by Mike Ezekiel
“That’s correct Kerwyn. Now what else can you tell me about Dragons?”
“Well all of the types Dragons have what we call Dragon Fear. That’s when anyone who gets too close to a Dragon feels such an overwhelming and immense fear that they freeze in place and are unable to run or fight. You said that it take years of being around a Dragon before one learns how to overcome such fear. You also said that the Dragon Knights who hunt out and kill the evil dragons spend as much time with the friendly Dragons as they can, as to condition themselves to overcome the Dragon Fear.”
“That is also right Kerwyn. Now tell me: what is Dragon Fear?” asked his master.
“Master, I don’t know what Dragon Fear is, only that dragons have this effect on all living things,” stated Kerwyn while scrunching up his face in confusion.
“Kerwyn, since Dragons are closest to the One Power, doesn’t it stand to reason this is their aura or the way a Dragon taps into the One Power’s energy?”
“Ohhhh, just like the Mudpuppies can sense good and evil in us, or the way they sense a predator coming?”
“That’s right, Kerwyn,” Master Sernett pat Kerwyn on the shoulder, smiling at his understanding. “It is exactly the same way except that we feel the Dragon’s aura of power which we feel and interpret as fear. Now, since we are wizards and draw on the same One Power ourselves, it should make sense that we should also be able to cast a protective barrier around ourselves to dampen our senses to the Dragon’s aura of power, right?”
“Looking at it that way master, yes, it does seem that we wizards should be able to do that. But how do we cast a spell using the One Power and shield ourselves from the same power that we are drawing from? Wouldn’t the One Power just cancel itself out?”
“Ah ha! Now you’re thinking like a wizard but you are still trying to use standard logic to figure out this problem. What you are not thinking about is this; just because we call it the One Power, does not mean that it is just One Power. Now that I have you really confused, and I can see that I have by the look on your face; let me explain. The One Power is all around us and it is floats all around us like rivers of energy. Are you following me so far?”
“Yes Master, I think so,” said Kerwyn, not really understanding as much as he was letting on.
“Ok, I want you to think of it this way: when you use a dam to divert a river away from your home, this does not mean that a second river coming from a different direction will not flood your house. Now do you see what I mean?”
Kerwyn didn’t understand and his face scrunched up, his brow twitching in conflict.
“No? Ok try this one: it’s raining outside and just because you’ve a put rain hat on does not mean that your feet will not still get wet. Now do you follow? It’s all the same water, or rain. However you want to look at it. You can cast your shield spell to protect yourself against the Dragon Fear and still draw from a different source of the One Power. So you see, protecting yourself against the One Power and casting say an offensive spell using the One Power at the same time is possible. It just sounds more complicated then it really is.” Master Sernett laughed at his confused apprentice.
“Ok Master Sernett, whatever you say...”
“Oh Kerwyn, don’t sound so down. You are so very young yet but trust that you’ll learn all about the ins and outs of Magic in the years yet to come. One lesson you will learn over time is one of the side effects of being a wizard. Casting spells and using the One Power seems to extend a wizard’s life. It’s almost like the One Power infuses our bodies and our aging slows down. I know you’ve never asked me, Kerwyn, but how old do you really think I am?”
“I did ask you once Master but you just said that you were old enough to know better than to tell, and young enough to not know everything there is to know yet.”
Master Sernett’s eyes twinkled and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Ha! Yes I did say that to you some time ago. I am three hundred and twenty two years old with this turning of the sun.”
A look of shock and disbelief registered on Kerwyn’s face. “Master you don’t look a day older then fifty turns of the sun.”
“Ha ha. Oh well thank you for saying so but no, I am a lot older then I appear. You also will age very slowly which means that you will have a lot time to learn what I have to teach you. Now let’s get to last few questions for today and then we’ll go for supper.” Kerwyn looked up at the sky and realized that he hadn’t noticed how fast the day had gone and now how quickly it was getting dark.
“Now that we have discussed how to protect yourself from Dragon Fear, how would you battle a Black Dragon?”
Kerwyn looked serious when he answered, “Well master a Black Dragon breaths an acidic spray that will melt anything that it come in contact with. To protect myself from it I would need to cast my invisible force wall before it had a chance to spray me. Then I would cast as many magic missiles at it as I could while I try to run away, hopefully distracting it. After that I would cast one of my cone of frost spells to try and slow it down.” Kerwyn was hopeful that he had answered correctly but his Master shook his head.
“Well that sounds like a good start Kerwyn, but as you know most dragons are impervious to cold and fire spells because of their thick dragon scales. The most effective spell to use against most dragons would be a lightning strike spell. Or, if you have the knowledge for the more advanced chain lightning spell, it would make rapid and multiple lightning strikes in the same location. So if you are lucky and hit it in the right spot, you could either shock it enough to stun it, so that you can flee or strike it enough times to kill it because if you don’t kill it, it will surly be getting up to find you and rip you apart.” Kerwyn’s face went white at the thought of being ripped apart piece by piece by an angry Dragon.
“The most powerful spell to use on any of the Dragon species is the Pure White Energy Bolt. Actually, this is the most powerful spell that only the most powerful and experienced wizards can summon. It has only been summoned only a handful of times successfully throughout history. Many wizards have tried to draw in enough of the One Power to summon it. But alas, most have died a horrible and most painful death.” Kerwyn looked at his master with both a surprised and interested expression on his face. He had never heard of an all-powerful spell before.
“What makes this spell different from the way we draw on the One Power normally to cast our spells is that when a wizard casts a light spell, it is very much like taking a small bucket of water from a river and using that to cast the spell. But when summoning the Pure White Energy Bolt, it is like the wizard is stepping fully into the river, trying to use all of the river's water to cast his spell. That’s why we say “summon” the Pure White Energy Bolt instead of “casting” it because the wizard steps into the entire flow of the One Power trying to “summon” his control over it.” Kerwyn almost fell over because he was leaning in so close, trying to absorb every detail of his Master’s telling of the spell.
Master Sernett caught Kerwyn in time and scolded him for being clumsy before continuing, “Now Kerwyn, the summoning of this spell will produce the most powerful, hottest and brightest energy imaginable. If the Wizard cannot control it, he will become the conduit and the energy will wash over him and destroy him. But if a wizard can gain control of the One Power long enough to be able to summon the Pure White Energy Bolt, there isn’t a force in this world that could stop that blast of the One Power.” Kerwyn started to daydream about being one of those powerful wizards, someone who could control that much of the One Power at his will. He would be a god among men, loved by all women, be rich beyond his wildest dreams and be anything other then what he started out as: an orphan.
With a slap to the head by his master, Kerwyn came back quickly to reality.
“Kerwyn, pay attention to me boy. I tell you, you have the attention span of a fly. Listen to what I’m telling you, it is the most powerful of spells. But many wizards have been killed trying to summon it. Hear me when I t
ell you this: don’t dare try to summon it. It could very well be the end of you.” Kerwyn looked down, red –faced and embarrassed by the memory of his daydream.
‘Kerwyn, I know that look. I know you want to be someone special. Trust me, you are someone special. You learn faster then I have ever seen an apprentice learn and you are more powerful then any of the students that I have ever had. With my teachings you will be a great wizard one day and with it you will have all the training you need to make an honest and sincere living helping people.”
Kerwyn looked his master in the eye and smiled proudly. His daydream flooded back to him, though fleetingly. He thought one last time about being able to summon such a spell blasting an evil Lynch Dragon to bits and then turned his thoughts back to his master's teachings, vowing to become one of the most powerful and respected wizards in the land.
chapter two
ADVICE IN THE FOREST
“Kerwyn wake up, we have important things to do today!!” Master Sernett called out to the dark, motionless body that was covered up with a dark blue bedroll in the single and dimly lit sleeping chamber.
“But it’s too early to get up yet, Master,” Kerwyn mumbled while rolling over and pulling his sleeping roll over his head.
“Kerwyn, I’m not kidding. Wake up. We have to get to the River Glen Forest and pick some magic flowers that only bloom under a full moon for some of my healing potions before they close up for the day.” Master Sernett explained in a stern voice.
“I don’t want to get up yet. I’m still tired. Wake me at dawn.” Just as Kerwyn finished his last word, water from a floating bucket soaked him from top to bottom.
“Ahhhhh that’s cold!!!” Kerwyn exclaimed as he jumped out of bed, dripping water onto the floor. Master Sernett started to laugh from the bottom of his stomach, sounding like an old foghorn with hiccups.
“Sometimes Master, living with a wizard doesn’t have any advantages at all,” Grumbled Kerwyn as he began changing into dry clothing.
“I warned you to get up, my boy. I told you that we have some important things to do tonight.”
“What’s so important that couldn’t wait until at least until the birds were awake?” Kerwyn rubbed his eyes trying to get the sleep out of them and then heard his stomach, which had begun to rumble.
“I told you that we need to get some flowers from the forest that only bloom at night-time under full moonlight. I need them for healing potions that I want to restock. Watching you setting your self on fire, when you’re practicing magic has greatly reduced my stock. Plus your apple tree is mad at you and it hasn’t let you pick any of its healing apples in a while. Not to mention that I think you really need to sit down with it and explain why it can’t come live inside the cottage with us.” Kerwyn took Master Sernett’s words to heart, for he really did love that crazy apple tree that he had accidently brought to full life, not to mention that it thought of Kerwyn as its father.
“Also the pixie fairies are at their most active and I need to get some pixie dust for the new feather fall potion that I am trying to perfect,” added Master Sernett while Kerwyn reached down taking a big loaf of bread and lump of cheese from the cupboard and started shoving them into his mouth.
“Mmmffff ok... Mastherster... Wrrready... Tooo gooth...,” Kerwyn mumbled around a mouth full of food.
“Kerwyn stop talking with your mouth full, you know I can’t understand what you’re saying when you do that. Now hurry up and let’s get moving. We need to get into the center of the forest before first light.”
At that, Master Sernett walked out the front door with Kerwyn rushing behind trying to keep up and not drop his meal.
“Luminarium!” Kerwyn heard Master Sernett say quietly which, as he knew, was the magic word of power for “Light.” There was a tug on the One Power and a ball of white light appeared, about one foot in diameter and hovering eight feet above and four feet in front of Master Sernett’s head.
They started their slow walk across the backfield and neared the back part of the property where the entrance to the forest was. The sounds of the nocturnal wildlife could be heard moving around in the dark canopy out of sight. Kerwyn stopped and took in the forest’s intimidating size and depth; he felt a strong sense of foreboding. Kerwyn took an involuntary step back and the panic in his gut urged him to run back to the cottage to hide. He had never felt such an overwhelming fear creep into his being. Glancing over at Master Sernett, Kerwyn saw his master squint his eyes and furrow his brows in concentration. He did a double take and noticed his Master had what looked like a speck of fear on his face as well.
“The forest is not happy this night, Kerwyn,” his Master whispered. “It is warning us to keep out, that we don’t belong here. I have never felt the forest send out so much fear and despair.” The entire time his master was talking Kerwyn noticed that his master was weaving an intricately woven symbol with his right hand first over his and then Kerwyn’s chest. Kerwyn had never seen his master perform this symbol forming before and he wasn’t quite sure that he liked seeing him do it now. As Master Sernett completed his symbol weaving, he said a magic phrase Kerwyn had never heard him use before. “Tutela obex ex vulnero” and there was the usual rush of the One Power but Kerwyn could not see or sense anything different and so had no idea what this spell did.
Once completed, Master Sernett took a breath before stepping towards the entrance of the forest. Kerwyn was hesitant to follow as his nerves were telling him not to go in, but he was determined to follow his master no matter where he went. Plus, he reasoned, he didn’t really want to be left alone right now.
As they entered the forest, Kerwyn noticed two very important things; one was the forest was extremely dark even with Master Sernett’s light spell and two was that the sense of fear had increased tenfold.
“Master, I don’t want to sound like a coward, but the forest doesn’t feel right.” Kerwyn glanced around as if at any moment any manner of creature will come charging out at them.
“Kerwyn you aura is sensing the changes in the forest. There is something evil stirring in the forest this night, something that doesn’t belong in this world.” Kerwyn, sensing his master’s concern, really started feeling scared.
“What could it be that would make the whole forest feel this way Master?”
Pausing just long enough to look around, his Master answered in a tone that suggested he was hoping to believe his own words, “There are many species of creatures that could affect the forest’s mood, Kerwyn. We will just have to find some of the forest inhabitants and ask them what’s going on. If they will show themselves to us tonight, that is. I fear we may have to find that out on our own.” Kerwyn knowing his master’s moods and could feel the tension and concern in his voice.
As they walked deeper into the forest the unusual silence gave the dark and overgrown woods a creepy and alien feeling. Kerwyn had been in this forest many times to gather spell components for his master over the years. But never had he seen the trees so twisted and overgrown with weeds and thorn bushes as he had this night. The trees could almost be heard crying out in agony and despair. A flash of movment caught from the corner of his eye, Kerwyn thought he saw a sickly looking tree sprite peeking out from around the base of her tree. But when he turned in her direction to look for her, she was gone.
“Master I thought I just saw a tree sprite but she was gone when I looked for her.” Kerwyn said pointing at the wilted tree where she had been.
“We have been watched for at least the past hour and even since before we entered the forest tonight, Kerwyn, but all of the forest creatures seem to be on edge and are hiding from us. Usually they would welcome a friendly wizard into their midst. But tonight they stay well hidden and will not give us welcome into their domain. We need to find the Forest Elves for they are the protectors of the forest and they will know what is going on.”
Just then, there was an eerie shrill-like howl, as if it had come from some strange wolf behind them, foll
owed by many others coming from many different directions. What was unmistakable though was that whatever had made those howls was not that far away and were defiantly coming closer to where Kerwyn and his Master were standing now.
“Kerwyn, we are being hunted, let us make haste. We need to find some place to either take shelter, or to find a good spot to take a stand to protect ourselves.”
Kerwyn and Master Sernett started to move more quickly through the forest following the trails that had been used for years by the many creatures of the forest. The haunting sounds of the creatures giving chase followed them throughout the forest all the while growing closer.
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.