Witching Games: The Fire Witch Chronicles 1

by R A Lindo

  “We go as the Silverback spins into action,” Conrad says, rotating his neck slowly. “Fine ice bullets aimed at its throat … enough to stun but not seriously wound … no unnecessary cruelty.”

  With that, we prepare to take flight once more, knowing our timing has to be precise to counter the Riadek’s roaring approach.

  “Now,” I say, signalling a co-ordinated return to action, flying low towards a stranded Odin who hovers in mid-air, courtesy of a flight charm which has turned out to be a poor choice. It limits his movements, placing him in a no-man’s-land beneath the threat in the sky and potential danger below. It seems he’s better at taming than fighting, so we move in to do our duty: the protection of comrades at all costs.

  “A sheet of ice above Odin, protecting him from the Riadek’s wings,” Conrad instructs, “then ice bullets at the Silverback’s throat to quell the danger.”

  We’re in position seconds later ... a line of colour about to decorate the taming range with sheets of ice. A gentle whisper releases the first sheet of ice, stretching across the triangular space hidden in the mountains … reaching Odin’s stranded figure just in time. The enormous. armoured wings lashing out only to smash into the ice which shatters on impact.

  It’s enough to reset the Silverback, causing it to spin away with a roar of fury. As it turns, the second phase of the plan begins — ice bullets to the only vulnerable part of its body: the throat. Bullets fly through the air, arcing and looping towards their target … some striking the armour to cause the necessary distraction while others hit home … causing the Riadek to tilt in pain … the spikes of steel decorating its wings closing in the first sign of weakness.

  “Now, Guppy,” Lucy says, gesturing towards Odin who’s now struggling to control the vampiric birds he’s released.

  The Zombul controls whatever you release, but you have to keep control which is hard to do when you’re suspended in the sky by a flight charm. The propellor-motion of the flower attached to Odin’s hand is slowing — only a few petals remaining as a consequence of the Riadek’s attack.

  I stay low on Laieya as my trusted, powder-blue Williynx spins through shattered ice that flies in every direction. Odin is the target now, hanging onto the disintegrating flower as the vampiric Ameedis begin to turn on him, realising they’re no longer under his control.

  Thankfully, I get some help from the crowds looking on from above — streaks of multi-coloured light followed by a cry of ‘DISINERIS’, the disintegration charm exploding the Ameedis out of existence.

  Now, it’s just Odin to rescue before he falls to the earth. He’s injured, probably from the vampiric birds he lost control of, meaning he’s going to struggle to break his fall which starts seconds later. I pat Laieya into action, my feathered friend accelerating towards the grey soil … in pursuit of a questionable comrade whose battle scars have darkened his spirit.

  As Conrad, Noah and Lucy keep the injured Silverback occupied, using a Promesiun charm to restrict its flight, I feel the cold wind on my face as I reach out to grab Odin’s flailing arm. He resists initially, turning to look at me as he’s falling, the grimace a sign of his ingrained bitterness.

  Whatever his issues, he’s still a Society soldier so I do what’s necessary, using the Fixilia charm to limit his ability to move: a charm causing terrible pain once you’re frozen to the spot. He’s even angrier now but I’m not interested in his bruised ego; he’s close to smashing in to the ground so I spin underneath him, whipping out strings of light that wrap around his restricted figure.

  The topaz-blue light of the Promesiun charm attaches him to my Williynx inches from the ground. We rise again … Odin in front of me so I can keep an eye on him, the emotionless soldier of the Domitus clan grimacing every time he moves.

  He’s been humbled in public view — his bitter spirit exposed in the ‘accidental’ release of the Silverback he was supposed to be taming. The ‘accident’ was aimed at us, meaning Odin’s time in Drandok is about to come to an end.

  With Conrad, Noah and Lucy offering their own version of creature taming — bringing the injured Riadek to a submissive pause on the grey soil of the taming range — I rise towards Orgev who’s clapping with the rest of the crowd, offering me a smile as I reach him. A final spin turns Odin over to Orgev: the concluding touch to an eventful evening.

  As night falls, we sit in a circle around an array of food that’s handed around the group. I initially wonder why we’re sitting on the floor but decide not to ask. After all, Drandok is an unusual place in a lot of ways, not least because of the creatures resting in the cells below us. A rough guess places us in the centre of the mountain hollow: a communal space where all are welcome.

  From the numbers sat around the circle, I guess that less than half the residents are here — the other half deciding to stay in the small space they call home, still struggling with troubling visions. Noah’s never shy when it comes to food but receives a glare as he reaches for a bowl.

  Lucy explains the ritual of waiting for the food to be handed to you, rolling her eyes at me afterwards. I still can’t work out if Lucy’s into Noah. She isn’t the easiest person to read: an enigma wrapped in a small frame.

  “So, what happens to Odin now?” Conrad asks, handing a bowl to me.

  I’m not sure what’s in the bowl, guessing it’s seaweed. It doesn’t look particularly appealing, but I run the risk of offending the Domitus if I don’t eat it: the silent crew of soldiers studying me as I prepare to sample the food.

  “A different form of rehabilitation,” Orgev replies, sipping from a large clay cup.

  “Sad Souls?” I ask, knowing what’s waiting for Odin there: a transformation from legend to Melackin. Melackin are ex-members of the S.P.M.A., reduced to shadows of their former self via a combination of remedies administered by the Ulux: the ageing giants who inhabit Sad Souls.

  My mum received this very treatment, living as a Melackin now in the twisted building beyond Society Sphere. It’s the price you pay for minor betrayals, like the ‘accidental’ release of the Silverback Odin and Neve were supposed to be taming, hoping the creature would carry out their desired vengeance. According to Orgev, they blame Conrad and me for the death of their relatives in war, raising questions of loyalty.

  If Odin and Neve’s relatives caught our fire, they put themselves on that path. The principles of the S.P.M.A. are centred around peace, after all, retaliation only authorised in the face of a threat. It’s a simple principle I live by: peace unless danger needs to be dealt with — the current danger being Odin and Neve Blin.

  “Neve has already left Drandok,” Orgev adds, “using the Invisilis charm to avoid detection. We have ways of tracking her; sleeping soldiers are already on the move.”

  “Where’s she likely to go?” Noah asks, accepting a bowl of glittering soup.

  “To more remote places beyond The Society Sphere, staying hidden as long as possible. The Royisin Heights is the likely location. Neve won’t surrender easily, preferring death in battle to a life imprisoned in The Velynx?”

  “And what about Odin?” I ask. “Is he likely to surrender easily?”

  “Time will tell,” Orgev replies, studying the glittering walls. “Drandok isn’t a prison, after all, meaning recuperating soldiers can come and go as they please.”

  “Even after Odin tried to set the Silverback on us?” Lucy challenges, sipping from the cup she’s handed: Jysyn Juice, hopefully.

  “He knows the fate that awaits him, Lucy. It’s for Odin to accept it or resist.”

  “And if he resists?” Conrad prompts.

  “Then a journey to Quibbs Causeway will be his fate, where the Mantzils await — more devastating than the Silverbacks and ready to unhinge his mind.”

  “Is Neve on a Silverback or on foot?” I ask.

  “On foot,” comes the reply from the eldest of the bearded soldiers, sitting opposite me in the circle of gathered soldiers. “Her recent habit of taking her creature out of D
randok was her first mistake.

  The Shallows attract mild-mannered witches and wizards — the reason Odin and Neve risked arriving on their Silverbacks. Other places are not so welcoming. She’ll survive on her wits now until we catch up with her.”

  “We can always help,” Conrad suggests, the tension in his body easing as knowledge of Odin and Neve’s fate comes to light.

  Unfortunately for them, they’ve picked the wrong fight: a fight we’re going to bring to their door. The night is young and Neve couldn’t have got far on foot. My instincts tell me Odin will soon follow, taking his chances in the vast spaces beyond The Society Sphere.

  We’ve saved his life once which doesn’t mean we will again. Not that we’re out to kill either of them, but Society rules are clear: betrayal puts you on the path of rehabilitation or imprisonment — so the stage is set for another meeting with the two Domitus who brought a fight to their door.

  19

  Night Visions

  The stars come out as we leave Drandok ... a picture of serenity which contrasts with the roaring thunder we heard on our arrival. The roars were from the chained Riadek who, it seemed, were being tamed by curses. We know this isn’t the case now — the cursed smoke more to test how damaged the recuperating soldiers are: soldiers known as the Domitus.

  Two of the Domitus have been exposed as harbouring dangerous levels of resentment: Odin and Neve Blin who won’t be able to hide from their fate for too long. Neve is on the run, possibly making her way to The Royisin Heights, while Odin is holed up in the mountains of Drandok, or at least that’s the theory.

  As Orgev explained, Drandok is a place where shell-shocked soldiers choose to come to. They can choose to stay or to leave — exits only forced when intentions are questionable. My money’s on Odin going the same way as Neve, making a quick escape in fear of a Society army descending on Drandok to drag him to Quibbs Causeway.

  That’s not going to happen, though, because the ‘accident’ of losing control of the Silverback isn’t enough for a stay in The Velynx: the faculty for bad things and bad people. Instead, we’ve got to be patient, saying our goodbyes to Orgev and his bearded crew as we rise into the sky on our Williynx: a decision to be made on where the night leads us next.

  As we rise higher towards the stars, our figures in silhouette, Conrad stays close to me — the grey overcoat and white T-shirt marked by our little drama in the taming range. I prefer it when he’s less preoccupied with Society business, the look of mischief returning to his eyes.

  “So, The Royisin Heights or back to The Singing Quarter?” Conrad asks, his smile suggesting he’s leaning more towards romance than reconnaissance.

  We can track down Odin and Neve another day — a group of sleeping soldiers already on their tracks, as Orgev explained, so I’m also leaning towards a return to The Singing Quarter, looking forward to more fun in Rebel’s Rest — Noah’s singing only part of the entertainment. We all know what Noah’s going to choose, already clearing his throat to see if he can hit the notes that evade him.

  “Back to The Singing Quarter, obviously,” Noah replies, brushing the fringe away from his eyes. “I need to get my solo in before closing time.”

  Closing time is whenever the Tallis family who run Rebel’s Rest have had enough of the regulars, Zoe Tallis charming the stragglers out of the doors, Periums returning Society folk to their dwellings.

  “What’s the song going to be this time?” Lucy asks as her yellow Williynx glides silently through the night sky.

  “I’m thinking Rebel Blues,” Noah says before he blasts out the first few lines. “Evening’s falling / I’m here all alone / Feel rain coming / Can’t make it on my own …”

  It’s a depressing song about being rejected and ignored — perfect for Noah’s obsession with Zoe Tallis — which doesn’t stop us enjoying it, adding our little rhythm between each line. Noah doesn’t need encouragement: a natural comedian with a gift for the ridiculous. The song takes the edge off an eventful evening, involving taming Silverbacks and saving a shifty Domitus: all in a night’s work for a Night Ranger.

  Noah adds a little spin on the back of his Williynx, getting more into the song at the most depressing part. “How could you leave me broken? / Hopeless, bitter and blue / But here I am still hoping / That there’s a chance for me and you …”

  To be honest, I wish Zoe Tallis would just go on a date with Noah. Then again, that might actually make him worse, babbling on about her until one of us has to use the Vyoxal charm to shut him up. The Vyoxal charm restricts your vocal cords, removing the ability to speak. It’s the one charm I love using above ground, mainly for old school friends I can’t stand.

  Conrad, Lucy and I add the single-line chorus. “Chance for me and you,” we sing together, Conrad dragging out the ‘you’ part as he flies higher, arms spread out as he hits the notes Noah never quite can.

  I love his unpredictability, hating public displays unless he’s in trusted company. High up in the night sky above Drandok, he can be as ridiculous as any teenage boy, enjoying the freedom of adolescence, temporarily unburdened by Society business.

  As I watch him belt out the chorus one more time, drawing fits of laughter from Noah and Lucy, I remember the first time I met Conrad — a timid boy standing on the ground floor of The Cendryll lost in grief. He hadn’t found himself then, discovering his gift for flight on his first trip to Gilweean.

  He’s the youngest leader of the sky-rider army in the Society’s history, and the boy I love completely rides alongside Noah as the comical performance comes to a close — our friendship framed by a starlit sky on a night that’s brought clarity to the purpose of a hidden few.

  With other Society soldiers on the trail of Odin and Neve, we can rest for now, knowing our part in their arrest can be put on hold, meaning we can enjoy the strange silence that falls over Drandok — the Riadek resting in their dark cells and our Williynx enjoying the freedom of an untroubled sky. If we race, we’ll get back to Rebel’s Rest in time for last orders.

  We appear through a Perium in the sky accessible to our feathered companions, gliding above the quiet evening streets. The sight of groups of witches and wizards exiting the building suggests it’s near to closing time so we descend quickly, dismounting from our Williynx who bid us good evening with a parting squawk.

  “Remember, you lost the bet,” Noah says to Conrad as we enter the noise of Rebel’s Rest.

  “How did I lose the bet?” Conrad challenges, brushing Drandok dust off his grey jeans.

  “We bet that Odin would quit in the taming range, leaving us to rescue him.”

  “But he didn’t quit; he got stuck.”

  Noah turns to Lucy and me, gesturing for support.

  “He was hanging in mid-air as the Silverback closed in on him,” Lucy adds, shrugging her shoulders. “I wouldn’t call that quitting.”

  “But we had to rescue him,” Noah says, realising he’s about to lose another thousand Kyals, having recently lost money to Lucy and me when Conrad suddenly burst into song.

  “Rescuing him only if he quit was the bet,” Conrad counters with a smile, holding out his hand for payment. “Odin didn’t quit so pay up, unless you don’t honour your bets, of course.”

  Noah’s face clouds at this suggestion, questioning the honour of any Society soldier the easiest way to trigger a response.

  “Jysyn Juice on you,” Noah says grudgingly as he hands Conrad the bag of Kyals: Society money that comes in handy in magical establishments.

  Noah’s face lights up at the sight of Zoe Tallis behind the bar, untroubled by the groups that normally occupy her time and attention.

  “Perfect timing,” Lucy whispers encouragingly, nudging Noah towards the bar. “Remember, cool, calm and collected and don’t sing.”

  I suppress a giggle, walking to the empty table closest to the bar, providing a view of the busy evening streets — full of colour and sound as Society members joke and laugh, ambling past closed shops i
n a world hidden from above-ground eyes.

  Soon, they will use portable Periums to return them to faculties or above-ground dwellings. It’s always fun to sit and watch as sparks of light fill the evening streets, forming into arches of colour for witches and wizards to vanish through.

  I sit between Conrad and Lucy in the emptying resting rooms of Rebel’s Rest, secretly wishing Noah good luck with Zoe Tallis. Zoe’s friendly with all the regulars, her wit and wisdom making her aware of those with hopes for romance. She’s never given Noah any obvious signs which hasn’t put him off yet, so I divide my attention between the first portable Periums appearing on the streets outside, and Noah trying to work a different type of magic at the bar.

  “That’s a good sign,” Conrad says at the sight of Zoe laughing at something Noah’s said.

  “The magic’s happening, at last,” Lucy adds with what I sense to be a glimmer of jealousy.

  Is she into Noah, after all? If so, why’s she secretive about it? Lucy’s a mixture of prettiness and sarcasm: not the best combination when you’re trying to win someone over. Her interactions with Noah are a mixture of reassurances and friendly put downs, which would make anybody wonder.

  Not that I’m an expert in any way. I hardly noticed boys until Conrad, but there are ways of showing you like someone, making me wonder why Lucy encouraged Noah to talk to Zoe if she likes him?

  Conrad nudges me, whispering, “It’s all an act.”

  He gestures to Lucy — an unmistakable cloud of jealousy crossing her face as Zoe laughs again. Lucy does like Noah so it’s time for me to work some magic of my own, wondering how I can get my hands on some Telynin (truth serum) which will definitely do the trick.

  There’s obviously the issue of Lucy being tricked into telling Noah how she feels — the truth serum loosening her tongue — meaning if she realises she doesn’t love him, we mess up Noah’s chances with Zoe. I’m starting to think we should have stayed out beyond The Society Sphere, heading to The Royisin Heights to track Neve down.