To Cast the First Spell Read online

  The Accomplished performed the Melody and began to glow with potential. Twin beams of light shot from his eyes and struck the center of the fire pit. A flame appeared and started to spread. Terroll quickly smothered the fire.

  The Melody seemed easy enough to perform. Daniel fingered the chord in preparation to begin.

  “Wait, you must learn to focus the potential before casting this spell. We don’t want fires springing up all around us,” Terroll said, with uncommon patience for a man on the verge of being roasted alive.

  Daniel relaxed his grip on the guitarn and pictured himself being baked like a giant potato. The Accomplished was risking much to provide this basic education to a backwoodsman.

  The Ecoppian pursed his lips thoughtfully and then gave a slight nod. “Cast the spell, Potential. It’s harmless enough yet sufficient for our purpose,” he said, calmly. “Now, stare at a fixed point and concentrate while playing the Melody.”

  Daniel plucked the tune and smiled when the blue glow formed around him. He stared at the ground and willed his potential to be focused there. Twin beams of light shot from his eyes and struck the spot he intended. He smiled at Terroll, who motioned for him to do it again, and then again, and then again.

  “Very good,” Terroll said, finally satisfied. “Now do the same thing while performing, Sparking the Flame,” he instructed, and then glowed silver with potential for what was most likely a shield spell.

  Daniel took a deep breath and played the dangerous Melody. He stared at the fire pit and willed his potential to be focused there. Twin beams shot from his eyes and struck the spot he intended. A flame roared to life and quickly spread across the entire fire pit. He allowed the fire to remain, the dark night held a bit of a chill. He felt a sense of accomplishment. Learning to focus his potential was nearly as important as the spells, and in this case more so.

  “You do learn quickly,” Terroll remarked, with eyes that seemed to sparkle in delight. “Tomorrow you can light the campfire,” he added, and then proceeded to teach six more spells.

  Daniel performed each Melody exactly as he heard them played and found he actually enjoyed spell casting. People truly had no cause to be frightened of him. Birds fly, fish swim, and Aakacarns cast spells. The word no longer struck fear in his heart and he certainly was not afraid of the harper any more. What he felt for the Accomplished was respect. This was no curse, far from it. Being able to lift logs on a cushion of air seemed much better than hauling them by hand. The cabin would have been so much easier to build had he discovered his ability sooner.

  Daniel went home feeling satisfied and grateful for the lessons. Sharing his progress with his friends and family was out of the question. His parents did not want to discuss it even after he tried to explain why his being an Aakacarn was not a bad thing. They seemed all the more troubled by his growing acceptance and out right enthusiastic response to casting spells. He decided to drop the subject entirely and not bring it up again. Why upset them needlessly?

  He woke before daybreak and toiled around the cottage until completing all that needed to be done, and then walked briskly down the main trail feeling as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Tim seemed to be equally in a good mood, mostly due; no doubt, to the time he had been spending with Gina lately. Daniel spotted Val at the entrance of the Polkat and greeted her with a passionate kiss. The day seemed to go by quickly. Tim and everyone else seemed to take his sudden joyfulness as a sign the invitation into his cabin would be extended soon. He needed to have a serious talk with Val and then, he smiled, they could spend the rest of their lives together.

  Terroll was already sitting cross-legged in the clearing when Daniel arrived. The gelding was busy eating a tuft of grass. A cool breeze carried the scent of night blooming jasmine and promised a deeper chill later in the session.

  “Greetings, young man,” said the harper, with instrument in hand. “Light a fire and we shall begin.”

  Daniel played, Sparking the Flame, on his guitarn and focused on the shallow pit. A bright flame sprang to life and added its glow to the moonlit night. “I can hardly wait. What are you planning to teach me this time?” he said, while trying to down play his enthusiasm.

  Terroll stared back at him stone-faced his expression unreadable. He leaned forward. “Your talent is remarkable,” he began, and the stone face broke into a smile. “Once in awhile we get Potentials in Aakadon whose musical talents allow them to master the spells far quicker than their peers. We call then prodigies. You are such a one and I want to find out just how much you can learn in one evening.”

  Daniel was up for a challenge. He needed and wanted to know more than what he had learned so far, and this was the only way he could do so, short of going to Aakadon, which was out of the question. He had no intention of ever leaving Tannakonna, did not want to join a guild, and did not care if he ever became an Accomplished, although he could not deny his growing thirst for knowledge. “Good, I’m curious too.”

  “First, put down the guitarn you’re not going to need it for awhile.”

  Daniel leaned the hand-crafted instrument against the great pine and wondered how he could summon potential without playing the Melodies, although he had seen Terroll do so several times. He sat down cross-legged while crickets chirped to one another in a chorus that grew louder during the pause in conversation.

  “Think of the Melody, Cushion of Air, let it play in your mind, and focus on the guitarn. Levitate and draw it over to yourself, then back against the tree,” Terroll said, and then folded his arms across his chest and waited.

  Daniel thought of the tune and his aura appeared. He extended his hand toward the guitarn and focused all of his attention on it. A single bean shot forth and struck the instrument, enveloping it in a blue mist, and lifting the precious gift from his father off the ground. This had to be the same spell Terroll had used on him several days ago. Daniel willed the guitarn to come to him and moments later the smooth neck was firmly in his grasp. He released and sent the instrument back to its original position under the great pine.

  “Excellent,” Terroll said, and rubbed his hands together. “Last night you learned it isn’t necessary to allow your spells to radiate in all directions. By focusing your mind, you can isolate the effects to wherever you want them without affecting anything else. Tonight, you have learned how to cast a spell without using a crescendo. I’ll perform each spell on my harp and you will then cast all but the unobservable ones with only your mind.”

  Daniel was intrigued. “I’m ready,” he replied, eagerly.

  Terroll nodded affirmatively and performed a Melody on his harp. He glowed with potential and a silver mist formed beneath him, lifting him off the ground. He then lowered himself gently and broke the spell.

  Daniel committed the tune to memory and let it play in his mind. Soon, he floated cross legged above the ground. The blue air was actually air being channeled underneath him and the affect was chilling, largely because of the cool night. He lowered himself to the ground and listened carefully as Terroll went on to the next spell, which seemed fairly easy to learn, casting it was simplicity itself. Terroll played several tunes and Daniel duplicate each one. The Ecoppian cast more spells, quickly gave the titles and origins, and then kept going as if he was the one being challenged. Six marks went by and the Accomplished never seemed to run out of Melodies.

  Daniel took a sip from his canteen, and then cast the latest spell while the harper quenched his own thirst.

  Terroll put his flask away and then placed his instrument in its case. He turned and stared back, eyes bagged with fatigue. “That’s enough, we’ll talk tomorrow,” he said, evenly and without further elaboration.

  Daniel was relieved the Accomplished had decided to call it a night. As it was, he would only get a few candle marks of sleep before having to get up and go to work.

  Terroll swung smoothly onto his saddle and urged the gelding forward. “Good night,” he said, and then headed down the
north trail towards the inn.

  An owl hooted from a branch extended high above the clearing. Daniel looked up and smiled at the nocturnal bird. It was a wonder the creature had stayed up there, considering all the spell casting taking place. Daniel headed down the trail home while thinking of the lessons he had been given. They turned out to be more necessary than he previously imagined. What if his first spell had been Sparking the Flame? It was a sobering thought to be sure. He learned enough control to be certain there would be no more accidental spells.

  He must have learned over a hundred spells in the last session. Terroll mentioned on the first night that Talenteds are taught twenty spells from each guild. Daniel came with in two steps of his front porch and stopped in mid-stride. There are one hundred forty spells and he had learned them all. The talent inherited from his mother had made it possible, although the memory spell may have had a little to do with it. He went on inside and straight to his room. He knew both of his parents were likely to be asleep and there seemed to be no reason to disturb them. He stretched out on the bed and lost his train of thought in the middle of a yawn.

  Morning came entirely too soon and he found it a struggle to get out of bed, little time could be wasted lying around. He had things to do and time was not going to stop and wait for him. He wondered idly if there was a spell that could slow down time, but decided it was easier to get dressed and start his daily routine. Fortunately, he had chopped enough wood days ago and his present chores would be quick to accomplish. He went outside to collect eggs for breakfast.

  Clouds covered the sky and seemed determined to make sure not a patch of blue could be seen. The gray cast dampened Daniel’s spirit slightly, but not enough to destroy a pleasant mood born of success. He felt good about himself and the thrill of learning more about his abilities could not be diminished so easily. He gathered a basket of eggs from the cackling hens and then went to the barn. Simmone was busy chewing hay and gave him no more than a fleeting glance. He uncovered the milk bucket and went to work without protest from her, the event was hardly new. He finished and patted her brown and white hide, and then headed back to the cottage. He spotted ripe tomatoes in the garden and gathered them as well, placing them gently in the basket with the eggs.

  Both parents were up and about when he returned. They said very little beyond wishing him a good morning. He disliked the sadness in their eyes that seemed to say, we’re losing our son. Nothing he said seemed to make that look go away. They would not carry on a conversation with him, perhaps feeling the discussion would eventually lead to his being an Aakacarn.

  The agonizingly quite breakfast ended and Daniel headed straight for the inn. His cabin was nearly ready for occupancy and the money he earned now was for the future, his and Val’s. He, along with Tim, cleaned the Polkat from top to bottom while Todd served the customers in the dining area.

  Darby, Orin, and Kemer lounged at table five for most of the morning. The first was much in need of a good long bath and the second could have used a change in disposition. The old archer seemed to be what the other two were not, clean and in good spirits. Kemer always did seem to like cloudy days. People have a preference and the man certainly had a right to his own.

  Terroll performed all the requested melodies, and a few of his own choosing. He never gave any indication of his true calling in life or the lessons being taught. Even Orin Netless had dropped all accusations against him. The Ecoppian sang and played his instrument to the delight of his audience.

  A family of four arrived late in the day and all had dark hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. They came from Tarracopa and did not seem inclined to talk of their intended destination. There had been rumors of famine and civil unrest in the land, most everyone figured the travelers’ journey had something to do with one or the other.

  Daniel finished mopping the fifth floor hallway; a guest had dropped a bottle of wine, and after cleaning it up Daniel headed home. Dinner was just as quiet as breakfast had been; he hoped his parents would soon get over their fear. It did indeed seem they were not just avoiding a potentially disturbing conversation, they were actually afraid of him. He cleared the table and then went to the great pine hoping the lesson would be brief. He wanted to get to bed early.

  Crickets chirped to one another while he strummed a chord on his guitarn. The chorus suddenly stopped and it came as no surprise to look up and see the harper entering the clearing. Terroll approached on foot, which was unusual for him, he usually came on horseback.

  “Greetings,” said the Accomplished of the Zephyr Guild, while extending his right hand.

  The Ecoppian’s actions, his manner and attitude, were different somehow, not like teacher to student. He never greeted in this way before. Daniel shook the extended hand, certain that whatever the harper was up to would not be malicious. “Hi, Terroll, what are you planning to teach me tonight?” he asked, keeping his tone of voice even and trying to behave as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

  The master Aakacarn grinned as if he was about to receive one of Lydia Polkat’s peach cobblers. “The final step to becoming a full Accomplished,” he replied, merrily. “I can hardly believe it; you have fulfilled all of the requirements necessary to graduate. You are ready to learn the spell called, Ranking.”

  “What does that do?” Daniel asked, and suddenly noticed how dark the clearing had become. A cloud was blocking out the light of the moon. He summoned the potential for Sparking the Flame and concentrated on the shallow pit. Moments later, a fire sprang up several cubits into the air and illuminated the area.

  Terroll stripped to the waist and sat down cross-legged. Three golden lightning bolts were plainly visible on his shoulders, two on the right and one on the left. These were not any ordinary form of body art. The metallic hue was the actual color of his skin in the jagged shape of lighting. “Take your shirt off,” he said, offering no explanation as to why.

  Daniel removed his buckskin shirt. The peculiar request made him feel a little uneasy, none of the other spells required being naked from the waist up. He sat down, ignored the crickets and the howling of a wolf, located by the sound, about three spans to the northeast, and gave his undivided attention to the harper.

  Terroll placed his hands on his hips and stared straight ahead. “The spell must be hummed, listen carefully,” he said, and then began to hum a solemn Melody. A silver flash irrupted from the air around him, striking at his upper body.

  Daniel sprang back three strides and rolled to his feet. He could still see the bright light even with his eyes closed. Is this what happens when a spell is not done correctly? As his vision cleared, he stepped forward to offer whatever assistance he could.

  The Accomplished not only appeared to be uninjured, he was grinning, and he seemed quite pleased with himself. “I’m alright. Come sit down.”

  If this was a joke, Daniel was not amused. He came forward and then stopped when he caught sight of another lightning bolt. Terroll now had four, two on each shoulder, and the man was glancing at the new addition as if it was the first sign of spring after a hard winter. “Ranking doesn’t seem to be a very useful spell. Can’t anyone who wants to have a higher rank just hum the Melody and have it? Suppose I want one, what’s to stop me from giving myself two or three or ten?”

  The Ecoppian broke from admiring his new bolt and stood up. “Sit down,” he said, patiently, motioning with his hands. “This is something that cannot be cheated. Humming the spell measures your individual level of potential and marks you accordingly.”

  Daniel hesitated, but honored the request and sat back down while wondering if this was how a moth felt when being lured to the flame. He had a feeling there was no turning back from this point, and a small part of him wanted to walk away, but the larger part wanted to press ahead.

  “Some Accomplisheds must wait years before their level of potential earns them the first lightening bolt. I have met a few who never grew beyond the first level,” Terroll said, and then sa
t down several strides away. “Hum the Melody. I wouldn’t be surprised to see you with two or possibly three, considering the power you seem to wield. You’ll feel a burning sensation but it should be brief.”

  Daniel had some doubts. But he took a deep breath and began humming the Melody. Bright flashes irrupted and searing pain ripped through his shoulders and forced him off balance. The ground rushed toward his face and arrived with a jolt. The agony went away almost as quickly as it had come. He pushed up off the ground and shook the grogginess out of his senses.

  Terroll’s mouth was wide open and he stared as though a mountain lion was about to pounce on him. The man very nearly swallowed a bug.

  Daniel caught sight of his own right shoulder and blinked his eyes, trying to clear away what could not be there, three golden lightning bolts. He blinked again and tried rubbing them off. His flesh felt normal and warm to the touch even though there were three metallic streaks of lighting on his skin and they were not coming off. He looked at his left shoulder and found three more bolts identical to those on his right. Daniel shook his head. It could not be true. “I can’t be a six-bolt Accomplished, I must have done something wrong,” he said, grasping at the only plausible explanation.

  Terroll sat shaking his head as if he too were having difficulty accepting what was before his eyes. “Oh, but you are,” he said, his voice softer than a whisper. “Efferin Tames is the only other person in the world with six bolts.”

  “What does it mean?” Daniel asked, wondering if the spell could be reversed.

  “It means you,” Terroll’s voice trailed off. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “It means your strength is equal to that of the Grand Maestro. Boy, if you insist on living here, you better not allow anyone to see you with your shirt off, not even your family. Far too many people know what those lightning bolts mean.”

  “How could I have so much potential? You expected me to have two or three bolts.” Daniel said, and quickly put his shirt back on.