To Cast the First Spell

by John Buttrick

  Daniel did not have it in him to hold a grudge, especially since he understood why his friend behaved the way he had. “There is nothing to forgive. I’m having a hard time adjusting to the changes myself. I would’ve run from it too if I could.”

  Tim looked up, though stopped short of smiling, the situation seemed far too serious for even him to show any sign of mirth. “I don’t think you are up to fighting yetis,” he said, appraisingly, with a frown. “Come back to the village with me and get some rest. I think we’re going to be in for a tougher battle this time.”

  The original plan was to stay in the forest and draw the yetis like before and Daniel wanted very much to say he could handle the beasts alone, but his reckless teleporting eliminated that option, at least for a day or so. The legion could attack at any moment and he needed plenty of water just to gain back the fluids he lost. “I’ll come if you go first and ask them to accept my help. Tell them, I only intend to stay until the fighting is done,” he replied, firmly. After all, he had promised to leave and he hated to go back on his word.

  Tim peaked over the edge of the cliff toward the village below. ”If that’s the way you want it,” he said, and then turned, facing Daniel. “Tell me where you were. I’ve been here quite often in the last few days and you weren’t here, what happened?”

  Daniel took a deep breath, wondering how much he should tell and where to begin, the truth, straight, honest, and bald, seemed to be the best way. “I was captured by an Accomplished of the Serpent Guild named Cenni Quen. His spells are painful to say the least. He transported Sprinter and me to Mount Kelgotha,” he began, casually, as if re-telling ancient history, deliberately so.

  Tim’s jaw went slack and his eyes widened as if he was sorry he asked the question, however he needed to hear what was coming. His life was at risk just for having the misfortune of knowing an Aakacarn.

  “I escaped using a sleep spell the Accomplished inadvertently taught to me,” Daniel said, and then paused to let the words sink in, for what was coming made the first part sound like the recanting of an ordinary day, although it actually was a normal part of his day. “Tarin Conn haunts my dreams and has been doing so ever since my visit to Kelgotha. It would seem he can form a mental link with anyone unfortunate enough to end up on his mountain.”

  “Tarin Conn,” Tim mouthed silently, as his face grew paler.

  “Yes, the Dark Maestro,” Daniel re-stated, matter-of-factly. “He’s been trying to recruit me into the Serpent Guild and seems to be convinced my abilities are beyond those of a normal Aakacarn. In fact, he says I’m not one at all, I am an Aakasear, whatever that is.”

  “Tarin Conn,” Tim said, as if stuck on the one thought.

  “Yes, he sent yetis here to destroy Bashierwood and capture my parents so they can be turned into Condemneds,” Daniel explained, wishing he could some how make it all sound not quite so bad.

  “Condemned?” Tim stammered, apparently latching onto thoughts beyond the Dark Maestro, “Tarin Conn, yetis, and the Condemneds!”

  “Yes, and probably Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild,” Daniel replied, holding nothing back, seeing no way to lighten the load he was dropping on his friend. He drank some water and then continued. “Tarin Conn is waiting, giving me a little time to make up my mind. If I agree to serve him he will spare the village and my parents, or so he says.”

  Tim stared off at some point in the sky and finally shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh, apparently reaching some sort of conclusion. “You can’t join the guild. We must fight him now or the village will never be safe. He will control you by threatening us every time you hesitate to obey,” the drummer stated, firmly and accurately. “By the way, how did you get here so quickly from Kelgotha?”

  There was no way to answer that question without sounding like a fool, for indeed the action had been foolish. “Tarin Conn taught me how to teleport. He left out a few details, which is why I can hardly stand now,” Daniel replied, softly, feeling the heat in his cheeks. It was embarrassing.

  Tim frowned, disapproval written on his face. He had heard well enough, having given his undivided attention. “I suggest you not trust the Dark Maestro any more. What ever possessed you to believe him?” the drummer said, as if talking to a child.

  “You’re right, I shouldn’t have trusted him,” Daniel admitted, feeling even more like a fool than before. “This is all new to me. Every decision I make seems to mean life or death for me or someone else. Until recently, my biggest decision had been where to build my cabin before asking Val to marry me. Now she hates me and every monster I’ve ever heard tell of is chasing after me,” he finished, closing his eyes. A warm hand came to rest on his shoulder.

  “I know. I would be a babbling idiot by now if it were happening to me,” Tim said, in a sympathetic tone, perhaps not fully realizing he too would soon get a taste of that experience. He swallowed hard and stiffened. “We’ll fight Tarin Conn’s army together,” he said while hefting his long bow.

  The valiant show of friendship and support was impossible to refuse. Daniel smiled. “Thanks, I can use a good drummer.”

  Tim chuckled, although his merriment did not last long. “I’m going to start out for the village while you take Sprinter and hide. The Serpent Guild may not have targeted you for death, but they certainly wouldn’t hesitate to take you prisoner again. I’d bet my hunting knife on it,” he said, and then moved off stealthily into the woods.

  “I’ll be careful. Hurry back and stay clear of yetis,” Daniel said, watching his friend wave and then disappear behind a tree.

  Tannakonna’s residents, in all likelihood, would not reject his offer of help, once they understood the enormity of the forces surrounding them. He doubted the present sight of him would gain their confidence and hoped he would appear stronger by the time they laid eyes on him. He sipped from the canteen and led Sprinter behind a large clump of bushes, then stretched out on the ground, listened to the wind whisper softly through the pine needles, and stared up at the tree tops.

  Chapter Thirteen: Unwelcome Guests

  “Show off,” Samuel mumbled, sitting at table four where the unmistakable smell of charred wood permeated the air. The entire village reeked of fire damage. Still, the mountain inn had a certain rustic charm. The hard wood tables and floor were freshly polished. He sipped tea from a crockery mug and watched the Serinian perform minor, very minor, feats of low power spells to impress the local folk, mainly the children. Most of the adults kept their distance and avoided so much as to make eye contact. Even the proprietor, a chubby man named Polkat, hesitated to approach without being asked to do so. It was the clothes, the white silk garments practically screamed Aakacarn. But Sherree and Jerremy would not listen, oh no, not them. That would have been too much to hope for. Now the villagers acted like hungry wolves were in their midst. They would probably run if he said, boo!

  “Stop brooding,” Sherree whispered, somehow making it seem like a scolding shout. The golden-haired Aakacarn sipped from her mug, and then placed it back on the table with a satisfied nod. “It doesn’t matter if people like us or not. We will sort out the truth.”

  Jerremy held up a plate before his audience and let it drop to the floor. Shards of fine china flew several cubits from the place of impact. Henri Polkat did not seem impressed, judging by the grunt he made and the deep frown furrowing his forehead. He turned and went back into the kitchen. A violet glow formed around the Serinian and extended to the broken pieces. The plate re-assembled and flew back up into his hands. The children, most of them dressed in buckskins of varying shades, laughed and clapped their hands merrily.

  Samuel emptied his mug and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Must he go on like that? The mountain folk are frightened enough of us as it is. Even our clothes make them nervous. This shameless display is making matter worse,” he whispered, unable to keep the anger out of his comment.

  The Serinian had lectured often enough, giving speech after speech o
n the proper conduct befitting a Talented and about doing nothing to embarrass Aakadon. Now the hypocrite makes himself a jester.

  Sherree smiled sweetly. A good number of men and older boys stole glances at her, in spite of her being an Aakacarn. Most of her hair was covered by the ever present hood, not so the smooth contours of her face. Strangely, the villagers seemed wary of her the most, as though she was a lioness ready to pounce on them at any moment, proving they were perceptive. More than a few young Talenteds who had not yet adjusted to the tradition of celibacy learned the hard way how ferocious she could be. “On the contrary,” she said, in a soft voice. “Jerremy is doing more good then the two of us.”

  “How can you say that? I’ve been casting the spell to locate Potentials while he has been playing with children,” Samuel replied, affronted by her reply.

  Sherree is a likable person but sometimes her reasoning was seriously flawed. She angled her head slightly to the right, staring Samuel straight in the eyes, and raised an eyebrow, giving a look that said, “You know better.” She was very good at communicating with facial expressions.

  “Well, he is playing while I am working,” Samuel added. He did not have to defend himself. She had no right to look at him that way. This is the look Jerremy should be receiving.

  Sherree sighed and leaned forward. “The adults will not talk to us. Even Mr. Polkat only takes our orders and says nothing more than is absolutely necessary,” she began, and then glanced at the Serinian. “He may be able to encourage the children to reveal what they know”

  Samuel watched the children laugh. They did seem to like Jerremy. Maybe entertaining them was not a bad idea after all. Something awful took place in this village and nobody wanted to talk about it. Several buildings had been burnt to the ground and many others were undergoing extensive repairs. There had been whispers of yetis and he had seen a burnt corpse at a distance that could have been one being whisked away by four men. The people fell silent whenever the subject was brought up.

  Twin sisters were eating a light meal at table ten; both of them had long black hair and were very attractive. They had full figures and looked to be quite healthy. Unlike most of the village women, these were wearing pink-dyed buckskins and each possessed a long knife sheathed in her belt.

  Business, stick to business, Samuel scolded himself. The purpose in coming was not to gawk at the local women. The twins seemed to have their nerves on edge, ready to spring up and stab something. Well, that was to be expected. They, and the people of Bashierwood, have survived what had obviously been an assault by yetis and were presently seated only a short distance from three Aakacarns.

  Jerremy made six glasses of water float in the air above his head without spilling a drop. The children laughed with glee. He picked up a candle and concentrated. A flame ignited on the wick. One of the twins at table ten stared intensely and suddenly burst into tears.

  “Val, don’t watch, it will only remind you of him,” her sister said, offering what comfort she could.

  A boy of about ten, who had been watching from the right hand corner of the room, walked over and stared up at the tall Serinian. “That’s pretty good, but Daniel can throw streaks of fire hundreds of strides.”

  Samuel nearly leaped from his chair. Information, a name! Only a warm pressure on his left arm settled him back down.

  “Let him handle it,” Sherree said, with a gleam in her eyes that no doubt mirrored his own.

  Jerremy looked down at the brown-haired boy and smiled. “Really, hundreds of strides? Wow, I’d sure like to meet him.”

  The boy grinned. “He’s terrific, but kind of scary,” he said, while popping up and down on the tips of his toes.

  “I guess so,” Jerremy replied, and then bent down on one knee. “Who is Daniel, does he live here?”

  The dark haired twin at table ten all but flew out of her seat and stalked over to the Serinian. Her right hand was dangerously close to the knife in her belt. She grabbed the boy by the arm and pulled him away. “Jordan, go home!” she shouted, pushing him toward the exit. He ran outside.

  “Gina, don’t,” Val shouted, and then wiped the tears from her eyes and walked determinedly toward the Serinian, who straightened to his full height. She looked him in the eye and said, “Leave. Aakacarns are not welcome here,” and then sobbed into her hands. Gina gave Jerremy a menacing look and guided her sister toward the door.

  A young man, dressed in a red-dyed buckskin shirt and blue-dyed buckskin pants and wearing a straw hat, bolted into the room and nearly knocked both women off their feet. Wavy strands of light brown hair hung slightly below his collar. A sense of urgency could be seen in his almost black eyes. He stood three fingers less in height than the Serinian.

  “Tim Dukane, you are the clumsiest,” Gina scolded, shaking her head, although her tone carried not the slightest trace of anger. The corners of her mouth seemed ready to curve into a smile. She arched an eyebrow at him questioningly. “Are you hurt? You squirrel-brained ninny, you could’ve been killed. What do you mean by rushing off into the woods like that?’ she asked, sounding more anxious than annoyed.

  “I found Daniel,” he said.

  The simple announcement gained him the attention of every ear in the room. The innkeeper’s son, judging by the resemblance, dropped a wooden spoon. The sound seemed to punctuate the sudden quiet tension filling the dining area.

  “Is he,” Val began, in a trembling voice, and hesitated a moment before finishing with the thought, “Dead?”

  “No, he is alive, although he wasn’t in good shape when I found him,” Tim replied, and then removed his hat and stepped into the center of the room.

  Henri Polkat hurried out from the kitchen with a scowl on his face. “Boy, what is the meaning of this?” he demanded. The innkeeper was not a tolerant man. He would have made a good instructor in Aakadon, if he had been born with extra energy in his life force.

  “He found Daniel,” Gina answered, seemingly in defense of Tim as much as to convey the news.

  Practically every person in the room suddenly was focusing on table four, except for those few who were staring at the Serinian. Samuel stiffened and mentally prepared to be attacked. These people were unpredictable.

  “We are not alone,” Henri Polkat stated, as if he was being discreet about whom he meant. The man all but pointed.

  Tim stared wide-eyed at the Serinian and then at Sherree, his attention did not linger on her like some of the others had a tendency to do, Gina probably had something to do with it. He wisely relaxed and shrugged his shoulders. “Good, we’ll need all the help we can get,” he said, adding to the mystery.

  The local folk began whispering quickly amongst themselves, no doubt pondering the news. The speculations died down and everyone gave the young man their undivided attention. Samuel thought of a shield spell, better to be safe. The emotional tides were shifting rapidly.

  Val rounded on the young mountaineer. “Where is Daniel? What happened to him?”

  “I found him on Binkman’s cliff. The last few days have been hard on him,” Tim replied, looking at Val or Gina, Samuel shook his head, distinguishing between the two was not easy. “I thought you hated him,” Tim added with a trace of accusation in his voice.

  Val, as far as Samuel could tell, looked stricken. A tear ran down her cheek and was quickly wiped away. “I don’t really hate him, he scares me is all,” she said, while her sister gave Tim a scolding glance, which barely seemed to faze him.

  Henri Polkat cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself. “Why didn’t he come back with you?” the innkeeper asked, appearing to have mixed emotions concerning the man in question.

  “Yetis are in the forest. I’ve seen a score and signs of much more, Daniel says there are thousands,” Tim informed, pausing as more people entered the inn to hear the news.

  Hough Bess, a heavy set village official, who made it clear upon arrival that Aakacarns were not welcome to stay in Bashierwood, walked in with arms fol
ded and a readily apparent eagerness to listen. The room quickly filled to capacity as people filed in around him and gathered about the doors and windows.

  “The yetis are here to destroy Bashierwood. These won’t follow him to be slaughtered on the cliff like the others,” Tim finished.

  An old-timer made his way to the forefront. The man continually fussed about Aakacarns being in the village. Samuel eyed him carefully. That man had been the first person in the village to introduce himself and make threats. His accusing gaze shifted from person to person before he finally opened his mouth to speak. “I told him to go away and never come back. He agreed. Obviously, his word is no good. He’s back and has brought more trouble upon us,” the old mountaineer croaked. He glanced at Jerremy and frowned.

  “Orin, shut up!” Tim said, raising his voice, fixing a level stare on the elder man. His sharp tone seemed to surprise him as much, if not more than, the people standing around. It was the old-timer who looked away first, perhaps gaining the measure of the man and no longer seeing a boy. Tim calmed himself and continued without apology. “Daniel refuses to come back unless the village agrees to it. He was captured after the last battle and perhaps tortured by an Aakacarn of the Serpent Guild. He escaped and risked his life to come back in time to warn us of the coming attack. I’m told the assault will be led by Accomplisheds and will include Condemneds. He came back only to help save Bashierwood and then leave, permanently.”

  Samuel glanced at Sherree, whose concerned face clearly reflected that of his own. Jerremy passed through the crowd, who parted without hesitation as if he carried a plague, took his seat, and for the first time seemed at a loss for words.

  “The situation is far more serious than any one of us can handle,” Samuel began, glancing from one to the other. Hopefully, they realized as much. The signs of a previous yeti attack were obvious and there was the dead one they found back on the trail. He could think of only one thing to do. “We should contact Jason Renn for advice.”