Caster's Spell (A Mage Tale Book 1) Page 16

  "I can’t do this!" Wesley screamed.

  "Destroy him!"

  The golems charged. With shaky hands Wesley initiated his spell, "Terra wall."

  The Champions ran through the obstacle without so much as slowing down. Panic swung its mighty broadsword. Wesley used the earth to once again leap to safety. Mayhem raised an enormous ax. But when it swung, its arms were brought to a halt by another wall. Then Wesley rolled away.

  "Is that all you can do, knuckle-dragger?" Ashlyn insulted.

  "No," said the boy as if first realizing it. He put his hands to the ground. "Maleza!"

  It was a conjure that he was most accustom to, but in perfect form. The ground rumbled as a massive vine grew. Countless large green limbs reached out of the earth and entangled themselves around the two golems, grinding them with three inch thorns.

  "I hope this works," Wesley said to himself. The second part of strategy is to use what you’ve gathered on your opponent during the battle thus far. She’s already used three incantations, so I shouldn’t be seeing anything unexpected, although I shouldn't rule out the possibility. She’s overly aggressive, and more importantly, her conjures naturally share that attribute. If I do everything right, this duel is mine.

  "That won’t stop them." The Witch blasted a few puls waves into the heap, shaving off layers. The Champions hacked the rest of their way out. "Finish him."

  "Here we go," Wesley said quietly. He charged at the golems—seventy-two—and smacked Mayhem under the chin with a slab of stone. Then he turned for Panic, clapped his hands and slammed them on the ground.

  Once again, Panic was ensnared by the plant. Without hesitation, the boy ran as far and as fast as his legs would take him, given the very limited amount of time.

  Ashlyn laughed, "It’s useless. Mayhem, go!"

  The giant jumped into the air, landing just before Wesley. Gotcha! Four walls jutted up, diagonally, all around Mayhem, locking the dangerous Champion in place.

  End-game. Wesley panted as he jogged to the center of the two golems and faced off with the Witch.

  She glared at him. "No."

  The Champions exploded from their prisons and dashed for him. Here they come, he thought as he huffed nervously. They went from several meters away to just a couple feet, in seconds. As his heart pounded in his chest, he ran through his plan, hoping he hadn’t made a mistake.

  The Champions prepared to strike. Mayhem heaved and Panic jabbed. Deciding it was time for his final move, Wesley raised his arms and pulled himself away from danger. The golems sliced into each other.

  "Nooo!" Ashlyn reached for her conjures as if to save them. "What have you done?"

  The Champions returned to their original forms, and then the stones crumbled like dried balls of mud.

  Realizing that he was too high to land safely, Wesley pulled another wall up for him to set down on. Then looking down at his opponent, he asked, "Are they broken?"

  She glared at him with unrelenting abhorrence. "You," she said just barely loud enough for him to hear. Then she raised her scepter. "Éclair!"

  She cheated!

  A fourth incantation! He wanted to say something, but Wesley knew he didn’t have time to tell on her, as he saw discharge sparking off of her silver scepter. Then a white bolt of lightning leapt from the snake head that was its tip. It slammed into the wall, collapsing his foundation.

  Lightning! He remembered the burn, that dark place, the pain. Then suddenly his fear had become overwhelmed. He was angry, more than he understood. She cheated, she lied, she tortured him. She had to lose. She became everything that he was against. She had to pay!

  Wesley rotated up, holding himself in the air with his source. He motioned with his fingers and a single vine shot up to his hand.

  Although not quite like this, he had planned for her to try something unexpected. The seed was sown and the trap was laid minutes earlier.

  A vine grew from beneath Ashlyn and took hold of her ankle. With a fierce glare in his eye, Wesley yanked back on the plant.

  The Witch was flung into the air. She screamed and dropped her scepter as Wesley hurled her at least twenty feet over his own head.

  Wait! What am I doing? No. No!

  "Ashlyn!" He reached out for her, hoping that he could extend his source far enough, and closed his grip. "Gotcha."

  She was just a foot above the ground and continued to scream for a few moments.

  Wesley descended to the ground. "Are you okay? I’m so sorry—I don’t know what came over me."

  The Witch silenced herself and extended her hand towards her scepter. It in turn flew into her grasp. She maneuvered her body to an upright position. "Don’t you dare look down on me."

  "What?"

  "Sink." She aimed to the ground beneath his feet and Wesley fell neck-deep into the earth, immobilized. "You are beneath me, Knuckle-dragger."

  She spat on his face for the second time, saliva splashing on his forehead.

  He only wanted to pass a class and for his efforts he was rewarded with a wad of some angry girl’s spit dripping down his face. All he could do is clench his teeth to keep from bursting into rage filled tears. He closed his eyes so tightly it hurt. He truly didn’t belong there.

  "Don’t you ever forget that," the Witch said before storming away.

  Wesley finally opened his eyes to see much of the class staring at him, with the master standing before him.

  "Master Wagner," he pleaded, "can you please help me up?"

  "That was disgraceful," said the small man. Was he actually holding some form of sympathy for the outcast? "If you are in a position to take victory, you take it, Warlock." Of course he wasn’t. "Otherwise, you might end up—well, neck-deep in the ground with saliva on your face."

  The class laughed behind the old man. He didn’t even acknowledge the fact that she had cheated, using five incantations rather than three, let alone her atrocious behavior.

  "Well I better get you out of there," sighed Master Wagner as if being strong-armed. He moved his scepter and Wesley was tugged up to the surface. "Now hurry up and clean your face. You have four more duels. I’ll consider that one a draw."

  Eye for an Eye

  "Hey, Wes, I heard your favorite Water Sorceress is back," Axel said with a huge smile and punched the smaller boy on the shoulder.

  "Yeah," said Wesley, rubbing his soon-to-be bruise as the three boys stopped outside of the cafeteria door.

  "Well? What did she say?" The Sorcerer didn’t notice Cameron’s attempts to signal him not to ask.

  "Nothing," said Wesley in a sulk.

  Axel smacked him in the back and opened the door. "Stop being so mopey. It’s just one girl."

  The three walked to their table. It was actually one of the perks to being a pariah: always having somewhere to sit. The cafeteria was its usual ruckus of voices, laughter, and clanging of dishware, but this time Wesley noticed something slightly different about the pea soup of source. There was a new feeling in the mix that no one ever expressed at the sight of him. The source-sayer felt traces of an uneasy feeling that he didn’t know how to classify. Then he straightened up, wide-eyed and tense, when he heard a small fraction of one sentence:

  "…beat Ashlyn, a Wiccan."

  He remained silent until he got his food and sat at the table.

  "I think I’m in danger," he whispered loudly to the Sorcerers.

  "Yeah, that’s why I put up with you, remember?" Axel said and Cameron laughed.

  "Seriously guys." Wesley leaned forward. "I think they know about my duels in Wiccanry."

  "Duh," said Cameron after swallowing a mouthful of pudding. "Everyone in the under-class knows. Ashlyn is one of the better Witches in your grade level. Of course something like that would get around. Plus, you beat three other people. You may have won that last duel, if you weren't so exhausted."

  "Oh man," Wesley complained.

  "Just eat your sandwich, before I do," said Axel with a mouthful of food. "I mean
it’s not like that’s the reason Sri ain't talkin' to us."

  Cameron smacked his own forehead and, surprising even himself, Wesley laughed.

  "Oh, it finally happened. He lost his mind! I knew the pressure was too much," joked the genius.

  "No, I’m okay. It’s just that you guys… oh never mind."

  "Now I wanna know," said Axel. "Spit it out."

  "Well, it’s just weird how close you guys are now. I mean you’re cousins and you never even talked before I made you get along."

  The Sorcerers’ smiles faded.

  "What happened?"

  "Do we really gotta talk about this?" asked Cameron. "It’s bad news."

  "Yeah we do," said Axel without looking at anyone. "Because the honest truth is, I don’t know."

  "You don’t?" asked the Wind Sorcerer.

  "No. I was just told that you and your father have dishonored the clan and were exiled. In truth, I was even told not to talk to you."

  Cameron put his spoon down and rubbed the back of his neck. "It’s because I’m impure," he said quietly. "I’m not of the earth."

  "That can’t be it," said Axel in disbelief. "It’s just a fluke. Children of other elements have been born to Earth Sorcerers before."

  "It wasn’t a fluke, Stone." Cameron’s voice was suddenly as stern as Master Conley’s. "My mother was a Wind Sorceress."

  "What?" Axel scoffed.

  "My parents wed against the will of the clan. There punishment was judged based on my medium. If I took to earth, like my father, they would have been reprimanded but still part of the family. Obviously that wasn’t the case. When I was two, I lifted a rock by manipulating the air around it." Cameron laughed. "Musta thought that they would be fooled."

  "No such luck, huh?" said Wesley.

  "Nope. We were excommunicated."

  "Yeah, but," said Axel with an eyebrow cocked, "I can’t believe your old man married a Wind Sorceress."

  "What?" Cameron turned.

  "I’m just confused. Why would anyone do something that stupid?"

  Cameron jumped to his feet, his chair flying back into the aisle. "My pop is not stupid!"

  Wesley felt the hair on his head sway. This can’t be good.

  "I didn’t say he was." Axel scooted back and stood up. "I’m just sayin’ that what he did was stupid."

  The E-class mage backed up into the aisle and raised his hands to his sides. The air around them started swirling violently. Wesley had to put his arm over his face to keep his eyes from drying. But when he glanced back to Axel, the muscular boy was smiling. Axel followed Cameron into the aisle and raised his fists.

  Wesley's thoughts ran wild as he panicked, Cam’s seriously pissed and Ax doesn’t know how to back down. What did I do?

  "Oh my God," Wesley heard a voice behind him, one that he knew very well.

  He turned around to see Sri sitting with the very group of girls that she denounced at the ball. It was true, Wesley deduced, her apology was just brought on by the Midwinter Festival. He quickly turned back to his only allies. He couldn’t allow them to do this. He couldn’t let himself lose two more friends.

  Wesley jumped between the two Sorcerers.

  "What do we have here," he said, remembering his first day of school. "Two underclassmen using magic to fight, outside of session and tournament. Unsanctioned duels are grounds for expulsion. You know that Cam." He looked at his roommate and then to Axel. "Back off, both of you."

  Cameron opened his hands and the wind continued to swirl. Axel closed his fists tighter and the ground rattled.

  "Fine, if it’s a fight you need," Wesley aimed his palms at both of the Sorcerers.

  Cameron slowly shook his head.

  "Move," Axel warned.

  "I can’t." Wesley did his best to steady his arms, but was still nervously shaking. He wasn't ready to face them, but now more than ever, he needed his friends and was willing to fight to keep them.

  The wind began to die and Axel relaxed his fingers.

  "Oh thank you," Wesley laughed. "You guys woulda killed me."

  Cameron sighed and walked over to Wesley, "You’re crazy, you know that?"

  "Yeah, man, don’t do things like that," added Axel at his other side.

  "Trust me, I don’t wanna have to," Wesley replied, heart still pounding. "But I’ll kick your butts if you force me."

  "Hey Cam," said the Earth Sorcerer. "I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that—"

  "I know." Cameron held out his hand for a truce.

  "But I can’t back down from a fight, you understand. You owe me a duel."

  They shook.

  "Alright."

  "Alright."

  "Good, now can we get back to our lunch?" asked Wesley. He turned around and blindly ran into someone.

  "You idiot!" shouted the girl, looking down at her apple-sauce covered uniform.

  "Ashlyn?" said the boy. Her messy shirt made him want to laugh. "I am sooo sorry."

  "Just get out of the way, Warty."

  "Wait. Here, let me help you." He bent down and picked up a napkin that used to be on her tray.

  The Witch smacked his hand away. "You dumb knuckle-dragger, I’m so sick of you!"

  She spat.

  Wesley closed his eyes and turned his face. But then, seconds later, he noticed that he wasn’t wet and looked around. The wad of saliva hung in the air between them.

  "What the…" he uttered.

  Ashlyn was equally confused by the unnatural event, until she heard the voice of one of her "gifted" peers. "That boy is my friend, and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop calling him names."

  Ashlyn looked back over her shoulder. "Sri, what are you doing? You don’t even know this knuckle-dragger."

  "Actually, I know him well. We’ve been friends since the beginning of school." The Water Sorceress walked around to Wesley’s side. She took a deep breath. "Ashlyn, you like spitting on people, don’t you. It makes you feel superior."

  The angry blonde rolled her eyes.

  "Tell me, has anyone ever spat on you?"

  "Of course not," Ashlyn snickered.

  "I thought as much," Sri said before she began to move. Wesley recognized these movements as casting. As she pulled and twisted her limbs about, he felt the saliva in his mouth pull towards his lips. Again, he wanted to laugh as he noticed liquid being snatched from the mouths of every student in the cafeteria, collecting over their heads.

  "We… should step back." Axel pulled Wesley by the back of his shirt.

  Ashlyn looked up to see the completion of the ball of disgusting fluid. Then she looked back to Sri and begged, "Don’t."

  "You kinda brought this on yourself," said the little Sorceress as she pushed her palms out towards Ashlyn.

  Ashlyn screamed until she was swept off her feet by a wave of spit. Under Sri’s control, the saliva froze around her head, leaving just a small hole for the Witch to breathe. In a desperate scramble, Ashlyn rallied to her feet and ran, slamming head first into the door before escaping the cafeteria.

  The whole room exploded with hysteria.

  "I can’t believe you just did that," said Wesley.

  "Yeah, I’m probably going to get detention, but you don’t need to worry about her anymore." Sri walked closer to him. "I heard about what happened in your Wiccan class. I’m so sorry you have to go through that."

  "So you’re talking to me again?"

  "Of course, that’s what I said at the festival right?"

  Cameron and Axel started walking back to the table. Wesley and Sri followed.

  "People said a lot of things at the festival," said Wesley.

  "You didn’t believe me?"

  "Well…" They sat, "you didn’t talk to me all day."

  "Like when?" The bridge of her nose wrinkled.

  "In Master Tesla’s class, you didn’t even look at me."

  "I pay attention." She shrugged.

  "And after class…"

  "I had to talk to the dea
n about… family matters." She looked down.

  "Well, we couldn’t find you in all of our usual spots," admitted Wesley. "It was like you were avoiding us."

  "Or it was like my first day back and I had to spend all my spare time unpacking," she laughed.

  Wesley laughed with her, "Yeah, I guess you’re right. Sorry I ever doubted you. But why didn’t you sit with us for lunch?"

  "You guys were late."

  Wesley gave Axel a look.

  "What?" The Earth Sorcerer smiled. "You just hate me cuz I'm beautiful."

  "I didn’t want to sit by myself,” Sri continued. “And after I was already talking with them, I couldn’t very well up and leave. That would be rude. Speaking of, I better go back."

  "Hm, okay."

  "To tell them that I’m eating with you guys. Sheesh, don’t be so paranoid. It’s not a good look." The girl stood up. "I’ll be right back. I want to know all about your new conjures."

  "Hey Sri," called Cameron, before she took her second step.

  "Welcome back to Team Outcast, Mouse," laughed Axel.

  She giggled. "Glad to be here, Ogre."

  A Real Mage

  "So you think you’re tough because you beat a girl?"

  "Ugh… no, I just did what Master Wagner told us to do," Wesley said. He was supposed to be returning from the restroom, but five more minutes and he’d get in trouble for ditching second period. Wesley tried to back away, but there was someone standing behind him.

  "To pick on girls? I find it hard to believe that a master would tell you to pick on some innocent, unsuspecting girl. Even you’re not that dumb, Warty."

  Innocent and unsuspecting weren’t words that Wesley would have used to describe Ashlyn, but arguing that point wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. "Listen, Liam—"

  "Look at him, using his big boy voice," Liam laughed and his troop of cronies joined him. "Just because you spent one month pretending to be a Wizard does not mean that you are one of us."

  "Yeah." The boy behind Wesley pushed him. Then he was shoved again and again until he fell.

  He was better than this now. Wesley took on, and passed, every one of Wagner’s ludicrous ploys to fail him. He was winning more duels than losing. He was learning his own magic and was becoming more skilled with conjures every day. He wasn’t the weakest kid anymore.