E.C. EDWARDS - The Mighty Antimagic Spell

Plenty of people were gathered in a huge amphitheatre, which had on one side, an area full of chairs like the largest football stadium ever seen. All chairs for the students and the lodges specially created for the professors formed a huge semicircle, quite roomy even for the inhabitants of a small town.

Everyone gathered there came to see the Magic Contest, or to support their favourite team, hoping until the last moment it would be the winner.

That stadium had a snowy surface set up on the huge field. There were rocks, small hills, even small mountains and a lake. The mountains were drilled everywhere by small caves as if someone used dozens of cannons and a whole day to shoot with howitzers at them. Some were more or less deep than others and some of them were so tight that even if you managed to get in there, you had to look for another exit because you definitely couldn't get out in the same place.

In one of those entrance halls of the caves, somewhere in the middle of that huge arena, there was a pedestal with a parchment that was surrounded by ice and wrapped in some magic flames that didn’t burn the parchment, but didn’t melt the ice around it either.

What was even more amazing at this field where the event was to be held, was that although everything was filled with snow and ice on the surface where that difficult test would take place, in the stands the students were dressed as if they went for a walk on a pleasant June day, on the streets of London.

“Welcome to the Magic Contest of this Decade!”

Cheers, shouts, whistles of the audience gathered at the event. Hundreds of students from the 3 schools were there. And their professors were happy, shouting, supporting their students who were to compete in one of the most difficult tests so far.

The elf delegation consisted of only about twenty elves. They, unlike people, were discreet in expressing their joy. For them, joy meant a smile or a slight nod of the head.

The area that was offered to them to enjoy the show was a little isolated from the others’, the supporters’ seats being more distanced from each other than the people’s seats. There was an area of lush greenery in which they were used to living too.

The pillars on which the chairs were placed were made of braided roots, enriched with wonderful flowers filled with strong and inviting scent and exotic trees and bushes that completed the green decor were just as sophisticated. To see such greenery in a place where at less than 100 meters there was only ice and snow, moreover, various decorative flowers, was a splendour that you could hardly explain ... if you were a sceptic ...

The elf students couldn’t hide their joy as their professors did. They kept smiling when they saw people’s joy. The audience was so happy as if they’d benefit from the prizes offered to the winners. Especially since people only expressed so much joy ten years ago.

A younger elf student even laughed slightly when she saw so much joy, but only for a moment, as a gesture from a professor wiped off her smile. The girl tried hard not to laugh, but she still smiled slightly from time to time, especially because with every sentence Nakutsck said, the famous wizard cast spells at the spectators too ... and of course each one made them laugh.

“It’s my honour to present the first test, my dear! It’s an extremely difficult event, even if it’s the first in the Magic Contest of the Decade. Even if we were accustomed to an easier first event, this decade I decided it would be different. The breath of the Cold Wind was my guide ...!”

A short break followed when a brief spell of Nakutsck’s showed the spectators what the breath of the Cold Wind was. A strong gust of wind came to a part where there were a few spectators, causing some capes, hats and other things to fly.

Those who knew Nakutsck's style and knew he was always up to mischief were prepared for such an event, keeping hold of their capes and stuff. But the younger ones, who didn’t expect it, lost capes, hats or lighter items, because they were all flying objects now.

The rest of the spectators who weren’t affected by the breath of the Cold Wind laughed loud at those who had trouble picking up their stuff scattered all over. Even some of those who were tricked smiled and laughed.

“The cold breath made me think of something that will be one of the biggest obstacles in the tests. My mind, under my friends’ guidance worked for almost half a decade to create these creatures born from the North Frost!”

Again a small spell, the same sly smile of Nakutsck’s and a slight frost was cast on other spectators. Besides, a few teenage wizards who weren’t dressed properly when talking to the white wizard felt on their skin what the North Frost meant. They began to shiver with cold, as any of us would do if we wore a light or sleeveless shirt, in the middle of the coldest winter, some of them having white frosty eyebrows and others, small icicles attached to the eyebrows, to the hair on the head or even coming out of the nostrils. For a few moments, or even a little more, those helpless students really got frozen. After this moment, there was again the same pleasant atmosphere of the Magic Contest and water started dripping from those icicles created until they melted away.

Cheers and laughter were everywhere again, except in the elves’ area. They only smiled, and we got used to it.

“Very cold creatures that won’t let anyone win the challenge ... win the magic ice parchment! Creatures that are completely made of ice! Real monsters! I introduce ... the Ice Golems to you!”

Nakutsck cast a brief spell for fireworks above the ground where the first event was to take place. The fireworks were white, in the shape of a polar bear or fox that grew and grew until they disappeared completely, followed by icy green-blue fireworks in the shape of huge and odious creatures, those ice creatures, to end with green-Bordeaux colours of the aurora borealis. In the light of these fireworks, one could hear the sound of musical instruments appeared from nowhere playing on their own. Then when the firework display was over some giant Ice Golems showed up.

“These are the guardians of the ice parchment!”

The spectators were delighted, but also terrified at what they saw, which was a great joy to Nakutsck, their creator. It was a sign to him that he did a good job.

“But, let's introduce the schools! We’ll start with our distant guests: the ‘Sacred Tree’ School. The magic school that sent to us some of the greatest wizards in the world, the witchcraft founders. The first wizards ... we’re grateful for that!”

Hail and shouts of joy from everyone there. The elves smiled. They felt very welcome.

“There follows the magic school ‘Jade Tiger’, which is represented by many friends, who in the last three years offered us the bravest and the most intelligent wizards. And who won the junior wizards Magic Championship three years ago ...”

Cheers again from the audience. A group of students, supporters of the jade tigers, when the spectators were quiet, began to recite in chorus some words that encouraged the students who participated in that first event of the competition.

"We’re fearless tigers,

All for one brave fighters,

None of us is left behind

Tiger brothers, right and kind”

The three jade tigers in the contest greeted their supporters respectfully.

“And of course, our friend Knudlac’s school of magic! The renowned Elmbridge School of Magic!”

Again shouts and cheers.

“But let's get to know the representatives of the three schools, the brave ones who’ll try not only to face these ice creatures but also to be better, more agile and stronger than them.”

Nakutsck stopped, and then continued:

“We have young students this year, but they’ll definitely achieve a lot in their magic lives. Students with ages of only 9, 10 and 12 ...”

But someone made a sign to him, and when Nakutsck saw it, he smiled.

“Of course ... I forgot. We have students between the ages of 8, 9 and 700, 800. But even so, they’re the smallest participants so far. Smallest not youngest.”

It was clear that even Nakutsck found it hard to introduce the human kids as the youngest, when the elf wizard students were between 600 and 800 years old. Age that people could never even dream of. It was more difficult to get that although they were so old, which for the elves was natural, the elf students had the height of a child of 8, 9 or even less. Only the pointed ears were as large as the adults’.

“We wish them luck, may the school they represent be proud of them!”

Nakutsck signalled to the children to come closer. Nine little wizards approached the white wizard, more or less prepared for what was to come.

“The three representatives of the School of the ‘Sacred Tree’ are Pmyrie, Ehm'il and Fahria.”

The three children with pointed ears approached Nakutsck, each to get a golden key, which would let them access to the stadium area and an emerald-coloured wizard's cap.

The first elf, Pmyrie was that blonde girl with long, braided hair. A real, gorgeous and beautiful witch. It was clear that her clothing was woven from roots and plants, very beautifully made, with a very fine fabric. The fresh smell of the clothes made Nakutsck smile:

“Ihm ... Jasmine, lavender ... very strong smell. Here's the key and a wizard's cape, my dear.”

Then Ehm'il got the key, along with a cape, his size. Ehm'il was taller than Pmyrie, with intense dark long hair, also braided.

Fahria, a teenager as beautiful but taller than the first, also came and took the key and the cape.

After the elves went away, Nakutsck continued:

“The three representatives of the Jade Tiger School are Ming Hoa, Sakura Nakamoto and the winner of the Junior Magic Contest, Jiao Long.”

The jade tigers also came to pick up their keys and capes.

“And of course ... Johnny Davies, Alexander Soimesti and Elizabeth Catherine Edwards. The three wizards of the world famous Elmbridge Magic School.”