakes.
Larry shot arrows at Toby until finally, Toby was trapped. He had reached a spot of trees around the lake where he could go no further. Toby stuck his sword in front of him in defense. Doing! Twing! Charl! The arrows flew right of the metal surface. It was only a matter of time until one hit Toby.
And eventually, one did. It struck toby in the elbow on his left, immobilizing that whole arm. In one final effort, Toby threw his sword at Larry right as he was about to release the killing arrow.
The sword seemed to fly towards Larry in slow motion. Larry's eyes followed the sword until they were cross-eyed. The sword hit Larry right in the middle of his chest. He starred at the penetrating sword, unable to realize what was happening. Finally, Larry's body crumpled on the ground, defeated.
Toby fell to his knees, unbelieving. He fell flat on his face, passed out from exaustion.
He had won.

Publication Date: 12-03-2010

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