Magician's Mayhem

by R.S. Mollison-Read

CHAPTER 1

  Tobin was packing.

  Or rather, he was trying to pack.

  He knew he really ought to have started packing earlier. It was not that he wasn’t excited to begin his magical training at the castle as a magician of Elden Forest; it was just that there were just so many things to be done before he left, and since he was so very particular, it made all of his tasks seem like an endless production.

  To let his house while he was away, Tobin had found a very sweet, recently widowed old lady. He had been getting quite concerned about finding a good tenant for his home, but Fay was just the sort of person he was looking for. She was quiet, and kind, and he knew she would take good care of his home in his absence.

  His mother had purchased a Packing Spell on sale at Mr. Jorkin’s Bottled Brews, in an effort to make Tobin’s task easier. Mr. Jorkin’s Bottled Brews could be found in virtually every town and village in Elden, so they were always of the highest quality. While he appreciated his mother’s generous gesture, Tobin preferred not to use magic for such mundane projects. Still, he had kissed her on the cheek, thanking her for her thoughtfulness.

  Knowing his mother would ask him about the spell’s performance, Tobin resigned himself to using it. When he finally pulled the cork from the neck of the glass sphere containing the spell, smoke issued forth, thin and half-hearted, with a slight greenish tinge, carrying with it the distinct odour of burnt toast.

  Peculiarly, the spell appeared to be slightly stale. Tobin sighed, knowing that the onerous task of packing would now take twice as long with the weakened potency of the spell. He issued packing instructions to the spell, and left the room for a glass of water.

  Tobin, gone for no more than two minutes, heard a great crash from the room above, followed by the musical tinkling of broken glass. He climbed the stairs uneasily, guessing at the horrors that lay within his bedroom. Tobin had become quite wary of unexpected explosions.

  His worst fears were confirmed as he opened the door onto a scene of chaos. Every dresser drawer had been flung open; clothing strewn about the room in every possible location, except in the rucksack Tobin had been trying to pack. The glass in his stand-up mirror and in picture frames on his dresser had shattered into thousands of tiny fragments. These fragments hovered in midair, alongside a pair of his work boots, which were performing a popular shuffle dance. Glittering on the floor, purple remnants of pure magic residue from the spell, completed the upheaval. The only item in the room that remained whole was the round glass sphere originally containing the Packing Spell.

  Heaving a great sigh, Tobin set about the bothersome chore of cleaning up the unsightly mess, and undertook the job of packing himself.

  At a special dinner prepared by his mother, the night before, Tobin had made his goodbyes to his family. His mother had made all his favourites; rice with fresh garden peas, onions, and little slivers of beef, a roasted hen with thick, brown gravy, and golden carrot and potato pasties. There had been a beautiful strawberry trifle for dessert.

  Tobin knew his mother and father were very proud that their son was a magician, who was setting off to the castle to begin his training, but it had been surprising and a little embarrassing to realize that his younger sisters were also very proud. Nina and Alice were twins, and two years Tobin’s junior. Vivacious, and pretty, the girls had always been popular. Growing up, they had teased Tobin mercilessly for his quiet demeanour, and fastidious attention to tidiness. After his return from his adventures with Darcie Dannet, only three months ago, the girls’ attitude toward him had changed remarkably. They had become more solicitousness of his particular idiosyncrasies, interested in his ideas, and stories, along with the wisdom his travels and experiences had provided. It had been a nice adjustment to their relationship. Tobin thought he might even miss them.

  Tobin awoke bright and early the morning after his good-bye dinner. Because the Travelling Mirror Network had been destroyed, and replacement mirrors had not yet arrived, the castle had organized a series of Takeoff Spells to bring in the new class of magicians. From their homes scattered throughout Elden, the new recruits would begin their instruction under the direction of the Magicians’ Circle. None of the spells were strong enough on their own to deliver Tobin directly to the castle, so he had been given a series of four spells that he needed to ‘catch’ in relatively quick succession. Darcie had explained it to him several times when she had contacted him by Communication Mirror two weeks ago with the instructions.

  “You have to stand in the exact spot where the spell is set, at the exact moment it activates, or you’ll miss it, and be stranded in the middle of the forest,” she had patiently explained to him.

  “And that’s all I have to do? Just stand there?” he asked.

  “Yes, and then make sure you’re ready for the next one. They’re supposed to be located fairly close to each other, but you may have to walk for a few minutes from one to the next. The compass I sent you has been calibrated to point in the direction of the next spell. Make sure every inch of your body is within the landing pad, or it won’t work properly, and you’ll be stranded.”

  “What if I don’t have enough time to move between the two spells?” Tobin asked, suddenly panicked, leaning closer to the mirror.

  Darcie smiled at him in amusement. “I’ve left plenty of time between each of the spells so that won’t be a problem, unless you decide to wander off into the forest!” she replied, laughing. “You’ll have exactly forty minutes between each spell. I suggest you find the next one as soon as you arrive, and then stay fairly close to the landing pad. You’ll have time for a nice rest, or a snack. Maybe even a muffin,” she said, grinning.

  Tobin smiled. He didn’t know anyone who loved muffins as much as Darcie.

  It had been good to talk with Darcie, even if it was a business call. They hadn’t had many opportunities to talk since he had seen her last at the castle. When they had last talked, she seemed tired, and preoccupied. Tobin wondered what could be causing her so much stress.

  Tobin made one last check around his cosy little cottage, to be sure that he had everything he needed. Then, with a last wistful look, he locked the door behind him. Facing away from his front door, he held the house key out in the palm of his hand. “Dissolve!” he commanded it, and the small silver key disintegrated into miniscule little particles, which were soon swept away by the wind.

  Tobin had never used a Security Spell like it before, but it seemed to be a simple, yet effective way to keep his home safe until Fay, his new tenant, arrived with her newly enchanted key.

  Hoisting his rucksack up over his shoulder, Tobin selected the forest route to get to the first site of the first Takeoff Spell. Darcie had sent this spell to a location Tobin knew very well, so that he wouldn’t have any trouble finding it.

  It didn’t take him long to get to the Westside Belvedon Travelling Mirror. Pieces of the mirror still clung to the mahogany frame, reminding Tobin of the events of three months ago when every mirror in Elden Forest had been smashed. Unknown to Tobin, he had travelled through one of the mirrors carrying a hidden orb designed to destroy the network of mirrors. The orb had been successful and the entire network awaited the arrival of new mirrors crafted by the Elven Guild in Alvesera. All the mirrors needed to be replaced before the system could be operational.

  Even though the renegade magician, Vorn, had been the one responsible for the destruction, Tobin still harboured some guilt that he had been the one to bring the orb through the Travelling Mirror network, and looking at the shattered remnants of the Travelling Mirror filled Tobin with regret.

  Just as Darcie had said, the Landing Spell was not difficult to locate. Shimmering red lines marked a space about one metre squared. In the centre of the square was the outline of two feet. Tobin smiled ruefully; Darcie really had left no room for error.

  Checking the countdown watch Darcie had sent as part of the TakeOff Spell package, Tobin noted he had a good ten minutes to wait for the first Takeoff S
pell to activate. He was glad he had left himself so much time. Panic was never a good feeling, and Tobin preferred to be over-prepared for any situation.

  Setting the timer of the watch to notify him when he had one minute until the spell initialized, Tobin closed his eyes, and enjoyed the feeling of the warm sunshine dancing through the trees and shining on his face. A small breeze ruffled his thick, dark hair across his forehead. The trees rustled gently, as small birds chattered in the branches overhead. Breathing in deeply, the sweet smell of soil filled Tobin’s nose. He loved this forest, despite its many oddities. In his opinion, there was no place more beautiful than Elden Forest.

  Tobin opened his eyes as the countdown watch started to beep insistently. He had one minute to get into position, before the TakeOff Spell initiated.

  Heaving his rucksack up onto his back, Tobin centred himself within the shimmering red square, placing his feet directly on the red outlines Darcie had designed. He held the countdown watch in front of him, and then checked to make sure that both he, and his rucksack were well within the confines of the spell.

  The countdown clock showed that there were only five seconds remaining, and Tobin mentally counted down.

  Five, four, three, two, one...

  With a small poof, Tobin felt the world around him dissolve.

  It was the strangest sensation, as though the world around him was changing, while he was standing still. Everything seemed to melt and drift around him. Impressions of the forest seemed to form before him before dissolving and reforming again.

  And then, with another small poof, Tobin was back in the forest, standing beside a small, pleasant creek. Glancing down at the Landing Pad of the spell, Tobin noticed that the formerly shimmering red lines had turned blue. The spell was finished.

  Stepping off of the Landing Pad, he put his rucksack down beside him, and pulled out the compass Darcie had given him. Its blinking arrow directed him to move in a northerly direction, and within ten steps he had found the Landing Pad of the next TakeOff spell.

  So far everything was going much more smoothly than Tobin had anticipated.

  Checking the countdown clock, which told him he had thirty-seven minutes until the next Landing Spell went off, Tobin chose a spot near the creek, and pulled out a Food Fast Spell. His mother had also picked this spell up for him at Mr. Jorkin’s Bottled Brews, so that he wouldn’t have to carry a meal on top of all of his belongings for the castle.

  Delicately, he pulled the cork out of the thin neck of the vial. There was a quick flash of light, and a puff of purple smoke, smelling faintly of icing sugar, and then, spread out on the ground before him, was a veritable feast. The meal sat on a lovely red-chequered cloth, which Tobin thought was a nice touch.

  There were four different kinds of sandwiches, cold pasta salad, and a large block of yellow cheese. To drink was orange juice, and some sort of fizzy raspberry concoction that made Tobin go into a fit of hiccoughs. He didn’t mind, because it was absolutely delicious. The whiff of icing sugar, when the elixir had been released, had not been a tease; for dessert there were three brightly coloured cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles. Tobin smiled wryly to himself. Darcie had once told him that cupcakes were merely ‘dressed-up’ muffins. She thought cupcakes put on airs.

  It was hard to know where to start in the magnificent feast. Tobin opened a dish of pasta salad, and finished it in no time. Leaning forward to see the contents of the sandwiches, Tobin chose one with roast beef, mustard, pickles, and topped it with thick slabs of cheese.

  Chewing happily, he glanced around the forest, taking in the sights of this new location.

  He felt as though he were exactly in the middle of nowhere. There were no paths anywhere that Tobin could see. The forest here was much more densely packed than near his own little cottage in Beldedon, and it was quite a bit cooler. The little creek beside him, meandered over protruding rocks and the whistling songs of birds accompanied his meal. As he sat there enjoying the meal Tobin felt the tension of catching the TakeOff spells on time, ease from him as he enjoyed the sounds and sights of the forest.

  It was interesting, the effect that being in the forest had on him. His ears suddenly felt open to the explosive cacophony around him. Motes of dust and dirt danced in the brief slices of sunbeams that broke through the thick forest canopy. They looked like little particles of swirling magic. Tobin laughed to himself as he realized they might very well be little particles of pure magic. This was Elden Forest after all.

  Finishing the sandwich, Tobin selected one of the cupcakes, frosted with blue icing, he peeled the wrapper back from the cake. Taking a big bite, he enjoyed the sweet taste of blueberry icing.

  Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up.

  Someone was watching him.

  Nonchalantly, Tobin turned, under the pretence of adjusting the picnic spread before him, and quickly scanned the forest behind him.

  No one was there.

  Stretching elaborately, he checked the other way.

  Again, nothing.

  Shaking his head, Tobin turned back to his picnic spread, and there, sitting on the end of the checkered cloth, and helping himself to one of Tobin’s cupcakes, was a tiny brown squirrel.

  Tobin blinked in surprise.

  The squirrel was exceptionally bold. He made absolutely no move to leave, despite Tobin’s frown, and merely stuffed more pink icing into his tiny mouth with one tiny paw. His ears were tufted into small points, and he tilted his head to the side as he surveyed Tobin with bright, inquisitive eyes.

  Tobin had to laugh. “Well, I suppose I don’t mind sharing with you, little guy, even if you did eat one of my cupcakes,” Tobin chuckled to himself.

  “I should hope so. Frankly, I’m surprised that you thought you could even eat three cupcakes all by yourself,” the squirrel replied airily.

  Tobin’s jaw dropped, and he stared at the squirrel. “You.... you can talk?”

  Eyes narrowing, the squirrel regarded Tobin levelly. “Of course I can talk!” he exclaimed. “You can talk. Why can’t I?”

  Tobin couldn’t argue with that logic. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. What’s your name?”

  “Simon,” the tiny squirrel replied, tilting his head to one side.

  “Pleased to meet you, Simon. My name is Tobin.”

  The little squirrel nodded solemnly in greeting, and then stuffed another handful of cupcake into his mouth.

  “Why is it that you have so much food here?” Simon asked after swallowing his mouthful. The greedy little squirrel barely chewed his food, before grabbing another piece of cupcake with his miniature paw.

  “Well it’s from a Food Fast Spell, so there’s generally more than enough food for one meal,” Tobin replied.

  “A lot more, I would say,” Simon replied edging closer to the sandwiches. “I was concerned you were going to eat the entire thing!”

  “So you thought you’d just give me a hand, did you?” Tobin asked, laughing.

  The tiny squirrel raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the forest, anyway?” he asked Tobin.

  “Well, I’m waiting for a spell to take me to the castle,” Tobin replied. With this reminder, he glanced down at the Countdown Clock. He only had four minutes until the next TakeOff Spell activated.

  Jumping to his feet, he began clearing up the remnants of his lunch, leaving the last cupcake for Simon the squirrel.

  “The castle, huh?” Simon said, watching Tobin putting the FastFood Spell back into his rucksack. “What’s at the castle?”

  “I’m a magician,” Tobin replied, carefully placing his feet inside the red outlines on the Landing Pad. “I’m going to the castle to learn magic.”

  A strange look passed over the tiny squirrel’s face. “A magician?” he asked. He sounded confused, as though he were struggling to remember something.

  “It was very nice to meet you Simon,” Tobin said, as the Countdown Clock pass
ed the one minute mark. “Good luck with everything.”

  Simon still looked confused, and shook his head, as though trying to clear it. “Wait, you’re a magician? You’re going to the castle?” The tiny squirrel seemed more alert now, and oddly interested in the castle, but Tobin only had fifteen seconds left until the Takeoff Spell activated. Planting his feet firmly in the shimmering red outlines of the Landing Pad, he ensured that he and his rucksack were neatly tucked inside the spell.

  Tobin looked at Simon again to wave goodbye. The small squirrel looked panicked, and waved at Tobin frantically as though he were trying to tell him something, but the countdown continued its unstoppable journey forward.

  Five, four, three, two, one...

  The world around Tobin dissolved.