Humans rule the valley and farmlands of Balendar and the tropics of Nesqa. The Bird People, known as Evenawks, make the home in the mountain plateaus of Ghanlar and the Wood Fairies, Nao, live in the Szwen forest. The Evenawks and Nao are magical based creatures but the Evenawks are incapable of using magic as a weapon.
Any Human with magical properties is brought to the Tower as an infant and spends their childhood learning spells. During our 18th cycle, we go through a coming of age ritual know as The Demon Dream. Successfully resisting the Demon earns us the right to join a School of Magic as a full Mage. We become in charge of our own lives, studying what we want and undertaking missions for the Tower.
It all sounds good on paper, but life isn’t always a straight line.
I was having a hard enough time finding a Master. Floor after floor I searched, unable to find one that wasn’t busy. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to walk up to their personal chambers just to find one. In a strange twist of luck, one found me and, of course, it was the one Master I was hoping to avoid.
“You don’t move this fast unless you’ve done something wrong,” the chilling voice of Master Pryce said behind me.
“You always assume I’m up to trouble, Master?” I asked turning around to face him.
“I don’t need to assume anything,” he replied.
Master Pryce was the cocky head of the School of the Elemental. He was a tall, sharp featured man with a look on his face that suggested everything in the continent disgusted him. He was both feared and respected for his knowledge and power and gave grown men nightmares when angry.
“Now, are you going to explain why you’re running through my hallways?” he asked with an interest that sent chills down my spine.
“I needed to find a Master,” I explained. “I had the Demon Dream.”
A look of genuine surprise crossed Master Pryce’s face. “Yet you survived. Here I thought we would have to be cleaning your blood from the wall.”
“Your confidence in me is reassuring,” I said defeated.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he smirked. “You have your…talents. It’s your attitude that needs work.”
I stayed quiet, not taking the bait for starting an argument with him.
“Well, let me double check then,” he said as he stared at me. I could feel his mind probing mine then suddenly stop. “Congratulations are in order then. Have you considered what School you will go into?”
“Not quite,” I said. “I’m not good enough in anything.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” he said and I cringed, waiting for the rest of it. “You have a talent for being sent into my office.”
It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but that didn’t mean I wanted to keep hanging around.
“Have you considered Demonology?” Master Pryce asked. “Not even Master Gerth can cover his whole body in scales with Harden Skin. That’s a useful talent.”
“Aside from everyone calling me ‘Lizard’, it hasn’t been useful to me,” I said.
“Children being children,” he said with a dismissive wave. “When you are facing a Mage in a real fight, you will learn to appreciate it for what it is. I could really use someone like you in my School.”
“I’ve never been good at attack spells,” I said hoping this conversation ends soon.
“You could always be Silenced,” he offered with a smile.
“No, thanks,” I answered.
“Suit yourself,” he shrugged. “The other Masters and I will summon you for your Coming of Age Ceremony at Nightfall. You are excused from classes for the day but try not to get into trouble. I wouldn’t want to have to discipline you on your last day as an Apprentice.”
His smiled said otherwise and I turned to get as far away as possible from him. This would be the perfect time to hide from everybody in the library for the next ten hours. With today being my last day, the others will be looking to give me a ‘going away present’. I cringed at the possibilities as my mind played tricks on me.
When I was far enough away from Master Pryce, I slowed down and walked at more leisurely pace. With classes in session, I could enjoy the empty hallways and feel the magic being used in each class. The hum of the energy was strong even through the closed doors.
I arrived at the steps and begun my descent to my favourite library. It was the library on the fourth floor and held the most books on history and tales of Mages of old. It also happened to be the library that was the most open should I need to make an escape. I left the stairs and nearly ran through the open archway to my sanctuary.
“Andy!” the librarian called out with a huge grin when I entered.
“Shhh, Tom,” I whispered.
“Are they following you?” he asked worried.
“No, but I don’t want them to know I’m here,” I answered.
“Wait, shouldn’t you be in class?” he asked scratching his head. “Yes, it’s too early. You’re supposed to be in class.”
“It’s ok, Tom, Master Pryce said I didn’t have to go to classes today,” I said trying to calm him down.
“I don’t like Master Pryce,” he said bluntly. “But if he said so, then okay.”
Tom was a member of The Silenced, a group of ex-mages who were found guilty of a crime and had the magic stripped from them. During the process, their minds tend to snap from the stress and pressure and they become simple minded slaves for the Order. The Masters use them as a warning to the Apprentices and Mages that magic should be used carefully.
“I brought back the book I borrowed,” I said handing him the alchemy book.
He smiled as he took it. “Did you like it?”
“It was okay, just a lot of healing potions,” I answered. “If I ever need a healing potion, I’ll come back for it. I want something that talks more about the properties of plants in Alchemy.”
“I like plants,” Tom smiled.
“You have the best plants in the whole Tower,” I said motioning to his collection of potted plants around the library.
“Not the whole Tower,” he said bashfully, looking at his feet.
“The whole Tower,” I repeated.
Without looking up, he smiled, grabbed a watering can and started to water a large leafy plant behind him. It is sad to see someone who used to be a Mage reduced to such a simple being. I have no clue what his crime was and nobody will even speak of it but watching him hum softly as he watered the plants around the library, it couldn’t have been that bad.
I crossed the large room to the section on plant life and browsed the titles. I was looking for a specific plant, something that Tom called a Dalen Flower. The other day he showed me the deep purple flower with large petals and told me he had kept it hidden so nobody can find it. When I asked where he got it, he just said it belonged to him and that it’s dangerous. I made it my mission to figure out what it was just in case Tom accidentally hurt himself with it.
I found a book entitled, ‘Exotic Flowers of the Ghanlar’ and pulled it out. I looked for a spot to sit down and read. The only other person in the library was an elderly looking Mage with soft grandfatherly features and messy snowy white hair. He looked up from his book and nodded with a smile before returning to his reading. I nodded and grabbed a table on the opposite end of the room. I had seen him in this library a few times before and that was the first time he acknowledged me.
After flipping through the entire book, I still hadn’t found the information I needed. The sound of chatter and rustling from outside the library drew my attention. The first class must have ended, so the Apprentices will be taking a quick break before the next one. I grabbed the book and placed it back on the shelf.
“Well, well, well,” a voice called from behind me.
I cringed as I turned around to face Greg, an Apprentice with a love for both Elemental Magic and testing it out on other Apprentices. He was here with his two shadows, future Natural Mage Todd and local beauty queen Vanessa, a psycho with a love for the Spiritual Magic o
f Mind control.
“You weren’t in class today, Lizard,” Greg continued. “Rumour has it you’ve had your Demon Dream.”
“Yeah, you could say that today is my last day,” I said.
“We just wanted to drop by and say that we’ll miss you,” Vanessa smiled sweetly. You would almost think she was sincere.
“I’ll be sure to drop by and say ‘Hi’ from time to time,” I said sarcastically.
I was trying to scan the room without being obvious about it. They blocked the only way out and there were too many plants close by. The past couple of times I’ve been able to slip past Todd’s control of the plants. But he was starting to get good.
Vanessa mocked shock. “I really meant that.”
“Hey guys,” Tom exclaimed as he came over to greet the trio.
“Beat it, Tom,” Greg growled.
“That’s not very nice,” Tom pouted.
“He said leave,” Vanessa said as she raised her hand. A Pulse shot out and hit Tom who staggered back a couple of steps but stayed upright.
“You can’t use magic in here!” Tom exclaimed.
“Fine,” Greg said as he walked over and grabbed Tom by the shirt. He picked Tom up and tossed him through the air. Tom landed hard on a table breaking it under him. Whatever is up Greg’s butt today is definitely not making him happy.
As they stared at what happened, I hid behind a bookcase and crouched low to the ground. I don’t know where that old man from earlier went but with the way Greg treated Tom, I’m glad he got out while he still had the chance.
“You can’t hide from me, Lizard,” Greg called out. “Not this time.”
Maybe I should have given into that Demon. Being stuck in a dream has to be better than this.
Chapter 2
“Oh, Lizard,” Vanessa said in a sing-song voice, “come out come out, wherever you are.”
The sound of chairs and tables scraping against the floor drew closer and closer. During my time in hiding, I still hadn’t figured out a plan on how to get out of this mess.
If I knew them correctly, Todd would be waiting for me to run so he can ensnare me with the plants. Greg would be watching over everything and Vanessa would either be trying to flush me out or Mind Control me into walking into the opening.
Her shadow grew larger and larger on the wall and I could feel her searching for my mind. I had learned a long time ago some tricks to keep your mind invisible but it took a lot of effort to maintain. An idea sprung to mind and I waited for her to get closer.
“You can’t keep up your shield forever,” Vanessa continued. “I’m going to break through.”
As she walked behind the bookcase I was using as my hiding space, I dropped my mental shield and felt for her mind. When she felt the shield drop, she turned to me and smiled. I felt her reach out with all her power and slipped into her mind and planted my Illusion. Her mind seized control of me and I was brought to my feet.
“Now, walk to…” she said as she stretched out her arm towards me. She stopped and stared at her fingers in shock. In reality nothing was wrong with them; to her they had become a lot bigger. In fact, in her mind, she had gained a ton of weight.
While she looked at her body in shock, I broke free from her mental hold. Her face twisted into pain and she grabbed her head with both hands. “Get out of my head,” she screeched.
I held out my hand and launched a Pulse at her that knocked her off her feet. I ran past her and continued along the row of bookcases trying to use them as cover from Greg and Todd.
She screamed and I looked over my shoulder to see that she had launched a Pulse at me. The Pulse bounced off the magical wards on the bookcases as it drew near me. The massive energy made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I dove to the ground, twisting around so I could launch a Pulse back at her.
Her magic had sailed over me and my returning attack bounced off the nearest bookcase and charged right at Vanessa. She threw up a shield but the force of the Pulse knocked her back and she hit her head on a bookcase. She landed on the ground hard and didn’t move. The energy reading from her mind said that she had only been knocked unconscious.
I picked myself up off the ground and rounded around the bookcase heading for the door. I spotted a vine from one of Tom’s plants racing towards me and dodged it but my foot was ensnared by another vine I hadn’t seen from behind.
Why did Tom need so many plants?
The vine lifted me off the ground and hung me upside down. I tried to kick myself free as another vine wrapped itself around my hand. I stopped struggling to think as the vines carried me back to Greg and Todd.
“I’ve got you now,” Greg smiled. “Just what did you do to Vanessa?”
“She was tired, so she took a nap,” I answered while my mind raced.
Greg looked at Todd and Todd left quickly to look for her. If they revived her I was done. I pushed some power into my tangled hand and lit the vine on Fire. The vine snapped where the fire burnt through and the plant shriveled up from the attack.
Sorry, Tom.
Greg raised both his hands at me and I quickly twisted towards my feet and launched a small Fire Ball at the vine. The vine released me and I dropped to the floor before Greg’s stream of Ice could freeze the area.
The vine now towered over the room encased in Ice and I dove under the tables before Greg could point his hand towards me. He wouldn’t dare try to hit the magical wards of the tables but that wasn’t going to stop him from throwing the tables aside. I skittered across the floor on my hands and knees.
“He’s under the tables, Todd,” Greg shouted. “Hit the top of the tables. See if you can’t draw him out over here.”
A good plan any day of the week, but not something you want to shout loud enough for the person you’re chasing to hear you. I continued in the opposite direction of them as the vines started hitting the top of the tables loudly, causing them to shake. I tried to tune out the sounds as I pressed forward. At the end of the tables, I bolted out to a standing position but cursed myself as I nearly ran into a wall. I had travelled to the far end of the library, the totally opposite direction to the exit.
I turned around and saw Greg and Todd standing on the opposite side of the seating area. The tables were now in disarray but there was still a clear path from one side of the room to the other. If it weren’t for Greg and Todd being in my way, I would have a clear path out. Luckily for me, Vanessa was still out of action. My only hope would be that their minds aren’t protected.
As they walked closer, I reached out with my mind to test their defenses. They were both on guard because they knew I was in a corner. Todd’s mind shield was easy to bypass because he was using most of his power to control the vines that were trying to keep me contained here. Greg’s mind was better protected and it seems like Vanessa had been giving him a couple of tips. I needed to distract him.
A vine was coming closer and I held up my hand and created a simple ward. If I attacked it, Todd might unleash them all at me.
“Where’s your lizard skin?” Greg asked with a joyless chuckle.
I stayed quiet. Since I’ve discovered I could do a full body Harden Skin, I’ve become a sideshow for the other Apprentices. Everybody tries to provoke me into doing it so they can laugh. I don’t see what’s so funny.
Greg flicked his fingers and a small Fire Ball launched towards me. It was easily absorbed by my ward and he continued to flick a few more. After those were absorbed, I dropped the ward and focused a lot of power into my hand. It grew warm as a large Fire Ball launched from my fingers. It tore through the vine chopping it into two and bounced off the wall and ceiling.
The ball was bigger than I had expected and when it started bouncing, Greg watched it wide eyed. I reached out with my power and entered their minds. Grabbing the bit of vine from the ground, I threw it at them.
In their mind the vine turned into a three meter long snake with a taste for human flesh. They both cursed and dove
under the tables. I saw this as my chance to run and I didn’t waste the opportunity. Making sure I didn’t trip over Tom, I pumped my legs as fast as they could carry me.
I was out of the library when I heard Greg shout and the Apprentices around me hurried out of the way as I ran by. I had two options, down to the Apprentice Chambers and hide or up and get caught by the Teachers.
It was going to have to be up, the trio’s aggressiveness this time went too far. Tom was going to need help. I ran up the stairs taking two at a time and hoping to not bump into someone who would only assist in Greg’s mission. Looking back from the top of the stairs, I noticed Greg and Todd starting to climb them.
There were two directions to go; left or right.
I jerked my head back and forth in a panic before making my decision.
Right.
I bolted down the hallway and as I rounded a corner came face to face with a large group of Apprentices. I almost slammed in a shocked looking girl, who screamed in surprise. I muttered a quick apology and pushed past them. When I looked back, the group had parted to let Greg and Todd by without incident.
Thanks, guys.
A vine reached out and ensnared me in a tight hug and held me against the wall. I saw a vine reach out and grab Greg and Todd as well. Out of one of the classrooms, Teacher Jarvis came out with a stern look on her face.
“I will not be having Apprentices cause a ruckus outside of my classroom,” she said.
Teacher Jarvis was an old hag of a woman; grey hair in a tight bun, beady little eyes and jowls to complete the picture. Throw in the fact that she was a nature lover and a talented Nature Mage, who likes to discipline students, and you have the worst teacher in the Tower.
“Will someone clearly explain, what is going on out here?” she asked in a louder voice.
The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 Page 2