Caster's Spell (A Mage Tale Book 1) Read online

  Another blast of Hard Wind struck the wall.

  "Even I have limits, Zeke. I don't think I can redirect all of them." Cameron raised his hand and gripped the air. "Tell the truth."

  "What truth?"

  Up in the audience, a twinge of panic stormed through Wesley's mind. "That wall won't break, will it?"

  "It shouldn't," answered Sri with a shrug. "But even if it does, there's a barrier around the arena that contains all of the action."

  Axel laughed, "Otherwise, the crowd would die every time the D-class goes."

  Cameron threw another blast and at the last instant, spread it to hit the wall all around Zeke. This time the stone gave way and formed a circle of crumbled earth, like an arch, around the Lightning Sorcerer.

  "Last chance!" he hollered and raised his arm behind him.

  Zeke was silent, so Cameron gripped that invisible ball and the air thinned. He lowered his hand, but delayed. His opponent's eyes grew round and his face was a quiver. Wesley's roommate sighed and raised to strike.

  "Okay!" Zeke screeched. "I did it!"

  "You did what?" Cameron exclaimed, pausing between each word. He stopped the wind from hitting Zeke's face.

  "I," the Lightning Sorcerer paused to look up at the crowd. "I attacked him."

  "Who?"

  Zeke looked down. "The Warlock."

  "Who?" The wind pressed harder.

  Zeke hesitated and looked around some more, his jaw rattling, but not in fear. "Wesley." He let out a breath that at first seemed like a laugh. But Cameron apparently knew better and ceased the gust of wind.

  "Say it again," Cameron said as he came closer.

  Zeke looked up and was trapped in his stare.

  "I attacked another student, a little kid. I almost killed him." His eyes squinted to keep from embarrassing himself. "I burned Wesley alive."

  He fell to the ground.

  Cameron came and put his hand on his friend's shoulder, before looking back to the duel arbitrator. "He's done."

  The arbitrator nodded and signaled Cameron's victory.

  "Come with me," the Wind Sorcerer said to his broken opponent. "There's someone you have to talk to."

  Wesley didn't know what to do. After exclaiming such a terrible thing, he didn't know Zeke's intentions. He didn't want to see him. He pondered running and even fighting, but when the two E-class magi approached, he did nothing but wave.

  "Zeke?" Cameron gently pushed him forward.

  "Wesley," Zeke said, almost in a whisper and unable to look the younger boy in the eye.

  "I know," the outcast replied.

  "But I—"

  "I know." He could see the remorse and regret in the Sorcerer's eyes and in truth didn't want to go through the same mushy actions done before with Winter. He was a farm boy, too hard for something like that between men.

  Wesley raised his hand for a shake.

  Axel, standing behind him with one eyebrow cocked, asked, "Ready to join Team Outcast?"

  Zeke ran his arm over his eyes, nodded and laughed, before taking Wesley's hand and shaking it firmly. A second later he winced. "You really do got a grip."

  Cameron laughed loudly before taking Zeke's attention. "You have to tell the dean everything and make sure he knows you're sorry, or you'll be expelled."

  Sri, failing to hide her eyes behind a distrustful brood, said with confidence, "You likely won't be accepted to any other school after what you've done."

  "I know." Zeke looked down for a moment. "I'll go talk to him right now."

  After he walked away, Sri looked up to Wesley. "I don't like it."

  "Me either, Mouse," Axel agreed with her.

  "If he's really sorry, we can't just turn our backs on him," pleaded Cameron. "C'mon, guys."

  "Cam's right," Wesley finally said. "But for now, let's try not to think about it. The rest of us have duels to concentrate on."

  Sri and Axel nodded loathsomely and turned back to watch the start of the next duel.

  "Thanks," Wesley's roommate said to him with a smile.

  "Yeah," Wesley said as they joined the other two to watch the show.

  The duels only consisted of those who passed the prior day's exam. It was in reverse order, having the E-class duel first and the G's last. Wesley watched, hardly blinking as the superior students did things he had never even imagined. Impressed, he gazed at those of his own class as they proved and disproved their eligibility for promotion, wondering when his name would be called and who he'd be up against. It was like the first day of Master Conley's class all over again.

  Sri was called the earliest. She was pitted against a Wiccan and favored to win, which she did easily. Axel's turn came soon after and following a long brawl, he defeated a Fire Sorcerer, but failed to use mimicry correctly. Wesley's heart nearly jumped out of his chest, when he heard them announced as victors. He kept his fingers crossed hoping that he'd be up next and that his opponent was someone good... but not too good.

  But fight after fight, his name wasn't called. The sun was less than an hour from setting and most every student in the underclass had completed the exam.

  "This should be the last duel," said Sri, looking east toward the falling sun.

  "Congrats, man," said Cameron. "It's supposed to be good luck to have the final duel. Usually both combatants are promoted."

  "Cool," Wesley said with a reassured smile. "I wonder who it'll be. Who hasn't fought yet?"

  "Umm."

  Then, an announcer called for the last two magi.

  "Savage, Wesley." The voice paused for an excruciating three seconds. "Caldwell..."

  Noooo!

  "...Liam. Report to floor."

  "I was hoping I'd get him," said Axel. "You're not happy?"

  "I wanted it to be fun," Wesley replied as he left his friends. It won't be.

  A short few minutes later and he was standing a couple dozen feet from his opponent, from his enemy.

  Liam grinned in a way that would scare young children.

  "I couldn't have prayed for anything better," he said. "A chance to impress the masters... by hurting you."

  "It's gonna be different this time, stick-boy," Wesley asserted.

  "Don't lie to yourself, knuckle-dragger."

  Wesley didn't know whether or not the arbitrator started the bout. He was too nervous to listen to anything other than his racing thoughts. He wasn't afraid, just nervous. This was a grudge match, and not just a way for him to show his skill. He couldn't lose to this person. After all, given the chance, Liam would probably kill him.

  He pulled his hands up a little and waited for the noble to strike.

  "Eclair!" Lightning propagated on the Wiccan's lion scepter.

  Wesley instinctively drew a wall of earth to block the bolt. Then he charged around it, forming hand signs. "Maleza!"

  The vines ripped through the soil and launched for Caldwell like a wave over the ocean. The young Wizard shot a spell into the growth but to no avail. He was taken by the arms and legs and almost wrapped up entirely and held half a dozen feet off the ground.

  Wesley approached him with his hand aimed, and a slight smile. "Submit, Liam."

  "So you think you've won?" the Wizard laughed, even though all but his face was ensnared. "You're such a fool."

  "Whatever, tough guy. I can crush you with a wave of my finger."

  Liam stared down at his adversary and spoke slowly, "Maybe, if you actually captured me."

  "What?"

  "Rot," Wesley's enemy said and his skin became a dried up brown, like a plant that's gone months without water. Then the brown crept onto Wesley's conjure and it too withered. The process continued until the whole of the enormous vine collapse into a pile of mulch.

  Wesley looked around in a panic. A clone? That too was something not touched on in the underclass. Where was Liam learning all of these advanced spells?

  Then he was struck in the side by a force he recognized to be a puls wave. He rolled in the dirt, hoping th
at the strategy he had planned was worth the pain.

  He heard Liam's ghoulish laugh approaching, "As if some lower being like you ever had a chance."

  "If I don't have a chance," Wesley said before spitting blood from his lip, assuming he bit it when he fell. "...why haven't you beaten me yet?"

  The Wiccan chuckled some more. "Are you kidding? This is the most fun I've had all year."

  The boy stopped walking as Wesley struggled back to his feet.

  "This won't be over soon; I can promise you that much, Warlock."

  Yep, sounds about right. Wesley stared at the unharmed boy, knowing that it was going to be a good fight, but not fun.

  "Your move," offered the Wizard.

  "You're gonna regret this. Haybusa!" The bird appeared in the air.

  Cameron, Axel, and Sri watched closely, tensing and shifting as if they were in the battle themselves.

  "That's it, Wes," said his roommate quietly.

  "What does he have planned?" asked Sri.

  "I'm actually hoping he doesn't do what he has planned." Cameron rubbed the back of his head.

  "Why? What is it?" Axel turned to him.

  "Not totally sure, but it's old and more powerful than anything I've ever heard of."

  "You're talking about the spell you helped him with," Sri took Cameron by the arm, before drawing her hand back uncomfortably. She rubbed at her elbow and looked down. "Do you think Wesley has a chance?"

  "Of course, Sri." Cameron palmed both of her shoulders and then turned back to the duel. "We gotta have a little faith."

  "Yeah, Mouse," Axel added. "No worries." Then he looked up at the hawk. "He should be careful though. If he lets that thing fly much higher, it'll be a drain on his source."

  Cameron giggled. "As if that's a problem you two ever think about."

  Wesley reached up, aiming his hand at the bird. "Rebanho!"

  Smoke puffed from the animal and engulfed it in a thirty foot cloud.

  "You think hiding your stupid conjure is going to change anything?"

  "I don't hide from you anymore, Liam." Then Wesley shouted, "Climb!"

  A small flock of birds shot up and out of the puff.

  "Huh," Liam grunted, looking up at the creatures as they almost disappeared into the sky.

  "Lupis!" Wesley called to the World of The Forms.

  More.

  By the time the Wizard took his eyes from above, Wesley's next conjure was upon him. Barking ferociously, the wolf dove for him. Liam immediately hit the floor, letting the wolf fly over him and slide to turn around. The noble jumped up, his scepter ready. "Lupis."

  The wolves rolled in a vicious exchange.

  "Dive," Wesley called to sky.

  Liam's mouth dropped open as he looked up at the racing birds. Wesley could see his anxiety as the conjures bore down on him like bombs. But before completely losing his cool, Liam held his scepter with both hands and squeezing tightly, shouted a spell, "Bouclier."

  A blue, transparent, dome materialized around him.

  The first hawk to reach him slammed into the dome and exploded like a stick of dynamite. Wesley was astonished to see the shield without a scratch and Liam completely unharmed, again with his insufferable grin.

  The next five hit in a quick succession, shaking the ground and causing the Wizard to kneel. One more hit, but unlike the first, it left a mark.

  Wesley smiled and, now knowing that the shield could be broken, called up to the remaining conjures, "Faster!"

  Two slammed with a rattling boom, creating a crack.

  C'mon, Stick-boy, you can do more, right?

  Liam covered his head as the rest of the exploding flock bombarded him.

  When the smoke cleared, Liam was on his feet. His dome was battered and ridden with fissures, but still standing. He glared at the Warlock in a way that made Wesley hope that eyes couldn't kill.

  "Not good enough, monkey." The dome shattered like glass and disappeared. "My turn." He turned the lion's head down and swung like a golfer. "Steinschlange."

  The earth rumbled as a long tube of stone fluidly lifted from ground. Then with a closer look, the Warlock realized that this tube had fangs and eyes; that it wasn't tube at all. It was a snake! A stony snake as large as an anaconda.

  That's more like it, Wesley thought, sure that his plan was almost complete. If he could survive the giant snake, he might just win the battle. He went for the scroll in his pocket, but then decided to save it for later, and instead he put his hands together.

  "Rata."

  A red eyed rodent appeared in his hands.

  "Devour him!" called Liam and the giant snake shot across the small distance for a Warlock dinner, showing its jagged, earthy fangs with a grinding hiss.

  Wesley reached into his other pocket and took a pad of sticky-notes from it. He peeled away the top paper, which had a small curse written in his sloppy handwriting on the surface and stuck it to the rodent's back.

  After coming within range, the snake stood taller than a man and prepared to strike like a cobra.

  Wesley chucked the rat up at Liam's conjure, hitting the back of its throat. Then the Warlock reached out to his right. "Rosier."

  He snatched the whip-like flower and snapped it at the snake, binding its mouth closed.

  Seconds later the basilisk's head blew up, sending small rocks in all directions. Wesley, carefully shifting out of the defeated snake's crash-course, made a few quick heavily practiced hand signs. "Hurón. Rapid fire."

  Without hesitation, the small beast jumped into the air and spat a hail of fire-balls. The ever vigilant Liam dashed around in a vast circle, narrowly avoiding the flames. Countless plants, however, were unable to escape the burn and Wesley’s maleza didn’t stand a chance. By the end of the conjure's attack most of the dueling floor was ablaze.

  Liam looked around barely able to contain himself, before calling out to Wesley, "Moron, you've all but dug your own grave."

  Wesley tightened his fist. Do it.

  The noble genius aimed his staff at him. "Lopta zmajem!"

  Just as it did in the labyrinth, the fire that burned all around them stretched from their origins and collected at the mouth of the lion's head.

  Wesley kept his smile to himself. End-game. He looked up to the sky; "Dive!"

  An almost invisible dot under the clouds rattled around and slowly seemed to grow. The low sun lit half of its body, casting a shadow over the other. It was a hawk, his hidden weapon that didn't dive with the rest.

  "Whoa," Axel laughed, almost jumping over the rail in excitement.

  "Who could have seen that coming?" Cameron said, leaning over the rail with him.

  "I know, but ain't Liam gonna see it?"

  "It doesn't matter," Sri's small voice cut in. "Haybusa's not diving for Liam. It's going for his spell."

  "The explosion will be unavoidable," finished Cameron.

  "That was like ten steps ahead!" exclaimed Axel. "Maybe Wes is smarter than he tested."

  "He knows Liam too well," said Cameron. "I don't think he would have done anything like that if it was anyone else."

  "Either way, it's amazing," Sri squealed with a radiant smile.

  The Wizard, unable to stop the spell, finally looked up and saw the oncoming bird. He shuffled back and pushed his source through his scepter.

  "Bouclier!" he shouted with a high pitched jump in his voice.

  The hawk collided with the sphere and unleashed a fierce explosion. Liam was blown back, his shield seeming no more a boundary than a piece of paper. After rolling in the dirt, he wasn't quick to stand.

  Wesley jogged over to him, fearing the worst, but when he arrived and reached down to check his opponent, Liam proved his vitality with an insult.

  "Back, you stupid ape!" He subconsciously flailed his arms.

  Wesley stood tall and smiled ever-so-slightly. "Gesticulation reveals true intentions, Wiccan. You lost."

  Seven members of the audience cheered, but no one else joi
ned them.

  "No!" Liam snatched up his scepter. "Puls!"

  Wesley rolled back more times than he could keep track of.

  "I won't be beaten by a monkey," the noble growled as he stood up. "No, not by you. I'll win this match. I'll take you down and prove that I am the next great mage to come out of Reviberous. When they see what I'm capable of, everyone will know that I’m the best!"

  Liam closed his hand and walked closer to his injured opponent.

  When Wesley saw it open again, it wasn’t empty. His eyes widened in shock and fear at the sight of a small marble, resting on Liam's palm.

  "That's... that's," he stuttered.

  "That's right." The marble lifted from the Wiccan's hand. "The mark of a genius."

  The Orb of Genesis!

  Wesley watched as his enemy put the mouth of the lion to the forbidden relic, initiating its rotation. The Orb spun at an incredible rate before shining like a bulb.

  "No!" The arbitrator flashed over, but was too late. The orb shot into the sky and just as soon a golden glow cascaded down around the school.

  Wesley shook when he heard the screams of the crowd. He looked around at the frenzied people as they all tried to flee.

  "Dear lord," Master Sinclair uttered, looking up at the surreal honey-colored light. Standing from his seat, he made no effort to block out the screams of his students and thousands of other spectators. They were supposed to be under his protection. It was his school!

  Yet he could only clench his teeth as he realized their fate. And his own.

  "Is there nothing we can do?" asked one of the master judges.

  "Nothing at all," answered Grandmaster Povlow. "It would seem that the child's legacy will finish his endeavors."

  “No. There are thousands of people here, including children. We have to try,” Dmitri stubbornly declared. “Master Povlow, I'll need your assistance.”

  As if forgetting his magical abilities, Wesley jumped to his feet and tackled Liam, swinging like he would at any Feeble back at home. "You idiot! I almost got expelled because of you!"

  "Wesley!" he heard someone shouting and turned to see his roommate flying for him. "Wes, forget about him. The Exams are over."