Spellbound

A vast blanket of white fog hung heavy over the hills and low laying lands. It suffocated every every tree at their base, swallowing every distant object and vanishing around every bush and branch. It crept round The Scarlant Forest, its silent footsteps tiptoeing around each gravestone in the churchyard, passing by people long since gone and many others, before finally coming to rest at the foot of a freshly covered grave. Zell Morkas Calarook stood in the still silence of the grave yard, his only comfort being that of the cold white blanket that hugged his shoulders and grabbed at his trouser legs.

The freezing fog wrapped around him like a blanket, the everyday familiar sights of the village street lay mysterious, hiding, looming out at him in their whitened haze at the last minute like images from some half forgotten dream. He held out his hand in front of him and watched it become partially obscured. He imagined himself chanting spells, conjuring the mist like a deranged Wizard drunk on his own powers, cackling, eyes twinkling. All the time thinking of ways to get at these two kids that the has been Wizard Azadarin thought were acceptable to joining the ranks of the misbegotten Magic Guardians who systematically destroyed and killed his entire family, except his mother. She had now given him enough information to advance his own dealings with this Wizard who was testing these children and it was time for some serious pay back.

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Nibbles flew directly inside the log cabin she called home and yelled out in her highest voice.......

“AZA WE NEED TO TALK...I HAVE NEWS” she said puffing and panting from such an enthusiastic flight from the village to her home.

“Keep talking Nibbles. I always yawn when I’m interested.” said Azadarin who was doing his level best to mock how serious Nibbles was with her opening loud announcement laughing at her enthusiasm.

“This is serious Aza, Nathaniel and Penelope might be in mortal danger. They have a teacher at there school called Mr Morkas, a Mr Zell Morkas Calarook. That name ring any bells?” said Nibbles finally getting her breath back and waiting for the response she knew was coming.

Azadarin’s eyes went wide with surprise and he went to sit down in his comfy chair and ponder the news he was just told by his friend. This was not good news but finally there was the hint of discovery he had been waiting to hear for nearly 20 years. She was alive and so was her son and from what Nibbles just told him much closer than he ever imagined possible.

This changed things very quickly in the log cabin and Azadarin got up and he went to his library of books and pulled down several that were leather bound and detailed in the art of defence with magic written by the Wizards who came before him then he set about making notes and re writing the spells he saw in front of him to pass on to Nathaniel and Penelope...because they were going to need them sooner than he expected. As he wrote down each spell he looked up at Nibbles and then back to his notes. He really hoped that these two individuals would be up to face the likes of the Blackwatch and protect themselves and their families from the horrors that he knew the Blackwatch was capable of.

Azadarin stopped writing and prepared some food for Nibbles which she gulped down and then she rested in his lap falling asleep quickly as he stroked her with his free hand. So many old memories now flashed back into his mind about the battles fought between that family and The Magic Guardians. So many deaths. So much sadness. Nibbles was now snoring her head off as she had flown long and hard to get the news to Azadarin before anything bad would happen and Azadariin was grateful to his furry talking friend for how swiftly she came back. She needed to rest but again he thought he also needed to warn Nathaniel and Penelope as to the changes in the tests now that this news had come to light. He would let Nibbles sleep for now but after her rest was over she would have to take one letter back into town to the school, get Nathaniels and Penelope’s attention some how and get them to come to his log cabin so that teaching could begin in earnest.

He couldn’t believe that Zell was teaching in town. This would mean that his mother would be within walking or horse riding distance from the village but heavily camouflaged living somewhere hidden from view, most likely underground or in a cave. He moved his notebooks to the side and underneath them was a map of the area he lived in with circles drawn around the areas he had been searching and checked off as having no signs of the Blackwatch in them. He must have missed somewhere special that she hid. Daria Calarook was clever and her wits were as keen as a sharp knife when it came to hiding, magic and inflicting death on so many of his fellow Wizards. He gritted his teeth at the memory of her taking so many lives and now that her son was in such close proximity he had to bring Nathaniel and Penelope up to speed with attack and defence spells quickly...to make sure they survived any surprise attack.

The sound of Nibbles snoring in his lap stopped him from becoming quite dissociated with his feelings and emotions, he leaned back in his chair and took a nap with Nibbles so as to prepare himself for what may be about to happen. This would affect the village and its occupants and Nathaniel and Penelope’s parents as well. Nap first, then set about making changes and getting things in order after some rest. There was much to be done and now the time to do it in was rapidly etching away.