I decided to upload the second chapter. Meagan, our main character, decides to have an all-nighter cramming session with Ayana... that has disastrous consequences. It's also a little long, and I apologize.

Please post comments, reviews, etc. I really want to improve my writing and will respond to every one. It honestly brings a smile to my face every time someone posts in response to something I wrote.



Shattered Glass

   “Meagan... Meagan...”
   She groaned and opened her eyes wearily. “Mom?”
   “It's been an hour,” her mother said. “Time to wake up.”
   “Oh... thanks,” Meagan said, throwing off the blankets and jumping out of bed. She felt slightly more energetic, but she knew that energy would be gone soon. It would be a long night.
   Meagan brushed her hair quickly (major case of bed head), then strapped her belt and sword on. She rubbed her wrists, regretting her decision to sleep with her gauntlets on. “Hey, Mom, I'm going to head down to the Circle of Sorcery's Meeting Hall. There's something I've wanted to ask Ayana, and we're going to pull a study session together. It'll be an all-nighter, so I guess I'll see you before school tomorrow.”
   “What about dinner?”
   “I have money for take-out.”
   “I made beef stew, though!”
   Meagan smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I guess I should have told you before I went to sleep, huh? I'll eat that stew
for dinner tomorrow, all right?”
   “All right, then,” her mother said hesitantly, “but I'm worried about your sleep. You've been pulling more and more of these all-nighters and I can't say that it hasn't taxed you...”
   “I'll be fine, Mom. Love you!”
   “Love you too, sweetheart.” Mrs. Pronozuk barely finished her sentence before Meagan burst out the door,
unintentionally slamming it behind her. She winced at the noise and gazed at the shut door, feeling as if more than one had been closed.

   The fresh air felt good on Meagan's cheeks. The temperature had cooled down considerably since she had been to the fair four or five hours ago. The moon was poking its shy face from behind the city buildings; night was beginning to fall. Meagan stopped briefly to admire
the wane light, then broke into a sprint. A chilling wind blew, and Meagan shivered, wishing she had grabbed her fur coat. Leaves were carried by the near-gale, swirling about and in front of her, some rudely smacking her face. She could tell it would be a dreary, damp night.
After a few minutes, it started raining. Meagan's wings formed a protective barrier, but that didn't stop her from becoming both soaked
through and very irritated by the time she reached the Circle of Sorcery'sdomed Meeting Hall.
   The Meeting Hall housed not only all official conferences of the Circle, but also all the records of the
imperial city of Lewis, capital of the great empire of Regnum. It had a breathtaking collection of books on any topic imaginable, ranging from research journals on alchemy to advanced spellbooks whose very titles gave the novice adept a headache. Most famous, however, was the sealed-up room containing the Dark Tomes. Books tainted by profound evil, only those with the Chief Sorcerer's (or
Sorceress's) permission were even allowed to touch a book in that area, much less read it. They were in the very back, sealed with three golden locks and guarded by three mysterious knights.
   Meagan knocked on the ivory door of the Meeting Hall, then sat on the marble steps and waited. Stars were twinkling
lazily, the glass of the Meeting Hall's dome throwing the light back in dazzling reflections. After a while, Meagan wondered whether anyone was still in the building. Sure, the lights were on, but that may have been to deter thieves. For all she knew, the Circle had called it a night and went home early (as politicians tended to do often). 
   Just when Meagan was about to follow suit and go home herself, the door cracked open and a witch's head poked out, sporting red curls and the stereotypical black hat. “No salespeople, tax collectors, or lawyers! We do not care for lawsuits or taxes, much less doohickeys!” she crowed when she saw Meagan. The Valkyrie recognized her at once- Jayna, a fairly good-looking secretary for one of the Councilors in the Circle. Rumor had it she was getting a promotion, which in Meagan's opinion, she did not deserve. Jayna was known for having a pompous attitude towards non-magic users and had a general scorn of people other than herself.
   “I'm not a tax collector,” Meagan replied, standing. “Or a lawyer. It's me, Meagan. You know, Ayana's friend?”
   Jayna scowled. “This is a very bad time for tea and biscuits, Valkyrie, or play dates. The Circle's in a meeting right now of utmost importance.”
   “Shouldn't you be attending?” Meagan pointed out.
   Jayna laughed, not kindly. “Please! As if they'd want a secretary's opinion. No, no, actually, only the Inner Ring is attending.”
   “Chief Sorceress and apprentice too?”
   “No duh.”
   “Then can I at least come inside until the meeting's over? I'm willing to wait,” Meagan pleaded. She didn't enjoy standing out in the rain one minute.
   Jayna pursed her lips and slammed the door shut. Meagan sighed. She knew the Meeting Hall was a public building, so she could have entered if she wished, but she also knew Jayna had a large repertoire of nasty spells and hexes. If Jayna had shut her out, it would have
been wise to remain out.
   Meagan sighed once more and sat down again. Her evening probably would have been far more fruitful if she had
decided to study alone or at least chosen a friend who wasn't constantly involved with meetings day in and day out. It was a wonder Ayana made it to school each day with her homework completed, considering how busy she was. She knew it wasn't Ayana's fault that the Chief Sorceress was so busy, and Ayana was both lucky and gifted to have landed a position as her apprentice so young. However, Ayana had a final tomorrow too... didn't apprenticeships look at schooling as well?
   The door creaked open again.
   Meagan jumped up and snarled, “Jayna, I have every right to sit on the steps of a public building. In fact, I have every right to storm right past you and demand that I see Ayana!”
   “That would be quite unnecessary,” came the unexpected reply, “seeing as I'm right here.” Meagan broke into a grin
when she saw Ayana standing behind the doorway, not Jayna. Ayana's blue eyes and red lips were smiling too, and she ushered Meagan inside.
   “Good golly, you're wet,” Ayana exclaimed. “Well, nothing to do about that for now. I guess I could fetch you one of my robes later...”
   “Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?” asked Meagan, puzzled.
   Ayana laughed. Unlike Jayna, her laugh was gentle. “Inner Ring only- that doesn't apply to apprentices. Besides, the Chief Sorceress decided finals are important. I can't get the history portion down! Naturally, I have magic in the bag.”
   “But... J-Jayna said...” stammered Meagan, trailing off.
   “Jayna's a jealous twit who's stuck being a secretary while I am pursuing an education and career of utmost excellence,” Ayana replied. “Come on- I left my textbook in the library.”
   Meagan's feet sank into the plush red carpet as they walked. She gazed around at the walls, beautifully painted In soft, subtle shades, and the portraits hanging on them. Statues were spaced evenly along the hall, as were various busts of past Chief Sorcerers and
Sorceresses.
   “History's a pain,” Ayana began, “because I can never get the dates.”
   Meagan groaned. “Ugh! Dates...”
   Ayana led Meagan into the library.
   “Here we are,” she declared. “Take a seat at any of the tables except for the black ones; those are strictly for the Chief Sorceress's use and those of her close friends. Even I'm not allowed to sit at a black table. Also,
whatever you do, don't go near-”
   “The back, got it,” Meagan
interrupted. “Hello! Do you think I was born yesterday? I'm not going to waltz
in on three knights and demand that I see the Dark Tomes!”
   Ayana nodded. “Okay, great. Just
wait here while I get my textbook.”
   Meagan shrugged and pointed to a
silver table. “I'll be sitting there.”
   Ayana dashed off, a forbidden
action since running was not allowed in the Meeting Hall. Meagan sat down for
the third time. A clock on the wall said it was already ten o'clock. It took
me that long to get here, and I really waited that long for someone to open the
door? Meagan thought. It was only seven when I left.
Meagan felt her eyelids droop and
unintentionally became aware of all the extra sleep she might be having if she
had decided to stay home. She fought hard to keep her eyes open, but without
any conscious thought found them shut. Meagan didn't have the will or the
energy to open them, so she sat there with her eyes closed, waiting for Ayana.
The next thing she knew, Ayana was shaking her roughly and far less gently than
her mother. “Wake up before you drool all over the table,” Ayana chuckled.
“Gosh, you're really tired, huh? How much sleep did you get last night?”
Meagan sat up, yawning. “I don't
know,” she replied, shrugging. “Not much.”
“Obviously,” Ayana said. “I have my
textbook. Now... the light here is terrible. Do you want to go closer to the
back? There are more lights there, and we'll see better.”
“What about the three knights?” Meagan
asked worriedly. “They might think we're there to steal a Dark Tome.”
“Oh, please,” Ayana scoffed. “If it
was anyone else, it'd be only natural, but it's me going back there.
They know me. Besides, as long as we don't get too close we won't have a
problem. I've done this tons of times.”
“Are you sure?” Meagan asked as
they started walking towards the back of the library.
“As if I'd ask you if I wasn't,”
Ayana said back, sounding a bit amused. “The emblem sewn on my sleeve is
sufficient proof that I have enough authority to be there.” She tapped the
emblem on her right sleeve. It showed an eagle holding a wand in one claw and a
royal crown in the other. Its beak held a piece of ribbon that curled
dramatically and unfurled towards the bottom, revealing words in a language
Meagan did not understand.
“It says,” Ayana began, noticing
Meagan's puzzled look, “'Darkness shall flee.' It has something to do with the
Circle of Sorcery banishing evil and promoting the cause of light. It's the
Chief Sorceress's emblem.”
They were nearing the back now.
Meagan was in plain view of the guards. She wished she could see their faces,
hidden behind their helms. Only their eyes peeked through, as their visors were
lifted. Meagan couldn't tell whether they were alarmed or impassive at their
being there. In a terribly frightening moment, one gripped the hilt of his
sword and was about to take a step forward when he saw Ayana. He let go of the
hilt, stepped backwards, and waved.
Ayana laughed, waved back, and blew a kiss. The guards burst
into guffaws. It was some type of inside joke that was between the four of
them, Meagan reasoned, though it seemed very strange to her.
“See?” Ayana asked, turning to face
her. “No problem! Now, let's get to studying. It's already eleven o'clock and I
have to go to bed by one- Chief Sorceress said I'd better be asleep by the time
her meeting's over. She'll be in there for another three hours. It takes
forever to get anything done, which sometimes helps me with my curfew but
really taxes her. In my opinion, they should change the system.”
“It's that late?” Meagan gasped.
“If I leave at one in the morning, I'll be home at two!”
“Then why don't we study?” Ayana
suggested. “I could send your mother a message via pigeon and you could spend
the night; sure beats walking home in the dark.”
“All right,” Meagan replied. She
rubbed her eyes uncomfortably. “It really is brighter in here.”
“Of course,” Ayana said, sitting
cross-legged on the floor as all the tables in the area were black as pitch.
“The guards need it so they can see well. There's also less rows of books and
other stuff around here, and less shadows, so it makes it harder for thieves to
hide.”
Meagan sat down next to her. Ayana
opened the textbook to the twelfth chapter. Meagan slapped her forehead. “How
could I have forgotten?” she groaned. “The Dark War is in our textbooks!”
“Duh. It's historical fact. What
were you doing in class two days ago?”
“Sleeping,” Meagan admitted.
Ayana laughed. “So that's why you
had detention! Meagan, you should pull less all-nighters!”
“You're one to talk,” Meagan shot
back.
 
* * *
Ayana shut the book hours later.
“All right,” she said with a yawn that she didn't try to conceal at all. “Let's
send a pigeon and scurry up to my chambers. I can barely keep my eyes open.”

       “Same here,” Meagan replied. She
was holding her eyes open with her fingers. “What time is it?”
“Let me check,” Ayana said, gazing
up at the clock on the wall. “It's two... no, three in the morning. We really
studied for a while... why do I have the feeling I'm forgetting something?”
Meagan shrugged than jumped into
the air as a hand touched her shoulder. Ayana screamed as another touched hers.
Meagan felt her heart come to her throat and heard a faint pounding in her
ears. Slowly, she turned around to see a beautiful woman with long silver hair
and eyes like purple mist. Despite having hair like quicksilver, she looked
young; Meagan would have guessed around thirty. The woman wore a white, flowing
dress, and had a shapely figure. A chain with a wooden pendant of a
twelve-pointed star hung on her neck, in front of a silver medallion. She wore
stylish glass shoes with at least four or five inches of heel on them. Already
tall, the extra inches made her seem menacing and imposing.
Meagan was ready to follow Ayana's
example and scream. She panickingly wondered why the guards weren't taking
action against the strange woman. It surely wasn't because they were afraid;
the only explanation was that the woman had authority to be there. A theory
began to form in Meagan's mind as she studied her again. Meagan's eyes rested
on a medallion hanging from the woman's neck, one featuring the same emblem on
Ayana's sleeve.
“Aren't you supposed to be in bed?”
asked the Chief Sorceress.
“Sorry,” Ayana apologized sheepishly.
“Who's your friend?” the Chief
Sorceress interrogated, looking over Meagan. Their gazes locked for an instant,
and Meagan quickly averted her eyes. That was a dangerous gaze, she was
certain. She could have easily been lost in the purple mist and she would have
become vulnerable, her thoughts and memories readable like an open book and
held out for the taking.
“I'm Meagan,” she mumbled. “Pleased
to meet you.”
The Chief Sorceress smiled. “Hello,
Meagan.” Meagan looked up again. The smile seemed warm and friendly. It didn't look
like the Chief Sorceress meant her any harm.
The Chief Sorceress turned to
Ayana. “Why aren't you in bed by now?” she demanded. “Do I need to watch you
every single moment of the day?”
“No,” Ayana answered, looking at
her feet.
“Are you unable to check a clock
for the time?”
“No.”

          “Then I suggest-” Whatever she
was about to say was drowned out by a strange rumbling coming from above them.
All three looked up. Gossamer-thin strands were crawling along the glass of the
dome above them. The Chief Sorceress said something, but Meagan wasn't paying
attention and lost the words; she was watching the cracks get larger and
larger. It was transfixing, even though she knew she should probably move.
Suddenly, the spell was broken as she felt the Chief Sorceress push her with
one hand and saw her shove Ayana with the other as the dome began collapsing.
Everything that happened after that
was in slow motion. She saw Ayana whirl around to face her mentor, a look of
horror plastered on her face, and yelled, “Come on!” The Chief Sorceress looked
like she was about to run after them. Ayana shrieked as a portion of the roof
fell directly on top of the Chief Sorceress with a sickening crash. The noise
was so loud that Meagan could hear only the ringing in her ears. She grabbed
Ayana's hand, pulling at her. Ayana didn't move. She just stared at the pile of
broken glass that buried her teacher, more pieces raining down all around them.
Meagan tugged again.
Ayana turned to face Meagan, her
eyes wide, her face blank and streaked with tears. “We have to get out,” Meagan
said, even though she couldn't hear herself. So far only one large portion of
the dome had collapsed, but Meagan was sure the rest would follow.
Ayana nodded, whispering something Meagan couldn't catch.
They began to run, though it seemed it took them far too long just to go a yard
or two. Meagan could feel herself shaking as she ran, dragging Ayana after her.
She wasn't thinking, only moving, letting her instincts take over. She was in
shock, refusing to process what just happened. Someone who had been alive and
well had died in seconds, right in front of Meagan. It was so sudden.
But that’s just how it is. You’re alive up
until you’re dead.
Glass was showering all over them.
Ayana wrenched her hand away from Meagan's grip, lifting her arms to shield her
face. Meagan's wings rose to protect her head, but too slowly. A piece about
the size of her fist struck her head. She howled in pain, her wings snapping
into position over her. Meagan saw bursts of color all over, and dimly became
aware that Ayana had started pulling her.
Something wet and sticky trickled
down Meagan's scalp and neck. She touched her free hand to her head, crying out
as she felt fiery pain explode from the contact. She drew her hand away,
trembling. It was covered in crimson.
The ringing had subsided, though
Meagan still couldn't hear anything. She thought about the possibility of being
permanently deaf, then pushed it out of her mind.
Push... like the Chief Sorceress
had pushed her. Because of that, there was no time for her to see the oncoming
avalanche of glass shards and pieces. There was no way she could have seen it
coming. Surely, though, she had to be okay... the Chief Sorceress was said to
be the most skilled magician alive, exceeding even Nicholas Flamel, the Great
Alchemist. Someone that powerful had
to be able to come up with a spell in time to save herself.
Meagan shook her head. The shock
was wearing off, being replaced by a dull, throbbing ache that circled her
head. She glanced at her hand again, realizing what the crimson was. Blood...
Meagan felt her heartbeat quicken. She was afraid of blood, of the sight of
it, of the death it foretold. Meagan hated just looking at a bleeding scratch!
Shards were still falling all
around them, glistening and dangerous. Ayana chanted something for what seemed
like ages as Meagan batted away smaller fragments of glass and avoided larger
ones. Slowly, a soft glow covered them, and shards started bouncing off of an
invisible barrier. Ayana had set a protection charm.
They were almost out. Meagan could
see the great doors, flung open by other witches and wizards as they fled.
Meagan could feel a draft blowing through, and their pace quickened. Although
it felt as if it took them years to get to the doors, it had probably only been
two or three minutes. Meagan was amazed there was still glass to fall- surely
the dome hadn't been separated into that many pieces.
They were steps away when the rest
of the dome completely gave way, giant slices of it raining down. She knew
there was no way Ayana's spell would protect them from hurtling spears of glass
ten feet long- Ayana was still only an apprentice. She wasn't anywhere near
that powerful.
Meagan closed her eyes for the
impact.
After a few moments, she
tentatively uncurled from the fetal position she had somehow adopted and opened
her eyes. Ayana was next to her, on her knees, bent over with her arms over her
head, whispering gibberish. Meagan stood shakily and surveyed the scene before
her. The shards were arranged in a circle around them, and Meagan touched one.
It crumbled to dust at the slightest contact. Strong magic, Meagan
thought. Not just some novice or apprentice work. Who... who did this?
She squinted as she saw a glowing
figure step towards her, but as the figure drew nearer, darkness came creeping
over her sight. Meagan felt very woozy, and she fell over, not even trying to
fight the weariness and fatigue. She must have lost a lot more blood than she
realized.
Meagan closed her eyes, landing softly on the floor in the
dead center of the circle of shards.



Sorry guys for the bad paragraph spacing, but I ran out of time to upload it. I promise that in the future, it will be much more readable.

Dragonlord Stephi : O my gosh . This was so long but I did not mind because again ... IT WAS WORTH IT . Another excellent piece of writing dear girl . I especially liked how the atmosphere changed from to peaceful .. almost heaven like to terror and excitement Bravo indeed  

Mr. Zed : Thank you so much! This chapter was actually one I thought I botched. I'm glad to know it's not the case!

Considering I do not know what " Botched "  means then you are welcome   

Well, this is a super long chapter. Congrats on this big thing. Very nice and detailed here, very neat work!

DittoDude44 : Thank you very much for commenting and reading! Your feedback is greatly appreciated.