Excerpt from 'The Wandering Magician'
The sun was streaming through the trees, slowly warming the cool morning air and sparkling off the stream Moc sat beside.
“Good good!” He clapped as he stood to join Taya in the middle of her whirlwind of leaves and light debris. “Your wind magic is excellent already.”
She smiled and gave a mock bow, then – with one smooth gesture - she sent the leaves zooming across the water and out of sight.
“I like air.” She said quietly. “Earth is good too, but air is more...”
“Dynamic?” He offered.
“Yeah. I guess that's it. I like the energy in it.”
A thought struck him then. “Would you like to try a new element?”
“Sure.” She grinned and bounced towards him.
Always up for a new challenge, he smiled, that's my girl.
He lifted his pack and pulled out a pair of flint stones.
“Fire? Really?” She smiled at him in wonder and disbelief.
“I think you're ready.” He nodded.
He sent her for more wood while he knelt over the fire pit they'd dug last night. Then, with a deep breath, he struck the stones. It took several tries, but thankfully he managed a spark and had a small fire burning by the time she returned.
“Alright, so you're just going to observe at first.”
“Right.” She said throwing an armful of wood on the pile and taking a seat eagerly. She stared intently into the flames for a long moment, then – taking a deep breath – she closed her eyes and felt for the flames within her.
“I feel... cold.” Her brow furrowed.
“Cold? That's odd, though temperature isn't the important part. Is the energy dynamic?”
“Yes, even more than the wind.”
“Good good. Now get a hold of that energy.” He gave her a moment. “Got it?”
The girl nodded.
“Can you see anything?”
Her lips parted, but she hesitated to speak. Then he saw them, her wings slowly rising from behind her.
“Taya?”
“I see it. I see the flames.” She breathed.
“Have you got a good hold on them? Remember, fire tends to get out of hand.” The words were barely off his lips before they were engulfed in flames. Black fire danced wildly around them in a broad circle. The heat was searing, leaving Moc's skin almost cold and sending a bolt of fear straight through his heart. This was no magic he'd ever faced.
Taya opened her eyes and stared around in shock.
“Focus!” He shouted, but too late. The fire went wild, jumping instantly to the trees above and leaping towards them.
“Shit!” He swore under his breath as he dove towards the stunned girl, throwing them both to the ground beneath the rising smoke.
“Stay with me!” He commanded her, reaching towards the stream with one hand he called to the water. It spiraled towards the sky in a great torrent and then heaved itself towards them, dosing the whole camp in sizzling steam.
He pulled the girl into his chest and bowed his head, letting the seam over take them. The thick wet air caught in his throat and made breathing a battle. The two clenched their eyes shut against the damp heat and waited for the fire to abate, but still the flames burned.
Gods above... what is this girl? He stared down into her frightened face – his eyes were wide with fear, but his heart pounding in determination.
Moc shut his eyes tight, forcing focus. He dug his hands into the dirt on either side of her and shouted to the sky.
“Salts of the earth, rain of the sky,” as he spoke, Taya was surprised to see clouds rolling in over head, dark and heavy.
“I call to thee to bless this space. Cleanse it of darkness and cool these bloodthirsty flames.” The ground rumbled and writhed beneath them as though it were a great serpent awakening from a long sleep and stirred to life by the heavy drops of water now falling from the sky.
“Spirts of Annwn, guardians of the Shae, hold us fast in your arms.” He spoke more softly now as he leaned down to embrace Taya.
The rain fell faster and faster, pounding out a beat on the earth below which seemed to echo back with a reverberating energy that left them both trembling. Black angry wisps lept at the clouds, then shrank back with a shudder before springing up again in a desperate dance.
“Your wings,” He whispered urgently in her ear, “wrap them around us.”
She had no idea what he was talking about, but closed her eyes and tried to imagine great dark wings wrapping themselves around Moc, shutting out the flames and sheltering them from the rain. She clung to her teacher with both fists, pressing her face hard into his shoulder as tears streamed down her face.
“I'm sorry.” She stammered. “Please don't die.”
Moc squeezed her tighter, but said nothing.
“Good good!” He clapped as he stood to join Taya in the middle of her whirlwind of leaves and light debris. “Your wind magic is excellent already.”
She smiled and gave a mock bow, then – with one smooth gesture - she sent the leaves zooming across the water and out of sight.
“I like air.” She said quietly. “Earth is good too, but air is more...”
“Dynamic?” He offered.
“Yeah. I guess that's it. I like the energy in it.”
A thought struck him then. “Would you like to try a new element?”
“Sure.” She grinned and bounced towards him.
Always up for a new challenge, he smiled, that's my girl.
He lifted his pack and pulled out a pair of flint stones.
“Fire? Really?” She smiled at him in wonder and disbelief.
“I think you're ready.” He nodded.
He sent her for more wood while he knelt over the fire pit they'd dug last night. Then, with a deep breath, he struck the stones. It took several tries, but thankfully he managed a spark and had a small fire burning by the time she returned.
“Alright, so you're just going to observe at first.”
“Right.” She said throwing an armful of wood on the pile and taking a seat eagerly. She stared intently into the flames for a long moment, then – taking a deep breath – she closed her eyes and felt for the flames within her.
“I feel... cold.” Her brow furrowed.
“Cold? That's odd, though temperature isn't the important part. Is the energy dynamic?”
“Yes, even more than the wind.”
“Good good. Now get a hold of that energy.” He gave her a moment. “Got it?”
The girl nodded.
“Can you see anything?”
Her lips parted, but she hesitated to speak. Then he saw them, her wings slowly rising from behind her.
“Taya?”
“I see it. I see the flames.” She breathed.
“Have you got a good hold on them? Remember, fire tends to get out of hand.” The words were barely off his lips before they were engulfed in flames. Black fire danced wildly around them in a broad circle. The heat was searing, leaving Moc's skin almost cold and sending a bolt of fear straight through his heart. This was no magic he'd ever faced.
Taya opened her eyes and stared around in shock.
“Focus!” He shouted, but too late. The fire went wild, jumping instantly to the trees above and leaping towards them.
“Shit!” He swore under his breath as he dove towards the stunned girl, throwing them both to the ground beneath the rising smoke.
“Stay with me!” He commanded her, reaching towards the stream with one hand he called to the water. It spiraled towards the sky in a great torrent and then heaved itself towards them, dosing the whole camp in sizzling steam.
He pulled the girl into his chest and bowed his head, letting the seam over take them. The thick wet air caught in his throat and made breathing a battle. The two clenched their eyes shut against the damp heat and waited for the fire to abate, but still the flames burned.
Gods above... what is this girl? He stared down into her frightened face – his eyes were wide with fear, but his heart pounding in determination.
Moc shut his eyes tight, forcing focus. He dug his hands into the dirt on either side of her and shouted to the sky.
“Salts of the earth, rain of the sky,” as he spoke, Taya was surprised to see clouds rolling in over head, dark and heavy.
“I call to thee to bless this space. Cleanse it of darkness and cool these bloodthirsty flames.” The ground rumbled and writhed beneath them as though it were a great serpent awakening from a long sleep and stirred to life by the heavy drops of water now falling from the sky.
“Spirts of Annwn, guardians of the Shae, hold us fast in your arms.” He spoke more softly now as he leaned down to embrace Taya.
The rain fell faster and faster, pounding out a beat on the earth below which seemed to echo back with a reverberating energy that left them both trembling. Black angry wisps lept at the clouds, then shrank back with a shudder before springing up again in a desperate dance.
“Your wings,” He whispered urgently in her ear, “wrap them around us.”
She had no idea what he was talking about, but closed her eyes and tried to imagine great dark wings wrapping themselves around Moc, shutting out the flames and sheltering them from the rain. She clung to her teacher with both fists, pressing her face hard into his shoulder as tears streamed down her face.
“I'm sorry.” She stammered. “Please don't die.”
Moc squeezed her tighter, but said nothing.