The Magic Sequence

by Dawn Chapman

  Crap, had I gotten myself into this much bother already? Taegen was on the wrong side of the fence, and it seemed Jarvin was, too? But what else had he done? He was so young. Surely, he hadn’t committed any major crimes. But they both seemed so normal, the kind of people I wanted to be around.

  “So why are you sticking with me, then? Shouldn’t you be watching him?”

  “I see where he is.” He finished his snack and moved closer to me, his tail swishing. I held out a hand and he moved towards it, his fur just as soft as I’d imagined. “I see many things, but you warrant attention. You are as Taegen said, a Summoner.”

  “I’ve never played a Summoner before. I think it would be a nice change from my usual style.”

  “Ahh, yes…”

  Clax settled down and flexed his paws, and his claws. They were sharp. More than sharp. I saw the daylight gleam off them. Scary.

  “Summoners get to control what they summon, don’t they?” I asked, watching the claws all the more. They’d rip my eyes out, I was sure of it, if I did something wrong.”

  “To some extent. It depends on the strength of the Summoner.”

  Oh, that was me done for, then. “I’m probably just basic. I only arrived a few days ago.”

  Clax pushed his head closer to my hand and I rubbed the back of his ears. I preferred him more as this odd-looking creature than the bird, but I was still wary.

  “But you can learn.” His ears pricked up. “Something is happening in the forest.”

  I looked around. The only thing that was visible to me was the bright glow in the distance.

  Clax crouched down and growled. “Don’t you feel it?”

  I didn’t feel anything but a sense of foreboding. Maybe that was what he meant. “It feels bad,” I replied. “If that’s what you mean?”

  I pushed myself up and decided to investigate. There couldn’t be anything that bad out there, right?

  Clax almost tripped me up. “Ugh,” I said. “You’re just like a cat, but the size of a dog. Watch where you’re running. You’re getting under my feet!”

  He didn’t seem bothered by my shouting, but he kept on running between me and the glow I was limping towards.

  Chapter 6

  The light ahead had definitely grown, or was the forest getting darker? I looked towards the sky and realised the sun was setting. It hadn’t seemed that long ago we were sleeping. Or had I been limping along for that amount of time? I had no idea. Clax stopped up ahead, his fur standing on edge, wings curled back. I crouched down beside him. “What is it?”

  “Bad,” he said. “Very bad.”

  I tried to urge him on, but he shook his furry head, folded back his ears and tried to crouch even lower.

  Every instinct told me not to go farther, that there was imminent danger, but the thirteen-year-old gamer in me wanted to know what was out there. Was it a damsel in distress, or a creature I would have to kill? The thrill of the game was intense. I’d thought about dying in the game, but that wasn’t possible, right? That was my brain kicking in, telling me that everything had already gone wrong, so what else could? I laughed at my own absurdity and took another painful step forward.

  The glowing light was getting brighter. The darker it was behind me, the brighter it seemed. There were no other sounds, just my feet crunching in the underbrush.

  As I reached a far tree, the area before me opened and I could see a clearing ahead. I slowed my pace and crept forward as deftly as possible, trying my best to use the low-growing bushes to still hide behind.

  Ping! “You have learned to creep”

  These pings were really annoying, but I didn’t know if I could do anything about them. I could at least see the most part of my interface, but in the midst of creeping through the forest, it probably wasn’t a good idea for me to stop and see what new skills I’d acquired. I crept farther forward and peeked through the bushes where the glow seemed to be strongest.

  Everything was white. It was as if the game’s designers hadn’t put colour into this side of the world. It was so strange. The tree I leaned against was perfect. It felt and smelt so darned real, all piney and rough to touch. But on the other side of the bush, there was nothing. I didn’t want to get too close to where the non-colour was in case it was like an eraser or something.

  I backed away. That’s when I realized the light was draining the tree. The greyish colour was spreading, though at a slow rate. I then heard something — wailing, crying, like many creatures were in great pain, and my attention drew away for a moment searching for them. They were straight out of a nightmare, and coming out of the mist itself.

  Long claws, spindly bodies, several legs and arms, and things that just did not look right. All I wanted to do was run, but if I did that there would be some severe consequences, so I started to back away. Really carefully, one tiny step at a time. That was when I heard a crack behind me.

  I turned and saw an Elf with a finger to his lips. I had almost screamed. He’d managed to sneak up behind me, and was so close I could almost feel the heat from his body. He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder and together we stepped away from the trouble.

  I approached the spot where Clax had been, but he’d gone. I hoped he was okay. A tell-tale squawk from the trees had me look up. He was safe, and I nodded in his direction. I don’t suppose he wanted this new person to know who or what he was.

  This Elf, though, was young; maybe another ranger?

  “Did you see them?” he asked me, his voice low, unyielding. A pop-up appeared over his head. ‘Ranger Class’.”

  I had hoped he was a visitor, but how vast was this game? There were only a few beta testers as far as I knew, and possibly millions of NPCs. “What are they? What’s happening? It shouldn’t be happening, right?”

  “No, but I don’t know what they are. They’re coming out of a...” He seemed to struggle with his words. “A hole in the universe.”

  I thought I understood what he meant. He had probably never seen one before, but in some games I’d played, portals were quite common. “It’s a portal,” I said. “If it looks like a hole in your world, it’s probably a portal to theirs.”

  He slapped the side of his head, startling Clax.

  “What is it?”

  “My head hurts like something’s trying to drain all my energy.”

  I focussed on him hoping that I could see something, and yeah, it seemed that something was draining his energy. All around him, there was a feint glow, like that I’d seen through the trees. Then, as I stared, I could see energy, all the colours of the rainbow, seeping from him into the greyish white from the woods. It funnelled down and into the ground, then away from him.

  I checked my own status. The red splotch was back and had a 17 in it. “We need to get out of here,” I said, shoving him away from the glow.

  I still limped, and it was getting worse the more I walked.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re injured. If I didn’t feel so bad, I could help.”

  “You’re a healer?”

  “No, just basics, but…” He fumbled with his words and then fell over.

  There was literally nothing I could do for him. I tried to pull on his arm, and I heaved. I tugged and pulled so hard I thought my back was going to give way. Sweat dripped off my forehead and down my nose.

  I just couldn’t pick him up.

  I couldn’t heal him.

  I was useless.

  And I was also dying.

  The growing grey swirls seemed to pulse and ebb like a living being. I couldn’t leave him, could I? I tried to drag him, slapping his face and shouting, but he wouldn’t wake.

  I’d no choice. I had to keep going. I stumbled away from the elf with tears pouring down my face. I didn’t want him to die, but I knew he would.

  I ran past the dugout I’d made, and kept going. My ankle was excruciating, but my fear of the weird glitch coming for me was more frightening than what I was feeling physically, so I pushed
through.

  Ping! “You have learned to ignore pain.”

  Damned things. Eventually, when I stopped hobbling along in the forest, I found myself just more lost. The pathway I thought I was following vanished. I couldn’t find any footprints or signs of creatures moving through the bush. It grew thicker and awkward to get through. The branches pulled and tugged at my now very dirty and sweaty clothes.

  “Clax,” I shouted. “Clax, I really need you.”

  The pain was crushing and the red splotch had risen to 24.

  There was a flap of wings and the bird came into view. “I’m sorry,” he said lowering himself before me and transforming once more. “I couldn’t stay. I could feel what it was doing.”

  “It was terrible. That poor Elf!”

  Clax lowered his furry face and I reached down to scratch the top of his head, collapsing as I did so. I pulled him onto my lap and buried my face in his fur.

  This was the worst game ever. I didn’t want to play anymore. I wanted to go home. I needed my sisters and my mum.

  Clax kept purring and rubbing into my face until I eventually calmed my sobbing and rubbed the tear stains from my cheeks. I looked up and then around. It was dark, and I was getting cold.

  “I’ll find us a safe place to sleep,” he said, and within a second he was gone, returning a moment later to paw my leg and direct me. I shuffled across on my butt towards the bottom of a tree.

  I curled in the well of the tree, and he climbed on top of me, wrapping his wings around my shoulders. “Thank you,” I said as I finally drifted off to sleep.

  Clax woke me the next morning just by moving. I could barely stretch out. The red splotch had at least gone down to 15, but I was still so very sore and tired.

  “Come,” he said, “there’s water nearby. We can drink there and hopefully find some food.”

  I tried to stand, but pushing onto my sore ankle wasn’t a good idea. I picked up a branch and, after a few adjustments, I turned it into a makeshift walking stick.

  Clax cocked his head at me.

  “It’ll help,” I said, and hobbled to him.

  The stream was a beautiful shade of blue. I was sure it was the same one from the other day, just farther towards the coast maybe. A good thing to note — we at least seemed to be following the right path.

  Clax nodded to the north. “Taegen and Jarvin are on their way back. If you stay here, I’ll go and guide them in.”

  I nodded. What more trouble could I get into? I hoped that glitch thing and the monsters I’d seen were way back there still. But I’d no real way of knowing.

  Clax nudged my hand. “I won’t be more than an hour. Keep calm and stay hidden.”

  I looked around, noting where I might be able to hide. “I’ll be up that tree. Seems pretty decent to climb.” Then I wondered if I could… bad ankle and all. But… too late. He was gone.

  I hobbled over to the tree and tested its strength with a push. It was sturdy enough, and climbing it might well be hard. But I grabbed a strong branch and hauled myself up, then onto the next one, and the next. Eventually I was far enough off the ground to see quite a distance. There, through the forest, I saw the grey mist.

  I climbed higher. I could see so much more from the top of the tree. There it was, the area with the grey mist in it, and from here, it opened up more. There, at the centre of the mist, was a hole — the portal. It was huge. I wondered why Clax hadn’t gone higher to see what this thing was, or was it so bad that he hadn’t wanted to be anywhere near it?

  I couldn’t blame him. It looked eerie; eerie and very wrong. All the colour was draining away from the area it touched like it was being leeched away.

  I thought about the Elf and winced. Would I see him again, or was he actually dead? Would there be any way to stop this?

  It seemed like forever before I spotted something flying high in the sky. Once I decided it was Clax, I made my way down the tree. I was almost halfway down when I heard Taegen and Jarvin’s voices drifting through the forest. I almost fell out of the tree in my eagerness to see them but caught myself and didn’t land too hard.

  Taegen and Jarvin jumped off the strangest creature I’d seen so far. It was extraordinarily large and looked powerful, with thick, strong back legs.

  “Your little friend showed us here. We were heading back to where we left you.”

  I pointed back towards the dugout. “Yeah, whatever the hell is back there, you don’t want to see it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because everything it touches is dying like the life’s being sucked out of it. There are some horrid creatures running around it, too. I don’t think any of us could take them on. There’s just too many. It’s taken an elf’s life already.”

  “An Elf?” Taegen looked really concerned now. “There’s only three who roam this forest. Tell me more.”

  I pointed higher above me. “Tall, long dark hair, brown leathers.” I sighed. That would pretty much describe any person, I was sure. “Oh, and he had really pretty nails. Coloured in red.”

  Taegen’s shoulders slumped. “That was Folmar. He’s a really good guy. If he’s been taken down by something, it’s darned powerful. Come, we need to get out of here and speak to the people back in town. They must have mages that know what’s going on out here.”

  Taegen held out a hand and directed me towards the huge creature they’d ridden on. With a bump and scramble, I climbed up. Staring down wasn’t good, though. Up here was a lot scarier than being up a tree.

  This creature was an ebolos, I learned, and it was fast. It navigated through the trees and undergrowth with amazing precision considering how big it was. I loved being up here, even if it felt weird being sandwiched between the two guys. Jarvin talked most of the way, and I let him. I think he was nervous, but his hand on my arm was slowly healing my injury. My splotch wasn’t so red anymore, and was down to an 8.

  Chapter 7

  The ebolos pushed out through the trees and onto what looked like a main road. That was exciting enough for me. I was on my way to somewhere that might give me a chance to find my sister. A place where I could get my ankle healed. Then I would worry just a little more about finally finding my sisters, actually going to find them, and then hopefully we’d all be going home. Maybe Hansen’s estate was the right place to go. It certainly felt right.

  The ebolos loped along, and I really relaxed into its pace. There was something about its rhythm that was seamless.

  I watched the ground and the trees vanish even more as if I were flying, and then I pushed myself back against Jarvin, so sleepy.

  “Hey.” He laughed. “You’re not supposed to go to sleep, you know.”

  “I think I’ve had enough sleep to last me a lifetime these past few days,” I said. “Sorry. I was relaxing, that’s all.”

  Jarvin held onto me a little tighter. I worried that I’d given him the wrong impression. I mean, I liked boys, but I’d never been this close to one before. Maybe he didn’t know how old I was. Did that even matter in this world? He was clearly older than me, but I’d no idea how much older. Perhaps it was normal for them to date or — I froze — marry much younger.

  “Crap.” I pushed away from him. “I never meant to give you the wrong impression,” I said, fumbling with the words as heat spread through my face.

  He smiled, his face calm, pleasant. “It’s okay. We’re friends. Good friends, right?”

  I wasn’t sure about the ‘good’ — we’d only known each other for a short while. However, I could see the corner of his mouth twitch and a frown develop, like he needed to hear my answer. My face softened and I smiled. “Yes, good friends,” I said and hoped with all my heart I’d not accepted some weird marriage proposal. ‘Cause that would freak me out.

  As we reached a turning in the road, I got to see the first man-built place in Puatera. It was stunning.

  The solid brick slab walls surrounding the estate were sandy coloured, with lots of vines growing up the left side. Ahea
d of us was an open gateway, and the drive seemed to stretch on for a mile, maybe more, before it reached another wall and gateway.

  Around us, farmers toiled in the fields, and other workers pottered about and tended to their lands. It was peaceful, and everyone looked happy. That happiness spread through me. I felt at home.

  The ebolos slowed and Taegen dismounted closer to a side pathway. He took a slight turn and headed towards another field. I could see the estate behind us, but we were nowhere near it. I needed to be near it, to see the owner, to find my sisters. I felt myself choke up, but I couldn’t stop the ebolos. It was under Taegen’s control.

  This field had both horses and ebolos in it, and they all looked up at our ride. The other ebolos let out bellowed puffs, and ran over. It was funny to see. They were obviously part of the same family.

  It put a huge smile on my face. “They’re adorable,” I said, watching some younger ones running around. Picturesque wasn’t really the right term, but baby anything had my attention, always.

  “The owner was very happy to let us borrow him.” I’d no idea why, but Taegen was amazing once he was inside the walls. The shroud protecting him returned, though, so they only saw the older man, Tomlinson.

  “That’s some skill,” I said, “at deceit.”

  Jarvin nodded. “Without that, I think we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. He’s a total charmer.”

  A man approached from the other side of the field. He waved and we moved over to greet him.

  Taegen introduced him. “This is Dellis. He’s a healer. If we follow him through to the barns, he should be able to fix your ankle.”

  I smiled at the man, noting his strange features, from the colour of his skin to the outer edges of his eyes. Everything about him glowed red.

  “I’d be happy to help,” he said.

  Dellis held out a hand when we were closer to the barn and I slid off the ebolos' back. He caught me, and I felt the intense strength of his arms. I didn’t know if that was from wrestling the ebolos or down to his species’ lineage.