“Fearing for his life, Ramesses sought out other magicians and charged them with his protection. These magicians, loyal to the pharaoh, destroyed the traitors and exposed Tiye’s plot to the rest of Egypt. Ramesses gave these magicians a new name—the Guardians of the Pharaoh—and assigned them as his personal bodyguards for the remainder of his life. Following his death, his successors continued to use these supernatural magicians and their descendants as Guardians of the Pharaoh. Word of their mystical powers spread throughout the world, and after the fall of Egypt, other leaders of great civilizations called upon Guardians for protection.
“Of course, our ancestors’ titles changed from Guardians of the Pharaoh to Guardians of the Emperor or Guardians of the King. Eventually, the last part of the name was cut off, and we became known throughout the world solely as Guardians. At the academy, recruits are trained to protect those who need and deserve our protection, to become Guardians, just like the ancient Guardians of the world’s greatest leaders.”
Lincoln imagined ancient Guardians on the battlefield, protecting their leaders and using their supernatural powers to blast away their enemies. Awesome! But there was one thing he didn’t understand. “If Guardians are so important, how come I’ve never heard of them?”
Otis rolled his eyes. “Everybody asks the same questions. Lincoln, you have heard stories about them. Ever heard of Merlin and King Arthur?” Lincoln nodded. “Merlin was King Arthur’s Guardian. Ever heard of Robin Hood?” Again, Lincoln nodded. “He was King Richard’s Guardian. More recently, think of your stories with superheroes.”
“So, you’re trying to tell me Superman is a real person ... a Guardian like you and me?” Lincoln asked doubtfully. “I’ve never seen anyone flying around my house in a red cape and tights, especially not my dad.”
“No,” answered Otis, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Superman is not a Guardian, but I’ll bet his story’s based on one of us. Think of Guardians as superheroes guarding the world’s most influential people. The reason we try to keep our identities secret is to make us better at our job. No one plans an attack on a world leader expecting a bodyguard with superpowers, and this gives us a tremendous advantage.
“There is, of course, a second reason we remain hidden from the world. Right now there are somewhere between three to five thousand Guardians spread across the globe. Not all of us do what’s right. Remember the story with the pharaoh. Two magicians, two Guardians, were the ones planning to kill him. Just because people have special powers doesn’t make them any better or worse than everyone else. Over time, some Guardians have done horrible, horrible things.”
Otis shuddered, and anger and disgust flashed across his face. “You’ve heard of the bad ones too, Link. You’ve heard about the Holocaust, the Russian concentration camps. Guardians played just as much of a role in those atrocities as did Hitler and Stalin. Think about the terrible stories you’ve heard involving vampires, witches, werewolves, and other monsters. They’re based on rumors of some of the horrible things Guardians have done. Guardians who turn to evil eventually join a different group, a group known as the Fallen.
“Can you imagine the problems we would face if people knew things like the Fallen are real? Of course, there are a few people who know about us. They provide us with our covers, helping us remain hidden in the world while we do our jobs.”
As visions of the Fallen attacking helpless victims flashed through Lincoln’s mind, his earlier excitement vanished. He quickly changed the subject, wanting to forget the images in his head as soon as he could. “What about the academy? When did it get started?”
“The late sixteen hundreds. Atlas was created by a group of eight Guardians, the Founders. These eight Guardians were born in the same small village in Western Europe and spent their childhood together, becoming friends long before their powers awakened. One by one, they each received their powers, and scared of what was happening, kept their powers hidden. Eventually, they confided in one another and were astonished to learn that each of them had the same unusual abilities.
“Together they developed their powers, learning more as a group than they ever could have on their own. You see, back then there was no training program for Guardians. Instead, they had the Elders. The Elders were a group of Guardians who were too old to continue to perform their duties. They traveled the world, seeking out other Guardians, telling them about our history, and recruiting them to fulfill their destiny. These new Guardians were then expected to learn how to use their powers on their own. The Elders recruited the eight Founders, and they left their village and began their service as Guardians. Due to their training together, the Founders were significantly more powerful than other Guardians. As soon as the Elders realized this, they began sending the Founders all across the world, assigning them the most difficult missions the Guardians faced. The Founders were soon given a nickname, the Atlas Guardians. Like the Titan Atlas in Greek mythology, the Founders carried the weight of the world on their shoulders.
“As they traveled the world, the Founders realized Guardians needed to be trained at an early age and with others just like them in order to realize their full potential. They convinced the other Guardians of this need and began creating what eventually became the Atlas Academy.
“As time went on, the Founders grew older. Fearing the end was near, they called a special assembly, known as the Atlas Council, and invited all Guardians to come prepare for a future when the Founders would be gone.
“The Founders had witnessed the destructive powers held by the Fallen. They established a council of eight Guardians, charged with governing Guardians across the world. The Guardian Council still exists today and helps prevent the Fallen from ever rising to power.”
Otis stopped talking and peered through the window. Lincoln felt the aircraft slow down. “Hope you’re ready, kid, because we’re here.”
CHAPTER 3
THE ATLAS ACADEMY
LINCOLN LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW, IN awe of the picturesque beauty beneath him. They were flying above a large island covered by mountains, lakes, and forests of thick pines. The ocean sparkled in the distance. They continued forward until they were directly over a particularly dense forested area, at which point they slowed and began to drop toward the ground. As the Lulu descended, the trees below shimmered like an oasis in the bright sun.
Otis continued to guide the Lulu downward until they were within inches of the tallest trees. Had Otis suddenly gone blind? Couldn’t he see they were going to crash? Lincoln panicked. He closed his eyes and tensed his muscles, preparing for the inevitable, but nothing happened.
He heard Otis chuckling and opened his eyes. “Freaked me out too, the first time I passed through the Outer Barrier.”
“The Outer Barrier?” Lincoln repeated.
Otis nodded. “Yep, it’s the first line of defense here at the academy, but you’ll learn more about that part of it later. It also does a few other things. First is what we call the Mirage Effect.”
“Mirage Effect?”
“It projects a different image based on what side of the barrier you’re on,” Otis explained, circling the Lulu above the trees so Lincoln could get a better look. “From the outside, it projects an image over the top of the entire academy, making it look like just another giant patch of trees here on the island. From the inside, we see a clear sky and a nice sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening, no matter the weather or the time of year.
“It’s a good thing too,” he added, “because in the wintertime, Kodiak Island only gets a few hours of sunlight a day. That can get depressing real quick.” He shivered. “Lucky for us, inside the academy we have the same amount of sunlight every day of the year. That makes it a lot easier to keep track of the time and to have outdoor training sessions throughout the year.
“There’s one more thing the Outer Barrier does. It controls the weather inside the academy.”
“How is that different from the Mirage Effect?”
Lincoln asked.
“Because the Mirage Effect is only a mirage,” Otis explained. “It does nothing to really change the weather or the temperature. Alaska gets cold in the winter, and I mean cold.” He shook his head and gave Lincoln a rueful grin. “The Outer Barrier keeps that out of the academy. Well, for the most part, that is. It does get pretty cool during the winter, and we still get the occasional snow storm, but nothing like what’s going on around us.”
“Good,” Lincoln said. He had never been a fan of the cold. “Wait a minute. Does that mean you could have snow falling on a sunny, cloudless day?”
Otis grinned and nodded. “It’s one of my favorite things to see.”
Lincoln had a thousand more questions, but he didn’t have time to ask any of them, because at that moment Otis glanced down and then turned to Lincoln and said, “Now, Lincoln, why don’t you take your first look at the academy?”
Lincoln blinked and gasped. The thick forest was gone. A thirty-foot-tall, twenty-foot-wide stone wall surrounded the perimeter, and an eerie, green light rose from the top of it, high into the sky. Because it was built on the edge of a large hole, the wall was twice as tall from the inside—almost as if it were built to keep things in rather than out of the academy.
Inside this outer wall, Lincoln saw miles and miles of wild terrain surrounding eight buildings, which were arranged in two side-by-side circles. The two central buildings were the largest and resembled castles with sharp towers spiking high into the air. The other six buildings reminded Lincoln of fancy boarding schools he had seen on TV, each one painted a different color. Within one of the two circles of buildings was a large lake with a tree-covered island sitting in the middle. The other held some type of arena.
“What do you think?” asked Otis.
“It’s amazing!”
“As you will soon learn, the academy is a very special place. It took the Founders more than ten years to finish their creation. In fact, it took so long that some of them didn’t even live to see it completed. When the others finally finished, they gathered the rest of the Guardians from across the world for an opening ceremony. In the middle of the ceremony, the remaining Founders disappeared. Some say they are still here, protecting the academy.”
“Do you believe that?” Lincoln asked.
“I’m not sure,” Otis admitted. “But something keeps this place safe.” He pointed at the two central towers. “That’s where you’ll do most of your training.”
Otis continued to guide them downward, finally landing the aircraft in a parking lot just south of the tall towers. The parking lot held a few more aircrafts—some bigger than the Lulu, some smaller—as well as several cars and boats. Each one was unlike any other vehicle Lincoln had ever seen. As Lincoln stared at a sleek-looking boat with what looked like a rocket strapped to the motor, Otis locked the Lulu and took off toward the closest building.
Lincoln followed closely behind. They paused alongside a large, marble water fountain in front of the building. Kids walked in and out of the building’s entrance in small groups, joking and laughing. It reminded Lincoln of his school back home. Or it did, until he saw a girl lose her temper and give a boy an angry shove. The boy flew backward thirty feet into the air, landing with a splash in the large fountain next to Lincoln and Otis. The boy stood up, jumped out of the fountain, and gave a good-natured laugh.
“I deserved that one,” he exclaimed with a smirk. Water dripped from his soaked clothing. He looked to be a couple years older than Lincoln, with a pointy chin and curly, brown hair that drooped over his mischievous eyes. Otis cleared his throat.
The boy looked up at him. “Otis, it’s good to have you back, old boy. The place just hasn’t been the same without you.” He gave Otis a wink. “I want you to know I kept a close eye on things while you were gone.”
Otis rolled his eyes. “I’m certain you kept a close eye on something.”
He nodded toward the angry girl. She and three of her girlfriends stood with their hands on their hips, glaring at the boy. One of them muttered, “I told you he was a jerk!” and the four of them stomped off.
The boy let out a nervous chuckle. “Now I have to think of a way to make it up to her. I can never get ahead with that girl. She’s impossible.” The boy turned back toward Otis and Lincoln. “Well, Otis, who do we have here?”
Otis gave Lincoln an exasperated, slightly amused look. “This is Lincoln Thomas. Lincoln, this is Milo Ryder.”
Milo raised his forearm to Lincoln. Not sure what he was supposed to do, Lincoln just nodded. Milo shook his head. “That will never do, Lincoln. If you want to survive at Atlas, you better learn the academy bump. Hold your arm up like this.” Lincoln did as instructed, and Milo bumped Lincoln’s forearm with his own.
“Much better,” Milo said approvingly. “Welcome to Atlas.”
“Everybody calls me Link,” Lincoln told him.
“Well then, Link it is. Now let’s see, if I remember correctly, the last kid who came through was put in Amelia.” Milo’s eyes widened and a giant smile lit up his face. He slapped Lincoln across his shoulder. “Welcome aboard, buddy. You’re going to love it at Finn.”
“Huh?” Lincoln asked.
“So the old dog hasn’t told you everything.” Milo smirked at Otis. “Allow me. Each recruit is assigned to one of six dormitories. The southern dorms are Finn, Asher, and Cora. Oliver, Jamus, and Amelia are on the north side.” Milo made a face. “Weird names, right? They’re named after six of the Founders.” Lincoln guessed the dormitories must be the six smaller buildings surrounding the towers.
Milo grinned again. “Link, it’s been a pleasure. I would love to stay and chat, but as you remember, I owe a certain girl a little payback.” Milo turned and jogged after the girls. Lincoln heard him cry out, “Hey, wait up!” as he disappeared.
“If there’s one piece of advice I can give you,” Otis told Lincoln, “it would be try not to end up like Milo.” Otis was grinning as he said this, and Lincoln got the feeling he was actually quite fond of the mischievous troublemaker.
“The two towers are named after the final two Founders,” Otis explained. “This is Roemick Tower. It’s where you’ll train during your first and second year,” Otis added as they walked through the giant front doors. Inside, the tower reminded Lincoln of a cathedral with its tall ceilings and walls made of dark wood and blocks of stone. Paintings of battle scenes covered the walls. A marble staircase sat on each side of the entryway, leading to the upper levels. The entryway opened into a spacious lobby area, which ended with several doors leading into a giant auditorium identified as the Assembly Hall.
In the back right corner of the lobby was a large reception desk. Two women sat behind it, directing foot traffic as they answered the phones. They could not have looked more different. The one on the right was older and heavier with curly, dark hair. The one on the left was young and petite with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. Behind the two secretaries stood the biggest man Lincoln had ever seen. He had thick, grey-and-white peppered hair which looked almost like fur. Similar to Otis, he also reminded Lincoln of a certain animal, this time a—
“That’s Wolfert,” Otis told Lincoln. “He’s one of the Keepers.”
I know where he gets his name, thought Lincoln.
They walked forward to the reception desk. “Otis,” the younger secretary said upon seeing them approach, “it’s nice to see you. How was the trip?”
“Fine, Grace,” he growled. “But it’s good to be back. I brought a new one for you.” He nodded at Lincoln. “This is Lincoln Thomas.”
Grace pulled a stack of papers from the desk and turned to Lincoln. “These are for you. Fill out the forms as best you can.”
“Okay,” Lincoln told her, grabbing the forms.
“Brother,” Otis said, nodding toward Wolfert.
“Brother,” replied Wolfert in a deep baritone. “There is an urgent matter which needs your attention.”
“What is it—” Otis beg
an to ask but quickly stopped. Wolfert was gesturing in Lincoln’s direction. “Lincoln,” Otis said, “why don’t you sit down over there and fill out your paperwork? The sooner it’s complete, the sooner we get you to your dormitory.”
Lincoln nodded reluctantly. He knew what was happening here. Whatever the two of them would be discussing was not meant for his ears. He walked over to where Otis had pointed, sat down, and began filling out the paperwork.
After a minute, he snuck a quick glance at Otis and Wolfert, who had moved into a corner of the lobby and were now deep in conversation. The younger secretary hovered nearby, and Lincoln noticed her eyes widen as she listened to the two Keepers. Lincoln couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about. Just then, the secretary turned and saw Lincoln staring at her. She turned red and looked down, probably embarrassed at being caught snooping. Sighing, Lincoln turned back to the paperwork.
Fifteen minutes later, he finally finished all the forms. He walked back to the lobby desk. “Here you go, it’s all done,” he told the secretary.
She grabbed the pile of papers from him, avoiding his gaze. “Thank you,” she said curtly. “Otis will show you to your dormitory now.”
“Your dorm is the last one on the south side of the academy,” Otis said after the two of them exited the tower. “Before we get there, let me warn you of one of the most important rules here. Certain areas of the academy are used for training exercises only. These areas are known as Sector 8, and they are off-limits at all other times.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re dangerous.”
The Academy Defenders Page 3
