The Young Magician

were still over the stove, frying up their dinners.

‘Do you really think they want to make an army of magicians?’ Chadly asked, calling over from his sizzling pan.

‘Not an army of magicians,’ Goodfellow corrected. ‘They want magicians accompanying regular infantry-as guides, advisors, tacticians and that kind of thing.’

‘Some people are talking of an invasion,’ Lan Farlan said. ‘I’ve heard all the Masters in the far north have been recalled to Cintar to give reports. Perhaps they think Garteny is preparing to invade?’

Samuel was about to comment when Henry Kassin came rushing in. His face was wild and glazed with perspiration.

‘Samuel! It’s Eric!’ Henry panted between breaths. He bent over, labouring for air. Everyone dropped their books and meals and rushed to his side.

‘What is it?’ Samuel asked. There was obviously something wrong for the boy to be so agitated.

‘I went to find him in the Great Hall,’ Henry continued. ‘He’d gone there to practise a spell he had been working on. Just as I walked in…’

‘Go on,’ Samuel urged.

‘He disappeared!’ Henry gasped. ‘He’s gone,’ he panted, short of breath.

‘Gone? What do you mean, gone? Where?’ Samuel asked, growing frustrated. He grasped the other boy and drew him up straight, trying to get some sort of sense out of him.

‘Where is he?’ others repeated behind.

‘I don’t know,’ Henry said, shaking his head and almost in tears. ‘It’s something he’s been working on for quite a while with Master Dividian. Eric said he nearly had it finished. Then, the whole hall moved and…and then…when everything was normal again…Eric was gone.’

‘Eric disappeared? Vanished, you mean?’ Goodfellow asked.

‘Maybe it’s an illusion?’ Lan offered. ‘A trick, perhaps?’

‘No,’ Henry said determinedly, tears streaming. ‘I saw him. He turned to look at me and his face went all awful. It went all long and twisted and then he tried to yell, but he just vanished.’

Samuel released the other boy’s shoulders and turned to face the others. ‘Let’s go!’ he said and they rushed out into the night.

By the time they reached the Great Hall, many Masters had already arrived. Samuel strode down the aisle at speed, with his eyes fixed on the luminous remnants of an ominous spell hovering in the middle of the chamber. It was a formation of weaves like nothing he had ever seen before: vast in its complexity and incredibly powerful. Its presence hung ominously in the air as it slowly revolved, growling in his ears with thunderous intensity.

The Masters were standing around it, gawking and arguing over the thing, pouring all manner of spells over the room, trying to ascertain what had happened.

‘What happened here, Samuel?’ Master Kalbak asked as Samuel arrived beside him. ‘Who cast this spell?’

‘Eric Pot did, Master,’ Samuel replied. ‘And he has vanished.’

‘Vanished!’ Kalbak echoed with astonishment and the Masters all began talking excitedly. ‘This is incredible!’

‘Where has he gone, Master Kalbak?’ Lan asked from beside Samuel. ‘Can we bring him back?’

‘Oh, goodness knows!’ the old Master said, rubbing his chin. ‘I have never felt such a spell. He could be anywhere-or nowhere.’

‘How could young Eric have created a Great Spell such as this?’ Master Sveld asked from across the chamber.

‘We don’t know, Master,’ Samuel replied.

‘Fascinating!’ old Master Balium croaked, holding his hands aloft as he examined the spell. ‘What a marvel!’

‘In the days of the Ancients, people could move their bodies over vast distances,’ Master Kalbak said. ‘It’s possible he is, indeed, safe somewhere, or perhaps he will appear again here shortly.’

‘Get away from that thing! All of you!’ came a cry from behind them as Master Dividian came hurrying in through the doors. ‘By the old gods, what is that?’ he gasped as he met the cluster of magicians.

‘Eric Pot has vanished, Master Dividian,’ Master Sveld informed the withered old principal. ‘It seems he somehow managed to create a travelling spell and has disappeared within it.’

‘What an astounding thing!’ Dividian said open-mouthed as he gawked up at the spell.

The air within the great revolving spell seemed to pulse, almost like a heartbeat. Coloured clouds of pink, purple and blue magic swirled slowly around, formed from shattered shreds of weaves, and tiny flashes of light occasionally sparked between them. Samuel was not sure what exactly the others could see, but the feeling of the spell was incredible enough, as if some part of the pattern had, indeed, been broken or torn asunder. The spell made a sound in his ears like a mammoth slab of stone being dragged across another.

‘Can you replicate the spell, Master Jacobs? Is the remnant sufficient?’ Dividian asked and the new Master, quietly examining the spell, shook his head.

‘Not at all! It’s far too complex and all we have here are the shattered remains. I can’t imagine how the boy managed to cast such a thing.’

‘It’s a shame,’ Dividian said with genuine disappointment. ‘He was showing so much promise. I was sure he’d have the spell mastered soon enough. He should never have been allowed to practise on his own,’ he added with a sigh.

‘What about Eric?’ Lan asked. ‘Can we get him back?’

‘Oh, I doubt it,’ Master Jacobs mused. ‘It looks as dangerous as hell. I wouldn’t like to step any closer as it is. I think we should dispel the thing as quickly as possible.’

‘Master Dividian! We must do something! Eric may still be alive. We must try to bring him back,’ Samuel urged.

‘Heavens, no,’ Dividian stated adamantly. ‘This thing is dangerous enough already. We can’t risk trying to meddle with it. We must dispel it at once before it causes any more trouble. The boy made a fatal mistake,’ he added with a wave of his hand.

‘What! How can you say that! Master Kalbak said he could have travelled somewhere, or he may even return any moment.’

‘If the spell was well formed, it would be plausible, but this is just a mess.’ He shook his head. ‘What a terrible loss. I’m sure the boy is good and dead. Master Jacobs, can you proceed?’

Jacobs nodded. ‘It’s quite unstable…but I think I know where to start. Yes, yes…I can do it.’

‘Then go on, quickly.’

‘Wait!’ Samuel called out. ‘Give him some time! If we dispel it, he may never be able to return. Master Kalbak!’

Old Master Kalbak looked to Dividian and shrugged. ‘I’m only postulating, Samuel. I really don’t know what could have happened to him.’

‘But it’s possible! We can’t close it. He could be left anywhere.’

‘We cannot leave it here, Samuel. It’s a risk to us all,’ Dividian stated. ‘Master Jacobs, proceed.’

‘No!’ Samuel shouted out. ‘You can’t kill him!’

‘Quieten down, boy!’ Dividian snapped. ‘Let the Master do his work or get out!’

Master Jacobs had already started to spell, reaching his power out tentatively towards the shreds of Eric’s baleful Great Spell. Samuel, without thought, threw out a stream of magic that knocked Master Jacobs’ spell to tatters, leaving the robed magician gape-mouthed with surprise.

‘Samuel!’ Dividian roared out. ‘How dare you!’

‘I won’t let you do it!’ Samuel declared. ‘You must give him more time!’

Dividian raised a bony finger. ‘Don’t you dare speak back to me, Boy! How dare you interfere!’

‘I won’t let you kill him!’ Samuel retorted.

‘Get out!’ Dividian shouted out, almost screaming. His face had flushed red and he was shaking with anger. ‘Get out of here at once! I won’t tell you again. Master Jacobs, continue!’

Samuel stood defiantly with his fists knotted at his sides, while the other Masters and Adept watched on