Spellbound

There was, and still is, a small village next to The Scarlant Forest on its outskirts that is always bustling with excitement about one thing or another and to live there was a constant source of amazement and fun. The colours of the village reminded you of children’s toys. Every red was the exact same one, a brilliant cherry scarlet. Every blue was a bright royal hue, neither dark or light. There were no trees, perhaps the foliage would not cooperate to be the same shade on every leaf. The street-lamps were the same canary yellow as the birds who flew and darted around looking for scraps of food on their journey. There was no pink, no grey, no orange or violet; but it was more than that. Nothing was sun-bleached, nothing scratched or chipped. The streets were free of litter, the walls were not vandalised with obscure etchings and everyone seemed to get along really well with each other.

Nathaniel Hamblin had lived in this village all his life and knew every square inch of it by heart and pretty much everyones name as well. He was 13 years young, a gifted scholar and very good with picking up languages quickly much to the delight of the village when strangers who were from a foreign place landed there and had no means of communication with the locals.

Then a messenger was sent to the Hamblin household to get Nathaniel to come and interpret what was being said, so he was a very popular lad and he also stopped a few squabbles from starting because of his deep knowledge of languages.

Authors note: Now I think on it...he also stopped a war as well.

The village Nathaniel lived in was called Calarook after its founder many centuries prior to these current times. Sebastian Calarook was the founder not only of the village but The Magic Guardians as well. He was a powerful wizard and he inducted many good and honourable wizards into his many battles with the evil that permeated the forest and surrounding lands. Thus, after many good deeds of heroic wizardry were performed the village was named after him in respect for how well he protected it. It was a great honour bestowed on him and The Magic Guardians flourished as the evil was rid from their beloved forest, homes and surrounding countryside.

Some say that not all of the evil was completely eradicated out but those rumours were never proven but even to this very day there is talk in whispers that something was brewing somewhere close by...and it wasn’t good.

If Nathaniel wasn’t studying at home he was always in the forest, climbing trees, watching the wild life that inhabited the beautiful surroundings or fishing in the river to pass the time of day. His teachers knew that he was a bright student but there was a side to him that spoke of just more than what you first saw. Although he wasn’t lacking in the self confidence department at all there was a depth to his character that went beyond his years. He was a loner and liked it that way because then he didn’t have to rely on any one else to get things done right and done right the first time. Mistakes made him agitated and then he would become frustrated with everyone and himself at the same time. So he basically kept to himself except when it was time to un-jumble some ones different language then he did really well at helping these foreign people then vanished back to his books or into the forest.

Nathaniel was a shy young lad and it was on one of his fishing days that he first met Azadarin...quite by accident or stealth on behalf of Azadarin.

Nathaniel had just thrown his bait into a quiet part of the river and was waiting for some kind of fish to take the bait when a voice behind said...

“Caught anything yet young man?” asked Azadarin gently in a low tone.

And this made Nathaniel jump because he did not hear anything that remotely sounded like footsteps coming from any direction up behind him and he almost dropped his fishing pole.

“No...no sir I haven’t yet....you scared me I didn’t hear you coming” blurted Nathaniel in complete and utter surprise at the Wizard now standing to his right side.

“What kind of bait are you using?” asked Azadarin.

“Worms...from my neighbours garden... aren’t you are the great Azadarin, am I right?” replied Nathaniel now less concerned about fishing and more concerned that a Wizard who was watching him fish and to top it all off was talking to him at all.

He knew who this was and his reputation because he had heard his parents talk about what the great Azadarin had done to save the village over the years.

“Yes thats me...but I wouldn’t say ‘great’...more like lucky instead” said Azadarin watching the river flow gently in front them both and he sat down next to Nathaniel to talk some more.

“How old are you young sir and what is your name please?” asked Azadarin as he took off his hat and placed it next to him on the pine needles collected there to await the answer.

“Have I done something wrong Azadarin...am I on your property without permission...should I have asked to fish here?” stuttered Nathaniel nervously back to the resting Wizard.

“No nothing of the sort..I’d just like to know who I am talking to...and so would Nibbles”

“Nibbles...who is Nibbles ?” said Nathaniel now comprehensively side tracked from fishing altogether...and just a bit scared as well.

“I am!” said a voice directly above Nathaniels head and he looked up straight into the brown eyes of a smiling bat looking directly at him hanging upside down from a branch of the pine tree Nathaniel was sitting next to.

“Pleased to meet you both” said Nathaniel now gently putting his fishing pole down and concentrating on who he was talking to.

At the same time Nibbles dropped from the branch above and walked over to Azadarin and perched herself on his knee looking intently at Nathaniel and then back to Azadarin still smiling and it was as if she was waiting for Nathaniel to run...but he didn’t. Azadarin spoke to Nathaniel....

“Opsuni espin natfina olin ulari Nathaniel?” probed Azadarin in a questioning voice.

“Yes Sir I can understand some Elf language” said Nathaniel back to Azadarin as his eyes went wide in surprise. So did Nibbles and she turned smiling even wider at Azadarin who now prattled off several different languages to Nathaniel and in each case he was given the response back in the same language. Azadarin spoke again but in his own tongue this time...

“How is it that a 13 year old can decipher all of these languages and give the correct responses to me?” asked Azadarin now smiling just as wide as Nibbles.

“I practise at home with books from the library in the village” said Nathaniel.

“But who helps you understand the correct pronunciation?” asked Azadarin.

“No one sir...it just feels right saying it that way”

At this comment Nibbles turned and looked at Azadarin and did a gentle little nod of her head in recognition to tell Azadarin she was confident about this boys potential. Azadarin raised his finger and pointed it at Nibbles and she settled down again and tried not to appear excited...but it was so hard for her to do that given that Nathaniel was so openly clever.

“Nathaniel...I am about to set up a test of sorts for people in the village that are your age and I would like for you to enter it, would you like to be a part of what is about to happen?”

Nibbles turned from Azadarin to Nathaniel and gave him a really big smile which in hind sight might not have been such a good idea showing a young scared boy her glorious set of fangs in all their glory.

“Will it cost anything to enter as my family doesn’t have much money and....will I get hurt if I enter?” asked Nathaniel now wide eyed looking directly at the fangs he saw in Nibbles mouth.

“No nothing of the sort dear fellow it will just be a test of your skills...against mine...to see if you are worthy of further training”

“Oh ok..how do I enter this competition Azadarin?” asked Nathaniel now a bit more at ease but he really wished Nibbles would stop smiling.

“In three days time when the moon is full look for a letter from me under the door to your home and the details will be on there as to when and where you should be ok?” said Azadarin picking up his hat, dusting off the pine needles, dislodging Nibbles from her perch and standing up to shake Nathaniels hand. They shook hands and Nibbles winked at Nathaniel and as quietly as he arrived Azadarin took two steps and vanished before Nathaniels eyes.

Needless to say no more fishing was undertaken at this time so Nathaniel packed up his fishing gear, bait and pole and headed home full of wonderment at what had just transpired between him and a very famous Wizard.

Back in Azadarin’s log cabin Nibbles said to her friend as he sat down in his favourite chair...

“I have a good feeling about this boy Aza...could you feel it to?” she said taking flight into the roof rafters and hanging upside down talking to her friend.

“Yes I could Nibbs...he is special” and after some dinner with Nibb’s, Azadarin began making the letters for the young adults in the village to come and be part of his quest to find his replacement. In three days time some one would be joining the ranks of The Magic Guardians and there was much to prepare.