The Present day

The doorbell rang 'ting tong'. Sania hoped it was her parents. They must have come to visit her!

"Sania, your friends are waiting for you downstairs" her maid called. Bummer.

"Just a sec!" Sania hurried downstairs. At least her friends were there for her.

"Whoa Sania, you look like you have stayed up the whole night." Said Lewis. Why did he need to remind her of her misery?

"Homework. It spreads like the plague." Sania grumbled. She hated homework.

''Good ol' math I presume?''. Said Lewis, who was laughing at her.

'Stupid math and fa-" A weird noise from the kitchen cut her off.

"I better see what that stupid maid has done!" Sania peered through the kitchen window. She did not expect to see a giant eagle plunging from the sky, trying to catch hold of her. And the next moment she was dangling from the eagle's talons.

"Get off me!" Jake and Lewis immediately came in after hearing her scream.

"Jake, see that giant eagle picked up Sania!" Lewis said hastily. Thank you Mr. Obvious.

Just then two more eagles dived down and picked up Jake and Lewis. It felt like a scene from a fantasy book. How dare they take her friends! She felt a ripple of rage wash over her. She had a sudden vision of the Eagle going up in flames. Precisely, the giant eagle holding Sania caught fire on its wings. Being smart, it dived over to the nearest water source, the River Loch. The other two eagles followed it.

"Jake, did you just see Sania setting fire to that Eagle's wings, or am I hallucinating?". Lewis' mouth hung open.

"Dude, how did she do that without burning herself? Or without a fire source near her?" Jake thought rather aloud. Those two were having a conversation in the middle of the sky.

The blast of water was unexpected. Sania couldn't breathe. The Eagle must have plunged underwater. She could barely make out Jake's muffled cry somewhere under her.

"It's of no use Jake, nobody can hear you." Said Lewis who was lashing at the water and trying to swim to the surface simultaneously. How could he hear what Jake was saying? And how did he speak underwater? And with that thought in the back of her mind, she fainted.

A few minutes later, Sania woke up on the surface, spitting water. Jake was still unconscious and Lewis was trying to wake him up.

"Ah," said Sania, "I thought I was dead, what happe-" She was cut off by Jake who had just woken up.

"Argh" Jake had a nasty cut on his shoulder from the giant eagle's claws. "Lewis, you better explain what happened!"

"Jake breathed in and out. It helps," Lewis said seriously. He was never serious. Then he gave Jake a recap of what had happened. He explained how Sania had put fire on the eagles' wings, how they dived towards the water, and how they were underwater.

"K Lewis, how did you breathe underwater?" Sania asked. She hated not understanding things.

"No idea. And by the way, how did you create fire in midair'?? Lewis asked. That small joker, twisting the question!

"Do you think I have some superpower or what? Forming fire midair!" She replied sarcastically. These people were mad.

"As if I have one!" A retort. She had asked a sensible question for god's sake!

"Fellas, I think we should keep moving, something is coming towards us, I can feel it." Said Jake, pointing towards the large rock.

"You are in no position to move Jake!" She didn't want to lose him.

Lewis found a good opportunity, "Sania has turned into a nurse."

Before Sania could reply, Jake cut in "I can walk; let's move otherwise we will be the lunch for that creature."

Then, to add to all the weirdness that was happening that day, a creature that looked like a rock appeared. It had 4 legs and its face was the most hideous thing ever, and was extremely fast. With a pounding heart, Sania realized it would catch up to them if they didn't start running now.

"Let's run...?" Mr. Obvious again.

The three were running in no time, Jake half-carried by Lewis and Sania. In the distance, Sania saw a hut and the largest dog she had ever seen was guarding it.

She pulled Lewis towards it. Sensing their presence, the Guard Dog started barking and the owner, who was triple the size of the dog, came out.

"What's going on?"He had a somewhat deep growling voice.

"Help" That's the only thing that escaped her mouth at that point.

"Stand aside," the Giant said. He would help them, wouldn't he?

All three of them stood behind the Giant. Generally, Sania wouldn't do that, but normally, Giant Eagles wouldn't try to abduct her and her friends. Nor would a weird rock beast chase her.

"You again" The Giant knew the strange rock creature and was now talking to it!

"Grrrrrr," the rock creature said, trying to swoop on the owner.

But it had underestimated the Giant. The owner had sent it under the soil with a punch before it could make a move.

"Whoa," said Lewis, astonished.

"Come inside," the Giant said, guiding them to his hut. "I am Rudolph and this mike is the great Dane."

"I am Sania, this is Jake and Lewis." She did the talking "By the way what was that creature?"

"That was Rocky. They erupt from the rocks when someone enters their territory. They move very fast." Rudolph said. "And why are you roaming here, did your parents allow it?"

Sania told him how their parents had put the conditions, how the giant eagles kidnapped them, how Sania had put fire on their wings, how Lewis saved them, and their encounter with the rocky creature. In short, a rather awkward chat.

"Oh no!" Rudolph said, "This is wrong!" What is wrong? He resumed speaking "Did your parents say something about a special school?"

"The one you go to once you turn 12?" asked Sania. Things were making some sense now.

"Excuse me, Mr.Giant, while you're talking can you please put some bandage here" Jake said stumbling with the nasty gash on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Jake, Rudolph can you please treat him" Sania said. When did she become the caring one?

"Sure sure," Rudolph said. After putting some medicine on Jake's cut and bandaging it, he said "I am the retired senior guard of this school. I can take you there, but I cannot leave my place. But I can surely give you directions."

"Thank you so much, Rudolph," Lewis said. Sania was thankful for him but still suspicious. Not that she showed that.

"Now have some little food and sleep. You can go tomorrow morning. I'll pack some food, water, weapons, and basic needs for your trip" Rudolph said, serving food for them.

"Rudolph, do you know what that weird condition is?" Jake asked. That is a sensible question.

"Yes. But let the school principal explain it" Rudolph said. Thank you, Rudolph, that was very helpful. Except for the fact that they were going to the special school, Sania had uncovered nothing.

"What is the name of the school?" Lewis asked.

"School of Elements and Zodiacs." Rudolph said, "Now go to sleep."

The only thing Sania remembered was her astronomy book when she drifted off to sleep on the temporary bed made by Rudolph.

.