Chapter 1 Unexpected Drop

Will wakes up to a start as an explosion blasted right beside him. "What the devil? Alyss!"

He stands up dizzy and shaken up, "Where is my bow?" he looks around as lights glared at him from all directions. Disoriented, he sees his bow on the ground with his quiver of arrows. He reaches for it and quickly nocks an arrow. He suddenly felt a sharp pain from his neck and pulls out this dart.
I'm hit...sorry Alyss. Then he crumples to the ground.

Alyss and Will regained consciousness sitting on a chair wearing their clothing from the previous night.

Will looked around and asked "Am I dead?" A man sat in front of them with a tuxedo, "Haha, hopefully not."

Will craned his neck to see Alyss alright and beginning to wake up too.

"Where am i? Who are you?" Will rapidly shot with questions.

The man stood up and bowed, "I apologize for the sudden call. We were doing an experiment of pulling something from the past to the future."

Will looked at him as if he lost his mind. "You have lost it didn't you? Are you with the Temujai? Genovesans?"

He looked at Will with surprise and confusion, "I am assuming they are enemies of yours?"

"Something like that" Will replied unsure, then called all his training to his will, "What do you call yourself?"

"I am Director Cortex of the Secret Intelligence of the North American Society. I am also the Director of the CIA." He introduced "And you are?"

Will looked at him oblivious with all the information, "I am Will Treaty, this is my wife, Alyss." He stared at him holding back a stifle, "I am sorry, but you can't be older than 16 now right? And she is your wife?"

Will glares at him, "Do you mind releasing us with this..." He trails off looking at the metal circles.

"Things that restricts our movement." Will finishes.

The Director nodded apologetically, "Get the keys, release our guests."

Will looked at two large men with these black things in their hands.

"Not treating as much as guests now are we?" Will muttered.

Alyss stood closely beside Will, "Where are we" She whispered.

"I'm not sure, this man claims we came from the past but brought us to the future. He calls himself Director Cortex of the Secret Intelligence of the North American Society, Director of the CIA" Will repeated with computer accuracy.

The Director blinked at him with surprise, "No, no, Just call me Director Cortex."

Will stares at him, "Right, okay Director Cortex. So if you claim I am from the past and now I am in the future, tell me what happened at the Battle of Skandia."

The director pulled out something small, which glowed. Will and Alyss looked at the little device.

"Is that a book?" Alyss questioned.

Director Cortex laughed, "Yes in a way it is, we have books but this is a new version we have."

"And let's see... Battle of Skandia. Yes there were folk tales of that and these mysterious black magic workers who protected a kingdom once called "Araluen." He looked up at Will and Alyss.

"However, our scientists found remnants of bows similar like yours Will, with the same knives too." He continued.

Will nodded, "Seems like the country rumors still haven't changed in the future."

Cortex asked, "They aren't true?"

"No, we are the King's Rangers. Secret Intelligence of the Araluen Kingdom, we act as eyes and ears for the king. Uphold laws and sometimes act as directors during war." Will explains.

"We train hard more than average archers, we practice until we never miss." Will said with some dignity.

He nodded, "I see, so if I let you to have your bow and things back you won't go waving it around almost killing a fellow soldier of mine?"

Will looked at him and then remembered when he first woke up, "Deal."

They gave them back their weapons, including Alyss's concealed knife.

Alyss looked at them with disbelief, "How did.."

Cortex laughed, "We have these things called metal detectors, they can scan you and find weapons made out of metal."

Will challenged, "Prove it, there is nothing that absurd made possible"

The Director simply nodded, signaled for this long black stick and waved it in front of Will, where his knives were, it simply started beeping.

"Is that a magic wand?" Will asked with certainty of no such thing as magic.

He laughed again, "Magic is merely illusions, tricks the eye."

Will nodded approvingly not noticing he's beginning to like this person, "That's the reason why folks think we dabbed dark magic. One major thing is we could hide in the shadows and forestry."

Cortex asked, "But people aren't afraid of you?"

"They are, but they also know we are protectors of the kingdom, so we receive the equal amount of praise."

What the director said caught him off guard, "How come you live in cabins then?"

Will looked at him with surprise, "We live in them because we have horses we tend ourselves and we live a simple life...yet we outrank princesses and everyone else but the king."

Then Will paused, "How long are we going to be here?"

The Director looked at him blankly, "That's a problem we were trying to figure out, trying to go to the past. But we figured we could pull something from there to here. Which worked...we only wanted an object not two human beings, now I suppose that alters the past now" he said sincerely and with some worry.

Will looked at him with his skills of observation, So we are in the future huh. This...I just great. At least I have Alyss with me.

"Do you have coffee?" Will asked.

Which knocked all sense of direction in the mood, "Pardon..what?"

"Coffee, we both want some coffee...unless there's no such thing in this future world." Will added as an after thought.

"Maybe the Ranger Crops depleted the Arridan coffee production..." Will said thoughtfully.

"We have coffee, plenty. Do you want cappuccino, iced, expresso, crème, latte, blank white, frothy-" He began to list.

Will raised his knife with explosive speed, both guards immediately raised their black things.

The director wide-eyed looked at Will, "-um, roasted?"

Will grins, "I see, those are the weapons of the this world."

He lowered his knife and walked over which the guard looked nervously at him and saw a nod from the Director for assurance it was fine.

Will pointed, "I don't see some blade or arrows from that, what's something useless that can't be-" Will was cut off with a sudden burst of gunfire.

Alyss shrieked and Will ducked down and knocked the shooter off his feet with incredible speed.

The director looked at him amazed, "Will, don't worry that wasn't aimed at you. He was demonstrating it."

Will looked at the holes at the walls, indeed it was far off to be a threat.

"I see." Will said matter-of-factly.

The director said, "He has a wife and a daughter, do you mind releasing him?"

Will looked down with his knife pointed under his throat, "Sorry" And gripped the man with immense strength easily.

"So here is what I observed" The director told Will, "You have immense strength from pulling that oversized long bow and you have practically have more speed than a gun itself."

The soldier on the left looked at the director with surprise, "Wait, what? Is our guns useless to him now?"

The director nodded "That's correct."

Will looked at him, "Is that supposed to be something surprising?"

Cortex didn't reply, "Can I trust you two the moment we open this door, you won't try running off? Then again there is nowhere to go, everything here needs money."

Will reaches in his cloak, "We got gold coins."

Cortex nodded, "We detected that thinking it was a weapon but it was a bag of coins, there is not one piece missing. Those cost about 200,000$ dollars in total if you ask me."

Alyss asked, "I don't know where we are, but I don't think escaping is a good idea either. Will if this is the future, we don't know what has changed. Obviously they can't be an enemy, if they were they would have taken our things, not give them all back."

Will nodded, "I noticed, but I still don't believe we were just back at the cabin last night."

The director coughed, "So I take that as a yes." And he signaled to open the doors.

Alyss and Will stood in amazement as they were in a high tower, Alyss walked up nervously to the large glass windows. They stood shocked as they see cars, helicopters and large buildings with lights all over the place.

"This is what we call a city. There will be time when we explain that things are." The director said behind them.

Will stood frozen, "This...is the future...Halt...Gilan....Horace and Evanlyn...gone."

Alyss was thinking the exact same thing, "We...are not at home anymore."

A female walked up beside the director, "Is this the two?"

The director nodded, "We need to give them time, do you have their place done?"

"Yes, school and home has been established." She confirmed.

The director walks up right beside Will, "In any case, when were you born?"

"I don't know, me and her were both orphans, but our orphanage celebration is coming soon." Will replied absentminded.

"Orphanage? I am sorry to hear about that. How did you become a King's..."He trailed off

Will replied, "We are both 17, not 16. Our world is pretty fast forwarded and old time. We don't have things like these."

"I see. I am terribly sorry pulling you two out of your homes." The director said, seeing no response he continued, "I arranged a place for you to stay and a school to go to. Since you understand of being in a secret-"

Will added, "Ranger Corps."

Cortex smiles "ah yes, Ranger Crops, we are also a secret intelligence. I am the ...what you call a leader, that's why they call me the director."

Will nodded, "You want us to be quiet with the villagers? Alright then, You better find a way to get us back to our homes, you have our word."

Will was handed with a paper, "Here, both of you need to sign this. It is a privacy act paper. It means you will be protected from any viable harm in exchange for keeping what needs to be kept a secret."

"Sign..?"

"Like..." the director searched for the word. "What do they use in those times..."
The female secretary whispered, "Authority letter?"

Will nodded, "Where's the ink and pen?"

The director pulled out a black gleaming pen, "Here."

Will held it looking at the weird instrument, Will and Alyss looked expectantly at the director and secretary.

"Do you need something else? Your coffee is on the way." The director said confused

"Ink."

They looked at him and began to laugh a bit, "I'm sorry, but this is a pen. It already has ink."

Alyss and Will looked in wonder, "This little thing has ink?"

"Yes."

Alyss grabbed it from his hand, "See you press this little thing on top" She demonstrated.

Will looked in amazement as she wrote signing Alyss on the paper, she passed the pen to Will who also signed.

The secretary picked it up and open mouthed read the writing.

The director leaned over to see what it was, Will apologetically explained, "Sorry, I'm not very good I writing."

They both stuttered, "This ...is a masterpiece! And you call yourselves some Rangers? You probably can apply at an literature school with this stylish writing."

Alyss leaned closer to Will, "I think, they never seen people from the past write."

Will smiles, "Possibly, I think though we are the ones most amazed here."

"I'll miss Horace and Cassandra." She said sadly.

"Me too, along with Ebony and Tug."

They both finally recovered, "I see, alright come along. This is my secretary, Sarah Tulip."

Alyss muttered, "What a nice name, better tha-"

Will hushed, "Yours is amazing Alyss."

She looked up and blushed.

They resumed listening what those two were talking about. "-When you settle into the home we have, Sarah will explain everything on how things work. You'll be giving a phone, -she'll explain what that is and how it works-, how to call us if you need anything."

Alyss muttered, "I feel like I'm on a complete different world, I don't know what they are talking about."

Will laughed, "I don't either. Just play along."

"Oh another thing, I can understand the knives, but having that bow on your back, that seems a bit...odd." Cortex looked at Will.

Will shook his head, "This has to be on me at all times, dangers are all over I can't be unarmed."

He looked at him expressionless.

"This could be a problem... fine, I'll see what I can do. I'll ask our research teams to construct that bow that can be retracted to something much smaller and less threatening. After that, I would like you to keep it in your home instead." He explains.

Will thought about it, I guess they wouldn't want armed people walking about on the road, remembering there was no one on horses or with swords.

"Understood, if that bow you can make is equally effective as mine." Will said with a smile lurking behind his lips.

The director nodded, "This one we'll be making will be arrowless, so you won't need to make some more. The others will explain the specifications."

Will laughed, "Impossible, a bow can't fire without an arrow."

"Unless we create one. This one will be specially made for you, so don't go showing off to everyone about it."he said with a lower tone.

Will nodded, "I see, wait... what is the catch here?"

Sarah turned away to hide a smile, This boy has some sharp ears.

"Ah yes.... I would like you to demonstrate your accuracy and power with the bow." He said.

"Why?"

"I am putting money into this weapon, I need to see if you...uh worthy, that's it, worthy to use such weapon." Cortex explains.

Will considered it, he saw Alyss nodded slightly.

"Alright, do you have a place where it's bigger than a castle?" Will asked.

Ooo

Will and Alyss looked outside the window as they were driven along the streets in a black long car. Soon the scenery changed to a countryside.

Sarah whispered, "They look like kids, seeing the world for the first time."

Cortex smiles, "They are kids, some more than others. But this is the first time in the future, I still can't believe our scientists pulled it off."

"Was it really true you only wanted to pull objects? Not actual people?" Sarah asked knowing things are best not told.

"This time Sarah it was the truth, we know it's bad to tamper with time. However this is probably one of the largest mistakes ever. They have gathered intel back at HQ, which they found rich data, might be enough for them to be teleported back." Cortex said with a sad voice.

"But there is no guarantee that might work" Sarah finishes.

Cortex nodded, "In any case we need to be patient with them. That Will reminds me of my son."

She smiles slyly, "Well, if you think of it that way. Your son has just gotten a wife."

"I still can't believe that on any terms."

They rode in silence.

Suddenly a blast exploded that shook the car, the director shouted, "Guards!" and pulling a small hand gun out, similarly same with Sarah.

Will looked at them, "What's...we're under attack?"

He looked at Alyss and then out the window. There were at least 10 of them coming at them.

Will grabbed his bow and called to the director, "Protect Alyss."

And he opened the door drawing his bow and rapidly firing.

Alyss screamed telling Will to come back, but held back by Sarah who whispered, "It's alright this is a test."

She looked confused at the secretary, "t-test?"

"Yes, see? The weapons are actually light where it's harmless. Those are droids coming at us. Our own."

Alyss looked through the window, "Droids?"

"Fakes, not real humans."

"I see..." Alyss said with some satisfaction. Partially it was a world dangerous, Alyss knew that things weren't going to be the same. Things that can harm her and Will in different ways that doesn't come from where they were from.

The director breathed out wearing these black glasses that determine his aim beforehand, "Good lord, that boy is amazing. He's shooting every single one with its intended target over 200 meters."

Alyss smiles, "That's Will for you, he's a legend with his mentor back at our home. He's expert in every aspect of Ranger training."

"I can tell." He watched In amazement. When the last droid was shot down, Will looked at his arrows, "I'll have to make more."

"And he's very diligent" Sarah remarked.

Alyss jumps out of the car and runs up to Will and tell him what happened.

Which then he walked back to the car, "I see, so I suppose this side is your property too."

The director apologized, "Sorry, I just had to see what you were capable of, and you passed every test even ones I didn't even set. In any case, you can feel free to come to this place, this is all our private area, you can train here all you like, even you can set settings to make it as real as your real as possible."

Will nodded slowly, "You know where can I find resources to make more arrows?"

The director shook his head, "You don't need to, we already got them made already a stock pile full."

"Well, that's very nice of you." Will thanked.

"Come on, let's head to the place your staying."

Ooo

Alyss and Will looked open mouthed as they opened the room to a large apartment.

"This is a dormitory for the school you'll be attending. One of the most prestigious private schools, the reason why we chose it because it had an archery class." Sarah meaningfully explained.

Will walked around looking around at each new thing that wondered him.

"This is amazing."

Alyss looked at the small porch outside. She could breathe in some of the fresh air, somewhat different from their home.

Sarah said, "There is a book over there that explains everything of how things work around here. Alyss your bedroom is here, and Will's is over here directly across." She showed to the doors.

"Wow this place is probably bigger than the cabin" Will muttered.

"Alyss, the air may smell a bit different because from the place you were from, it was clear from any type of major pollution, smoke." Sarah pointed out.

Alyss nodded, "That would make sense why I smelt something like it...much more worse too."

Sarah took the whole after noon explaining the necessary things they need to know and what things they need to use for sure for how they work.

When Sarah left, Will and Alyss sat on what they called a sofa.

"This place....is like a dream." Will sighs.

"Looks like one." Alyss laughed.

They sat in silence, unsure what to do now. They looked at the black screen square thing in front of them.

"Here's a book, just like the ones back at home" Alyss began to read, "This is what you call a television. You can control it by using this called a remote."

She pressed a red button and yelped in surprise as the screen flickered to life.

"Interesting" Will stared at the blinking screen. It started speaking "Good evening America, we have some light showers of rain tonight, please sure to have your umbrella!"

Alyss jumped back in amazement, "They can predict weather?"

Will shook his head in defeat, "I am tired I'm going to sleep." He went on the floor and wrapped himself in his cloak.

Alyss stood over him, doing her best she can to hold back a gale of laughter.

Will peeked out from his cloak, "What do you want?"

"It's nothing, you just seem...so out of the place." Alyss tried to explain, "I think it looks much more natural for you do to that."

Will sits up, "Well? What do you want me to do? To sleep on that thing called a bed is absurd. It's a man trap, you lie down and you can't get back up."

Alyss suggested, "How about rolling off?"

"-and get myself hurt? No thank you, I'll stay in here. At least they make something less soft." Will returned back into his cloak.

She looked at him pityingly, suddenly something rang. They both looked up, "What's that?"

"A bird?"

"Doesn't seem like one, here" Alyss points to a page on a book, "This is a doorbell, it rings."

"Someone is at the door?" Will asked, he pulled out his sax knife in preparation.

Alyss smiles, "Don't worry, keep that hidden. You remember what Sarah said, they might call the law enforcers of this ...city." She corrected.

"Alright, but that doesn't mean they don't have bad people." Will mumbles.

A muffled female voice came through the other side of the door, "Hello? I know you're in there!"

"Is she some kind of witch?" Will looked worriedly at the door.

"I'm your next door neighbor! I just came to say hi" She said through the door.

Alyss nodded to Will and walked to the door to turn the knob. She immediately heard the guy muttered, "Oh, it's another girl..great"

It revealed not just her but 1 more girl and a guy.

"Uh, greetings?" Alyss nervously asked.

They all smiled at her warmly.

The guy gasped, "She's a hottie!" the girl beside him elbowed him "Ow!"

She hissed, "Keep your eyes on me!"

"Hi, I am your next door neighbor. Louise Trevois! This girl here is Jennifer Shelton your other neighbor." She introduced.

Alyss observed them the one who is called Louise was this blonde girl like her, about her height and very cheerful. Jennifer was this petite girl who was clinging on to the..

"What about the boy?" Alyss pointed.

They all looked at him, "Oh? What me? Hi, uh names Steve McClare."

They didn't see the shocked face of Alyss for a brief second. "Oh nice to meet you ...Steve."

They all peered over the door, "Are you still unpacking?" Louise asked.

The humorous thing was they barely had anything to start with. "Um not really."

"Could we come in?"

"Sure..." Alyss let them in.

They all walked around, "Seems about like ours." Jennifer observed.

Steve immediately grabbed the remote and turned on a sports show, which captivated Alyss's attention. "That can change?" she exclaimed before she could stop herself.

Louise laughs, "Didn't you have a TV where you came from?"

"Not really..."

Jennifer apologized, "Sorry for the intrusion, Steve just really likes baseball. We invited him here to meet you when we heard a new transfer students were coming."

Louise nodded, "That's right! Although I'm not sure why they invoked a plural form of students..."

Jennifer ran up and investigated her dress, "Why are you wearing this? Is there some kind of celebration today?"

Alyss stuttered, "Um, no"

"This is amazing, where did you get this made?" She asked.

"We had these people called weavers that did them."

Louise glanced up, "Oooh fancy, what place did you come from?"
"Araluen."

Steve said, "Never heard of that place, are you sure not Atlanta? Or something else?"

Alyss shook her head. Where's Will? Is he in the washroom? Then she saw a flicker of movement at a corner, she began to smile. So that's where you were.

Louise looked at her blankly, "Why are you smiling all of a sudden?"

Alyss replied, "Oh its nothing."

Jennifer replied, "Why is this room so dim? Where's the switch?" Then she looked at Steve who was glued to the TV, "Hey stupid, what are you doing, come on, we are in her room you know."

Steve replied, "I came just to see if there was another guy coming, even then I would have been dragged here." Giving Jennifer a glare before returning to the show.

Suddenly Alyss raised her hand up and brought it down which in response revealed Will.

"Come on Will, Why are you hiding." Alyss laughs.

"Ow!" Will rubbed his head.

The three jumped back screaming in fright with the sudden appearance of another person.

"Holy Mother-" Steve shouted as he saw a cloaked boy coming out of the shadows.

Will looked at Alyss, "They were too easy to hide from."

"Well this isn't Araluen you know?"

Louise stuttered, "Um....w-who are you?"

Will looked at her, "My name is Will, Louise."

"H-how do you know my name?" She stammers with fright.

"You practically just introduced yourself to my wife a few minutes ago." Will replied

"WIFE?!" They all exclaimed at once.

Will sat down on the floor, "Why is that so surprising?"

Steve sat beside Will, "Hey, bro. Wife now? She's your fiancé now this early? Did your parents have some arranged marriage when you were little?"

Will took a look where Alyss was which was being clobbered with Louise and Jennifer asking her questions.

Orlong's toenails this place is rowdy. They probably can kill a whole army from annoying them already. Will thought annoyed.

Then he realized Steve was still asking, "How did you hide like that? Amazing! I didn't even notice you although that scared me."

Louise suddenly asked the both of them, "Did we interrupt something?" embarrassed.

Alyss stutters, "I-interrupt s-something? What do you mean?"

Jennifer laughs, "This and that."

"This and that..?" Alyss asked.

Will stood up, "Yes you did, I was trying to sleep and you came along and rang what you call a doorbell."

They all looked at him, "Sorry."

Alyss hit his shoulders, "Oh come off it, you were busy complaining that the bed was too soft."

They all looked at them, "So that's why we couldn't find the other student transferring here..." Jennifer thoughtfully said.

Steve exclaimed, "Wait! A guy sleeping in a girl's room? Isn't there a rule for that?"

Will and Alyss looked at each other, "Not that Sarah mentioned anything, I suppose we were in the clear."

They looked at them two dumbfounded.

"Who's Sarah?" Louise asked.

Alyss quickly picked up the book, "Um...uh...home realtor!"

They burst into laughter. "This is a school ground, the only person is the dormitory landlord. That makes the decision of this place and takes our rent."

"Oh I see." Alyss said feeling slightly stupid.

"You must have met the landlord, if he didn't say anything I suppose it was alright...quite unfair however." Jennifer huffed.

Steve reconsidered, "Oh wait, now I think of it. It was a great idea. Really great idea." Looking at Jennifer

Will took a few strides to Steve, which he was a head taller than Will, "Is she like your girlfriend or something?"

Steve sighed, "Yeah. Even so she can be super annoying normally. But that's how she is."

Will grins, "Alright then, anyone want some coffee?"

Ooo

They chatted late into the night, soon they had to leave before the curfew.

Once they all left, the time was nearly 11pm.

Will lied down on the floor again with his cloak wrapped up.

Alyss did the same, dragging some blankets from the bedrooms.

"They were nice people." Alyss remarks.

"Louds ones." Will sighed. "Furthermore, they don't like coffee! I mean who doesn't like coffee?"

Alyss laughed, "Let's get back to sleep, we need to go to this school tomorrow. Then after head to the headquarters of that place."

Will nodded as he yawned, "Good night."

Alyss soon fell deep to sleep, not so long after so did Will.

Hey All!

So that is the first chapter of this story! Hope people enjoyed this

Disclaimer, the characters Will and Alyss belong to John Flanagan.

They are both approximately in high school age, grade 10s or so in this story.

I'll see you all again in chapter 2!

05/09/15

PulserRay out

I do not own the front cover picture, found it on google images. If there is a problem, PM and i'll change it as soon as possible ty.