VII

The Big Announcement

———

Elise was the first one to go to school. She walked down the hall, bringing her oversized bag and axe. She saw the bulletin board with new announcements on it but only one seemed so important.

"What is this?" Elise whispered to herself.

She looked closer, closer . . . and closer. The announcement says:

To the trial classes or pilot sections, specifically A01, A02, and A03:

Trainees will be training for the choosing of groups for being real Portal Soldiers. Every year, the Portland's Trainer will choose the best group in each class, with the pilot sections being ahead of three weeks. They will be the representative of their class. The representative of the class will be fighting against the others. Who will win among the groups will choose if they will be spare soldiers (soldiers who'll fight incase the soldiers will be having loss) or real Portal Soldiers.

Schedule:
Tuesday – Training
Wednesday – Training
Thursday – Training
Friday – Choosing of groups
Next Monday – Representatives' finale

Sally walked down the hall and confusingly saw Elise looking at the bulletin board.

"Hi, Elise, wha . . . " Sally spoke and read the announcement put on the Bulletin board.

"We have got to tell them!" they both exclaimed in excitement.

They expected everyone to come immediately and waited at the hall for a longer moment. It was then that Lance and Amy came walking slowly with their narrowed eyes. Sally and Elise, Amy thought.

"Hi! What's up?" Lance said.

"This," Elise knocked at the announcement's paper. The wood behind the previous papers sounded. Amy laughed.

"Another opportunity!" Amy snapped.

William and Tom had their feet noisy. They were welcomed by their friends. They also looked at the announcement.

"Let's go to the classroom," Sally suggested. "We better go in the classroom before Jacobson or Lauren tripped on our armchairs."

They all agreed and went to the classroom. They're still not late and just on time.

"It's good to know we're not late," Amy smiled.

"Yeah," Elise said.

General Phillip entered the classroom, humming and smiling to his day. He put his things on his table.

"Good morning, class. Now, as you have seen in the bulletin board, we start practicing today. But, you are the one to make your schedule the whole day. Prepare an agenda of when you will eat, practice, or do other things. Use your time wisely. Okay, start and waste no time," General Phillip said.

Amy's group formed a circle with their armchairs.

"Okay, so here's what we'll do. Today, we'll go to the library and study some books there. We'll read books there about fighting . . . Any suggestions?" Amy glanced at everyone.

Everyone had shaken their heads. "So, let's go!" Amy clapped.

They made their way to the library. Their first approach was from the Librarian.

"School hours, children," she said in a British accent which sounded too exaggerated. "You're not allowed making your own agendas here."

"Hi. We're going to study for the upcoming selection. Can we borrow books to read here? We're going to use it here at the library," Lance said. "Besides, we're one of the pilot sections, A02."

"Very well, go ahead," the librarian said. "I expect good silence from you."

"Yes, Ma'am," they said.

"Come on," Amy whispered as she picked some books on the first shelf, then on the upper hand part of it. They started picking more books and each book took one step closer to their topic, the Strength and Power of Each Portal Soldier.

"I think we should know how to make a Communal Portal," Elise suddenly said.

There are two types of portal. The Patented Portal and the Communal Portal. The Patented Portal is a big enough portal for one person and it should only be used by one person. The Communal Portal, which is bigger than Patented, has the ability to let more than one person in. In short, the Communal Portal is what they need but it is only discussed in Grade B.

It made Amy stop walking. She's right, Amy thought. But that's only for Grade B. We're still Grade A.

"Isn't it appropriate for our age?" Tom asked. "That's for Grade B."

"Yes, that's for Grade B but I can see nothing wrong in studying it in advance," William smiled. "It's just like how we see Elise studying in advance."

"I see," Tom took it in. "You're right."

"I should go find some books about it," Amy said.

"I'm coming with you," Lance stood up too fast.

"Thank you, but . . . It's just around this corner," Amy pointed at the left side of shelves. "I can manage."

"I'm interested with the books," he simply said.

"Alright," Amy smiled uneasily and looked at her friends who were listening. Amy walked too fastly to reach the specific shelf of the library. Lance followed her while patting his own head and fixing his always messy hair. Amy stopped walking when she reached the shelf with the topics of Portals. She turned to look at her rear view and there is Lance, looking sad.

"I know you want to talk to me," Amy whispered. "What is it?"

"You know I can't make a portal," he started. "I miss Mom and my brother."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. I just remembered that I said it will only be a short while," he said.

"Lance," Amy whispered in a friendly way. "I don't really know what to say. I'm sorry." Then she turned her back to pick a thicker-than-ever and older-than-ever book.

"By the way, I'm really interested in the books," Lance said. When Amy had turned her head to look at him, she saw Lance, sniffing at a much older book than what she's holding. "Old pages smell good." He grinned and made their way back to their friends' table.

"That . . . is heavy," Sally commented, pointing at the thick and old book that Amy carries.

"It doesn't weigh much," Amy smiled as she puts the thick book down. Lance, who was walking slowly, held the book he took. Everyone, including Lance, looked at the golden print of the book from Amy. It states, Portals.

"That's it?" Lance asked. "Only about Portals? That book is too thick for one general topic only. Portals?"

"Maybe it's about Portals," Amy said, looking at Lance over her shoulder. "Generally Portals. I mean, it doesn't restrict to go beyond other topics as long as it's connected to . . . Portals."

Lance did nothing but to nod. It doesn't matter that much to me, anyway, he thought. Amy cautiously turned the pages of the thick book, Portals. At the table of contents, the Patented and Communal Portals are in pages 137 to 150. After reading the full meanings of Patented and Communal Portals, they slogged on to the How To Make a Patented and Communal Portal parts.

"Now, we know," Amy said after they've read all the how-to's.

Amy checked if the librarian is looking. Then she raised her right hand alone without any support and strongly thought of the Palace's ambience. A small portal opened.

"This is a Patented Portal to the main hall of the Palace," she whispered.

She glanced at the librarian again. When the librarian unconditionally moved, she clenched her fist to close the Patented Portal. The Patented Portal closed, just like Amy's fist.

"I want to see a Communal Portal," Lance said excitingly. "I want to see."

Amy did not pay attention to what everyone said. She raised her right hand. Her left hand was under her right elbow. The next thing is that she did was to think of the ambience of her home in the Garing-free, the touch of her soft flip flops, the home's silence, and its peace. The thought was powerful and she let out the light of the Communal Portal out of her hand.

"We have already seen a Communal Portal, Lance . . . " Amy said, half smiling as she remembered it all too well. "Aside from this one."

A short-bearded, tall man who appeared like a mushroom led them to an open field of grass in the middle of the village. He held his right hand high and his left supporting the other arm's elbow. String of lights appeared from his hand and a portal was made. Amy tried to copy the gesture the tall man did but no portal was made by her.

The yellowish light of the shone so brightly. She even worried that the light might reach the librarian.

"Amy, the librarian," Elise whispered to Amy, panicking.

Amy closed her fists tightly and the Communal Portal closed. She looked back at the old librarian who is looking at them, confused.

"Hey, children," the librarian said loudly in the silence of the library. It echoed.

"We're so sorry, Ma'am," they all said and looked down.

"Why are you saying sorry? Why are you looking down? Huh, children?"

They looked at her, more confused than she is. The librarian chuckled awkwardly.

"Don't look at me, children. You violated nothing. Just don't look at me," the librarian grinned.

"That's close," William smiled.

---

"My brain needs a break," Amy exhaled while looking at her wristwatch. "Anyway, it's already noon."

"I say yes. I'm starving now," Sally leaned back her chair.

After they have piled the several books up, they returned it to its proper places. They won't like the British-accented librarian to be mad at them. As the usual, Amy, Lance, and Sally brought packed lunches and joined eating foods with Elise, William, and Tom.

"What should we do after this?" Sally asked.

"Hang out?" William said.

They all laughed despite the stupidness.

"No, start of practice applying what we've learned," Amy grinned.

"Yay!" Elise exclaimed.

"Okay, let's be quick," Amy said as she changed the topic from portals to Physical Defense and Offense.

---

"We need to get fast in going to the training field," Tom said, throwing his candy wrapper and disposable plate in the garbage bin. They're done eating lunch.

"Don't forget," Amy said and she made the Communal Portal hand gesture. A Communal Portal appeared in the front of them. They entered the portal. And they are in the training field.

"Useful!" Sally as she had balanced herself on the ground.

They agreed.

"Now, remember the practicality. Step on the platform, everyone," Amy reminded.

They all put their weapons at the bleachers and started the system up. The platform is different from the first platform they used and is surrounded by weapons. Everyone took their mastered weapon while the lasers are still loading. The first laser man sneaked up behind Amy while the front lines are in right side. Elise, who was roaming around when everyone stayed calm, batted the laser man behind Amy.

After Elise had batted that laser, several laser men surrounded them. They stayed calmed though. Their formation wasn't affected at all. They changed the formation and paired up – one from the front line and one from the shooters. They paired up – Sally and Tom, William and Lance, Elise and Amy.

The front liners stepped forward the exit of the platform as they put a laser down. The shooters watch the front liners' backs from any attacks. They stepped closer and closer to the exit.

"The last laser man," Amy said in a deep voice.

Amy decided to shoot an arrow to it since she mostly commanded the plans for this. They passed the level and walked near the exit. Their heels sounded until some horizontal lasers fenced the exit.

"We can walk through them," Sally suggested.

"It's too risky," Elise said. "That laser might be dangerous."

"Please completely prepare yourselves for the harmful lasers," the voice of the platform machine echoed.

"Harmful lasers? Gosh, that's for the Grade C," Elise exhaled.

"We have nothing to do," Lance said.

"We're already here," Elise continued. "So why not fight?"

They prepared themselves at the center of the platform with their paired formation. The first laser attacked William but he forgot, he's out of bullets. Amy shot an arrow to that laser. William took another two guns. It was gone.

The next laser attacked Lance and he easily defeated it. Elise was fighting two lasers. She kicked the other and the one is for her axe. Tom shot a bullet to the three lasers he was fighting. All of them were being attacked by the lasers.

After they'd finally made it, they sat down and held their weapons on guard.

"That was too dangerous," Lance panted.

"But fun," Amy said, standing up to exit the platform and get their own weapons back. The day was long. That was just the first day of their training days. Two to go.

---