The Awakening

by James E. Wisher

  He stepped into the circle and a cool breeze sent a shiver up her spine. Maria didn’t believe in omens, but if she did that wasn’t a good one. The black-robed teacher began the spell a second time. At first he looked fine, standing there, rocking back and forth on his heels, looking bored like he always did. After a minute his face twisted and soon he doubled over.

  “Conryu!” Maria started toward him. One of the teachers restrained her. “I have to help him.”

  “You can’t.”

  Maria looked back into the sad eyes of the fire wizard. “Why?”

  “This is his awakening and it’s different for everyone. Usually the path is a smooth one, other times it isn’t. With one of his power there was little hope of a smooth opening. If he’s strong he will survive.”

  “Survive!?”

  Maria’s question was overwhelmed when a pillar of darkness engulfed Conryu. The dark wizard had stopped chanting and was looking frantically from one teacher to another. She’d clearly lost control of the spell.

  “What happened?” All around Maria the other students were chattering in frightened voices. They stared at the midnight pillar with fear in their eyes, the same fear that filled her.

  Indistinct shapes swirled around the column, appearing and being absorbed back into it faster than her eyes could follow. The teachers had all gathered in a little circle and Maria joined them unbidden. If something was to be done to help Conryu she meant to be a part of it.

  “There’s nothing I can do,” the dark wizard said. “The awakening spell’s run out of control and changed into something else.”

  “How is that possible?” the fire wizard asked, just a hint of panic in her voice.

  “It shouldn’t be possible. I’ve cast the awakening every year for a decade and nothing like this has ever happened. At worst I’ve had girls faint from the pressure and one threw up.” The black-robed woman waved at the pillar of darkness. “But this?”

  She shook her head and they all turned toward the pillar. It was clear to Maria none of them was either able or inclined to do anything. Maria didn’t know a single spell and even if she did her light magic wouldn’t be of much use against whatever that was.

  No matter. Her best friend was trapped and she had to try and help.

  Maria ran toward the darkness, eluding the grasp of the fire wizard. She stopped ten feet from the circle.

  Dark energy washed over her. Maria’s body trembled. It was so much worse than back at the carnival.

  “Conryu!” If his magic was causing the spell to spiral out of control maybe he could stop it. “Conryu! You have to stop the spell from the inside. Do you hear me? We can’t turn it off, only you can.”

  Maria stopped shouting and watched the pillar. At first nothing happened then a shudder went through it. Instinct prompted Maria to move back.

  A moment later the pillar blew apart, revealing Conryu standing on the beach. His robe appeared to be burning with black flames, or maybe it was made of the flames.

  She blinked and the flames vanished. Conryu collapsed on the sand and didn’t move. Maria ran to him and fell to her knees.

  He was breathing, thank god.

  The teachers joined her. The light wizard gently rolled him over and murmured a spell. She flinched back at once. “His innate magic broke my spell. I can’t tell what, if any, damage he’s sustained.”

  “Look at his arm,” the wind wizard said.

  On the inner portion of Conryu’s right forearm three words appeared to be burned into his flesh. She couldn’t read any of them, but the language was clearly Infernal. What had happened to him in there?

  “What do we do?” Maria asked.

  The fire wizard shook her head. “I don’t know that there’s anything we can do except take him to the nurse’s office and hope he wakes up on his own. The rest of you should get to class, you’re already late for your first lecture.”

  Maria took Conryu’s hand and winced at the dark energy radiating from it. “I’m not leaving him until he wakes up.”

  Conryu drifted through the darkness surrounded by red eyes. The pain had faded everywhere except his arm, where the brand seemed to glow with a ruddy light. What did it mean? Nothing like this had happened to any of the girls. Was it some sort of punishment?

  It didn’t seem like a punishment. Maybe this was the only means the dark spirits had to communicate with him since he didn’t understand their language. As soon as he learned it he’d be sure to tell them that burning their message into his arm wasn’t a good way to get his attention. Effective, but not good.

  When he tried to draw a breath it felt like something was pressing down on his chest. He groaned and the darkness began to recede. Conryu opened his eyes and found the dean’s youthful face a foot from his.

  “Gah!” He tried to scramble away, but she was straddling his chest. That explained why he was having so much trouble breathing. “Could you climb off me, please?”

  She frowned. “You don’t like having me on your chest? Perhaps if I move down a little.”

  She wriggled down closer to his waist.

  “That’s not better.” He looked around. Bright lights shone down on him. He was lying on a thin, narrow bed surrounded by curtains. “Where am I?”

  “My office.” A plain, middle-aged woman with a kind face wearing a white robe came into view. “I’m the school nurse. Dean Blane, get off my patient.”

  “I was just getting a closer look.” She reluctantly climbed off and stood to one side of the bed.

  The nurse shook her head. “A woman your age should know better than to act like that.”

  The dean glared at the nurse. “I am not that old. So do you know what’s wrong with him?”

  “Not a thing. Whatever happened didn’t make any physical or magical changes to his body beyond the brands. As far as I’m concerned he’s fine.”

  “Excuse me,” Conryu said. “What exactly happened and how long have I been here?”

  “You’ve been unconscious for two hours.” The nurse took his wrist and checked his pulse. “As to what happened, I have no idea.”

  Conryu turned his head to look at Dean Blane. “Do you know what happened?”

  “According to the wizards that observed The Awakening, the spell ran out of control and you became trapped in a sort of pocket dimension halfway between our reality and Hell.” She hung her head like a little girl caught with her hand in the candy jar. “I’m sorry, Conryu. I never dreamed the spell would react so strongly with your power.”

  “Was there anything else you could have done?”

  “No, that is the only spell we know to activate a potential wizard’s power.”

  “Then don’t worry about it.” He reached out and patted her head. “What about the marks on my arm?”

  She brightened at the change of subject. “Now there I can help you. Mrs. Umbra, our Head of Dark Magic, came in to look at them while you were napping. You’ve been branded by three separate demonic entities. The first one is Cerberus, King of the Hell Hounds.”

  Dean Blane traced the first letter of the first word. Conryu flinched and pulled away.

  “Still sore?”

  He nodded. “Why did they brand me?”

  “It’s their way of offering to make a contract with you. Their name burned into your flesh combined with the correct summoning spell would allow you to bring one of them to this reality and control them.”

  “Why would a demon willingly give me that sort of power over it?”

  “That’s a long answer and you’ll get to it in your regular coursework.”

  The curtain flew back. “Conryu!”

  Maria rushed over and hugged him. “I was so worried. They said they didn’t know when you’d wake up.”

  He rubbed her back. “I’m fine, really. Shouldn’t you be in class?”

  “No way. I couldn’t concentrate while I was worried about you. Our first lecture was just History of Magic 101. Nothing we can’t easily catch up o
n.”

  A familiar breeze swirled around Conryu. Dean Blane said something in a thin, whispery voice and the breeze responded, solidifying into an eighteen-inch-tall girl with pale skin, gossamer wings, and a sheer dress.

  “This pixie says she knows you,” the dean said.

  The pixie flew over and sat on his chest, smiling. Conryu ruffled her hair with his index finger. “She woke me up this morning and brought my robe. I didn’t know she was a pixie. I thought it was just a friendly breeze. Were you worried about me?”

  The pixie nodded and buried her head in his shirt.

  “It’s okay, little one, I’m fine. Can you tell the water spirit for me?”

  The pixie sat up, nodded, and blew away.

  “The one that washed your back?” Maria asked.

  “Yes.”

  “The naiad revealed herself to you?” Dean Blane asked.

  “Yeah. Is that against the rules?”

  “No, it’s just that they’re usually very shy. They seldom show themselves to anyone except a favorite water wizard.” The dean gave a little shake of her head. “If you’re up to it you should both go to class. Your first practical magic lesson is starting in fifteen minutes.”

  How she knew that when there were no clocks Conryu had no idea, but soon he and Maria were rushing across the spreading expanse of lawn toward the main building where they held classes. The steel-and-glass structure shined in the bright morning light. Conryu held one of the doors open for Maria then followed her into the entry hall. A short ways ahead of them a wide staircase led upstairs and to the basement.

  Light magic was studied up on the top floor and dark magic in the basement. Maria gave him one last worried look before she began the five-story climb. He appreciated the concern, but wished everyone would not make a big deal out of it. So he got caught in a pillar of dark magic and branded by three demonic entities, big deal.

  He sighed and started down the stairs. Who was he kidding? No matter what he might wish, it was clearly a big deal. The dean herself seemed to have taken an interest in Conryu and he doubted that happened often.

  The basement was surprisingly warm and well lit. A long hall covered with white tile was lined with doors. The scent of disinfectant lay over everything. Conryu counted until he reached the fourth on the right and pushed it open.

  Inside he found a simple classroom filled with fifteen chairs facing a chalkboard up front covered in mystical notations. The girls turned to look at him when he stepped through. He favored them with his best smile, but received nothing but scowls in return.

  He started to shut the door. “Wait, please.”

  He turned and found the dark wizard that had cast the awakening spell on him hurrying down the hall, her dark hair streaming behind her. Conryu opened the door all the way and stepped aside to let her enter. The teacher brushed past him and strode up to the front of the class. She erased the formulae on the chalkboard and wrote her name.

  “I’m Mrs. Lenore. Welcome to the Practical Application of Dark Magic. Conryu, give me a hand.”

  He’d been about to sit down, but caught himself, straightened, and went to the front of the room. The teacher dug out a pile of black leather-bound books and handed them to him. “Are you okay?” she whispered.

  “Fine.”

  In a louder voice she said, “Pass those out and take a seat.”

  Conryu finished handing out the books before settling at the back of the room with the last book. He flipped it open to the title page, Infernal Basics.

  “For a dark wizard the first thing you need to learn is to speak Infernal, the language of Hell. Without that you can’t properly understand dark spells or bargain with demons for service. Our first ten weeks will be divided between learning the language and studying some basic techniques. Now, who can tell me the primary purpose of dark magic?”

  Half a dozen hands went up. Mrs. Lenore pointed at a tall blond girl. “Go ahead, Elizabeth.”

  The girl stood up and said, “The primary legitimate use of dark magic is spell breaking.”

  “Very good.” Elizabeth sat back down and the teacher continued. “Dark magic is antithetical to all other forms of magic and can therefore be used both to destroy wards and other protective spells as well as negating an enemy wizard’s magic in a combat situation. In fact, before I took a job as a teacher I worked as a ward breaker for a demolition company.”

  Another girl raised her hand. “How did you end up switching jobs?”

  Conryu was curious as well. He’d assumed the teachers would have some special training.

  Mrs. Lenore looked away for a moment then turned back. “My predecessor retired and the Department advertised the opening on their website. I applied, took a test to prove I understood the course material, and two weeks later got the job. Now, what else can dark magic be used for?”

  Conryu raised his hand and she pointed at him. He stood. “You mentioned bargaining with demons. Is that an actual, legitimate use? I would think dealing with demons would be frowned upon.”

  “Demons have a bad reputation because so many dark wizards misuse them for evil purposes. A demon is really no different than any other elemental spirit. Each spirit embodies a particular essence. The four physical elements combine to make up all matter. Light magic spirits—angels if you like—represent the physical manifestation of creation, order, and life. Dark magic spirits—demons—represent entropy, chaos, and death. If properly summoned and bound they’re basically an extension of their master’s will. Combine an evil wizard with a demon and you get bad results.”

  “What about shadow hounds? Are they demons?”

  Everyone turned to look at him. Conryu shrugged. “Just curious.”

  “I heard about the incident at the carnival,” Mrs. Lenore said. “Shadow hounds aren’t actual demons. They’re nether spirits, vengeful monsters created when a living creature is killed in a horrific way either deliberately by a necromancer, that is an evil practitioner of dark magic focused on the creation of undead, or simply by misfortune. Shadow beasts live in the netherworld, a sort of pocket dimension between the mortal realm and Hell.”

  Conryu nodded and sat back down, feeling a bit better about his brands.

  4

  Attack

  Sunday had finally arrived and with it Conryu’s first meeting with Angus, as the goofy professor insisted Conryu call him. It lasted just long enough for the old man to inform him that he had nothing to report from Mr. Kane, but he did have a questionnaire as long as Conryu’s forearm that he wanted filled out by next week. Conryu deposited that in the first garbage can he encountered on his way to the campus grounds.

  Speaking of forearms, he had been careful to keep the brands out of Angus’s sight. They were just the sort of thing that would put the professor in a giddy mood. Angus was surprisingly demanding for someone with no actual authority. He seemed to think Conryu’s sole reason for existing was to serve as his research subject. Conryu would disabuse him of that notion in short order.

  Since classes ran six days a week this was his first break since the train arrived. All the school clubs and sororities had set up stands out in front of the main hall to show the new students their options for extracurricular activities. Beyond the tents and displays the soft maples were starting to turn red. It wouldn’t be long before fall arrived in earnest.

  At the edge of what resembled a fairground Conryu met Maria. Her white robe looked stunning with her black hair.

  “Hey.”

  She smiled. “Hey. How’d your meeting go? Any news?”

  “Not from your dad.” Conryu nodded toward the displays. “See anything interesting?”

  “I’ve gotten offers to join three clubs and the Le Fay Sorority. I turned the sorority down flat, but told the clubs I’d think about it.”

  Maria grabbed his arm and they started down the path between the displays. A delightful odor of sizzling meat and vegetables came from the cooking club’s tent. Conryu guided them that wa
y.

  A girl in a red robe with an apron over it stood in front of an open tent passing out hors d'oeuvres. Conryu reached for a puff pastry filled with cheese, but she snatched it away from him. “No boys allowed in the club.”

  “What are you, five years old?” Maria took a step toward her.

  Conryu shook his head. This fight wasn’t worth the effort. “Forget it. I can’t cook anyway.”

  They continued on, Conryu getting the cold shoulder at each tent, until he sighed. “Why don’t you look around on your own. I’m going for a walk in the woods.”

  “Conryu.”

  She reached out to stop him, but he waved her off. “It’s fine. I’ll meet you at the dining hall for lunch. Have fun.”

  He strolled on past the displays, leaving Maria on her own. She’d have a much better time finding a group to join if he wasn’t there messing things up. At the very edge of the gathering sat a small platform covered in junk metal that had been badly welded into the shapes of a spider and a star fish. Four girls, three in brown and one in red, fussed over the sculptures, seeming oblivious to his presence.

  He really should’ve just kept going, but curiosity got the best of him. “Excuse me.”

  The girls all looked his way. One of them, a tiny blond in red robes who couldn’t have been over four feet tall, squealed and hid behind the brown robes of another girl eight inches taller than Conryu and fifty pounds heavier.

  “Got a problem?” a brunette in brown asked.

  “Not at all. I was just curious about these statues. I do a bit of metal fabrication myself. Is this an art club?”

  “Art club!” the little blond shrieked. “These are golems, you ignorant boy. We’re the golem crafting club.”

  Conryu wracked his brain, trying to remember what the book said about golems. His eyes widened and he looked at the statues in a new light. “Those things are intended to move?”

  “Things!” she shrieked again. “Our golems are the finest in the school.”

  “We’re the only ones that even try to make golems,” the giant girl said.