After Drake and Rick heard some of Ignacius' pleads to the conductor, they finally decided to go back to their seats since the commotion finally dispersed.
"I heard that Ignacius is a son of a dark wizard.", whispered Rick while he clambered to his seat.
"But that doesn't mean that he is one, right?", said Drake.
"I don't know… Maybe he has the guts to be one, like his father.", answered Rick in disbelief. "Ooh, the food cart!", yelled Rick while he eyed an old lady push a cart full of food.
"Going to buy anything?", questioned the old woman in a happy tone.
"I'd like an Apple Tart, a bag of Meadow Pastilles, 2 slices of Custard Cake and some Honey Juice.", stated Rick in an "overly-excited" way.
"An Apple Tart, Meadow Pastilles, 2 Custard Cakes and a cup of Grimey Juice…", recited the old lady while rummaging the content of the cart.
"That's 4 slates and 9 brans."
"It's honey juice.", corrected Rick politely while he handed the amount to the old lady.
"Pardon me.", said the old lady while she gave the goods to Rick.
"How about you?", asked the old lady to Drake.
"I just want to try some Grimey Juice.", said Drake.
"Here it is, for 24 brans.", said the old lady while she handed the cup to Drake.
The duo said their gratitude to the old woman as she walked away from their seat. Rick immediately started munching through the food.
"You're so brave, Drake.", said Rick while he ate a slice of cake only in one bite.
"How come?", interrogated Drake.
"You just ordered a cup of Grimey Juice! That's why… even my grandma hates it.", said Rick, still eating.
"How can a cup of juice be harmful to me?", said Drake while he drank the juice… that he regretted the moment it reached his tongue.
* * * * *
Hours passed swiftly as Rick told to Drake things essential to know about the magical world but the disgusting taste of the grimey juice still lingered to Drake's mouth.
The sun seemed to wave goodbye as the bus entered a thick canopy of trees. Shadow-like creatures brushed the windows of bus.
"Don't mind them Drake. They say that they are omens of safety.", stated Rick.
"But what are they?", questioned Drake in a puzzled tone.
"Ghosts of the deceased, living shadows, mana residuals… nobody knows what really they are. However, they are called Lloronas.", answered Rick.
"Can they spe-", Drake's "quiz-o-mania" was interrupted when the bus shook and blasted in an abrupt speed downwards. "Holy cow!", the only words that Drake managed to say while he heard some screams from other students and from Rick.
He looked through the glass window beside him and he saw the most peculiar sight but for him, it's just another "magical mystery".
The bus apparently fell to a wide hole that has a depth of who knows how much. The wall of the hole is filled with clocks ticking backwards in a fast manner. Random things like a piano, tables, plates, chairs, playing cards, apples, baskets and carrots fall with the bus. Those are just the few, name it… the hole has it.
The bus finally started to slow down after a few moments and the tires eventually touched again the road. However, the place where they arrived is totally different from the "upper" part of the world.
Plants growing around the road are a lot more colorful than usual, like they're painted. Apple trees stood tall in a sraight line beside the road. Various colorful animals run and fly around freely.
There were mixtures of "oohs" and "wows" from the students as they passed something interesting.
The bus stopped beside an oddly-sized blue mushroom with a large gross caterpillar with a fez, and is dressed in a tuxedo above it.
The conductor named "Charlie" took off the bus and started talking to the caterpillar, Drake can't hear what they are discussing about from inside the bus, though.
After a few chats between Charlie and the caterpillar which Drake knew its name as "Catyrpel" according to Rick, the conductor finally stepped in and the bus started to move again.
Rick explained that it is the gatekeeper of the entrance to the Wonderland where Trantrumeria is, and it's magic is coming from the pipe "Catyrpel" is smoking from, which Drake thought as an odd habit for an overly-sized fez-wearing gross caterpillar in formal wear sitting on an overly-sized blue mushroom.
After some unhealthy and foul discussions about the caterpillar, they heard a loud voice that boomed through the whole bus.
"Students, kindly wear your school robes and be ready for the Sunder Ceremony.", the voice said.
* * * * *
"First years, please remain. The rest of the students can go.", said Professor Altronov.
Older students started piling through four different doors in the center of the garden where no wall was present; only the doors that stood by themselves.
Each of the doors opened and the students entered the doors one by one, which seemed to travel the students magically to somewhere.
Meanwhile, the first years, including Drake, gaped over the atchitecture of the garden. A vast variety of flowers grew on all sides of the garden. A fountain with a peculiar rabbit statue sat beside the doors at the center of the garden.
At the farthest end of the garden, opposite to the place of the students, laid an entrance to what looks like a maze made by hedges.
"Welcome first years, to the Garden of Truth. Since you're all new to magical schooling that Trantrumeria offers, I shall give a little introduction about the Sunder Ceremony and the 4 Cognatums.", spoke Professor Altronov.
There were combined buzzes from the students upon hearing the word cognatums.
"My brother said that there are 4 cognatums. How I wish to belong to the Serpens Cognatum.", said brown haired girl.
"Oh, no! I'm scared of the Sunder Ceremony!", exclaimed another student.
"Oh, shut up Allen. You're always scared.", scowled a boy beside "Allen".
"Silence, please.", said Professor Altronov in a loud voice, obviously magically amplified.
The students immediately went silent.
Professor Altronov cleared his throat. "As I was saying, there are 4 Cognatums; first is the Sor Cognatum: where the witty and brainy go; the Serpens Cognatum: where the powerful belongs; the Tigris Cognatum; where the brave and courageous are the most suitable; and lastly, the Piscium Cognatum; where the kind-hearted and pure belongs."
"In order to know you're Cognatum,", Professor Altronov said. "You need to undergo the Sunder Ceremony.", he continued.
"The Sunder Ceremony takes place inside the Maze of Hearts.", he said while pointing at the entrance to the maze of hedges.
"Your true Cognatum nature will guide you through the maze. For instance, when a scream was heard inside the maze, a true Sor will go forward, thinking it's just a trap; a true Serpens will cast spells randomly without thinking; a true Tigris will go to the source of the scream; and a true Piscium will call for help.", recited Professor Altronov.
"One by one, you will enter the maze, blindfolded. Be sure to bring your wand because it can be helpful at times. Wands can act on it's own accord if the owner of the wand is in danger.", said Professor Altronov.
There were gasps of fear from the crowd of students, particularly at the "blindfolded" and the "owner is in danger" parts.
"What if we get killed?"
"So there are dangerous creatures there?"
"We're doomed!"
"I wanna go home."
"Silence!", roared Professor Altronov. "No one cannot remove the blindfold except me."
"There is nothing to fear about the maze. Yes, there are other creatures there, but they are completely friendly. Besides, almost all of the students who entered the maze came out if it with complete body parts; except for one instance where a girl lost some of her hair.", said Professor Altronov.
"Almost all of the students?", questioned one student from the crowd.
"I do not need to explain. We need to get going before the sun goes down. I will call your names and you will enter the maze, one by one.", said Professor Altronov putting emphasis on "one by one".
"Antiochgarpher, Brenda", called Professor Altronov.
A blonde girl stepped in front of the entrance to the maze. One flick of wand by Professor Altronov, made the girl blindfolded.
The girl stepped in nervously, obviously trembling.
The hedges closed by itself after the girl stepped inside.
After a few minutes, gold sparks came shooting from the farthest end of the maze.
"Ah, Piscium.", said Professor Altronov while he magically summoned a floating paper and a quill that wrote by itself.
"My mother said that gold sparks are for the Piscium Cognatum, blue sparks for the Tigris, green for Serpens and red for Sor.", murmured a student.
There were nods of appreciation from the other students by seeing the sparks that meant the safety of the first girl that entered the maze.
The students suddenly got excited of the Sunder Ceremony, contrary to what they acted earlier.
"Armaulk, Eren", Professor Altronov called.
After a few minutes blue sparks came shooting. The crowd of students began applauding, getting more excited every spark shooted to the sky.
* * * * *
At last, it's Drake turn to enter the maze.
"Flamel, Drake", said Professor Altronov.
There were murmurs and whispers about Drake when they heard the word Flamel.
"So he's a flamel.", said a brown-haired girl.
"I wonder if he is connected to the famous Flamel family.", said a raven haired boy.
"Of course, he is! You heard his surname!", scowled another boy beside him.
Drake ignored the chit-chats and lost his eyesight as he stepped in front of the entrance. The blindfold that Professor Altronov made made him a little uncomfortable.
He finally stepped inside the hedge and he heard the hedge closed by itself.
He walked straight down the path where the entrance is alligned to, and decided to turn left because of his "true nature."
He expected to bump into the thick bush wall but no, he didn't.
He continued walking for a long time, turning right and left, moving forward and sometimes turning back, which he found odd like he's just circling in an area many times.
He started to suspect that something was wrong, for he was walking for what he think like 20 minutes, while the other students just got out of the maze for just about 5 minutes.
He gripped his wand tightly and moved forward. He stopped for a moment when he heard some cracking twigs, but he just brushed it off since it might just be the "friendly creatures" Professor Altronov mentioned.
After a few seconds, he heard something like a flap of large wings, followed by some scraping claws.
He suddenly felt something scaly touched his arm. It made Drake chill, like it is some life-absorbing machine.
He trembled in fear but decided to move his wand, but it seemed that it didn't casted any spell.
That's the moment when he felt something sharp dug into his shoulder, then he felt cold and fell to the ground. He suddenly felt some warm liquid oozing from his shoulder.
After a few seconds, he can finally see again. Someone removed his blindfold. It was Professor Altronov.
"What happened Professor?", asked Drake, still trembling.
"You just faced a manticore.", said Professor earlier.
Drake looked where the manticore dug its who knows what, and see nothing but his own shoulder; not even a scratch.
"It punctured my shoulder!", exclaimed Drake.
"You're just imagining things, Mr. Flamel. Creatures here will not hurt anyone.", said Professor Altronov.
Drake finally convinced himself that it's just the effect of his imagination and the blindness he have earlier. Then something struck his mind.
"But what is my Cognatum Professor? I didn't managed to get out of the maze.", said Drake in a quizzical tone.
"You are a Serpens.", said Professor Altronov.
"And a Sor. And also a Tigris. And you're also a Piscium.", continued Professor Altronov while he led Drake to the exit of the maze
"I beg your pardon?"
"You belong to every Cognatum."
"But how can that happen?"
"I don't really know, Mr. Flamel. I've never seen this before."
"But what will be my Cognatum? I think it's not good to have four at once.", said Drake.
"You will be a Serpens, just like your mother.", answered Professor Altronov as he shot green sparks to the sky.