Zak Turner - A Twist In Time

by Noel Pogson

  Zak was tiring from running around for almost the full seventy minutes, and was starting to make little mistakes, but every now and then he heard Tallion’s encouraging thoughts, and they acted like shots of adrenalin for him. It was the first time his soul mate had been to see him play a full match against another team, and it was a good feeling!

  Come on Zak, I know you can do it. Just keep it focussed mate!

  I will, I will…

  * * *

  Antares Malchus was watching his quarry on the other side of the pitch. He was standing just behind the Broughton parents with his back to the school, which protected him from the attention of Barty Greatheart, but meant that he couldn’t see the shadow-wizard who was still pretending to walk his dog. Malchus had deliberately walked close to him a couple of times earlier to satisfy himself that the Dissemblement charm on the cloak was working, and each time neither wizard nor dog had shown any indication of noticing him.

  He could see that Tallion was totally absorbed in the game, the young fool, and Lord Middleham was following it closely too. The wizard lord was wary though, and was watching around himself in the way that important people always do, keeping their eyes open for possible trouble.

  The dark wizard was, curiously enough, waiting for a goal. If Tallion’s stupid mule scored again, then the attention of both father and son would be drawn to the game long enough for him to let loose a couple of Libra Mortis spells. They’d never have time to dodge them or draw their wands to respond before he left, using the masked porting spell that he’d developed for himself and his Black Coven. Of course, if all went well, they wouldn’t be responding to any spells ever again!

  * * *

  Steven Robson’s nerves were on edge. He was as engrossed in the game in front of him as Tallion was, and had shouted himself hoarse cheering on Netherdale. As the game entered the seventieth minute, the ball landed at Zak’s feet and he turned, trying to get into position to strike. The Broughton defender was well placed though, and despite some good footwork Zak couldn’t get past him.

  “COME ON ZAK, GET ROUND HIM!” Steven shouted loudly.

  No-one else was cheering at that moment, and Steven’s voice rang out across the ground. It registered in both Zak and Tallion’s ears, generating very different responses.

  Zak realised that his best friend was at the match as well as his soul mate, and the realisation gave him renewed energy.

  Tallion, however, realised that it wasn't just Zak he needed to make up with; he had to sort things out with Steven too. He couldn’t carry on his quarrel with Steven and try to make things up with Zak, it simply wouldn’t work, and he was determined to make up with Zak…

  The future Lord Middleham closed his eyes and sighed quietly in resignation, letting one of his most cherished dreams fade away. Sartrina wasn’t going to be part of his future after all…

  Zak had to pass the ball back in order to keep possession, and the hopes of the home team and supporters wavered as the seconds ticked away. The referee glanced at his watch, but then dropped his arm back to his side again and continued keeping order on the pitch; there was obviously some stoppage or injury time to play!

  Tallion was scanning the other Netherdale supporters and spotted Steven standing with them. He decided to go and make his peace as soon as the match finished. Once he’d reached his decision, he saw that he’d been a bit of a fool letting the situation drag on for so long.

  He glanced at his father, and saw him watching Zak with something like pride, which made him smile. He wanted his father to be proud of Zak, but he wanted his father to be proud of him too. His father couldn’t be proud of a son who was having such a petty quarrel with his friends! He started to move off towards Steven, leaving his father standing by himself. This couldn’t wait until the final whistle.

  * * *

  Zak, read me, please get forward, come on, I’m going to pass to you, read me… “RAFFI! PASS! Come on, pass, pass to me…!”

  Zak could hear Murray’s thoughts clearly as he watched the Netherdale midfielder choreographing the play, and shouting for Raffi Mills to pass him the ball. Murray had managed to work himself clear of his own marker, and could see that Zak was in the clear too. Raffi heard the call, and immediately turned the ball to Murray who, without even stopping it, deftly side-kicked it on in front of Zak, who was already running straight towards the empty spot on the field where the ball was now heading.

  Zak measured his strides perfectly, and walloped the ball once more straight at the goal. For a moment it looked like it might hit the cross bar, but it just nicked underneath, ricocheting down into the back of the net over the Broughton goalie’s head. The boy never stood a chance…

  The cheering from the Netherdale supporters would have been deafening if there’d been enough of them. As it was they still managed to almost drown out the referee’s final whistle as he blew for the goal, and then immediately for the end of the match.

  Tallion had made it as far as Steven just as Zak’s goal went in, and he joined in with Steven’s cheering and shouting. Moments later, he grabbed the young farmer’s hand and they punched the air together when they realised that the final whistle had blown and Netherdale had won the match!

  Steven looked sideways to see who was celebrating with him, and got the shock of his life when he saw Tallion’s smiling face. His cheering died on his lips for a few seconds, and then the ‘Steven’ smile, which was almost as good as the Zak smile, came back, and the two first years continued to celebrate together. It was just as much a celebration of renewed friendship as victory over Broughton in the league!

  16. Victory And Defeat

  The noise and antics of the non-magical folk around him appalled Antares Malchus. Having never mixed with ordinary people, he found the whole experience disturbing and repelling. It was, however, enough of a distraction for him to have missed the crucial moment when he could have cast his Libra Mortis curses more or less undetected.

  As it was he lowered his wand, which had been poised and ready under his cloak, and looked disdainfully across the pitch at Lord Middleham, who was cheering and applauding the Netherdale team along with the other Netherdale parents.

  Suddenly he could stand it no longer, and in a fit of rage at how one of Britain’s foremost wizards was demeaning himself, he raised his wand and cast a Libra Mortis straight at the baronet! Once the first curse had left his wand, the adrenalin of combat surged through him and he let off four more in quick succession. The second was aimed at Tallion, the third at Steven, who was celebrating with his arm round the young wizard’s shoulder, and the fourth was heading for the mule on the pitch, who he noted with contempt was looking right at him, and drawing his wand. Barty Greatheart, who was already running towards Lord Middleham, was the intended recipient of the fifth.

  Antares Malchus knew he couldn’t win if it turned into a fight, so he instantly spoke the incantation for the masked porting spell, and his invisible form vanished. He was only just in time too, because the two shadow-wizards had detected the restricted magic of the Libra Mortis and cast impairment charms across the playing field to block anyone porting in or out. Their charms met together and sealed the scene just moments after the evil wizard escaped.

  * * *

  TALLION! screamed Zak to his friend telepathically, GET DOWN! LIBRA MORTIS!

  Once again the power of thought far outstripped the speed of sound, and Tallion didn’t stop to look but just fell straight to the ground, pulling Steven down with him. As he fell, he remembered that only he and Zak could deflect a Libra Mortis, and he reached for his wand. Time slowed to a crawl and his mind felt oddly detached from his body.

  As the breath was thumped out of him by his sudden contact with the turf, his mind was willing his eyes to turn and look at the pitch. Slowly, as the milliseconds passed, his head moved far enough for him to see the red glow of two Libra Mortis curses heading towards himself and Steven.

  He heard his voice shouting slowly to Stev
en, “S-T-A-Y D-O-W-N, D-O-N-’T G-E-T U-P,” and he willed his arm, which was moving as though it was stuck in treacle, to finish pulling his wand from its invisible holster under his jacket. The dancing, scarlet spells were heading inexorably towards them across the pitch, and were slowly changing course, heading lower to where the boys were now lying on the floor…

  * * *

  Barty had felt a surge of fear run through him just as Zak struck the goal, and instinctively knew it would trigger an attack from somewhere. He already had his wand in his hand therefore when the first red flash appeared at the other side of the football pitch. He started to run towards Sir Philip. He’d watched Tallion moving towards Steven, who he’d spotted during the first half of the game, and had felt some concern knowing that with the father and son separated, it would be much harder to defend them if anything happened.

  The moment he saw the red light of the Libra Mortis, he shouted to the baronet to ‘LOOK FORWARDS!’ and was gratified to see his employer react instantly. He knew that if it were possible for him to avoid the incoming spell, he would now manage. By the time the thought had finished running through his mind, the scarlet ball of death was more than halfway across the pitch!

  * * *

  Zak had been jogging joyfully towards his team-mates, his arms outstretched in delight, when he heard the words Libra Mortis! in someone’s thoughts. His blood ran cold, as though a bucket of icy water had been tipped over him, and to his horror, he saw a flash of red light emerge from nowhere right in front of him, next to the despondent looking Broughton supporters.

  His first thought was that it was aimed at him, somehow in retaliation for winning the match, and then he instantly realised how ridiculous that was. His hand was already moving to his wand though, which was, as always when he was playing sport, securely strapped to his thigh. His fingers were closing round the handle by the time he realised that the curse was not heading for him but across the pitch.

  Before he could make his head turn to see where it might be going, he saw a second flare of red light in the same place, and then a third. He also saw the form and face of the man standing there, his orange eyes lit up more clearly by each burst of light as the curses left his wand!

  As the aim of the man shifted towards Zak himself, their eyes locked for a moment, and Zak saw and felt pure hatred directed at him for the first time in his life. How long the two wizards stared at each other, Zak wasn't sure, but his mind reacted instantly, almost uncontrolled, and he felt magical power in the ferocious glare he unleashed back at his would-be assassin!

  One part of his mind was screaming at Tallion to get down while another part was focussing anger at the man behind the wand, and yet another part of his mind was already thinking the Revertur spell! As the magic built within and around him, another burst of red light flared, this time heading straight towards him. Zak, however, felt no fear. He knew he was more than a match for this magic…

  His hand had managed to draw his wand, and some unknown part of his brain was forcing it to point towards the wizard as fast as it could, and moving it in the required motion for the spell he was starting to cast.

  Before his own spell was quite ready, yet another burst of red light flared from the wand of the obviously very powerful, dark-haired and evil-faced wizard, this time aimed slightly to Zak’s right. Zak fancied that the man had started to fade from view too, but events were crawling far too fast for him to be sure.

  Whether it was the anger coursing through him against the man who was dealing out death, or whether it was desperation to save his own life and the lives of his friends, the spell that erupted from his wand just a second later was devastating. Drawing all his own considerable power, and a massive burst of energy from Tallion, a blisteringly bright wall of light rapidly expanded left, right, and vertically, as it swept across the pitch towards the incoming curses!

  * * *

  Sir Philip had also felt fear as Zak’s goal hit the back of the net, almost as though fate were warning him of impending danger. Seconds later he heard Barty’s shout to look forwards and he saw the tell-tale flare of the Libra Mortis heading towards him. While he didn’t smile, he was gratified that the wizard who was trying to kill him had chosen brute force over finesse. With enough warning, it was easy enough to dodge an incoming Libra Mortis, whereas equally lethal but less dramatic curses were often invisible to the eye, and therefore much harder to avoid.

  The curse had almost reached him, and the baronet had already leaned just far enough to the right for it to miss him, when he became aware that there were more curses flying across the football pitch.

  Two more Libra Mortis were heading towards Tallion and Steven, with another heading down the pitch towards Zak. Just as his peripheral vision saw a fifth Libra Mortis appear, a blinding wall of light burst into view, washing along the pitch, coming from Zak’s wand!

  The baronet had never seen Zak in life and death action before, having only witnessed him practising in the castle, but now he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the sheer overwhelming surge of magic from the boy’s wand seemed to scorch the very ground it was passing over!

  While his primary emotion was awe, another part of him was still feeling fear as he dodged the Libra Mortis which was passing his right shoulder. On top of it all though, the ever present desire to keep all magic out of sight of the non-magical community was screaming “DISASTER!” in his mind.

  * * *

  Zak wasn't the only wizard to cast a Revertur though. Tallion’s treacle-like arm had taken less than a second to get into the right position, and with a single fluid movement, he too unleashed his own powerful counter-spell towards the first oncoming Libra Mortis. Before he could cast his second though, he felt a huge energy drain as Zak sapped his magical power over the bond between them. The magic that had been building up behind him for his second spell transferred to Zak, and Tallion’s Revertur fizzled to nothing.

  Tallion’s successful spell wrapped the first oncoming Libra Mortis in overwhelmingly powerful magic, and shredded it, causing an explosion which rivalled any firework seen on bonfire night.

  Moments later Zak’s wall-of-light hit the two curses aimed at him and Barty, resulting in two more spectacular explosions. The wall of light itself however, just rolled unflinchingly onwards towards the side of the pitch, seemingly unaffected by the monstrous release of magical energy that had rivalled the sun in intensity! Just before it got to the touch line, it vanished in a fizzling, crackling firework display of its own, its sudden disappearance giving the wizards present the momentary impression that darkness had fallen early in Netherdale.

  Just as Zak’s wall of light started to disintegrate, Tallion and Steven were face to face with the final Libra Mortis, which was heading straight for Steven’s heart! Steven was frozen with fear, knowing that whatever it was, it was bad, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  In desperation, Tallion, who was on his knees, flung himself in front of Steven and the spell hit his chest instead. As the blond-haired wizard slumped insensibly to the ground, time returned to normal speed.

  * * *

  Many things happened very fast, all at once. The first was a deafening silence, followed almost immediately by screams and panic! Zak’s wall of light had washed over several Netherdale players who’d been running towards him to congratulate him on his goal. They were all now lying prone on the ground, flung aside by the powerful spell. Zak himself was on his hands and knees, the huge energy drain caused by his super-powered spell having pushed him to the point of collapse.

  Barty was running as fast as he could towards Zak, and yelled out “SHEATH IT ZAK!”

  By some miracle Zak heard his private tutor over the noise on the pitch, and managed to push his wand into its holster where it silently vanished from site and touch. Only Zak could now detect it or retrieve it from its secret home. His head was pounding and an awful empty, tearing sensation was churning inside him. The realisation suddenly hit him
that Tallion was no longer in his mind, and no longer sharing his emotions. He looked across the pitch and saw Sir Philip and Steven kneeling next to the fallen form of his soul mate.

  “NOOOO! TALLION!” he cried out, raising his hands to his head in distress, and then a merciful darkness enveloped him as he called out again, falling unconscious from the double blow of losing his companion and using up all his energy.

  * * *

  Sir Philip faced a calamity! Apart from the terrible emotions racing through his heart and mind at the apparent loss of his eldest son, a hundred non-magical people had just witnessed perhaps the most dramatic public magical confrontation in over a century! At least six non-magical student footballers were unconscious on the ground following Zak’s spell, and probably had other injuries after it had sent them flying. Finally, as the baronet went into auto-pilot mode, he realised that the only wizard powerful enough to set everything straight was lying unconscious in the middle of the pitch!

  “BARTY, IMOBILISE!” he shouted, and began whirling his wand. His only option was to knock out everyone in sight, and wipe their memories of what had just happened. Barty and the two shadow-wizards who were rapidly approaching understood immediately and within thirty seconds everyone was lying on the floor in a deep sleep, and an eerie calm settled over Netherdale Academy playing fields.

  Everyone was asleep that is except Steven, who was kneeling next to Tallion staring open mouthed at the scene before him. He was in deep shock, having witnessed and felt some blisteringly powerful magic, seen his friend apparently give his life to save him, and then watched Sir Philip and three other wizards scythe down nearly a hundred other people!

  “Perimeter!” called out the baronet, and the shadow-wizards immediately cast powerful charms all-round the football field, effectively hiding it from view, and then cast repelling charms all round it too, so that anyone who approached would immediately feel the need to leave.