Birth of a Wizard

by MJ Schutte

  ‘And you believe this?’ Adri asked carefully.

  It was Nicky who answered, ‘We didn’t at first, but we’ve also had an experience with Lady Jaclyn that made us believe in her. Five years ago, I was very ill. The healers said that it was only a matter of time; there wasn’t anything they could do for me. Peter heard that Lady Jaclyn was in town and, in desperation, he went to her for help. She came to our house and healed me. I still remember clearly the feeling of the illness leaving my body. Lady Jaclyn is a very powerful goddess.’

  Peter’s eyes shot full of tears as he said, ‘If it wasn’t for Lady Jaclyn I would have lost the love of my life.’

  Casually Brac asked, ‘But what about the prophecy? You said there was supposed to be a boy and a girl and yet only this Lady Jaclyn was born.’

  ‘Perhaps he will still be born, although the old witch, Robyn, insists that he was born on the same day as Lady Jaclyn and we just haven’t found him yet,’ Peter answered.

  ‘We don’t expect of you to believe any of this but please keep an open mind. Lady Jaclyn will be attending the Warrior Trials in Fenton four days from now. Perhaps we can all go watch the trials and then you might just see what Lady Jaclyn can do. She often heals the wounds of the young men who take part in the trials,’ Nicky suggested.

  ‘What are the “Warrior Trials”?’ Brighton asked.

  Peter laughed and said, ‘I was hoping we can still talk about that tonight. According to Joel, you are quite a skilled warrior and should enter the trials. The Warrior Trials is an annual event that is held in every city, town and village across the three kingdoms. The tradition dates back to when the three kingdoms were still one. Basically, it’s a competition to find the best warrior in a town. Anybody can enter. It used to be an informal event but Lady Jaclyn has introduced some rules, regulations and rewards for the warriors. Previously the winner didn’t receive anything except respect and perhaps a few gifts from the community but this changed when Lady Jaclyn took an interest. The winner now receives one hundred gold coins and is invited to join her honour guard.’

  ‘I thought Lady Jaclyn had twenty five elves as her honour guard,’ Brighton commented.

  ‘Yes, she does. In the last ten years, since the Warrior Trials were formalised, only elves have won. In every town where the official Warrior Trials are held, Lady Jaclyn or one of her representatives, oversees the event. There is always at least one elf entered into the competition. Some smaller towns still have their own Warrior Trials but these are unofficial competitions and no rewards are given to the winners.’

  ‘I assume the elves are good warriors,’ Brac commented.

  ‘Yes, apart from their legendary skills with a bow and arrow, they are also said to be the best close combat warriors that ever lived. As soon as an elf child can walk and hold a small sword, they start their training,’ Peter answered.

  ‘Why do you think I should enter this competition?’ Brighton asked.

  ‘Joel told me about the band of robbers you met on your way here. According to him, you have a natural talent for close combat. You might not win the trials but anybody who takes part becomes well respected in the community. This could be a good way of establishing your family in Fenton. If Lady Jaclyn remembers us we might get to talk to her and then you can meet her,’ Peter answered.

  ‘We were actually going to go back to the Dark Land to breed horses and help the Queen with development there,’ Lilian replied.

  ‘Perhaps we can stay a while longer and watch the Warrior Trials with Peter and Nicky,’ Brighton said slowly.

  Lilian knew he had no real interest in the Warrior Trials; he just wanted to get a closer look at Lady Jaclyn.

  ‘Bri, please help me put the twins to bed,’ Lilian asked.

  Each of them picked up a child and headed for the bedroom.

  When Lilian was sure nobody would hear them, she said, ‘Bri, is it a good idea to get close to this Jaclyn woman? She obviously has the same talent as you and she might realise that you are the other god that the witch was speaking about. She might also realise that I have the dark talent and we don’t know how she would feel about that.’

  ‘Lily, we don’t know whether any of this is true. I don’t see the harm in staying for a few days and watching the Warrior Trials. It might even be to our benefit. If we are going to breed horses, we will need to buy them first. Perhaps we can make contact with some good horse breeders and learn a bit about it before we go back. I am also interested in the witch Peter spoke about. We know magic does not exist so who is this witch and how did she know Jaclyn and I would be born, assuming of course that Jaclyn has the same talent as I do,’ Brighton answered.

  Lilian still had an uncomfortable feeling about it but decided not to argue with her husband.

  The next morning Adri and Lilian went out to the woods very early to search for some wild vegetables and sweet berries. Brighton and Brac wanted to join them but Lilian quickly suggested they talk to Peter some more about the Warrior Trials. She was relieved when the men agreed; she really wanted some time alone with her adopted sister. Nicky, being a perceptive woman, quickly offered to watch the children.

  Side by side, the two women walked in the woods, each clutching a basket.

  ‘Adri, I never got the chance to talk to you about Brac before I left,’ Lilian started.

  Adri gave a wry smile and said, ‘I thought there was a reason you insisted the men stay behind. Actually, I am glad, since there is something I wanted to talk to you about as well.’

  ‘I’m listening,’ Lilian replied.

  ‘Do you remember when Brighton and I died in the cave and then he brought us both back? Well, I have been wondering about that a lot. When he brought Mischief back from the dead, his talent stayed behind in the panther. He brought me back from the dead but his talent did not stay behind in me,’ Adri said.

  ‘He also brought me back once, remember? His talent did not stay behind in me either. It is because he did not give me any of his own energy, like with Mischief, but simply channelled it from another source into my body. It’s probably what happened with you,’ Lilian explained.

  ‘You’re correct, I think, but something else happened in me. When we came out of the cave, I, without thinking, flew into Brac’s arms and gave him a kiss. Do you remember?’ Adri asked.

  Lilian smiled at the memory and nodded.

  ‘I thought you were simply happy to be alive,’ she commented.

  ‘No, it wasn’t that. When I saw Brac, I also saw something else. It is difficult to explain. It was like I could see love around him,’ Adri said carefully.

  Lilian stopped and turned to her sister.

  ‘You could see love?’ she asked slowly.

  ‘Yes, or something like it. I remember seeing a sort of white glow come out of him as soon as he saw me. I do not know how, but I immediately understood that it was love that was making him glow like that. When you look at Brighton, you have the same glow around you,’ Adri explained.

  ‘Adri, this is incredible!’ Lilian exclaimed.

  ‘There is more. When I looked at Brighton, I could see the love he has for you and the children and even for Brac and me but I also saw something else. It was like there was darkness in him threatening to overpower the love. He had some very bad intentions. Now when I look at him I only see the love again.’ Adri went on.

  Lilian sighed as she answered, ‘Brighton’s power nearly destroyed him. When he went back to the Dark Land, it was to go kill Graham and take control. Nobody would have been able to stop him. He almost turned every bit as evil as the Supremes and Graham.’

  ‘What happened?’ Adri asked wide-eyed.

  ‘I tried to kill him,’ Lilian whispered.

  Adri’s eyes went wider but before she could say anything, Lilian spoke again.

  ‘When I was in the spirit world, Evangeline warned me about this. The night Brighton left for the Dark Land, she came to me in a dream and warned me again. Brighton has incredible power a
nd only love, my love, could break through that power. I had to stop him and the only way was to kill him. As it turned out, I did not have nearly enough power to do that but simply the act of trying brought understanding to his mind,’ Lilian said softly.

  Adri didn’t know what to say.

  ‘It is all in the past now. Let’s talk more about your new talent,’ Lilian said, trying to sound cheerful.

  Adri nodded and said, ‘Well, like I said, it’s like I can see love or hate in a person. While you were gone, Nicky and I went to town to buy some vegetables. When I looked at the merchant, I got the feeling that there was something wrong. He had a sort of black cloud around him. When we got home, we found that the vegetables all looked good on the outside but had worms on the inside. It was as if I could see the merchant’s bad intentions. He knew the vegetables were bad but kept quiet about it and preferred to rather cheat us out of our money.’

  ‘Adri, this is incredible!’ Lilian exclaimed.

  ‘Getting back to Brac, every time he looks at me I see only love and honourable intentions around him. I have secretly been in love with him for a while but did not want to get hurt. Now that I know he loves me there is no reason for us to hide our feelings any longer,’ Adri continued.

  Lilian stepped closer and hugged the young woman tenderly.

  ‘I’m so happy for you!’ she said.

  The women walked in silence for a while until Lilian said, ‘When you look at Peter and Nicky, what do you see?’

  ‘They are good people. I have not once seen any evil or bad intentions in either of them. Last night, when they were telling us about Lady Jaclyn, they firmly believed everything they said. There were no lies,’ Adri answered.

  Lilian frowned but did not answer.

  ‘That’s not really your concern, is it?’ Adri asked.

  Lilian shook her head.

  ‘You’re worried about Lady Jaclyn. You think she is a sorceress or a witch,’ Adri speculated.

  ‘Yes, I am worried about meeting her but I don’t think she is a witch. She probably has the same talent as Brighton. Think about it, if this witch, Robyn, is correct with her prophecy it means that Brighton is the male angel or god they have been waiting for,’ Lilian answered.

  ‘Why is this a problem?’ Adri asked.

  ‘Lady Jaclyn has a very good thing going for herself. She is highly respected and is revered as a god. Don’t you think she might feel threatened if it becomes common knowledge that there is another person like her?’ Lilian asked.

  ‘I see your point. You’re scared she might send some of those elves after Brighton and the nightmare we had with the Supremes and Graham might just start all over again,’ Adri whispered.

  Lilian nodded and said, ‘Perhaps you and Brac should build a little house in these woods and live here in peace. It will be safer for you.’

  Adri slapped Lilian on the arm.

  ‘I never want to hear that again! We will stand with you, no matter what. Brac agrees with me on this,’ she exclaimed.

  Lilian smiled her gratitude at the younger woman. Adri smiled back, but then had another thought, which brought a frown to her face.

  ‘Please don’t tell Brac or Brighton about any of this. I want to work out first exactly what this talent of mine is before we say anything to them,’ Adri pleaded.

  ‘I will keep your secret until you are ready to share it with them,’ Lilian assured her.

  Chapter 2

  PETER, BRAC AND Brighton were busy grooming the horses.

  ‘Peter, tell me more about the Warrior Trials, please,’ Brighton asked.

  Peter continued brushing the horse while he spoke.

  ‘Anyone can enter. The rules are simple but strictly enforced. No bows, crossbows, slings or any other weapon that is used for long distance attacks are allowed. It is a close combat competition so blades, swords and spears are allowed as long as the spears or blades are not thrown. It is one-on-one fighting which means only two warriors at a time in the ring. In the first few rounds, the fight is until first blood is drawn or an opponent yields. In the last two rounds, when there are only four warriors left, the first blood rule falls away so the only way you can win is if the opponent yields, gets knocked unconscious or dies. It gets very brutal in the final rounds.’

  ‘You would know’, Nicky quipped from behind him.

  Peter turned around and smiled at the sight of Nicky with a child on each hip.

  ‘Yes, I suppose so,’ he agreed.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Brac asked.

  Nicky answered, ‘Before all this nonsense of rewards and Lady Jaclyn’s rules for the Warrior Trials, Peter was the Fenton champion for three years in a row.’

  Peter laughed self-consciously and said, ‘It was a long time ago.’

  ‘Peter, that’s amazing!’ Brighton exclaimed, ‘If I wanted to enter the Warrior Trials, will you help me?’

  ‘Yes, of course I will help you, young man,’ Peter agreed.

  ‘I used to fight only with a sword. What is your favourite weapon?’ he asked Brighton.

  ‘Uh…well…I don’t really have a favourite weapon,’ Brighton replied.

  Peter frowned and said, ‘What did you use against the robbers when you were on the road with Joel, coming here?’

  ‘A walking stick,’ Brighton replied.

  Peter’s eyes went wide.

  ‘Did the robbers have swords?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Brighton said flatly.

  ‘You are joking with me,’ Peter accused.

  ‘No, I’m not. I had the walking stick, they had swords. It all worked out fine,’ Brighton replied.

  ‘How many men were there?’ Peter asked.

  ‘Eight.’

  ‘Plus the four that was behind the wagon hoping to cut off the escape route,’ Brac added.

  Peter turned to Brac and said, ‘Did you also join the fight?’

  ‘No, Brighton didn’t need my help. It was not really a fight, more like a proper lesson in good manners for the robbers,’ Brac replied.

  Peter still thought that the two men were telling him a tall tale so he said, ‘Fine, I will go get my sword, you get your walking stick. We can have a one-on-one fight right here. Let’s see how good you really are.’

  Brighton pulled up his shoulders and said, ‘Fine by me, but it’s hardly fair. I’m a lot younger than you.’

  ‘Just for that I am going to give you a good hiding,’ Peter said in mock anger.

  The two men disappeared into the house to fetch their weapons.

  ‘Peter might be old but he still has some excellent skills with a sword. I think young Brighton is in a bit of trouble now,’ Nicky commented to Brac.

  Brac didn’t reply, he just smiled at Nicky. Peter reappeared holding a beautiful sword followed by Brighton carrying a simple oak walking stick.

  Peter turned to face Brighton and asked, ‘Are you ready?’

  Brighton put the point of the walking stick on the ground just in front of his feet and rested both hands on top.

  ‘Yes,’ he replied.

  ‘I’m going to attack now, you should at least get into a defensive stance,’ Peter said.

  ‘I’m ready,’ Brighton assured him.

  He had already called his talent forth and could feel a lot of energy going to Peter’s right arm as the old man prepared to strike. The sword flashed thought the air, the point aimed for Brighton’s left shoulder. Just like in the fight with the robbers, Brighton knew exactly where the sword was going long before the point reached his shoulder. He casually took half a step back just in time to avoid the razor sharp edge. Peter, expecting to make contact, over balanced slightly but, being a highly experienced swordsman, he quickly regained his balance, pulled the sword back and thrust the point towards Brighton’s legs. His intention was just to graze the young man’s right leg but the oak walking stick flashed briefly, knocking the sword sideways. Peter thrust the sword at Brighton’s legs again, the walking stick flashed, and for a third
time, the sword missed its mark.

  Peter stepped back.

  ‘You have incredible reflexes,’ he commented.

  ‘Thank you,’ Brighton smiled.

  He did not tell the old man that it had nothing to do with reflexes. He could feel the temporary energy of the swinging sword as well as the energy in Peter’s body and knew every time where the attack would be focused. He did not try to manipulate the energy, just feel it, and react accordingly.

  Without warning Peter lunged forward again with the sword held high. He pulled a knife from his belt with his left hand and thrust it at Brighton’s stomach hoping that the sword would have distracted the young man.

  Brighton was ready.

  He deflected the knife with the bottom end of the walking stick and knocked the sword from Peter’s hand in a single motion. He swung the point of the stick upward and pressed it lightly to Peter’s throat.

  ‘How…what…’ Peter stuttered.

  Brighton dropped the point of his walking stick and said, ‘Joel did say I was a natural. Maybe it’s true.’

  ‘I have never seen anyone react this fast,’ Peter said breathlessly.

  He bent over to pick up the fallen sword. As his hand closed around the hilt, he swung the sword viciously. The razor sharp edge went straight for Brighton’s throat.

  Just before the sword made contact, the walking stick flashed again and the blow was deflected. Peter launched a ferocious attack on Brighton, drawing on all his skill and experience. He moved much faster than anyone would have thought possible, given his age, but still he was unable to break through the younger man’s defences.