CHAPTER 1 The sound of my alarm clock woke me up to the tune of Wide Awake by Katy Perry, seems suitible enough for a morning alarm. I looked at the clock, 7:32. Shoot! I was late for the first day school. I jolted every part of my body to get out of my bed, but even so, I still take the time to go to my study table. Sitting there next to some unfinished homework and piles of books is, a ring. The ring is about the shape of my pointing finger, perfect circle made of shining ang glossy gold, thats surrounded by a sword of circles. It was from my dad, who had dissapeared when I saw young, atleast, thats what my mother said. She also said that my father has a strange name that was hard to understand. Even so, she still named me Cody Owens. Cody from my great grandfather and Owens is my mother's surname. I picked up the ring and slip it on my finger, a perfect fit. I rushed into the bathroom to take an immediate shower. I take this ring everywhere I go, even the bathroom. I never let go of it, like it protects me or something, like its telling me to never take it off. After finishing my bath, I flossed and brushed my teeth and strip on my school uniform, a black pant and blue polo with black trims combo with a necktie with a symbol of our school. Not liking the uniform? So am I, we look like bussiness men. I grabbed my backpack from the table and looked at the clock again, 7:50. Ten minutes until the bell rings for the first period of 9th Grade. Downstairs I can smell the scent of scrambled eggs and pancakes in the kitchen. I had no time to eat. After telling my mom that I'm leaving I rush opened the door and the lush sunlight of Seattle, USA was in my eyes, the sight of the summer. Waiting outside was a yellow school bus waiting for me. I heard my name being called over and over again. "Cody! Cody!" It was my bestfriend, Joe. Joe Barrows was my friend since 3rd Grade, he moved from London to here and lives 3 blocks away from our house. His really a charmer too, with his blond curly locks and that cheery personality, and dont forget that British accent. All the girls want to date him. But me? Nothing. I sat next to him on the bus. The busride was 8 minutes so we have barely enough time to talk about the fandoms were in. Like, the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, thats coming out on fall, were going to see that movie. Unless Joe and I are connected for some reason, there are strange coincedenses about us two. We have the same birthday. And our fathers both 'dissapeared' And the most weirdest of all, is that we have a ring. Joe's ring was iron-silver in color, very reflecting, it was arrows encircling it as it's designs. But he barely talks about it, feeling the same way as I do. The bus came to a stop next to a big white cemented retangle building known as Flintsmith Seattle Middle School. It holds 700 pupils a year, from Grade 7 to 12. It was build about 1974, it was that old and it can crumble down at any moment. Luckily Joe and I got in with 30 seconds to spare. When the bell rang Joe and I seperated, he had Chemistry but I have Math. I walked over to a wooden door about a half feet more than my hieght with a soundproof glass window. I entered the room to see 19 of my old classmates, I missed then, hadn't seen them since summer. They were all seated in plastic armchairs. The 19 seats where taken, but still 2 seats at the back were empty. One for me, but one for who? Someone late? I counted them again. No, they were all here. I got to my seat and enthusiastically have a little pep talk to myself for the new school year. Mrs. Colfer, our math teacher, arrived a minute after, still in her bunned hair, glasses, a kneel skirt and a teacher's blazer. "Good morning class, I would like you to mean someone else" She motioned someone to come in, suddenly my ring glowed bright yellow. Its acting very strange. Are rings suppose to do that? The new kid stepped in, he wore a Union Jack flag tshirt and some jeans. And he has blond wavy hair like Joe. "H-hi" he shivered, I can see hes very shy. "M-my name is Daniel Timberlake" I can notice the accent in his voice, his British. He anxionsly keeps looking at his hand. A glowing light blue circular object registers in my eyes. Is that what I think it is? He has a ring too. CHAPTER 2 After some few introductions, he seated right next to me, I can see the ring closely. I think its made from diamonds with a leaf, a star, a bolt of lightning, a bubble, a tornado, and a flame symbols encircling the ring. He said that he came from Cambridge, England and had to move here because his mother found another job here, and his 16 year old, just like me and Joe. If you know me, I dont like mysteries, I had to find out about that ring. "Hi, Im Cody" I say to him as I extend my arms toward his. He hesitated for a moment but shakes it. "Im Dan, nice ring you got there" I nod at him, his very mysterious as he speaks those words, like his keeping a secret or something. I held up my ring to his, and he held up his. After the period, me and Joe met up near our lockers. He was there first, surrounded by a bunch of girls saying, "Joe, will you go out with me?" or "Joe, I love you" But all Joe would do, would say no, despite a hundred possible girlfriends. His studies were more important than girls, you see, Joe is a brainiac. As soon as he saw me, he appraoched me as the girls clear out and left in there own seperate directions. "Dude, did you know? Theres another Bristish guy here" "So I heard" he said, as I began to scratch my head. "He has the same ring" This seem to interest him because his eyes widen, "Really?" I nod, as I press my finger againts by lip, motioning him to stay quiet. "Here he comes now" Just as Dan passed by, Joe tugged his arm. "Daniel Timberlake? Hi, im Joe Barrows" says Joe, I only give him a simple wave. "Hey, are you British to?" Joe nods. "Where are you from?" asks Dan. I jerk my elbow towards his stomach, and he knew what that meant. Find out about that ring. "From Oxford" The bell rang after Joe responed. Me and Joe has History for 2nd period. "Dan, lets continue this conversation in the cafeteria later. OK?" Dan nods as we seperated. History passed by and recess time came. Joe and I walked to the west wing of the school to see a giant double doors, with a labeled in teal writing "Cafeteria" We pushed the door to see half of the school there. I can see Dan grabbing a plate of beef taco, looking confused on what the dish is. I remembered Joe's first taco, the shell always gets stuck on hs troat. I waved to him, he noticed and waved back. After picking up a table and getting food, me, Joe and Dan agreed to met up at the table closest to the door. "Ever tasted a taco before?" asked Joe, he shook his head in responce. "How do you eat it?" Dan asks. "You just crunch trough the shell" I demonstrated with my taco shell. My mouth crunches in, the shell first, then all the ingredients within. I noticed Dan wasn't looking at me, but Joe's ring. "Where did you get that ring Joe?" Dan asks. Joe looks me at the eye. "Im a LOTR's fan" says Joe, hiding the fact that the ring is special. Suddenly Dan's hand clutched into fist, and forcefully slammed his fist to the table making the tacos fly into the air and to some random tables. Everyones eyes are fixed towards us, looking at us, looking at Dan. "I know about the rings" Suddenly the rings glowed in unison. CHAPTER 3 Before any of us could speak, everything turned gray only us in color. No one moving, like statues, even the tacos stopped flying in mid air. Did time stop? Yes, yes it did. "What happen?" asked Joe, Dan just sits there motionless. "What do you know about them?" I screamed. "Everything" Joe and I sit like statues ever since that word: everything. Does he really know about the rings? Our fathers? What is their purpose in life? I guess we were about to find out. He begins with a sigh. "The Fellowship is an elite group of three warriors destined to protect the Lazurite Crystal which is the final ingredient in making the Shattermantle, a weapon capable of destroying the entire universe, with just one swing" Dan's voice changed as he explained, the once British accent turned into a very deep and whole straightforward voice. This was not Dan, he was possesed by something. "Who are the Fellowship? Where is the crystal? And why are we invovled in this nonsence" Joe has more question's to ask, but kept silence instead. "Come down kid, and stop interupting me" says Dan. Suddenly Dan's eyes turned blue, like the blue glow of his ring earlier. This was not Dan at all. "For thousands of years, many evil entities try many devious and elusive plans just to get the Lazurite, but failed because of the Fellowship. Each member of the Fellowship has their own personality: the reckless, the resourceful and the mysterious" Dan's eyes blinked. And his voice rush, "Joe, Cody, you will know more when the time comes, the power of the rings are draining, I dont have much time explaining everything" His eyes blinked again, the glow of his eyes now getting paler and paler. Faster. "Everything you'll need will be in this parchment" Suddenly a glowing light materialized before us and Joe, and an old scroll of ruffled paper appeared. Time begins to come back again, as Dan's eyes now back to normal. Me and Joe just look at each other, unable to form any words at all. Were spechless. Everyones eyes still looking at us. As the tacos land on the tables of some football players, Dan came back to his senses. "What happend" he asks, holding the letter. "You mean you dont remember anything?" asks Joe. He scratch his head in confusion. "No, nothing" Chapter 4 After school, we got into some trouble with some detention, but all went well. Dan had to recover, and we argreed that Joe should take the letter home, because its in another language, and his the smart one. But even so, before we could go home, I copied the letter, and heres what it said: "Cito invenire, verum tuum monstratus fatis Ad numerum annorum, Limey in coegi est scriptor Accende linum, in flammas, et mittite in annulos lues Tres erit formare, fortem nexu Et erit transferre, patriam, societatem" I just lay in my bed thinking about what happen about today. Who was the Fellowship? Why are our rings related to them? I lifted my hand so I can see the ring. Its normal now, back to its original form. No glowing, nothing. Before I can notice it, I began to doze off in sleep. Fastforward to the cafeteria for lunch. Joe managed to decode some of it. "This is Latin" says Joe. Latin as in Greek? Like Percy Jackson? "What does it say?" I ask. "The UK, is sometimes called Limey" he explained. "Fatis is fate or destiny, annorum is age, coegi is to drive. Flammas is flames, mittite is throw. Lues are the rings, transferre is transfer and patriam is home." "So, fate, age, drive, Limey, throw, flames, rings, home" Joe looks at the paper again. He looks serious when he said "I think it says: Its fate than on the age your allowed to drive in Limey, you throw the rings into flames and it bring us home?" I giggle. That doesn't make sense at all. "When are you allowed to drive in the UK?" I ask. "17" I gasp. 17? Were 16 already. Maybe its not nonsence at all. Dan arrived at the table with tacos for us. "Dude when's your birthday?" I ask him. "Its a few days from now, im turning 17" We explained everything to him, about yesterday and the translation of the letter. As we explained, he turns pale. "That wasn't me whos talking you know" he says. We both look at him with puzzled expressions. "He calls himself Justus, and he lives on a place called Camp Ceizler, supposedly a training facility for the special, probably just a made-up mental hospital" "So he just takes over you?" asks Joe, and Dan nods. "He told me something else, something strange.." Hes voice trails off, as if he cant form words of its own. But the words he will about to say will change us all. "I'm a part of the Fellowship, im the mysterious one" Chapter 5 Me and Joe both gasp. Is he really taking the truth? Hes a member of the Fellowship? Then that means me and Joe must be one too? Maybe? Right? I mean it would be cool, but. I felt dizzy having to her those words. Joe closed his eyes, processing all the details of the event. ---------------------------------- Meanwhile, during recess the teachers are in their paradise, the Teacher's Lounge. And in the very corner of the room sits two outcast teachers, Cody's math teacher, Mrs. Colfer and another one unamed. "Its almost time, Kristen" says Colfer. The one named Kristen nods. "The mysterious one already knows, and its not all until the reckless and the resourceful are aknowledge" says Colfer sipping a cup of expresso cofee. "The doors of Middle Earth shall soon be opened on their 17th birthday" Colfer forcully sucked the cup, enduring the heat of the expresso "Be quiet, the others might hear you, even so, your are right, three more days, until we go home" ---------------------------------- Me and Joe walked home together, finally without Dan. "Dude, do you really trust Dan?" I say. "Its just, I really want to find out about my father, and the rings will help us, and the only way to find answers is to go to that camp Dan was talking about" Joe replied. "But how will be get there?!" I screamed, so many questions but no answers. "Remember the letter?" asks Joe, and I nod. He really thinks that stupid letter can help us. "So what? Its just a letter" "Tell you what. On our 17th birthday, lets go camping at Nutprobs Park, light a fire and throw the rings. Just try. Maybe this will hold answers." says Joe. I shrugg at him. Thats a big MAYBE. "Dude, if Dan is the mysterious one, who do you think is the reckless one?" I ask. "You maybe" he explained. "Remember that one time, in 6th grade, you ask that blonde girl on a date, you were so unprepared that you didn't notice a piece of lettuce stuck on your teeth" I rolled my eyes, that happen one time. Just one time. But I have to agree, i'm kind of reckless from time to time. "And remember that one time, it was Gym class and first time playing basketball that you dribbled the ball immediatly that the ball bounced up and down hitting your chin?" The list of me being reckless goes on.