G.H.O.S.T. Teams: Book 1 - Magic

by Bobby Brimmer

  “Very perceptive,” she replied skeptically.

  “Lucky guess,” I shrugged.

  I didn’t think she was buying it, but she continued on nonetheless. Either she was a good sport or she was falling for my charms.

  “Now, as you guessed, the methods by which one shapes the manna and the ways that it is collected are where things really get interesting. There are too many variations for us to go into every single one at this time. So for the purpose of this discussion it is probably most helpful if we talk about mainstream magic,” she said.

  “As opposed to the indie scene, where they shy away from the commercialization of magic?” I asked straight-faced.

  “Was that a movie joke or a music joke?” she questioned.

  “Let’s say yes and move on,” I smiled.

  “Probably best,” she smiled, “So, for our purposes there are three different types of magic users in the world. While the names can occasionally vary, the most common are as follows. There are Witches, such as myself, and although that term has always been unisex, I know that many male practitioners prefer the term Warlocks,” she said.

  “And is that a religious thing?” I interrupted.

  “Not at all. You are probably referring to Wicca, the so called religion of witchcraft,” she frowned, “Contrary to popular belief, the two are not connected, although there are some similarities. A true Witch, and the arts that we practice, predate any known religion. The confusion comes from the fact that many religions have copied our spells, techniques, and titles, and in an attempt to understand those powers they create gods and goddesses. I am not some holy weapon that magic channels through. I simply have a gift and I have been taught how to use it. True magic is more of a method than a lifestyle,” she said.

  The tone of her voice had been slowly changing. There was a hint of pride in her inflection. I could tell that some part of her really enjoyed explaining this, even if she had to explain it to me.

  “So Witch is just a title?” I asked.

  “Exactly. It denotes the method by which I conjure manna,” she said.

  “Okay Ms. Big words, so how do you conjure manna?”

  “Very slowly,” she stated.

  “What do you mean?”

  “As a Witch, I slowly pull manna from the surrounding area, shaping it as I go. Once I have gathered enough power for the desired effect, I release the spell and if I did everything properly, magic springs forth as intended. That is pretty much all there is to a spell. The trick is obviously to gather the right amount of manna and keep your concentration long enough to shape it as is needed.

  “As I am sure you’ve noticed, I often use gestures and chanting to help me accomplish this. While the speaking and motions are not an integral part of the spells, they do make it easier for me to visualize what I am doing. You will find that this is a very common method used by almost all practitioners. That is why when you read about witches and mages in Fairy Tales, they always cast their spells in this way. We were the examples from real life that those stories copied,” she smiled.

  “So do you ever brew magical potions in huge black caldrons?” I asked.

  “Most often the use of ingredients or instruments is simply another way that a practitioner can maintain their concentration. However, there are times when a spell requires more power than should be safely gathered loosely, and in those times ingredients can sometimes be used to store or contain the additional energy. Spell components often come into play as a temporary power container. Sometimes their very nature assists in holding the desired shape that the spell must attain. This can be extremely helpful in delicate and precise magic, but that is a lesson for another time, for now let’s keep it simple. While ingredients and potions can be used as temporary aids, more often than not they are simply there to help the caster visualize the spell that they wish to create,” she said.

  “So a wizard doesn’t need a magic staff or rings or anything like that?” I asked.

  “I am afraid that you are getting ahead of me. We will discuss the Wizard’s staff in a moment, but for the most part, instruments of magic are just normal items. That being said, there are items around the world, which help channel manna, but such things are fairly rare and often dangerous. Bad things can happen if you pull in too much energy too fast,” she said very seriously.

  “So you’re not going to make me a magic sword?” I fake pouted.

  She gave me a soft smile, “As much as I would love to arm you with Excalibur, I am afraid that the creation of magical weapons, in the fashion that you mean, would take up a significant portion of my life. To create a manna shell, a weapon, with the means to maintain its power for a lifetime could take centuries to craft. Very few Witches possess that much devotion or free time,” she smiled, “So as you can imagine, magical swords are almost rare enough to be considered myths and legends.”

  “I’ll keep checking eBay then,” I smiled.

  Kara gave me an amused look and said, “You know that legends tell that it took a Wizard over a hundred years to create Excalibur.”

  “So it is real?” I asked.

  “According to the legend,” she smiled.

  “You tease,” I replied.

  She was obviously becoming more and more relaxed as we went on. It’s one of my skills in life, putting people at ease. It helps me get away with all the flirting.

  “Now with the proper manna supply and lots of free time, someone could create items of a shorter duration. I once made a dress with the ability to shimmer with a golden hue. It lasted almost twelve hours. Needless to say, I was the envy of my prom,” she smiled.

  “You cheater,” I said.

  “If you got it, flaunt it,” she stated, “But enough about magical items, do you understand how it is that a Witch casts a spell?” she asked.

  “Yeah, slowly,” I smiled.

  “And there is a good reason for that. Which brings us to the next type of spell slinger, the Sorcerer,” her tone got very serious, “They are extremely rare and frighteningly powerful. Unlike the Witch who slowly gathers the manna from her surrounding area, a Sorcerer has the ability to channel all of that energy through their body instantly. It is almost like they are a lightning rod of manna or a magical conduit. Pulling power in from all around them, they immediately shape it to their will and release it. Sometimes when they gather manna too quickly, they can “accidentally” suck it out of living things that happen to be in the vicinity,” she said.

  “You mean like how our friend here was sucked dry?” I asked, tapping Dirk’s shoulder for emphasize.

  “Yes, very similar to this. Now, people have a natural protection against that type of attack. When I checked Dirk earlier, I was looking for markers in his manna. The bond between a person and their spirit is incredibly strong. So a person’s essence would never be sucked out by accident and very few casters even possess the strength to do it on purpose. But a Sorcerer, and the tremendous amount of power that they wield, could potentially break this bond with the body and remove the energy,” she said.

  “And that is why you think we are dealing with a Sorcerer?”

  “Well that and a few other clues. The trees and plants in the area were also drained of manna. It seems likely that our culprits pulled in all of the surrounding power in order to have enough juice to suck the essence out of Dirk,” she said.

  “Okay. So why didn’t we find tons of dead birds and other forest creatures at the scene?”

  “Animals, just like people, are afforded some protection from this accidental drain. It seems to be tied to the consciousness of the creature in question. So unless he was deliberately aiming for animals in the area, they would be fine. Trees and plants however, as they have no mind, don’t seem to have any protection. Most likely the plant life in the vicinity of the spell will be dead within the week. The Sorcerer drained everything in the area dry in order to have enough power to break the bond with the spirit. Once the bond was broken, tearing out Dirk’s mann
a was relative child’s play,” she frowned.

  “Okay, so our killer is probably an evil Sorcerer,” I said.

  “The problem with that statement is its redundancy,” she sighed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that all Sorcerers are evil. When a Sorcerer pulls extra manna through their body or even worse collects it like a battery, they are over taxing their system. The power pulsing through their bodies distorts them, damages their insides. They are bloating themselves with energy. That extra manna, even just channeling that power, is intoxicating,” she warned.

  “So they are drunk with power?”

  “In a sense. Have you ever been drunk?” she asked.

  “I’m not really a drinker, but I did come close to over dosing on sake once, why?”

  “They say that alcohol removes the inhibitions. Gives you the nerve to do things that you wouldn’t normally do. My uncle always called it liquid courage,” she said.

  “I’m dumb enough to try almost anything once, and that’s when I’m sober. So I probably wouldn’t have noticed a change,” I smiled, “but I know what you mean.”

  Her eyes started to glaze over and it was clear she was mentally somewhere else as she continued to explain.

  “Well the Sorcerers are essentially living in this state of removed inhibitions. They say that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. To a Sorcerer it feels like they have absolute power. They are living on a power high. Every time they draw the manna through their body, it’s like a drug, making them want more and more. It is my understanding that most go completely mad inside of a decade,” she said.

  “So it turns them evil?”

  “That much raw manna coursing through their system is corrupting. The human mind is not equipped to deal with that type of power, not to that degree. It overloads key parts of who they are, specifically their sense of right and wrong. They feel invincible, and their primal desires come to the surface. Initially this causes them to do as they please, guilt free. But as they progress down the path of destruction, the Sorcerer starts to operate on pure instinct, becoming a mindless weapon,” she stated solemnly.

  “And there is no cure?”

  “The corruption is permanent, but even if it could be reversed, the Sorcerer would have to avoid drawing manna through their body in that way for the rest of their life. Imagine the most addictive substance on earth, and now imagine that it is surrounding you at all times and it’s free and easily accessible. To resist that pull is almost impossible. Even just one drink of that power,” she started, her eyes glazing over again, “just feeling it course through your body one time, leaves a person hooked. They must then spend the rest of their life fighting the urge to take another drink,” she finished.

  This was exactly where I wanted the conversation to go, but I needed to be gentle. There was obviously a great deal of pain behind her eyes.

  “Kara, are you all right?” I said softly.

  She looked back up at me, her eyes blinking away a bit of extra moisture. A sad smile found her face and she had to take a few deep breathes before responding to me.

  “I’m fine, it’s just…” she trailed off, looking away from me.

  “You’ve tasted the power?” I asked cautiously.

  There was a long pause before she said yes. It was probably a little cruel to make her go through all of this, but I needed to understand. I needed to know the type of person that could wield this much power. I pushed forward.

  “But I thought Sorcerers and Witches were different?”

  “As I said, Sorcerers are extremely rare. Only the most powerful Witches have the ability to become one,” she frowned.

  “And you’re that powerful,” I stated.

  “Yes. Any Witch strong enough to be on a GHOST team has the potential to become a Sorcerer. Nothing less would do,” she said through a forced smile.

  “When did you take a drink?”

  “When I was very young. Unlike the boys, who don’t normally figure out what they are until puberty, female Witches often develop their powers around the age of nine or ten. In those first few years, when everything is new, it’s so easy to get carried away. I was working on a spell, and I didn’t quite have the focus to pull it off, so I tried to power through, and almost by instinct I drew manna through my body. I knew something was wrong the moment I did it, a wave of panic washing through me. The power coursed through me for just a couple of seconds, but that was enough. A cold sweat fell over my body and I collapsed to the ground shivering. My teacher stared at me in horror. She didn’t realize how powerful I was back then or she would have taken precautions to stop something like that from happening,” she smiled.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “There is no reason to apologize, it is who I am,” she frowned.

  “Is it?” I questioned.

  Her expression sobered up. There was weight behind her gaze as she met my eyes.

  “Every day I must struggle against the temptation, yes,” she said.

  “Well, here’s hoping you always win that fight.”

  “If I don’t I assume you’ll take care of it,” she said through a forced smile.

  “So I was told.”

  What remained unsaid was my job to kill her if she ever crossed that line. It was made clear to me before I actually met my team that our witch had the potential to become a sorcerer. They also said the only possible way to deal with the situation was to take her life. Probably the real reason they hired an assassin like me for this team. Also the reason I wanted this impromptu get to know you session with Kara. I didn’t see any reason to stop the explanation now.

  “So no redemption for Sorcerers?”

  “As I said, there is no way to cure or reverse the corruption. The sheer power of the Sorcerer makes it nearly impossible to lock them up in a prison. So, as you know, all GHOST teams have a standing order to execute Sorcerers on site. If I ever lose control, you will all be in danger. You’ll have to act fast,” she finished.

  I gave a small nod. The tone of our conversation had definitely gotten dark. I decided I should steer us back towards more positive things, like perhaps her strength of will.

  “So why let a witch on the team if they fear that she will turn to the dark side?” I asked.

  She smiled softly, “Every Witch strong enough to be on a GHOST team has the potential to slip up. But that is what makes a good Witch, the focus and discipline to resist temptation. I just have to fight a little harder than most,” she said.

  “Your strong-will makes you a better Witch,” I smiled.

  “One way to look at it. But it also almost cost me my place on the team,” she stated.

  “I guess your freckles won them over,” I tried.

  She gave a half-assed smile.

  “Do the others know?” I asked.

  “Of course. Everyone has to be mindful of the signs,” she said.

  “Thanks for telling me all this.”

  “Does it make it easier? You know for what you might have to do?” she asked.

  “It’s never easy.”

  She nodded and didn’t say anything. I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on her mental state, especially regarding the taint of magic. So I figured we should move forward in our magical discussion. Let her talk of happier things like loose robes and flowing beards.

  “So, I believe you owe me one more?”

  “One more?” she questioned.

  “You said three types of casters?”

  “So I did,” she smiled, “The final and most revered of all magical users is the Wizard.”

  “Because of their awesome facial hair?” I joked.

  “The beards are optional, but the one cliché that you are missing is not. As I said earlier, you were ahead of yourself,” she stated.

  “You mean the staff?”

  “Yes. Wizards are blessed with the rare ability to channel manna through other organic objects. These objects act like filters, p
rotecting them from the intoxicating effects of the power. The amount of energy that can be drawn through an object seems directly linked to the potential age of that object,” she said.

  “You mean the older that the item is the more power that they can bring forth?”

  “Not the age of the object, but rather its potential age, it’s lifespan. Meaning that the longer it could have lived, the more power it can handle,” she corrected.

  “So using a Galapagos turtle would be a really good idea,” I laughed.

  “Oddly enough, I have read about a Wizard who used a tortoise shell as a focus, the item also doubling as a shield. And while the tortoise can live to be almost two hundred years old, there are much better options from Mother Nature. Trees for example are on record as living for thousands of years. Some say that if they aren’t killed by outside sources, they can essentially keep growing forever. It is for that reason that the wooded staff has become the most common and potent item in a Wizard’s arsenal,” she said.

  “So since a tree lives a lot longer than a person, does that mean that they can channel more energy than a Sorcerer?” I asked.

  “Yes and no. There are few things that have ever lived which can call forth more power than a Wizard. The staff is part of that but not all of it. And although there are some organisms that may live longer than trees, something about the combination of wood’s natural toughness and its potential age make it the most effective of focuses,” she smiled.

  “No offense, but why don’t we have a Wizard on every GHOST team?”

  “As I said, they are the most rare of magic users. There are currently only seven known Wizards on the entire planet. Three of them are actually part of our organization,” she said with pride.

  “And what do they do for us?”

  “Well two of them are members of the Council. They are very powerful men, but in the twilight of their careers. The other is a member of Team Seven,” she said with tremendous awe in her voice.

  “I take it you’re a fan?” I asked.

  “Natalia is the first female Wizard in almost two centuries and she is younger than I am. Imagine what she is going to accomplish in her life,” Kara said, wonder in her voice.