The large wizard plopped into a throne made of hewn wood riveted together with bronze straps.
The final wizard wore a close-fitting kimono with an embroidered dragon, the head at her shoulder and the scaly body wrapped around her midriff, ending at her waist. Her hair was pulled neatly into a bun, and two black sticks held it in place. She sat in a chair made of sharp, black wood, polished brightly and padded with red material. She made no attempt to catch Fritz’s attention but stared at the first wizard seated on the purple couch.
Her apprentice stepped out from behind her. She was dressed in a half robe and silk pants with similar colors but no dragon. Her hair hung loosely around her face.
Fritz caught his breath. She was beautiful. He looked away hurriedly when she met his gaze. His face flushed red.
The first man by the oak tree stood to speak. He raised his hands and intoned, “This meeting of The Order is convened. We meet to add a new wizard to our ranks and bind him to Boroda.” He stretched out his right hand. “Let us cast the spell of Life Bond and commence the apprenticeship of …”
The head wizard stopped and looked at Fritz. “What is your name?”
Fritz turned to look at Boroda.
Boroda grimaced, then stepped forward quickly. “His name is Drosselmeyer.”
The older wizard hesitated but continued. “Let us cast the spell of Life Bond and commence the apprenticeship of Drosselmeyer to Boroda.”
On cue, each of the six wizards approached Fritz, chanting words to a spell. They formed a ring and began walking clockwise around him, hands working in synchronized movements. After a full rotation, Boroda joined Fritz in the center and took his forearms.
As the wizards circled, a slight wind whipped the leaves on the forest floor. It grew stronger, kicking up dust, the tree tops swaying in the gusts. An unseen energy pulsated through Fritz’s chest, washing over him in a cold wave.
Boroda released his grasp.
Fritz wiped his palms.
The older wizard held his hand up, and a scimitar appeared. The sword floated to Fritz and hung motionless at his shoulder. “Take the sword, young Drosselmeyer, and strike your master.”
Fritz took the sword and searched Boroda’s face for affirmation.
Boroda didn’t move.
He swallowed, raised the sword above his head, and swung. The sword hit something hard but didn’t make a sound. He opened his eyes, slowly at first, then widened them. The sword was not lodged in Boroda’s skull as he was expecting. It was inches from Boroda’s face, suspended with a haze of purple light along the edge.
Boroda breathed out a long sigh of relief.
Fritz continued to hold the sword in his hands, mouth open, breathing hard.
Boroda took the sword and handed it back to the older wizard.
The older wizard vanished the sword and addressed the other wizards, still circled around Boroda and Fritz. “It is complete. The Life Bond spell is cast.”
The older wizard turned to Fritz. “Welcome to The Order, young Drosselmeyer. I am Borya, Chief Wizard of The Order. This is my apprentice, Faruk.”
Faruk waved and smiled openly.
“I am Glacinda, wizard of the Northern Nation. This is Gelé,” the lady in blue said and bowed slightly.
“I’m Eric, wizard of the Western Nation.” The giant man stepped forward and shook Fritz’s hand with a crushing grip. “This is Andor. He’s deaf. If you want to talk to him, he can read your lips, or he does know a spell he can put on you to help with the hand signs. Or you can ignore him. Your choice.”
Fritz extended his hand to Andor who shook it, grunted, and stepped back.
“Welcome,” the flowered lady said excitedly and wrapped her arms around Fritz in a warm embrace. “We weren’t sure if Boroda was ever going to pick a new apprentice,” she cackled. “I’m Sylvia, wizard of the Southern Nation, and this is Vivienne.”
Vivienne cut in. “You guessed it right earlier. She’s my twin sister,” she said, pointing at Gelé.
Fritz listened as Vivienne continued in rapid, rambling fashion.
“Yes, we are identical. She’s older by two-and-a-half minutes. No, we don’t feel it when the other one gets hurt. And yes, we have switched places with each other but only at school.” She giggled. “We always get those questions, so it’s just easier to answer them all at the beginning.”
“Isn’t she precious?” Sylvia cut in. “I am so glad Boroda finally got someone. After the last one …”
Boroda cleared his throat loudly.
Sylvia gasped. “Oops. Oh, I always talk too much. Watcher, help!” She leaned in closer and whispered loudly in Fritz’s ear, “I hope you can loosen him up a bit. He is so uptight.” She winked at Boroda who remained stone-faced.
“I am Hanja, wizard of the Eastern Nation.” The wizard in the kimono stepped forward, interrupting Sylvia. “This is my apprentice, Marzi.”
Marzi put her right fist over her heart. “I am honored to meet you.”
Fritz felt his face warm. Instinctively, he glanced down at his feet.
“The Order has business to attend to,” Borya announced. “Faruk, please take Drosselmeyer to the garden and make him feel welcome.”
Without a word, Faruk crossed next to Fritz and hooked his arm around him. A moment later, they were standing under a wooden arbor under a bright, sunny sky. Around them, stretching as far as Fritz could see, hedges grew in shapely mazes, disappearing into the blue horizon.
Several couches, sofas, and loveseats formed a circle around a stone table. Faruk plopped unceremoniously onto a couch and motioned to a nearby chair.
“Have a seat,” Faruk said in a much brighter, more relaxed manner. “We all hang out here while The Order discusses business.”
“Where is here?” Fritz turned in a circle to view the terrain.
“No one knows,” Vivienne said and skipped next to him. “We’ve all explored this place, but none of us has ever made it through the maze.”
“I got the farthest,” Gelé bragged. She tossed her braid back and sat down opposite Fritz.
“She had the idea of leaving a marker, then traveling to it each time we visit here,” Vivienne said. “Brilliant, right? She’s the smart one.”
Gelé blew her sister a kiss.
“Why not just cut straight through the shrubs?” Fritz asked after taking a seat.
“Ask Andor about that,” Vivienne said and skipped over to where he was sitting cross-legged on a circular, flat pad. Andor made some movements with his hand, face full of expression.
Marzi spoke up, eyes on Andor. “He says, ‘I broke my axe on the first swing. The enchantments are very strong.’”
“Andor is deaf,” Vivienne chimed in.
“Eric said that,” Fritz responded. “Do you all sign?”
“Only Marzi.” Vivienne tucked her legs up under her and pulled a flower from her belt. “Sylvia would feed me to her plants if I let anyone put a spell on me.”
The others expressed their agreement.
“Did Hanja not mind?” Fritz asked.
Marzi’s eyes narrowed. “It is none of your business what my master thinks.”
“Sorry,” Fritz apologized. “I didn’t know.”
There was a brief lull in the conversation.
“Watcher, this is awkward,” Vivienne said. “There are a few things you need to know about being an apprentice.”
“Vivienne!” Gelé warned.
“What?” Vivienne asked pointedly. “He’s obviously new at this, and it’s best he’s prepared.”
“Stop talking, Vivienne,” Marzi said, head bowed.
“Prepared for what?” Fritz asked.
“You’re an apprentice,” Vivienne said heatedly. “That means you belong to your master.”
Gelé twisted uncomfortably. “Faruk, tell her to stop.”
Faruk shrugged but didn’t say anything.
Vivienne continued, “They can do whatever they want to you because you belong to th
em.”
Fritz looked around the group. Each person nodded in agreement, Marzi the last to add her assent.
“Like, they hit you?” Fritz asked. He was used to being hit at the orphanage, but he didn’t see Boroda as the hitting type.
Faruk snickered and began to toss a ball up in the air and catch it. “Yeah. Hitting is one thing.”
Vivienne’s flower began to sprout and small thorns poked out from the stem. “Has Boroda told you what happened to his last apprentice?”
The group grew tense.
“I didn’t know he had one,” Fritz said uneasily. “What happened to him?”
Vivienne shrugged. “I don’t know. Only Faruk was around then.”
“I was six years old,” Faruk said and began tossing his ball in the air again. “I don’t even remember his name.”
“I heard Boroda killed him,” Vivienne said casually.
“Vivienne!” Gelé cautioned.
“Killed him? Why would he do that? They’re not allowed to do that, right?” Fritz looked around the group.
No one spoke. Faruk continued to toss the ball and the pat-pat-pat of the toy striking his palms only accentuated the quiet.
Gelé was forming a cube of ice in her hand, and Vivienne stretched tendrils from a vine along the table. Even Marzi shifted uncomfortably behind a book she had begun reading.
“They can’t kill us … right?” Fritz asked with more desperation.
“I’m afraid they can if they want to,” Faruk said and held the ball.
“But why would they want to?” Fritz pulled his arms close to his body, hoping none of the others saw his hands trembling.
“If they find another apprentice they think is more powerful than you,” Gelé said.
Fritz stared down at the table as if in a trance.
“The longer you last, the less likely it is, though,” Faruk added. “It’s not worth their time to train someone from the beginning after investing years of time in you.”
“Being an apprentice is hard work,” Vivienne added. “Don’t screw up, and you’ll be fine.”
“Stop talking, Vivienne,” Marzi warned from behind her book.
“They’re more likely to just injure you,” Vivienne said, ignoring Marzi.
“That’s enough, Vivienne,” Marzi said again, more forcefully.
“Hanja broke Marzi’s fingers for letting Andor put the sign language spell on her,” Vivienne burst out.
Marzi stood up quickly, her hand glowing red with magic. “I said: Stop. Talking.”
The other apprentices all shot to their feet, hands full of glowing magic at the ready.
Fritz backed away slowly.
Marzi and Vivienne locked eyes.
“Everyone, calm down,” Faruk said, and his hands returned to their normal color. “Drop your spells,” he coaxed.
The girls didn’t move.
“Vivienne, you should stop talking,” Faruk told her.
Vivienne pouted, then dropped her hands and sat down. “Fine. But I think it’s only fair that Drosselmeyer knows what he’s getting into.”
The others sat down, but the air was tense for several minutes.
“Who’s ready for school?” Gelé broke the silence.
She was creating a little ice sculpture in her hand. It was a curvy spiral that branched off like a tree but ended in spikes.
“Can’t wait!” Vivienne jumped in.
“What is it like?” Fritz asked.
“Great,” Faruk offered. “You should try out for the rugby team or water polo. Do you swim?”
Fritz shook his head.
“Did Boroda tell you about the rules for us?” Vivienne asked. She was cheerful again, and her flower was twisting itself into a small carriage and sprouting decorative buds.
“He hasn’t told me anything,” said Fritz.
“No magic whatsoever allowed,” Gelé said.
“Not like you could, even if you wanted to,” Vivienne added.
She looked at Fritz and mouthed, “There’s a spell.”
Fritz didn’t understand but nodded his head.
“The school grounds are protected by some very powerful enchantments,” Faruk said and tossed the ball to Fritz.
Fritz tossed it back.
“No one can perform magic on school property, and if you try …” He threw the ball to Fritz. “You will get called before The Order and probably removed.”
“What is ‘removed’?” Fritz asked.
“Kicked out of The Order. Expelled,” said Vivienne.
“How would anyone know?” Fritz asked, amazed.
Vivienne pointed to Faruk.
“Borya has a Celestine,” Faruk said. “It’s a device that registers every time someone uses magic. It’s how all of us were found when we snapped.”
The twins looked at each other and put their hands over their hearts. “Twins snap together.” They spoke in perfect unison.
“But we use magic all the time,” Fritz wondered aloud. “How could anyone keep track of it?”
Faruk switched sides on his couch. “There are certain alarms for different types of magic, I guess. Borya says it alerts him differently when a child snaps versus when someone attempts to use magic at St. Michael’s.”
Fritz nodded slightly. “Ok.”
“It’s confusing,” Faruk said glibly, “but it’s one of the many responsibilities of the Chief Wizard.”
“What was your snap?” Vivienne asked excitedly.
Fritz stammered, “I, um. It was nothing huge.”
“You don’t have to answer,” Marzi said bluntly from her chair.
Vivienne rolled her eyes. “Drosselmeyer is really long and awkward to say.”
Andor signed to Fritz.
“He says it’s hard to spell,” Marzi translated. “He’s giving you a sign name.”
Andor held up his hand, fourth and fifth fingers creating a circle on his thumb, with the first and second finger wrapped together in a twist.
“I’m calling you Drossie,” Vivienne said with her signature giggle.
“Ok. That’s fine, I guess.” Fritz hoped nicknames weren’t against the rules.
“Where are you from?” Vivienne pressed.
Fritz tensed up.
“Leave him alone, Viv,” Gelé said. “Can’t you see he’s scared of you?”
“Ugh! I am so bored. We should play a game or something.” Vivienne swung her feet over the arms of her chair and made her flower roll forward a few inches on twisting, viny wheels.
Faruk leaned backward and plucked a flower bud from a nearby plant. “Hey Viv, catch!”
He tossed the bud in her direction, and she stopped it midair and twirled it around her fingers. The bud opened up and grew a stem, followed by leaves.
Gelé dropped her ice sculpture and waved her own magic over the flower. A static-charged cloud grew, then turned into a block of ice.
Faruk waved his hands and a tiny ball of flame hovered over the block of ice, causing drops of water to dribble off the top in a miniature rain shower. The drops collected on the flower petal and showered on the stone table below.
“Marzi!” Faruk called out.
Marzi caught the drops in midair and started floating them in various patterns around the flower. Each droplet began to pulse with light—first white, then changing to blues and reds and yellows.
“Your turn, Drossie,” Vivienne said, concentrating.
Fritz glanced around. All he had ever moved was a teacup. He didn’t know anything else. In a panic, he reached out with his magic and felt something coarse and light. He clapped his hands together, unsure of what would come with it.
Dirt flew through the air, pelting everyone and glomming onto the floating topiary. It doused the fire, turning the cube to mud and coating the flower in a layer of filth.
Everyone yelled out in surprise, except Andor. He brought his hands together in a thunderous clap and crushed the flower, then let it drop, limply, to the table. He laughe
d and applauded, then signed to Marzi.
“No,” she said aloud and signed. “We’re not doing it again.”
The apprentices complained loudly as they brushed dirt from their clothing.
“Drossie! What exactly were you trying to do?” Faruk asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Point of the game is to beautify the collaboration,” Gelé scowled. Her dress was caked with mud and every brush of her hand left a long streak of smeared dirt.
Andor smiled and gave him the thumbs-up, then hit his head a few times to knock the larger chunks of mud from his red hair.
“In his defense, you didn’t tell him the rules,” Vivienne pointed out to Faruk.
“I’m really sorry,” Fritz managed to stammer.
“No worries, buddy.” Faruk smiled at him. “We’re just giving you a hard time.”
Gelé huffed.
Fritz was about to apologize again when a bell tone sounded inside his head. It vibrated his skull.
Everyone else jerked their heads up.
“The master calls,” Faruk mumbled. He waved and vanished with a puff.
Marzi and Andor disappeared as well.
The twins blew each other kisses and dematerialized.
Fritz took a brief moment to enjoy the fresh garden air before traveling back to his bedroom. Standing at the foot, he fell backwards, arms outstretched on his bed, and wrapped the luxurious coverings around himself like a linen cocoon.
“Please meet me in the kitchen,” Boroda requested from his mirror.
“Yes, sir,” Fritz said half-heartedly. He rolled out of bed and walked downstairs, where Boroda had a tray of sandwiches waiting on the table. Boroda sipped out of a mug, then pushed the tray toward Fritz and looked at him expectantly.
Fritz shoved a sandwich in his mouth and tried not to make eye contact.
Boroda tapped a finger on the table. “Tell me how it went with the other apprentices.”
Fritz told him about the garden, the school, and then the muddy end to the game. He left out the part about the apprentices’ abuse. He wasn’t sure how much he trusted Boroda yet.
“Don’t worry too much about the mud,” Boroda reassured Fritz. “They were just trying to test how powerful you are. It’s good to play it close to the chest.”
Drosselmeyer: Curse of the Rat King Page 5