Magecraft

by Antoine Henderson

  “Hey, Bishop—Rook,” Felix greeted.

  “Think you can get me a drink, kid?” Bishop asked before joining them at the counter.

  “Sure thing,” Felix responded. He reached under the bar and retrieved a green bottle of scotch which he poured into a glass.

  Rook walked to the front of the counter and sat next to Harmony.

  “You guys weren’t too hard on her, were you, Uncle Niles?”

  “Not at all. She handled everything perfectly,” said Niles with a wry smile. “It will be good to have her on board. Not to mention I think Marron will appreciate the help.”

  “That’s good,” said Rook. He turned to Harmony. “Congratulations, welcome to the team.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile. Her gaze fell on the case in Rook’s hand. “I didn’t know you played the flute. I used to when I was in high school.”

  “Oh, this? This isn’t a flute—it’s just a case with some items inside. I can’t play any instruments, actually,” Rook laughed, before setting the case in the chair to his right, trying to not draw any more unwanted attention to it. “You should show me sometime.”

  “It’s been a while, but I think I can do that,” Harmony responded with a smile. She looked at her wristwatch before rising from her seat. “It’s getting late, I should head back now, my roommate will get worried if I’m out too late. I’ll be here at eleven. Thank you again for the opportunity, Niles.”

  “No problem, young lady. Felix, see her out for me will you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Until tomorrow,” said Bishop holding his glass of scotch high before drinking all of it in a single gulp and shuddering.

  Harmony nodded. “Until tomorrow,” she said, before turning back to Rook who extended his hand and nodded.

  They shook hands as Felix came from behind the counter to meet her. She buttoned her jacket up before Felix led her out the door. Bishop reached over the counter and grabbed the bottle. Pouring another drink and turning to Niles.

  “Think she’ll make it, Old Man?”

  “I think she’ll do fine—I’ll admit, she’s no Marron though, but she has the skills and knowledge. It’s only a waitressing job.”

  “That’s good.”

  Rook turned to Bishop as he and Niles waited for him to say something else. Niles cleared his throat and turned to Bishop, tilting his head slightly and raising an eyebrow.

  “That’s it? No snappy comeback or anecdote? Are you okay tonight?” Niles questioned.

  “I’m fine,” Bishop answered plainly.

  Bishop’s mood came as a surprise to Niles, but not to Rook. Normally, Bishop would make a snide remark, but not this time. His mind was elsewhere. Niles didn’t know where, but Rook did. Felix returning from seeing Harmony out of the café broke the awkward silence as the bell rang once more. He joined Niles on the other side of the counter and cleaned a few glasses with a dry towel.

  “Great job on the brownies, Felix. They were fantastic. I wish I would have stopped at one.”

  “Fantastic—really? I could tell you enjoyed them, you finished them all,” Felix laughed. “I’ve never seen anyone eat as much as you.”

  “Being a jack-of-all-trades takes its toll on me and I need lots of food to fuel my talents,” Bishop said with a wry smile.

  Niles scoffed before tending to the counter wiping it down while he listened to Bishop brag about how great he was. Rook left the counter and walked to the booth where the papers from the job still sat on the table. Sitting down, he sat the package next to him and collected the papers together neatly before placing them inside the folder. He rested for a moment before reaching into his pocket and retrieving his cell phone. All that remained on the table was the case and Edgar Killshaw’s business card.

  Rook’s thoughts drifted to his interrogation by Magnus Rathbone who accused him of being an assassin. Rook didn’t understand what he meant or why he was asking about who his parents were. His reaction was that of a person in disbelief, as if he’d seen a ghost, but Rook never met Magnus before or recognized him.

  The thoughts about the negative events that plagued his night faded as his heart raced at the thought of seeing his sister once more and Edgar Killshaw’s client had the resources to help him find her. If they could gather so much information on Magnus and his estate, finding his sister should be just as easy.

  Rook dialed the number and waited as it rang twice before Edgar Killshaw answered.

  “Good evening, this is Edgar Killshaw.”

  “Hello, it’s Rook—we spoke earlier.”

  “Ah yes, I’m surprised to hear from you so soon.”

  “What can I say, we work fast. Although, things didn’t go as smooth as we’d hoped.”

  “So you failed then?”

  “No—no, sir, we didn’t fail—we retrieved the item as you instructed. It was just more difficult than we imagined. And your inside man—the butler, I don’t think he made it.”

  “Hm, I see. Oscar knew the risks,” Edgar dismissed. “I’m just glad to hear you’re safe and you’ve succeeded in your task,” he added.

  “Thank you, Mister Killshaw.”

  “I spoke to my client when I visited him today. He agreed to your terms, pending the confirmation that you have the item.”

  “If it isn’t too much to ask, can you tell me your client’s name?” Rook asked.

  “I cannot share my client's identity, I'm sure you understand. I prefer discretion in my dealings.”

  “I understand,” said Rook. He didn’t care if Edgar told him; his only concern was finding his sister. “So, when can we meet?”

  “First, I need you to confirm the contents of the case, so I know it’s exactly what’s supposed to be inside.”

  “Okay, what am I looking for?”

  Rook slid the case in front of him and analyzed it. It had a five symbol locking mechanism on its front. Each of the five rows carried five symbols: a star, moon, flame, water, and tree. The symbols were in random order and the case wouldn’t open unless placed in the correct sequence.

  “I will tell you the symbols and you must follow my instructions to the letter, understand? A spell was placed on the case to lock itself permanently If you don’t put them in the correct sequence. Any attempt to destroy it would also mean destroying what’s inside.”

  “Okay, I understand.”

  “The sequence starts from the middle row, then moves to the row to the left, then right, left then right. Understand?”

  “Middle row left then right, left then right. I got it.”

  “Enter these symbols in that order and the case will open: flame, water, tree, star, and moon.”

  Rook calmed his breathing before rolling his thumb on the dials that carried the symbols, following the sequence as instructed. The lock opened, following the sound of a pop from inside, lifting the top of the case slightly.

  “It’s open!” Rook exclaimed. He exhaled and slumped in his seat before shaking his head and collecting himself. Had he messed up the sequence, he never would have forgiven himself.

  “What should be inside?”

  “Inside, there should be a folded up scroll, open it and describe what you see.”

  “Okay,” said Rook. He opened the case and removed the scroll before unfolding it. Sliding the case out of his way, it extended the length of the table. “It’s long. It has a large symbol in the center I’ve never seen before, and small writing that covers the entire scroll in a language I can’t read.”

  “Okay, things look to be in order. What you see is my client’s family will. It is worth more to him than anything. Thank you for getting it back.”

  “No problem,” Rook said while still admiring the scroll.

  “There’s one last thing. I need you to ensure that document isn’t forged. Place your hand on the symbol and imbue your magic with it while saying the word: link.”

  “I don’t think I can do th
at,” said Rook. He hesitated, knowing neither what the document was nor what the writing was and after what happened earlier in the night, he wasn’t ready to take any more chances.

  “Unfortunately, Mr. Rook, it is necessary,” said Edgar. “You do wish for my client to help you with finding your sister, do you not? This is the only way. It will be the last thing you have to do, I assure you.”

  Rook said nothing as thoughts of his sister rushed through his mind once more. Was this the only way? Was this the only true opportunity he would have at finding his sister?

  He thought about everything he’d gone through to get the scroll, once more. They captured and almost killed him. The risks he took to get it almost cost him his life. But he came this far and there was no turning back now. He convinced himself at that moment, this wasn’t for his sake, but for his sister’s. After risking his life, he had no choice in his mind.

  “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  Rook placed his hand on the symbol before exhaling deeply. “link.”

  The symbol erupted in a white glow and Rook felt a sudden rush of magical energy flow through him and into the symbol. Its radiant white aura spread from the symbol, and into the foreign writing on the scroll until suddenly receding back into Rook.

  The symbol disappeared under his palm, slowly appearing in black on the back of his hand until the blue aura dispersed. Rook jumped from his seat panicking while trying to rub the symbol off of him. His movements grabbed the others attentions from their conversation, causing Bishop to rush to his side.

  “What is this—what did you do?” Rook shouted into the phone.

  “See you soon, Marques,” said Edgar, his voice cold and empty.

  “Tell me what did you do?” Rook shouted before throwing his phone to the floor.

  “What—what is—”

  Bishop stopped speaking once his gaze met the scroll. His eyes widened before turning to Rook, who noticed his shocked expression.

  “What did I do Bishop?” Rook asked frantically.

  “What’s going on?” Niles asked from the counter.

  Bishop exhaled and lowered his head. “You signed an Avatar contract.”

  6

  The Avatar War

  Rook watched as his uncle walked from behind the counter, quickly tapping his way toward him.

  “Why did you sign that?” Bishop asked. “We were sitting right over there, Rook!” Anger flashed in his eyes as he spoke. He turned and walked away, pacing around the café. “You do not understand what you’ve just done.”

  Rook held his hand, gazing at the symbol, his mouth gaping and his mind racing. The sound of Niles’ cane interrupted his thoughts, grabbing his attention.

  “Tell me what happened—what did he do, Bishop?”

  “He signed an Avatar contract.”

  Niles' eyebrows arched high before he exhaled deeply. He held himself up with his cane with one hand and rubbed his head with the other.

  “Rook… do you know what you’ve done?”

  “No! I don’t know what this symbol means or what an Avatar contract is! It was—it was the only way I could find her!”

  “Her? You don’t mean—”

  “Yes, Isabella. I did it for her! It was the only way they’d help me find her. I had to confirm what was inside the case otherwise—”

  Niles stepped forward. “Calm down, take a seat and tell me everything from start to finish, okay?”

  Rook wiped his eyes before sitting back down at the table while trying to rub the symbol from his hand. Using his stick to guide him, Niles joined him and sat across from him. Setting his stick aside, he lifted his head in Rook’s direction.

  “I know you want to find her Rook, but you’re gonna get yourself killed!”

  “Bishop—enough!” Niles snapped, turning to him.

  “I’ll see you later—maybe he’ll listen to you,” said Bishop before storming out of the diner in a huff, causing the bells to ring.

  “Go after him, Felix,” Niles ordered. “Make sure he does nothing stupid.”

  “Right away, sir,” said Felix, before bolting out of the café after Bishop.

  “I don’t understand what’s happening, and now Bishop—”

  “Bishop will be all right. He means well, Marques. I know he and I don’t get along well, but we share a bond regarding you,” Niles explained. “Now, tell me everything. Leave no detail out.”

  For over twenty minutes, Rook talked and Niles listened. He sat still and absorbed every detail his nephew gave to him. From Bishop’s business cards to Edgar Killshaw’s opportunity, infiltrating Magnus Rathbone’s estate, being captured and almost killed, Bishop saving him and the phone call with Edgar Killshaw, Rook left no detail out. When Rook finished, Niles leaned back and said nothing for several minutes.

  “Rook, you should’ve sought me out when you were first approached. I was right in the kitchen!”

  “I know, but I knew what you would have said and I—”

  “Did it for her?” Niles interrupted. “No, you didn’t do all of this for her, Rook. You did it for yourself. You may not think so, but that’s the truth.”

  “I… seeing her again is why I did it! You’ve given up on finding her, but I can’t! She’s my sister!”

  “I hear you, but tell me something, how do you think she would feel if she knew how carelessly you risked your life for the sake of finding her? Do you think she’d want that? Do you think she’d be happy knowing you died trying to find her? No, Rook, she wouldn’t. She would be heartbroken. That’s why I know you did this for yourself and not her. Because you truly aren’t thinking about her, you’re thinking about you. You are being selfish.”

  Rook lowered his head and slumped in his seat. The words Niles spoke stung him to his core. He’d always thought he was doing the right thing, making the right decisions for the right reasons, but he was wrong the entire time. His heart was in the right place, trying to find his lost sister and be reunited with her, but the selfish desire to do anything and everything he could to achieve them no matter the cost clouded his judgment.

  “What’s done is done, Marques. We can’t change the past. Many have tried and failed, we can only move forward.” Niles explained before reaching over and placing his hand on Rook’s. “Let this be a lesson and don’t dwell on it, learn from it, okay? Your focus needs to be on the task at hand.”

  Rook nodded as Niles removed his hand. “I can’t do this, uncle,” he mumbled, disappointment rattling his voice.

  “Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice. That contract is an Avatar contract. When you imbued your magic with it, you signed and agreed to what it states. That symbol upon your hand is proof,” Niles explained. “That symbol is also there in the event that you don’t uphold the contract, it will spread through your body and it will kill you. Those are just the basic terms of the Avatar contract.”

  Rook looked up, shooting a glance of concern at his uncle. “Kill me?”

  “Yes, by signing it, you have entered yourself into a war between mages, The Avatar War.”

  “The Avatar… War? What the hell is that? How do you know so much about it?”

  “I know about it because I won the War. Twice,” Niles explained as Rook tilted his head. “I know it may seem hard to believe, but I was once a mage of great skill. I competed and won the two Avatar Wars I entered. In fact, it was the War that ultimately brought you and your sister into this world,” he laughed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, my sister—your mother—Lucia told your father the only way she would marry him is if he competed in and won that year’s Avatar War. She was only joking with him, but your father, being as determined as he was, followed through with it and won with me. They married soon after and a year later you were born.”

  “You never told me that before,” said Rook with a faint smile.

  “I didn’t think it was necessary. I never wanted you to be part of th
at life and neither did your parents, which is why they didn’t want to you or your sister to learn magic. I had no choice but to teach you when I found you using it and here we are.”

  “So, what is the War’s purpose?”

  “It’s a battle between mages as I explained before. The War was first created as a sport. Royal families gathered once a year, and those who partook in the War received an Avatar to represent them in battle while the royals watched. The last Avatar standing was the winner, and the mage that the Avatar represented became the Avatar Champion.”

  “Avatars, are they alive?”

  “In a way. Avatars were once alive, like you and I. But, at the end of their lives a choice was given to them: to become an Avatar for the War or to die. Those that agreed became Avatars upon their death and their souls sealed into their orbs.”

  “Earlier you said my dad won with you one year. How, if there can only be one winner?”

  “Over the years, the Avatar Commission changed the rules and the War became more deadly than it was during its inception. The royal families grew tired of watching the War and created rules that would have the person chosen to represent their family compete alongside their Avatar in battle and they are known as Links. If the Link or Avatar fell in battle, they were eliminated by death. The symbol on your hand represents your status as a Link and you will fight alongside your Avatar during the War.”

  Rook slumped further in his seat. “I don’t think I’m ready for this, there must be a way out, I didn't willingly sign up for this!”

  “You have no choice, Rook,” Niles explained. “Once you imbued your magic into that contract, it was done. Not even the Avatar Commission can do anything about it as there are no rules against it. All that can be done now is to prepare you for the War. You are limited with your magecraft, but, you have excellent potential. Bishop and I will prepare you.”

  Rook sighed. “Bishop is gone; I don’t think he’s going to help me.”

  “He will, I assure you. We want you to succeed more than anyone. Eventually, he’ll come around. You’ll see.”