To Cast the First Spell Read online

Could it be a trick? As I wish? Daniel was confused. “I won’t run,” he said, trusting his reflexes were quick enough; from the short distance between them he could have a knife in Terroll’s chest within two heart beats. The next threatening move made by the Aakacarn would be his last.

  Daniel floated to the ground and the silver mist vanished, as did the glow around Terroll. Apparently, the light comes whenever a spell is about to be cast. The only difference was that the harper’s light was silver while Daniel’s was blue. One flicker would be warning enough to throw the knife. “I don’t want anything from you. Go away; leave Tannakonna that would be payment enough.”

  Terroll frowned and did not seem the least bit convinced by what was a perfectly reasonable gratuity. “We should speak on these things at your home. Privacy when discussing matters of this nature is highly recommended,” he stated, as if Daniel had not spoken.

  Daniel shook his head. “I’d rather not involve my parents,” he told him, not wanting to risk their lives.

  Terroll’s eyes rolled upward and he frowned as if standing down wind from a skunk. Fortunately for him, he did not glow. “On my honor as a three-bolt Accomplished of the Zephyr Guild, I’ll not cast another spell without your expressed permission nor will I harm your parents,” he said, with his right hand raised level with his chest.

  In all the stories Daniel had ever heard, the guild oath was sacred and unbreakable, except for members of the Serpent Guild, and the harper surely was not one of them. Besides, one flicker from him would be his last. “Very well, come with me,” Daniel said, determined to keep a sharp eye on the Aakacarn.

  He led the Accomplished to the cottage and introduced him as such to his parents, both tensed up, with strain visible in their eyes after hearing the man was not just a traveling musician. They sat stoned-faced and ridged.

  Terroll seemed to have all the poise and dignity of a nobleman. “Please, consider coming to Aakadon with me,” he stated, and then took a sip of tea as though his request was completely within reason.

  Daniel licked his lips while easing his hand toward the knife strapped to his waist. “I am not going to Aakadon,” he said firmly, burying all of his fears under a mound of determination.

  His mother cleared her throat and looked the harper straight in the eye. “You can’t have our son,” she told him calmly, yet seemed ready to grab a skillet and smack the harper in the head if he disagreed.

  Ronn sprang to his feet and slammed his fits down on the table. “You’ll not take him from us!”

  Daniel flinched, worried for his parents, they would not be able to see a low power spell being cast. He alone was responsible for their safety. Fortunately, the Accomplished did not seem affected by the emotional display.

  Terroll placed his cup and saucer back on the table. “Obviously, your coming with me to Aakadon is not negotiable. Please consider allowing me to teach you a few basic spells.”

  “Out of the question,” Ronn blurted. The muscles in his arms twitched, meaning he was on the verge of violence. Anger burned in his eyes like hot coals and that deadly longbow of his was clearly within reach.

  Terroll maintained his composure, the very portrait of calm and understanding. “Daniel, you cast a spell by accident. We were all fortunate it was only a memory spell, something benevolent. Your next accident may not work out so well. Suppose you cast a forget spell and wipe away the memories of each person in the village, including your own?”

  “Go on,” Daniel said. The man had a point.

  Terroll had a glint in his eye and seemed on the verge of smiling. “If you at least learn the basics, maybe no one will get hurt. The memory spell so far seems to be permanent and any future spells cast by accident could be just as permanent. Even your parents are a risk, especially them. They are safer sharing the cottage with a bear.”

  The harper’s reasoning was infallible. Daniel moved his hand away from the knife handle without drawing attention to the movement. Guilt gnawed at him for selfishly risking the lives of others. He was a greater danger to his parents than Terroll had ever been. He glanced from one parent to the other, and then focused on the Accomplished. “I agree to learn enough to keep from hurting anyone.”

  Terroll grinned like a hungry cat ready to finish off the mouse he had been playing with. “Good, we can begin tonight,” he said, not bothering to hide the pleasure at his winning the point.

  Ronn and Miriam Benhannon did not look pleased, both sat back in their chairs, and Daniel noticed they did not argue either. Lack of training made him dangerous to be around. “I’ll get my guitarn and we can begin under the great pine,” he said, and then went to his room, picked up his instrument, and re-entered the dining area where the harper was talking to his parents.

  “You both understand that this is for the best. Your son’s potential is extremely high for his age, which is all the more reason why training is necessary,” Terroll told them with a smile and they nodded silent agreement.

  Daniel headed for the front door and motioned for the Accomplished to follow him, which he did. The journey up the hill seemed to have little effect on the Ecoppian, who walked briskly with harp in hand. Stars twinkled in the heavens while the moon bathed the clearing in a soft shadowy glow. The huge branches of the great pine reached upward and swayed slightly as a wind whispered through the needles.

  “May I cast a spell?’ Terroll asked, apparently remembering his agreement.

  “Of course,” Daniel agreed, and then added, “You could hardly teach me otherwise.”

  The silver glow surrounded Terroll and a tight beam shot from his right index finger to a spot on the ground where a carpet of needles blew aside, leaving a clearing four cubits across. A second beam shot from his finger and ignited a fire. “Please, sit down, this may take awhile,” he said, and sat, making himself comfortable and positioning the harp for playing.

  Daniel did as instructed and waited with guitarn at the ready for his first lesson to begin. This promised to be interesting. One part of him felt guilty for what he was about to do, for exposing himself to the secrets of spell casting, while the other part of him was thrilled at the prospect of learning something new.

  Terroll plucked his harp, smiling as though pleased with the sound, for it truly was tuned to perfection. “I’ll begin by saying; there are seven legitimate guilds for an Accomplished to choose from. These are Zephyr, Eagle, Willow, Aloe, Sun, Aqua, and Stone.”

  Daniel paid close attention, it is always best to know whom to avoid, his improved memory would ensure that forgetting this or any future lessons was not likely to happen. He had no intention of ever choosing a guild.

  “I will teach you the seven basic Melodies first, one from each guild,” the Accomplished began. “This is called, Potential. It is a spell of the Eagle Guild and is used, as you may have reasoned out, to cause all Aakacarns within visual range to glow. I used this to identify you. By the way, your potential energy is topaz blue,” he added, and then plucked out the simple Melody.

  Daniel listened intently and smiled when he and the harper began to glow and light up the clearing in silver and blue. Learning new tunes came natural for him, having little to do with his recently enhanced memory. He played the exact tune note for note on his guitarn and produced the same effect as his teacher.

  The harper’s eyebrow arched upward, he seemed surprised. “You learn quickly.” he commented and then added, “All spells must be performed precisely, note for note, same key and rhythm. Otherwise, the spell will collapse. I have seen many Talenteds bruise themselves by playing a wrong note or holding the correct one for too long.”

  Daniel nodded his understanding. If all the spells were this simple, learning them would not even be a challenge. One thing became clear as a spring day; he wanted to know more than just how to be safe. “What is a Talented?”

  Terroll threw a stick onto the fire, stared into the flames briefly, and then answered, “There are three general classifications of Aakacarns. A Potential i
s a person who possesses the extra energy in their life force, which gives them the ability to cast spells. Talenteds are those individuals being trained to summon and control their potential. The course on spell casting has four levels, the time at each level depends on the student’s propensity and capacity to learn, some take many years and some as little as four to graduate. A large number of students come to us having no education at all. They must be taught to read and write, add, subtract, multiply and divide, in addition to subjects like history and geography. An Accomplished is an Aakacarn who has completed the fourth level and is then considered to be a master of his or her potential. At this level the graduate chooses a guild. Each affiliation possesses hundreds of specialized spells known only to them, and the Grand Maestro, of course,” he explained, and paused as if allowing time for the information to sink in, then added, “A Talented is taught twenty spells from each guild. I will teach you as much as you want to know.”

  The knowledge succeeded in alleviating Daniel’s guilt and his fears associated with the Aakacarns. He was beginning to see them and himself in a new light. He wanted to learn all of the spells, although he still had no intention of joining a guild. “Please, teach me more,” he said, and then listened while Terroll played another tune.

  “This one is called, Waken the Sprig. The Willow Guild uses it to make plants grow,” said the Accomplished, glowing with potential. A silver beam shot from his right eye and struck a bare spot on the ground. A plant immediately sprouted up, grew and bloomed with a red and violet flower.

  What a useful spell to know in the off season, Daniel thought. Being able to make a barren tree produce fruit is a good thing. It would seem that not everything the Aakacarns did was evil. He duplicated the spell, found himself suddenly sitting in the middle of a flower patch, and then waited for Terroll to teach him another; Cooling the Heat, used by the Aloe Guild to heal minor burns. Daniel played the spell correctly, even though there was no burn to heal. He took the harper’s word for it that the rendering was correct.

  “This spell is called, Spout a Leak. It is from the Aqua Guild and can be used to prime a well,” The Accomplished stated, and then plucked out the Melody.

  Daniel played the spell, and again had to take the instructor’s word that the spell was performed correctly and would in fact do as stated.

  Terroll cast another spell, producing a glowing sphere a hand span above his head that illuminated the clearing with the brightness of forty oil lamps. “This spell of the Sun Guild is called, Ball of Light,” he said, and then broke the spell and stared expectantly.

  Daniel duplicated the Melody and soon had a glowing sphere surrounding him and a thrill at seeing the result of his effort. He lacked the precision of the master Aakacarn but that did not dampen his enthusiasm. He broke the spell and focused on Terroll. “Okay, teach me another.”

  The harper played another Melody, but the result was not readily apparent. “The spell is called, Mending the Pot. It is from the Stone Guild and can be useful, as the name suggests, around the house when a pot needs repairing.”

  Daniel learned the new tune and trusted he would have occasion to use the spell at home. There was nothing frightening or terrible about this type of spell casting. He was glad to be learning such useful things.

  The Accomplished played another Melody and glowed with potential. A silvery mist blew into the clearing. “Feel the Breeze, is a spell of the Zephyr Guild,” he said with unmistakable pride.

  Daniel played the tune, summoning the potential. A blue mist seemed to be emanating from him and blow off in all directions. He knew non-Aakacarns would only be able to feel the breeze, unless he concentrated enough to make it visible to them.

  Terroll smiled. “You’ve made extraordinary progress. Those are the seven basic spells. I really hadn’t expected to teach you more than two or three tonight. There are a few more things I would like to teach you tomorrow evening.”

  “Tomorrow is fine. I want to learn as much as I can,” Daniel replied, eagerly. He learned seven spells after only hearing them once. His appetite to know more had grown rather than being satisfied.

  “Good, have a nice rest,” said Terroll. He packed the harp, mounted his gelding and then headed off toward the village.

  Daniel made his way back to the cottage and realized his throat felt drier than Stedding Creek in the summer time, casting spells is thirsty work. He reached for the bucket under the sink, but stopped half way. There was a better way. He lightly plucked the Melody; Spout a Leak, the glow formed around him and grew outward to envelope the sink and the pump primed. He quickly leaned the guitarn against the wall and pumped the handle causing water to flow into the basin. He filled his cup and drank the water with a strong sense of satisfaction, and then went to bed feeling much better about himself and his being an Aakacarn.

  He crawled beneath the covers and thought of how ignorance created fear. People were afraid of the Aakacarns, yet look at all the good he could do with what little he had been taught. Val should be pleased to have a husband who could make flowers bloom for her in winter. He fell asleep listening to the sound of crickets outside his window.

  He woke up early and chopped wood for the fireplace. His parents were up and eating pancakes when he went back inside. Both of them were conspicuously quiet and neither made mention of the training Terroll had been giving him. It seemed best to respect their unspoken desire to not bring up the subject.

  He finished eating and loaded wood into the two wheeled cart he and his father made years ago. Everything was cut and measured; all he had to do was assemble it all into a bed, table and chairs. He went to the cabin and worked quickly, placing the furnishings where he thought they should go, knowing Val was sure to rearrange things to her liking, and he was happy to have her do so. They would certainly add more furniture as time went on but this was a start. The dwelling was finished yet one big question remained. Would Val agree to marry him? Worrying was getting him nowhere. He left the cabin and met up with Tim and then headed down the trail to the village. It was a beautiful morning and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Tim, Gina, and especially Val, were eager to know how the cabin was coming along. It occurred to Daniel that all three of them already knew, seeing as the site was not exactly remote and could be visited by anyone possessing the notion to find out. He wanted very much to share his excitement over the lessons Terroll was giving him, but the Aakacarn treated him the way he had before the memory spell was cast. His friends, particularly his wife-to-be, were better off, for the moment, not knowing what was going on. Bashierwood was still buzzing with talk of the strange blue light, more than a few people were offering far fetched theories as to its origins, none of which involved him.

  He put in a full days work at the inn and then went on home and ate another quiet meal with his parents. It was upsetting that they still treated him as if he were diseased and possibly contagious.

  Daniel cleared the table, washed the dishes, and then grabbed his guitarn and made his way to the great pine. He played, Riding the Wind, while watching the Accomplished approach on horseback. Terroll dismounted and immediately began to play along on his harp. The melody cast no spell; its magic was in the pure enjoyment of hearing and performing a beautiful composition.

  “You play well,” Terroll remarked, and then took on the more formal tone of an instructor. “The first spell I intend to acquaint you with tonight is called, Cover Me. It is a basic shield spell of the Eagle Guild. Mind you, the shield isn’t unbreakable, a stronger Aakacarn or one using a crescendo could nullify it,” he said, and then played the Melody.

  Daniel learned the simple spell right away and was glad to know its limitations. Otherwise, he could become over confident and foolishly get himself killed, better to trust in his natural survival instincts. Still, he had a question not directly related to the current lesson. “Why am I thirsty whenever I cast a spell?” he asked, hoping the Accomplished did not mind a slight drift from the subject.

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bsp; “I thought you would never ask,” Terroll replied, and he smiled, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. The Aakacarns were famous for their personal hygiene, even among the citizens of Ducuan. “The potential for a spell is drawn physiologically from the body of the Aakacarn. Think of it as primer for a pump. Simply put, your body loses moisture every time you cast a spell and a strong conjuration will make you even thirstier. Fortunately, Aakacarns metabolize water many times faster than do commoners. That’s why we are never far from an adequate water supply and the spell, Spout a Leak, is one of our most used incantations.”

  Daniel was glad he asked the question, dehydration was not a pleasant way to die and his ignorance could well have brought it about. He had not realized drawing too much potential into even a simple spell could kill him. The revelation was sobering but not discouraging enough to stifle his desire to learn more and develop within his own personal limits. Growing thirsty is a warning he would not ignore in the future. He nodded his understanding and then went on to the next question. “What is a crescendo?”

  Terroll held up his harp. “A crescendo increases the strength of a spell. There are two types and four classes within the types, the musical instrument and the baton. The instrument tends to be the more effective of the two, class for class. The classes range from one to four, the larger the number, the greater the amplification. A baton is especially useful when the Aakacarn doesn’t want to reveal what kind of spell is being summoned. By its nature, the instrument broadcasts the Melody.”

  The more knowledge Daniel gained, the more ignorant he felt. He had not even known enough to consider such things as crescendos. One thing was for sure, he gained more respect for the potential he was learning to wield. “I see, the guitarn is my crescendo,” he said while lifting the instrument.

  “Precisely,” Terroll said, and then paused while positioning the harp on his lap for another melody. “This spell is called, Sparking the Fame. It is of the Sun Guild and is used to light candles, lamps, or campfires. Watch me and listen carefully.”