The Legend Of The Wizard's Apprentice (Book 1) (5 page)

Kerwyn and Master Sernett broke through into a small clearing where there was a small rock cluster all covered with moss near the middle of the opening. Above the rocks shone the moon, allowing just enough light by which to see all the way around the clearing. Master Sernett evaluated the rock formation and realized that it was a natural fairy shrine where they come to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Here he hoped that the fairies would come and give aid, or at least help defend their sacred domain.

“Make for that rock formation Kerwyn; we will make our stand there.”

Master Sernett pointed towards the rocks while increasing his speed across the clearing. As they reached the rocky cluster they turned back in time to face their relentless pursuers.

The first creature was a huge black beast the size of a great warhorse with glowing red eyes and with fur torn off in places where underneath showed white bones and decayed muscles. Next what appeared was a creature conjured right out of childrens’ nightmares entered the clearing and then halted. Lifting its head, it gave a long drawn out ear shattering howl. The sound of which had never come from any living mouth before.

Here standing in front of Master Sernett and his apprentice was none other than one of the undead; a daemon creature spawned from hell. Five others entered the clearing, all a bit smaller than the first, but all just as decayed and Daemon Spawned as the leader. Creatures brought into existence for only one reason: to kill anything living.

“Kerwyn, stay behind me and climb up on the rocks as high as you can get. If any make it past me, be prepared to defend yourself with the most powerful spells that I have taught you. Be careful that they do not bite you, as they are creatures spawned from death itself and their bite will cause the wound to fester and turn to infection.”

With direction and warnings from his Master, Kerwyn began climbing to the top of the rocks. When he reached the top he turned just in time to see his Master cast his first spell at the approaching undead wolves.

“
Incendia orbis!
” shouted his master. The draw of One Power was unmistakeable and a ball of fire three feet in diameter burst into being and hurtled itself at the closest undead wolf. It struck the unsuspecting creature and engulfed it in flames. The heat of the fireball was so intense that all that was left of the undead creature were the charred remains mixed with burning ash and bones. The undead wolf leader first growled and then howled in rage as if to say, “How dare a mortal destroy one of its undead pack?” Barking out commands for the others to attack, they advanced towards Master Sernett. Kerwyn from the top of the rocks watched the lead undead wolf call out and direct the other undead wolves the same way a general would command his troops.

Kerwyn shouted, “Watch out Master, they are following the big one’s lead!” Master Sernett acknowledged the warning with a nod and turned back to face the oncoming wolves.

Lining up and aiming at another of the closet wolves Master Sernett called out.
“Levitas offendo!”
and once again the One Power surged and a streak of white hot lightning sprang forth from Master Sernett’s outstretched hands and blasted into and blew apart the second of the six undead wolves.

Watching another of its pack die, the wolf leader howled in anger again and the sound stopped the others from advancing. They turned to look at their leader for what it wanted them to do. Eyes blazing red with hate the leader barked out another command to attack this wretched mortal and to tear it limb from limb.

The remaining wolves took direction from the leader, turned and started to advance again. Kerwyn from his vantage point on the rocks noticed that his Master was about to be rushed and overrun. The boy began casting one of his own spells but, in his panic, he drew on the One Power too much and filled up with more of the One Power than he was used to. In his haste he searched his memory for a good offensive spell. Finding the one he wanted, he focused his will on all three of the charging wolves and yelled
“Terumi us calyx!”
while casting his hands in a fanning pattern. The surge of the One Power blasted out of him with a small explosion and a blast of purplish light. All three of the charging wolves stop dead in their tracks and took on a stony gray appearance as they were transformed into solid rock.

“Woo hoo!” Kerwyn let out a hoot of excitement as he realized that his spell had not only succeeded in transforming one of the wolves, but it had transformed all three of the undead wolves forever into rock statues.

Master Sernett looked up at Kerwyn with admiration and wonder. He had never heard of any wizard successfully casting the Skin to Stone spell on more then one target at a time in all of his long years. Not only had he never heard of a Master Wizard casting it on multiple targets, but also the spell was way above Kerwyn’s training level. The spell should have been far too complex and above his ability to cast.

The undead wolf leader, watching his pack fall and seeing its chance to attack while the human's back was turned to it, advanced on Master Sernett with the intent of killing him quickly and then taking out his young pup before they could attack again. Kerwyn’s look of satisfaction and pride vanished as he realized that the undead wolf leader was advancing very fast and that his master was in mortal danger.

“Master look out!” Kerwyn called but knew he was much too late. Master Sernett was still distracted by Kerwyn’s spell and was hit from behind with the force of a raging bull and went down under the weight of the undead wolf leader. Kerwyn stood in horror as the undead wolf savagely attacked his master, trying to bite him and tear him to shreds. Kerwyn couldn’t believe that his master was still moving under all the attacks of the wolf and it looked like he wasn’t even been hurt from the attacks.

“Veneficus requiro!”
Kerwyn heard his master yell from under the undead wolf leader. The surge of the One Power was felt again and fourteen magic missiles pounded into the wolf. The force of Master Sernett’s spell threw the animal off and sent it flying several feet to land with a sickly sounding splat in a dead heap of smoking rotted flesh and bone.

“Master, are you alright?” Kerwyn jumped down from the rock ledge to help his master get up.

Master Sernett checked himself over once he was standing, made sure he was still intact and unharmed, while he commenting to himself, “Thank the maker that I cast that Sigil of Physical Protection before we entered the forest.”

“Master, I thought that you were dead, that the undead thing had you in its teeth and I swear I could hear it crunching down on you and crushing your bones.”

“No Kerwyn, what you heard were the wolf ’s teeth breaking as it was biting my skin. The Sigil I cast made my skin as tough as diamonds, when attacked physically that is. It takes the force of whatever is thrown physically against me and turns it back on the initiator. In this case it was the wolf bites that were turned back against the wolf, breaking its teeth and most probably its jaw in the process. It works exactly the same if an arrow were to be shot at me. The arrow would bounce back towards the sender leaving me unharmed.”

A big grin spread over Kerwyn’s face. “You have to teach me that one Master. It looks like it could come in very handy.”

“Oh Kerwyn, I will teach you everything I know but I think there are a few things that you are going to teach me in the process. How did you cast that Skin to Stone spell? But more importantly how did you cast it on all three undead wolfs at the same time?”

“I really don’t know, Master. I panicked and started drawing on the One Power. I drew in more then I would normally do, but I just knew that I had to do it. All I really remember was watching all three of the undead wolves coming at you and I wanted them all to turn to stone.” With a look of pride, Master Sernett shook his head and gave Kerwyn a big smile while, silently, he thought about the incredible feat of magic he had just witnessed from his apprentice.

Both the wizard and his apprentice were looking around at the now forever dead, undead wolves, unaware of the other events that were going on around them. The rocks in the middle of the clearing started to give off a light all of their own. A small crack appeared in the center of the rock formation and out of it flew Fairies of all different colours, shapes and sizes. Some looked like small people wrapped in leaves, while others looked like they were born of fairy dust as they sparkled and shone with flickering lights. Still others looked like they were born from the dirt and resembled either sticks or plants. One thing they all had in common was even though they were only small in size, they all had the aura of the One Power very strongly about them and anyone silly enough to upset the kingdom of the fairies would be a very sorry person indeed. Fairies generally didn’t concern themselves with man but at this very moment all the fairies were staring at Kerwyn.

Master Sernett was the first to realize that they were not alone in the clearing any longer. He was the first to turn and behold the fairy nation in all of its glory. Standing in the center of the rock formation was the queen of the fairies herself, shining like a newborn morning sun. She was dressed all in white rose petals and was as regal as any member of royalty that ever existed. She had a small crystal crown on her head that looked as though it were made from the purest and the most beautiful of diamonds. One look at her and one knew that she commanded the One Power with the ease of breath that this was her domain and she was its Queen.

“Kerwyn, drop to your knees and bow your head. We are in the presence of greatness; we are in the presence of the Fairy Queen herself,” Master Sernett dropped to the ground on his knees and bowed his head with reverence, waiting for the queen to speak. He knew that for the queen to show herself to a mortal meant that there was something very important that she wanted to discuss. Kerwyn at seeing his master kneel and bow his head toward the little women glowing white standing on top of the stone, took his master’s advice and did the same.

As the queen took flight, the fairies spread out around the two humans, all of them taking a defensive position ready to protect their queen should the need arise. The queen flew around the heads of the two mortals that had just done battle with the undead in her domain, studying them. Placing her hands upon each of their heads and reading their aura, she knew that these two humans could be trusted and they were not here to hurt the forest or to bring her people harm.

“Rise wizards and tell me why you are both here in my domain and why did you bring these undead abominations of nature to this place of my fairy home.” They heard her words not so much with their ears but, rather, from inside their heads. Kerwyn started to get nervous as this wasn’t his Master’s or his idea to be around any undead creatures ever, let alone bring them into the fairy kingdom. He didn’t want to get blamed for associating with the undead by some of the most powerful magical creatures.

“Please forgive us Your Majesty,” Master Sernett said “But we were being chased through the forest by these beasts and we were looking for a place to hide. We are trying to locate the forest Elves so they may tell us what is going on within the forest. Perhaps you would know and could share your information as to how these undead creatures came to be, and why has the forest taken on such an ominous feeling of dread.”

“You ask your questions in three, so I will answer you thee. Firstly, the Forest Elves are deeper in the forest to the northeast, about a day’s walk from here. They have barricaded themselves in their protective circle of ancient trees. But do not think that you will be welcomed into their domain. To them your race is weak and nothing more then short lived apes that should be swept away with the coming of this evil storm. The second answer is with regards to those atrocities of nature, those undead things that walk the land. I fear that something very evil has awoken in the forest. It is very old and had been buried for many, many years and was believed dead. I hear the trees and forest creatures crying out in agony as the evil sweeps them under its shadow changing them with its evil ways. And finally, the third answer is that the evil in the forest is twisting nature and all things pure into things of death and decay. The trees feel the evil rising and are warning of the coming of days when this world will be swept away, and where only death remains.”

Master Sernett looking the Queen in the eyes asked “Your Majesty, what can we do to stop this evil from taking over, and destroying the land?”

“You must find the Great Wizard of Legends and have him bring the light back into the land,” the fairy queen said, “Only then will all of the good creatures agree to unite under one Master and fight the evil that has come against the land. Heed me well, wizard: only when the most powerful and oldest of dragons are united to fly as one, will the war between good and evil be won. This will be a battle of life and death and one which this world needs to win.”

She touched Kerwyn’s face and looked deeply into his eyes. Kerwyn felt her probing the depths of his mind. To the farthest reaches and most suppressed memories that he himself had long since forgotten, her mind merged with his, her eyes closed and she entered his thoughts, hopes and dreams. She saw his fears and his anguish at being abandoned on a stranger’s doorstep by the one he knew and loved so long ago. She glimpsed his mother’s face and then that thread of memory faded away. She saw his first steps, heard his first words and watched him grow into a young boy. She saw his Master teaching him all there is to know about being a good and just young man. She saw his first magic lessons, watched how a young man blushed so easily when a pretty young girl noticed him for the first time as a man. She watched him fall in love with his first love, and then understands his frustration and dispares as she turns her love from him, and finds a new man. The Fairy Queen found it very interesting to experience how mortals thought and how strange, different, and alien those beings were to her.

She watched his first time channelling the One Power so strongly that he brought an old apple tree back to more than just life, but back to a sentient, conscience life. She saw how much more powerful his magic would become, more than any other mortal in the land. She saw also that once he came into his full power, there would be new legends made about this young man. After learning all there was that she needed to know, she gently let her mind sail within his emotions and took joy in the power and the honesty that was his young soul. After separating her mind from his, she slowly opened her eyes, smiled, and kissed him lightly on the lips.