Creators Guild: A Wizard's Beginning

by R. W. Weston

  “I’m sorry for that, why are you seeking the wizards?” Ty asked.

  “My people are coming under attack from the Legion. They are taking our mystics and without them we cannot perform our enchantment ceremonies. My people are slowly fading into the dark realms. I have come to ask for their assistance to battle against these enemies.”

  Ty could see the sadness in his eyes, Winteler’s muscles tensing at the mere mention of the Legion. His own anger was rising; he didn’t know how to help him. He felt even worse about wanting to kill him. He invited Winteler back to the commanders’ station, offering him some breakfast while they talked. He took most of the rabbit, and a large portion of the gruel.

  Winteler told him of the hardships his people were facing of the battles they fought and how many were lost. He tried to explain the growing power of the Legion. He was still wondering how Winteler was able to see him, until then no one had been able too.

  “To answer your question about how I knew where you were you must understand how limited the abilities of you humans are,” he started, not putting much emphasis on his apparent superiority. “How do you see things?” he asked Ty.

  “With my eyes, like everyone else I suppose,” he answered.

  “That’s my point you use only one of your senses, let me show you something. Close your eyes. I’m going to move somewhere in the room, you count to ten and then point to me.”

  Ty closed his eyes, as he started to move, he reached ten and sat there for a minute. He pointed right to him.

  “See now how did you know where I was, you didn’t see me?” he asked smiling.

  “Very well,” he said shaking his head, “point well taken, but I still don’t know how you could have sensed my presence, I didn’t think I made any noise.”

  “That my boy is another difference. Unlike you we are trained and have the ability given to us to see the wind. Something the human wizards don’t see fit to teach as it can be very disadvantageous to them. Whenever someone or something moves it creates ripples in the wind, as you walked towards me. I could feel and see the changes in the wind patterns. It was just as though you were visible to the naked eye.”

  “Is that why the humans and teperns have always fought?” Ty asked him.

  “That is one of the many reasons people of different races have a tendency to hate those of another, it’s unknown why. If we could combine our entire knowledge together, look at what good could be done. But alas I fear that will never happen.”

  “So what will you do if the wizards don’t help your people?” he asked, concerned for his new friends people.

  “I fear that is not an option. Without their help, I fear we are doomed to destruction, only the wizards will have the power needed to combat the Legion.”

  There was nothing more that he could think to say. Silently he prayed to the creator that the wizard council would feel the need to help them, to put aside their generations of disputes.

  Commander Chander came back into the camp, hearing Ty talking to someone, and recognizing the rasping voice of a Tepern, he readied himself to fight. Knowing how ferocious they could be. He cracked the door, seeing the two of them sitting and talking, neither one threatening the other. Winteler turned his head quickly to the doorway, standing with cudgel in hand.

  Ty jumped up, putting himself between the two, hoping to stop any need for violence. He told the commander what the two of them had been talking about, asking if he could take Winteler to the house of learning in hopes that he could convince the wizards to help.

  Chander knew the intensive training that Ty was going to need to go through, so he agreed to let some of the other guardians escort him to the house of learning, He sent a scout ahead to notify the headmaster of who was coming. Then they began Tys’ training.

  To become the shadow he needed to learn how to disassociate himself as a person, to blend and meld into seemingly inanimate objects. As Chander had told him before, every object was alive, living in a manner after which the creator had designed. Those items that were transformed into useful objects were taking on much of the same transformation that he had to go through.

  “Now concentrate, think of being the rock, look for its identity, seek it out,” Chander encouraged him.

  Over the next few weeks he worked nonstop, using all his senses to accomplish what was required. He could now see the identity of the rock; it glowed appearing larger than the rock itself. He walked into the life force of the rock, melting his own with that of the rock. The small changes always came as a shock, the tingling feeling and sensations of losing his human identity. That’s what held him back, the fear of losing himself to something he truly didn’t want to become.

  “Listen to me, you have to concentrate, put all the fears out of your mind, you have the ability to do this.”

  He tried again, putting his life forces into the changes, knowing how important it was to learn. With the knowledge and desire to be able to protect his best friend, he could feel the change coming again. This time he put everything out of his mind, concentrating on making the change. It came easier; the tingling sensation was gone and then it happened. The two life forces melded together and he became the stone. He was not able to hold the form for long.

  He woke up lying in the bed in the commanders’ station. Looking around he saw Chander by the fire cooking something for dinner, he didn’t feel well enough to get up so he just sat on the edge of the bed.

  “How are you feeling?” Chander asked without turning around.

  “Weak and dizzy, I’ve never felt like this after training, how did I get in here?”

  “You passed out after your last training, right after you changed into the rock.”

  “I did what? You mean I actually did it?” he asked, surprised at the news.

  “I don’t know what you did different, but it worked, you became an extension of the rock. It didn’t last long, but that’s to be expected,” he told him. “Now eat you need the energy, I was told it would drain you, at least at first. Once you can control and harness the necessary power to change when and where you want to it won’t be so draining. So rest now, we will work some more in the morning.”

  The next few weeks the two of them kept working on learning how to use and control the power. Eventually he was able to take the form quickly holding it for hours, the strain taking less and less energy. After he had mastered the skills of nature and fixed location items, it was time to advance.

  Being able to take on the properties of fixed objects was the easiest of all transformation forms. Once those skills were mastered he moved onto movable objects, like that of a bird. To understand the dangers of being different animals he took several days to learn their habits, the dangers from predators and how they functioned in nature.

  Animals were more challenging even though he easily recognized that they were living elements in nature. Unlike the rocks and trees where he could stand next to them and be joined the animals were always moving. Their life forces were closer to them so it took time to get to be as they were. Through the process he found he didn’t have to actually meld with the element or object he desired to become but he only had to view their life force and manipulate his own to match the patterns that were found in each one. At the same time changing into an animal he needed to learn how to live as one.

  He worked at becoming a bird next, with that ability he had to learn the principles of flight. He watched the different kinds of birds that were in the forest. Being able to change to anyone he wanted he quickly learned the advantages and disadvantages of each one. The eagle could fly high and fast seeing clearly for miles. Whereas when he took on the form of a humming bird he could get into smaller areas and avoid being seen.

  Each animal that he learned from had its own challenges as well as special abilities. By taking the form of a bear it gave him greater strength, the wolf giving him speed and agility. With each transformation he grew in wisdom and strength, he could change from one thing to an
other with little to no effort. He always liked being in his human form to be able to reason and communicate with others.

  His training was nearly complete, having learned the traits of so many different items had been difficult, now he had a new skill that none of the other guardians possessed the control over something he was not.

  Chapter 16

  Visitations

  alking into the town had been one of his greatest dreams. It had been almost four cycles since he had been home. The anticipation had worn on him as he was traveling, pushing himself and his horse hard the last day and a half to make it by the week’s end. It was coming up on festival again and he wanted to spend it with his family.

  He had decided not to send word so the surprise would be worth the struggle. Even before entering the outskirts of his home town he could sense a change, having honed in the skill through his transformations. It was unusually quiet for the time a day. The birds should have still been in their frenzy for food and the forest animals gathering their winter stores. But today it was quiet, even the breeze had stopped; the feeling gave him a weary sense that something was not right.

  Following his new heightened instincts, he led his horse off the path and walked through the forest he had grown up in. The sun was blocked by the high canopy of trees.

  He changed into the form of the wolf to see if he could catch any scent, he found it interesting in his transformations the different scents that animals gave off depending on their situations.

  Fear was unmistakable; he remembered the first time that he caught the scent from a rabbit that he was tracking. It was so overwhelming and powerful that he couldn’t hold the form, quickly changing back into his human form and vomiting from the sensation. Depression was another one that was powerful, joy and peace came as pleasant smells. Now he smelled the musk odor of humans and that of rotting animals.

  Moving slowly toward the village he stood transfixed on what he was seeing. The town square was not anywhere prepared for the festival. Men were walking around in the armor of the royal brigade. What surprised him more was the ashen look on the faces of the people that he knew. Some he didn’t recognize at first because they had changed so much, but it looked as though something was terribly wrong.

  He was surprised when he caught a glimpse of Bethamine. She looked as though she had aged faster than everyone else, her hair pulled back into a long braid, her head covered in a simple bonnet. She was carrying a woven basket full of flowers and other herbs. Walking right in front of her was Margol, they both walked into the inn looking as though they hadn’t slept in days.

  He went back to his horse, taking it back out on the main road he put on his cloak to cover his head and face hoping to get to the mill without any notice. Although the idea had been good, coming in with the cloak only drew more attention to him. He quickly caught the scent of mistrust, the women quickly moving indoors, the men took up their weapons. He could sense their swords being loosened in their scabbards.

  He took his horse into the middle of the town square were the men circled him. He remained on his horse knowing that it was the safest and quickest way out if he had to leave quickly.

  “Remove the cloak and name yourself,” yelled out one of the men. He turned his head looking at him from under his cloak.

  The man was wearing the uniform of a captain in the royal brigade. He recognized if from the few who came through to train with the grolians. The captain took a few steps out in front of the other men, holding his sword out toward him.

  “Reveal yourself or die stranger,” he shouted up to him, all the men taking a step closer pulling their swords out. He could hear the tension on the bows from the sentries posted on the towers and roof tops.

  He moved his hand up to the edge of the hood of the cloak, pulling it off. There more than a few gasps from some of the towns’ people that recognized him. One of the men running into the inn yelling that he had returned. The town square started to fill in quickly with those that he recognized. Margol and Bethamine came out of the inn, shock and amazement mixed with joy covered their faces.

  One of the kids ran over to the lumber mill, yelling to everyone that Ty had come home. His whole family ran to the town square, not believing what was happening. He had gotten down off the horse and was shaking hands with old friends. Time seemed to stop when he saw his parents, the crowd parted to let them through. He ran to them hugging both of them, crying with joy.

  The whole attitude of the town had changed almost instantly. The only difference was the presence of the brigade. He learned that all the young men in the village had been enlisted into the brigade. The war with the rouge lands had come to full fruition in the last cycle and all able bodied men were called out to serve.

  Bethamine was studying under Margol to become a healer, having found the natural talent and ability to work with herbs. She had progressed and was close to the same ability that Margol was at. Some thought that she would soon pass her up, others were afraid that she would be called to serve as a nurse in the brigade.

  Roland’s father was still up in the mountains, not coming down as often since he had left. Some thought it wasn’t good for him to keep himself so isolated. Margol would go up to the house at least twice a month to check on him. Most of the townsfolk figured that they would be getting joined soon as well.

  They had not held festival since the two of them left. It seemed pointless with them gone and shortly after that all the other young men had been called off to defend the realm. It had led to a complete change in the attitude of all the townsfolk. They feared that if things didn’t change quickly most of them would end up moving to the larger cities. Most wanted the added security away from the enemy that seemed to be moving closer as well as the ability to find work.

  Ty was not so sure that he liked all the changes that had taken place since he left, not only in his home village but also in him. He remembered back to the simple days of his childhood, where Kirchwin was but a small speck on the map of the world, where everyone lived simple lives.

  The battalion that had been assigned to their territory had decided to stay in Kirchwin as it was the most central location. Backed by the mountains they were able to prevent any unexpected surprises. As with any war it was taking its toll on everyone in more ways than one. The general attitude and feeling of safety was gone, the continuous stress of having family away, never knowing what they were involved in.

  Not many people slept that first night, everyone wanted to know what he had been doing and trying to see if he had any information on the war. They wanted to know how Roland was doing. He only had a few days leave before returning to the guardians. He was glad he had had the opportunity to visit his family again not realizing how much he had missed them. His younger sisters were growing into beautiful young woman, soon to be getting ready for the joining ceremonies, depending on how the war went.

  The journey back to the guardians went slowly the weather was quickly changing again. He could tell by the way the animals were acting that winter would soon be upon them, much too early in the cycle than it should.

  “Commander,” he called out as he approached the command station. The commander came out with some of the other guardians.

  “Ty, is that you,” seeing the lone man approach. “We didn’t expect you back for several more days, is everything alright back home?” he asked, concerned for the early return of the young man.

  “No commander all is well at home, have you heard much on the war with the rouge lands?”

  “Yes, many of the young men of all the realms have been called out to battle. Is this what brings you back so soon? Are you concerned over those of your village that have been called into service?”

  “That has a great deal to do with it; most of those that I knew were gone. What worried me more was the battalion of the royal brigade that was stationed in my home village. I know how men can be when they are away from their families and in the stresses of warfare. I am just concerned over
what they will do in the village, especially to the young women, seeing as my sisters are coming of age.”

  “I see,” said the commander, “You have no need to worry over them, the Royal Brigade are known for their honor, they would never dare have anyone challenge that.”

  * * *

  “Run,” shouted someone as they were running from the training room. Several of the apprentices and patlins were running down the hall.

  Alrien bringing up the rear turned the corner spinning around he yelled out an incantation. The water came to an immediate stop as though it hit a stone wall. A few of the other wizards came running out of their studies and joined him, with all their efforts the water started to push back. Slowly they were able to move it back, at times the wall looking as though the water would push by.

  Pushing it back to the main training arena they found the source of the waterspout, amazed that it seemed to come from a small pitcher sitting in the corner. Just above it on the pedestal sat Roland, seeming to be lost in a trance. Tillera walked around the wizard’s and up to his side, shaking him gently.

  He came to with a shake breaking his concentration, some of the wizards fell to the ground as the water wall gave way leaving only a wet mess on the floor. He looked around trying to put together quickly what had happened. He knew he was in for another lecture especially after the first one he received.

  Alrien looked up at him. Roland saw the disappointment on his face. He had truly believed that he was ready but after this last incident he was beginning to reconsider. He would have to sit down with the boy again to give him a reminder. It wasn’t very often that a patlin was given penance for their behavior seeing as they were generally more responsible before being advanced. But there was always one or another that needed the simple reminder.

  Roland sat in his room that night wondering what was going to happen. His first warning had been very severe, almost losing control of the Triminon ring itself, the power of water consuming his very being. He had promised not to let it get out of control again, and now he feared that he had.