Macy Vickers and the Book of Spells

by Paul R. Melia

  Romulus was greatly relieved to be back to his normal size and Macy looked him over with her eyes out on storks and jaw open, flycatcher style.

  “What…? How...? No way!” She tripped over her words, but the Spell Keeper knew what she meant.

  “It’s the way I have been raised, my dear. Mystery and magic have run in the family for generations. Making a dried potion to bring Romulus back to his rightful size is relatively easy. A little knowledge of basic sorcery and I’m sure even someone as naive as yourself would be able to do it.”

  Romulus was still in a state of shock as he tried to come to terms with his rejuvenated size. He touched his legs, arms and face to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, and broke into a roar of laughter. Casting a generous smile in the direction of the Spell Keeper, he nodded graciously in an act of gratitude.

  “Thank you so much. You’ll never know how good it feels to be my old self again.”

  The Spell Keeper ran a hand through his wiry facial hair and acknowledged Romulus’s pleasure smitten words. “Not a problem … it’s always an honour to serve you and your family.”

  “Hang on a minute.” Macy had the complexion of a mind filled with puzzles and she ran her gaze along the floor, and over to the Spell Keeper. “Don’t you need the Book of Spells and the Ring of Power to make your spells work? You haven’t got either since Kraken stole them from you. So how did you manage to make Romulus big again?”

  The Spell Keeper gave Macy a discerning glance, before answering her question. “Inquisitive for someone so young, isn’t she, Romulus? Tell me, where did you find her?”

  “Oh, it’s a long story.” Romulus shuffled his feet back and forth and seemed a bit on edge. “Someday, when we’ve got more time on our hands we’ll sit down and talk.”

  “Yes, I’d like that. It’s been a long time since I had someone around for a good discussion.” The Spell Keeper turned his attention back to Macy. “Now, young lady … technically speaking … what I used to improve Romulus’s size was not a spell.” He scratched the side of his pointed nose and seemed to have confused himself. “No, that didn’t come out right. Yes, it is a spell … but one I prepared earlier. You see, I have hundreds of mystical potions and spells kicking around this place. Some of them are old and some more recent. Having used the Book of Spells and the Ring of Power initially to make them, they’ll keep here in the spell room for as long as they are needed.”

  The Spell Keeper opened several drawers fixed underneath a section of worktop and showed Macy and Romulus an array of coloured liquids and dried powders, each with a specific magical spell locked deep within it.

  Macy looked fascinated. “They’re beautiful.”

  “There’s a cure for just about anything here,” muttered the Spell Keeper.

  “Anything, except Kraken you mean.” Macy bent forward and placed her face level with the contents of one of the open drawers. “How do you know what’s what in here, you haven’t labelled anything?”

  “Don’t worry ... I can remember every spell and potion I’ve ever made. I don’t need labels to jog my memory. The last thing I’d want is for someone to find and misuse them. At least like this anyone who might come across them wouldn’t dare use them without knowing exactly what the spell or potion they had found could do.”

  Macy nodded. “True enough I suppose.”

  The Spell Keeper walked briskly over to the far end of the spell room, towards a bath size black cauldron; half filled with a treacle textured turquoise liquid. Romulus and Macy followed close behind and the Spell Keeper grabbed a large wooden spoon and stirred the contents of the cauldron.

  “You’re going to like this, of that I’m sure,” the Spell Keeper smiled. “I’ve been following your progress ever since you first entered the Land of Tormencer. I know all about your friends’ capture by Gordrick and his Goblin Soldiers, and the imprisonment of your parents, Romulus.”

  Macy looked at the Spell Keeper with a quizzical stare. How could he have known about Hangaku, Olivia and Jack being taken by Gordrick? Unless he had been there? She had not mentioned them and neither had Romulus.

  “I never saw you in the Nebier Forest? You must have been well hidden for Gordrick and his Goblin Soldiers not to have seen you?” said Macy abruptly.

  “Yes, my dear … I was, well hidden, but I wasn’t in the Nebier Forest. I was here in this very room.” The Spell Keeper stopped stirring the coloured liquid in the cauldron.

  “What are you on about? If you were here, how could you see what happened?” Macy turned away from the Spell Keeper and looked at Romulus. She then placed a finger to the side of her head and made a small anti clockwise motion. “Is he all there?” she whispered, out of the corner of her mouth.

  “Oh yes, he’s all there … I can assure you of that.” Romulus’s response was swift. “Watch and listen. It’s been a long time, but I now remember what the cauldron is for.”

  Macy turned back to face the Spell Keeper, who was leaning over the cauldron. She noticed the liquid within it had become still. “Come on, don’t keep me in suspense. What’s the big deal with the oversize cooking pot?” she demanded.

  The Spell Keeper didn’t respond with words. He closed his eyes and held his hands over the cauldron. Moments later an electrical pulse of crackling red light blasted out from his fingertips and plunged into the turquoise liquid ... illuminating it and the Spell Keeper in a blinding glow. Macy and Romulus shielded their eyes.

  “Look. It’s becoming clear,” the Spell Keeper’s voice bounced off the walls and reverberated around the spell room. “I call this the All-Seeing Eye. Anything you want to know or see within the Land of Tormencer can be captured and viewed right here.”

  — CHAPTER SIXTEEN —

  The All-Seeing Eye

  The eye-bursting glow had gone and the coloured liquid in the cauldron had turned from a murky turquoise to a clear transparent fluid. Now Macy fully understood what the Spell Keeper was talking about, as right before her eyes there appeared a 3D moving picture on the surface of the still and clear liquid.

  “Jack and Olivia!” Macy burst into voice with a shattering loud cry. She clasped hold of the cauldron with both hands and leant forward.

  “Now do you see why it is called the All-Seeing Eye?” asked the Spell Keeper. “All I need to do is concentrate on something and it appears right here.”

  Macy was lost for words and was astounded by what she was looking at … and as the 3D picture widened, Gordrick homed into view.

  But there was also someone else there, someone Macy had never seen before. She placed a hand up to her mouth and coughed a large phlegm ball into her palm — pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the green gooey mixture in it … before placing it back into her pocket.

  Her throat clearing antics hadn’t gone unnoticed by Romulus and the Spell Keeper, and Macy sought to explain her actions. “Sorry about that. But something flew into my mouth. I’m sure it was a fly.”

  “Think yourself lucky it wasn’t a Firefly,” said Romulus scornfully. “Have you quite finished … or is there an encore to come?”

  “No, no … that’s it. My throat’s clear now.”

  “Thank goodness,” said the Spell Keeper. “Maybe now we can get back to the business at hand?”

  Three heads met back around the cauldron, and Romulus explained to Macy who the odd person in the picture was ... though his clothing might have been a good indicator. His outfit was the same as Gordrick’s, apart from it was dark green.

  “You were bound to meet him eventually and at least this way you can see him without fear of being seen yourself. The man standing next to Gordrick’s, is Kraken. And they are both at Tormencer Castle.”

  Macy’s eyebrows shot up and she leant further forward to get a closer look. Even though Kraken wore a hood, it didn’t fully obscure his hideous features. And what struck Macy the most was his blood red eyes, the same as Gordrick’s. But unlike Gordrick, Kraken’s face was more visible and was
covered in dry, grey, wrinkled skin, and yellow boils and warts. He also had a pig snout in place of a nose and underneath was a large mouth, filled with a black pulsating tongue, and dirty brown pointed teeth … some of which poked over his green bottom lip.

  Macy looked stunned as a brief image of Jack, Olivia and Hangaku flashed by. “Look! There they are again. What are we going to do?” She rocked back on her heels and let-rip with an almighty sneeze, the force of which threw her forward. The spray from both her nostrils and throat blew into the cauldron. This in turn ruffled the calm surface of the liquid and caused the picture to be lost.

  But before she had time to apologise, Romulus stepped in. “That’s done it,” he cried out.

  Macy’s neck sunk into her shoulders. “Sorry!”

  The Spell Keeper was more pragmatic. “Not to worry … there’s wasn’t much more to see. And even if there was, there’s nothing we can do to help them tonight, anyway. If we used the Zynador to get to Tormencer Castle, it would be dark before we even managed to get half way there.”

  Romulus agreed and glanced at Macy. “And remember what Mogatron said about Zynador’s flying at night?”

  “…That they were useless in the dark?” she replied bluntly.

  Romulus gave her a dry smile. “Ah … well. I’m not sure it’s exactly how Mogatron put it. But it’s not far off the mark.”

  Macy took a final look inside the cauldron, but any chance of seeing her friends’ images once again had sadly evaporated, and she turned her attention back to Romulus. “How do you know they were in Tormencer Castle? We only saw the inside of a room, it could have been anywhere?”

  “Do you honestly believe I couldn’t recognise my own home?” Romulus seemed at a loss as to why Macy would question his judgement on such a thing and reacted angrily. “It’s Tormencer Castle — there is no doubt in my mind!”

  Macy realised she may have overstepped the mark and attempted to backtrack. “I never said anything about your honesty. I’m sure you know Tormencer Castle inside out.”

  “Yes, I do.” Romulus was still annoyed that Macy had questioned his knowledge of Tormencer Castle and it came through in his voice. “I also know that Olivia, Jack and my sister are being held in a cell in the dungeon. The cells are very distinctive, and for someone such as myself, easy to identify.

  The Spell Keeper decided enough was enough and stepped in as a peacemaker. “Let’s not fall out, please. We have enough problems to contend with.”

  Romulus agreed and calmed himself down. “You’re right, as always.”

  The Spell Keeper gave a nonchalant laugh. “I know I’m right. The only way Kraken can be defeated is if we all work together. Anyway, there isn’t much we can do about him tonight, so let’s just sit tight and wait until morning.”

  With his impromptu speech finished, The Spell Keeper decided to conjure up some food. He had watched most of Macy and Romulus’s journey to find him, with the aid of the All-Seeing Eye, and thought they would be extremely hungry by now.

  But even he wasn’t immune to the odd mistake, and he hadn’t seen that Mogatron had already fed them both. Well, he couldn’t be expected to keep watch, non-stop, over the All-Seeing Eye.

  The slap-up meal was prepared in no time at all, with the assistance of several pre-made spells and potions. Romulus and Macy were amused at the amount of food on offer and weren’t about to let on about Mogatron’s feast. Who knew when they were going to eat next?

  The meal before them consisted of mushroom soup and crispy bread, stewed worms with turnips, and fried bats wings. Macy wasn’t too happy about the worms and bat wings part of the meal, but not wanting to seem rude she managed to force a few forkfuls down her throat, without bringing it back up.

  Near to the end of the meal the Spell Keeper brought out what could only be described as a local delicacy. Though, it was something Macy wasn’t going to take part in. The dish in question was a steaming hot snail and slug curry and was eagerly devoured by the Spell Keeper and Romulus. To them it was as natural to eat as chicken and chips were to Macy. But judging by the pale complexion on her face, even eating chicken and chips would be a step too far after what she had consumed.

  Following the gastronomically overzealous feast, Macy decided the best thing to settle her stomach would be to have a nice warm bath. This was something she had been dreaming about for the past couple of days.

  The Spell Keeper was certainly a house-proud sorcerer and made sure he had all the creature comforts he needed … an inside toilet and fully plumbed in bath and sink unit were all to hand. He also had a potion which Macy thought would make a great money spinner if stocked in shops back in her own world. It was simply called, a clothes-cleaning potion, and did exactly as the name suggested.

  All that was needed was a large bowl, or in the Spell Keeper’s case another cauldron, filled with clean water, and three drops of clothes cleaning potion. Macy was fascinated by the primitive washing machine, and after her bath she used the magical process to do all of her dirty washing.

  As instructed by the Spell Keeper, she added three drops of clothes cleaning potion to the cauldron and watched on in astonishment as within a matter of minutes, a chemical reaction took place, followed by a violent bubbling of liquids as the process ended. Once calm had been restored within the innards of the cauldron, the clothes were not only washed, but dried as well. But that wasn’t the end as the Spell Keeper placed the washed and dried garments over a wooded rack and sprinkled a generous helping of fine yellow dust over them. This part of the process was yet another first for Macy to see, as all the creases and lines simply fell away — leaving a selection of perfectly washed, dried, ironed and sweet-smelling clothes for her to wear.

  “Wicked!” laughed Macy hysterically. “I can just imagine what my mum would say if she knew wash day could be so easy.”

  “It’s easy, and fun, when you do it with magic,” smiled the Spell Keeper.

  It was getting late and with a busy day in prospect tomorrow, it was time for bed. Macy spent a peaceful night sleeping in her own private room. There was only one bedroom in the Spell Keeper’s underground home and it had been unanimously agree that Macy should use it. The bedroom was basic, but for a beautiful king-size, soft, quilted covered bed and a wardrobe with a long mirror down the middle. A large woollen rug spanned the length of the bedroom and kept the cold unforgiving cobblestones away from her feet.

  Romulus and the Spell Keeper were not too far away and slept less comfortably on the worktops in the spell room. It wasn’t ideal, but they had to make do.

  Morning soon arrived, and the air was filled with the fragrant smell of rose infused candles. Macy’s heart missed a beat and her head filled with a multitude of thoughts of what the day might bring. Hopefully, with the help of the Spell Keeper, the release of her best friends was not just a fantasy, but very much a reality.

  She sat up in bed, wiped the sleep from her eyes and peered at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror, and gazing back was a sight which didn’t best please her.

  “Look at the state of me.” She ran her fingers through her crow’s nest hair, cranked open her mouth and let out a monstrous yawn. “Phew, I feel a lot better now.” Raising both arms above her head she arched her back to its full extension.

  Flopping sluggishly out of her warm, body hugging bed, Macy was surprised to find her clothes neatly folded on a stool next to her. “Fair play to him,” she smiled. “I may have had my doubts about old beard face, at first—” she meant the Spell Keeper, “—but I suppose I’ve got to be wrong about certain people some of the time.”

  Once dressed, she opened the bedroom door and tiptoed along the cold dim lit passageway. For a moment she was lost as to where Romulus and the Spell Keeper could be. But the tell-tale sound of some happy sleepers soon gave the game away. She edged over to the sound and came to a closed door, one she knew she’d been through before. A moment’s hesitation ensued as she put two and two together and sussed out where she
was … outside the spell room.

  She burst through the door and bounded across the cobbled floor in a high-speed dash. In front of her Romulus and the Spell Keeper were wrapped up snugly in their blankets like two sausages in a pastry sheet … both snoring to their hearts content.

  “Wake up, you two. We need to get moving!”

  Romulus wasn’t a good sleeper at the best of times. But the sleep he’d just had would go down as one his best in a long while … even though it had been on a hard, unforgiving worktop.

  Romulus gulped down hard and used a build-up of saliva swilling around in his mouth to lubricate his parched throat. “What is it? Where’s the fire?” The blanket wrapped around his body to keep him warm during the night, fell to the floor. “Do you have to make so much noise at such an early hour? I haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep since Kraken stared his vile crusade, apart from last night. So, I would appreciate a bit of peace and quiet first thing in the morning.”

  “I’m sorry, but today something good is going to happen. I can feel it in my bones,” said Macy assertively.

  All the commotion caused by her entrance and Romulus’s stern words had failed to make an impact on the Spell Keeper, who lay flat on his back on the worktop opposite Romulus. Macy pointed at his lifeless body and made an immediate beeline for him.

  “Isn’t he the lucky one,” remarked Romulus. “Although I enjoyed it, I could have done with a few more hours sleep.” He threw a glare in Macy’s direction. “But that idea never really stood a chance with your heavy-handed entrance.” Noticing Macy about to grip the Spell Keeper by the shoulders and shake him, Romulus let out a gut wrenched cry. “Don’t do it! You must leave him to wake of his own accord.”

  “What’s the problem?” asked Macy in a stroppy tone. “I was only going to give him a helping hand. What do you think I was going to do, strangle him?”

  “There’s no need to get smart — you don’t understand. There is a reason I stopped you from waking him… The sudden shock of being woken without warning might kill him.”