Fat Boy Heavy Magic

By C.R. Aatree

Jason Troy is a fat boy with a dream to fit in. He gets his chance when he saves two aura bender students and gets invited to join the prestigious Harbor Fortress.

With the help of his friends, Casey and Tom, they take the aura bender academy by storm. He almost succeeds in fitting in, but soon finds he only has lackluster talent and the ability to take punishment.

It is an ability that serves him well, as he tries to save his class from impending doom with his own brand of heavy magic.

He may never fit in because some stories are larger than life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.R. Aatree
• Release date: Jul 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452478975

C.R. Aatree

I love cupcakes.

Book preview

Fat Boy Heavy Magic

By C.R. Aatree

Published by C.R. Aatree at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 C.R. Aatree

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

A rush of cool conditioned air met Jason's chubby face as he walked into the library. The sheltered environment of the library felt good to him. The smell of stack books, the hushed silence, if he was allowed to eat lunch here he would never leave. He headed straight for the front desk in search of the book that had been eluding him.

Excuse me; I was wondering if ‘The Legends of Aura Benders’ is in yet?

The man behind the desk turned around, a deep moon shaped scar marred an otherwise well-built face. He had an old comic book hero type of face, the type which had faded away from the pages of the modern graphic novel. He looked unnatural in the setting of the library. The cardigan sweater also made him look ridiculous. Maybe it was all an effort to draw away from the scar on his face. Jason was staring so hard at the librarian’s moon shape scar he almost missed his reply to his question.

I’m sorry young man, but ‘The Legends of Aura Benders’ is still checkout.

Jason shoulders sagged. He had been waiting for the book to come in for weeks.

Why, all this interest in aura benders? The librarian asked.

Jason looked up. They seem so unreal, but they are. I mean have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to wield aura?

The librarian looked through the shelves of the library. No…but I imagine it wouldn’t be any different from an ordinary life.

Are you kidding me? What about all those stories about aura benders? They seem pretty out of the ordinary to me. Jason gave him funny look; maybe the scar had affected his brain.

Those days are long gone. Since the guilds began to regulate aura activities, it’s become as exciting as accounting. If you are surrounded by people who all can bend aura, I pretty sure it makes life ordinary. And what’s wrong with being ordinary?

Yup, brain damage.

Jason shook his head. I’ll see ya’ tomorrow mister.

He put on his ear buds, turned on his IPod and walked to a nearby park. He found an open area and sat under the sun of a warm summer day in the suburb park. Juices from an apple, his red afternoon snack, ran down his chubby chin. He wiped it off and cleaned his hands on his shirt. The music of Tears for fears ‘Everybody wants to rule the world’ played through his phones. Too old for a twelve year old? Out of style? Not for Jason, he had picked up his love for out-dated music from his dad – who would always cringe when Jason called a song an oldie.

Through the fading sound of pop synthesizers Jason heard something. He pulled off his phones. The sound of laughter laced with bad intentions reached his ears. Curious, he went to find the cause of the disturbance.

Jason crept through the brush until he saw a boy towering over a girl.

Come on don’t you want your bike back!

The girl’s bike was hovering overhead, surrounded by a blue aura bubble. The boy stood in front of the girl with a smug look on his face. The girl clenched her teeth, she looked like she was holding back the urge to yell and scream at the boy.

Just give me my bike back Thomas. The boy, she called Thomas, flinched at the name as if the girl had used the name the boy’s mother called him when he did something bad. He sneered at the girl.

My name is Tom! But you can call me by my codename – Bone Fist! he said.

Thomas, you’ve only been at Harbor Fortress for a year. They don’t give out codenames to newbies. She smiled; she caught him lying about his status at Harbor Fortress.

Shut up! How would you know when they give out codenames?

Because I’ve been accepted to Harbor Fortress as well. She held up her left wrist, showing a silver bracelet with the Harbor Fortress insignia. The silver bracelet glinted in the afternoon sun, bending the sunlight like a prism, as it dangled off the girl’s wrist. The color drained from Tom's face. The look of satisfaction on the girl’s face couldn’t be clearer.

What’s the matter Thomas? Can’t handle the fact you are not the only aura bender in the neighborhood anymore?

He dropped his eyes and lowered the bike to the ground. Here’s your bike.

What, that’s it? No show down? No long speeches of how you are the more special one?

Tom gave her a sad look. She looked surprised, unready.

We are not as special as we think we are. He hunched his shoulders in self-defeat. You’ll see when you get to Harbor Fortress. At the fortress, everybody is like me.

She tilted her head. Tom, you are the first kid from Meadowcrest to get accepted into Harbor Fortress.

It doesn’t matter! I’m only a level three. Everyone is a level three or better at the fortress.

The girl scrunched up her face as if a question was brewing in her head.

What level are you? Tom asked, as he noticed the expression on her face.

She bit her lower lip, as she was trying to decide if she should tell Tom what her level was.

"I’m a level –

Wait!

Tom cocked his ear into air. A high-pitched whine could be heard over the daily sound of the neighborhood. The whine began to turn into a rumble. He looked into the sky, searching for where the sound was coming from. His eyes became bigger as he identified the source of the sound.

Get down! He dropped to his stomach. She followed Tom’s example and hit the ground.

An explosion ripped the sky over their heads. The shock wave drove them into the ground. Tops of the trees, close to where they had been standing, were singed from the explosion. Jason was rocked backwards, he could still see them. The two kids looked at each other; pieces from a wrecked plane fell all around them.

Three dark figures flew down through the burning wreckage. Faces masked. Bodies tense. They brooded over the debris. Their movements were quick and jerky like a bad Claymation film. They tossed aside debris, searching for something. One of them pointed at the two kids. They stalked toward them, now moving like fluid animals hunting for prey.

Tom stood up to face them. With a nervous gulp, he held both of his fists in front of him and started his aura technique. His face clenched with concentration as he created a small blue aura bubble. Taking aim at the nearest dark figure, he hurled the bubble at it at the dark figure. The bubble hit the figure square in the chest, sending the figure to the ground. Tom’s victory was short-lived. One of the other dark figures threw a shiny round object at Tom, and knocked him out.

The girl rushed to Tom’s aid and tried to cover him from anymore attacks. She closed her eyes. A blue energy field began to expand from the girl, covering both of them.

The two still standing dark figures fired blue energy orbs at her shield, similar to the one Tom fired before, but these weren’t bubbles they were full fledged solid orbs of energy. The blue orbs sizzled as they hit her shield. The dark figures were unrelenting and hers were beginning to tremble under the violent assault. She clenched her eyes tighter.

Jason knew he had to help.

He started to creep up behind the two remaining dark figures. Sweat trickled down his face. His heart pumped. Breaths were shortened. A knot was in his stomach. But he continued creeping closer to the dark figures. He wasn’t sure he could help the two other kids, but he knew he needed to try.

He picked up a metal pipe from the debris and swung down hard at the closest dark figure. The solid feeling of the pipe connecting with the dark figure gave him hope that he had hit it hard enough, slowly it crumpled to the ground.

He gave a spastic fist pump into the air, elated that he had been able to knock out one of them on the first try. He tried to think of something to say like the characters he had seen at the movies.

Something clever! he said.

He was going to have to work on his catchphrases.

The last standing dark figure turned around and saw him. That wasn’t a smart move.

The dark figure took aim and fired an orb at him. A crackling filled his ears as the orb hit his head. He winced, but did not fall down. He shook his head to clear out the loud buzzing sound that was bouncing between his ears. In the air was a vague smell.

Pork chops and apple sauce?

The dark figure, seizing the moment, fired another orb hitting him in the chest. It felt like hot liquid was poured into his lungs, but still he did not fall. It stood back as if confused to why this fat boy would not go down.

Is that all you got! He yelled.

Head spinning – lungs burning – he pushed it out of his mind. He held the metal pipe up into the air and charged at the dark figure. The dark figure resumed its assault, firing orb after orb at him, but none of them slowed him down.

AAAH! Jason shouted.

He swung down with all his might and connected with its head. A satisfying crunching sound ripped into the air.

He stood over the silent figure on the ground. His breathing was heavy. The pain, from shots he took, stabbed at his body. It felt like someone had beaten him with a baseball bat. A searing pain shot through his arms. He dropped the metal rod he was holding. The clanging sound of the metal pipe hitting the pavement rang into the air. He felt like collapsing.

Ignore it like you always do.

He looked at the two other kids safe behind the shield of the girl. He stumbled toward them, struggling to prevent the veil of darkness from falling over his eyes. The girl’s eyes were still closed as she tried to maintain her shield. He walked right through her shield, ignoring the searing pain it caused him.

It’s okay, it’s over. His voice sounded weak.

He steadied himself and held out his hand to offer to help the girl up.

She opened her eyes, surprised to see him inside her shield. She checked to see if Tom was alright and was relieved to see he was still breathing. She looked at Jason in a strange way.

Thanks for helping us, she said. I’m Casey Dubwieser. This sleeping beauty here is Thomas Weaver.

I’m Jason Troy, he said, with a weak smile. He recognized the girl. He saw her every time he did his morning jog around the neighborhood.

You’re fat boy! She blurted.

It was the nickname the neighborhood kids called him. He continued to smile not affected by what she had said.

Jason stood up straight. Yes I am!

Chapter 2

Casey, don’t bother him!

What the nurse said we could see him?

Yes, but he is clearly asleep.

Jason opened his eyes to see Casey looking down at him. Her face was tanned by the sun of many summer afternoons and was enhanced by her dimpled smile.

He’s awake! Casey said

Really?

Jason saw another familiar face. A dirty blonde haired boy walked toward Jason’s bed. He had a big bruise that stretched across the left side of his forehead. Tattered, faded blue jeans with grass stains on the knees. Up close, light circles could be seen under his eyes, with a sneer or a scowl his face could be intimidating, but it was not a mean face, especially when he smiled.

Jason looked around the room. It didn’t look like a hospital room. A dusty bookcase sat at one end of the room, an old ceiling fan twirled above, and the walls were wood grain panels with a slightly glossy finish. It looked more like a study room.

That’s a big shiner you have there, Jason said to Tom.

Oh, you’re one to talk, Tom said, as he pointed to the mirror in the room.

Jason wondered what Tom was talking about. He turned, looked at the mirror, and saw blue and purple splotches on his forehead and cheeks. He touched his swollen lower lip and flinched at the stinging pain it caused him. The smell of a medicinal balm caught his attention. His arms were bandaged, the odor of balm drifted from them. He tried to move, pain tweaked through his body.

They say you have third degree aura burns all over your body, Casey said.

I’ve never heard of anyone with as many burns as you have. I was only hit by one orb. I can’t imagine how it felt getting hit by a dozen orbs. Tom put his hand on Jason’s bandaged shoulder. I need to thank you for saving us. I Thomas Weaver will forever be in your debt.

Well, I Jason Troy, say it’s not a big deal. Let’s just say you owe me one, Jason said. Friends?

Tom smiled and heartily patted Jason’s arm. Jason flinched in pain.

"I’m sorry I didn’t –

It’s okay –owe – quit touching me.

Sorry.

The two bumbled through a series of apologies in a weird moment of male bonding.

Casey rolled her eyes.

The two stopped when they noticed the scene they were making for Casey. Tom folded his arms to put up a front of cool. Jason couldn’t do anything since he was stuck in bed, but he tried to act cool.

Something clever, Jason said. Still needed to work on that catch phrase.

The door swung open, saving Jason from having to explain what he had just said. In walked a man in a brown leather jacket and black pants with many pockets. He was followed by a white hair man in a blue suit. He recognized the man in the leather jacket as the librarian at the local library.

Tom stood straight up as if he was in the army, "Hello, Director Primus.