Hidden Magic: An Ancient Magic Novel

by Stephany Wallace

  “Why are you wearing those garments, brother?”

  He smiled looking at himself. “This old thing?” then chuckled when I frowned. “These are Jeans, Bro,” he said pointing at his trousers. “And this is a plain white T. aka a t-shirt. It’s fitted though. These hard earned muscles need to be displayed. I have to be fair to the ladies, you know. They deserve a little treat.” He added with a mischievous grin.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was going to have to tie my brother down one of these days, and hang him upside down from a tree. Maybe then he would learn. He took many unnecessary risks that could cost our people gravely.

  “Allow me to speculate. And these garments you obtained them from a mortal market of sorts?” I asked.

  I shook my head assessing him once more. Then I discovered something. “Why are your jeans torn in several places? Have you fallen? Could you at least ask Eisha to help you mend them if you cannot manage it yourself?” I asked not being able to mask my irritation.

  He chuckled once again, “I didn’t fall. They are ripped on purpose. This is what’s in right now. You need to keep with the times. No one wears those uncomfortable trousers with leather ties and that linen shirt of yours anymore. Fashion these days is all about being comfortable while looking good.”

  I looked down at myself and frowned, then decided to ignore his comment. Why was I listening to his rants? “Why are you even wearing such things?”

  His smile widened “Well, I’m going to the movies.”

  “The Movies!”

  “Relax bro, I’m going to be invisible. No one will know I’m there.”

  “You cannot go to the movies. Not that I am entirely sure what that even is! Have you lost your mind, Art?”

  “What do you mean I can’t go to movies? Then, how am I going to know if they found Dory or not?” He threw his hands in the air, and sat on the trunk frustrated.

  For a moment I just sat there, regarding him and wondering if mother had dropped him on his head as a baby and forgot to tell Father and I. Had Father dropped him? Perhaps Eisha had hit him too hard during one of our warrior trainings.

  After a long silent moment, I realized I could not gather any words to offer him in response. Not that I could understand half the things he had just uttered. Even if I could comprehend his meaning, I had nothing to say that I had not already expressed to him. I walked to the door and left my hut and him behind.

  My peace was short lived.

  “Wait for me bro!” He said jogging to catch up and placing his arm around my shoulders.

  I grunted, and noticed a few of the women looking at us as we walked. Their eyes were not fixated on “us”. They were on my brother. He smiled and winked at them. I sighed. Art was going to be the death of me.

  We arrived at the training grounds where Eisha and the warriors were concluding the training for the day. She stood in the middle of three warriors who formed a wide circle around her. She slowly turned her body, assessing each one and analyzed them in order to anticipate their attack. Her battle-axes spun between her fingers as though they weighed nothing. They were part of her, an extension of her hands. As warriors, we were trained since the first day with our weapon of choice. We were required to get accustomed to its weight, to the feel of it in our hands. We needed to know it as part of us, and use it without a second thought. Since this was a demonstration, the warrior’s movements would be slower than in battle so the kids could appreciate and understand the movements. Otherwise it would be difficult for them to be fully aware of what had occurred and what Eisha had done to immobilize her attackers. She was a great warrior, fast and fluid in her movements and the newLaochra ceannaire. Ten years after we settled here and I realized my people were safe, I tried to resign my title as warrior leader to my next in command. My brother. However, he expressed to me that he was not ready for that responsibility, something I knew not to be true. I never understood why he declined the advancement but when he conveyed to me the reasons why Eisha was a great fit for such title I had to agree. The honor was bestowed upon her. I decided I would better serve my people by focusing on continuing the teachings of the order of the Druids. Mo meantóir had asked that of me in those final moments. So I did.

  Eisha turned towards us, and in that moment the warrior behind her flung his sword. She grinned a second before dropping to her knee and twisting on the ground, missing his attack. The wooden part of her axes connected with her attacker’s thigh and torso at the same time.

  “One down,” she shouted. She fell then rolled and placed her forearms on the floor bracing herself and using the momentum to pushed her legs upwards in an angled double kick to her next attacker. Her boots connected with his chest and he staggered backwards as she fell on her back and made a motion to throw her right axe at his chest.

  “Two Down,” she bellowed rolling her body to the left as the spiked head of the mace landed where her chest had been. In one fluid motion, her legs swiped his feet from under the last warrior. His back connected harshly with the dirt and in the blink of an eye she was straddling him. The blade of her left axe, rested on his carotid artery.

  “Game over.” Art said with pride as the kids cheered and clapped around us.

  I smiled as my brother warriors got up from the ground. She stood and held her hand out to Phelan. He got up rubbing his back and neck.

  “Must you be so harsh?” He complained and she laughed.

  “You swung your mace at my heart, what in our dear Mother Goddess’ name was that about?” She asked punching his shoulder. He laughed and began rubbing it.

  “I was certain it would hit dirt. You are too fast for me,” he gave her a crooked smile and she laughed kissing his cheek and accepting the compliment. He was being flirtatious towards her. My brother grunted.

  Everyone in the village knew that Phelan carried a torch for Eisha. You could see it in the way he looked at her. What I failed to understand was why it disturbed my brother to that extent. Eisha was our best friend and our training partner. That was the reason she was so skilled on multiple attack techniques. The three of us had always trained fighting against one another.

  Phelan was honest, honorable and brave, a good man. But Art was very protective of her. He had been since we were kids. She might very well be our little sister. Anyone that dared look her way would unfortunately have to deal with my brother. It was a moot point however. What Art failed to understand was that Eisha was still mourning her beloved. She had been alone since Gildas had passed on that horrid night. For her no one would ever hold a candle to him. She had given him her heart.

  “Women are complex creatures,” my Father used to say about my mother repeatedly. Usually when she was upset with him, but he also told us there were two things we needed to understand about them. The first was they lived life passionately. When they loved, they loved with every fiber of their being, for good or bad. And the second was they were determined. Once they had made a decision, not even the Goddess herself, were she to adopt a human form and walk among us, could make them change their mind.

  I sighed, shaking my head and pulled Art with me. We followed Eisha to her hut.

  We entered and closed the door behind us. She removed her harness from her back that held her axes and placed it on table. I sat on the chair next to the door while Art rested his back to the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “If you came for food, the kitchen is stocked. You can make it yourself,” she said throwing an amused glance at my brother. “As a matter of fact make me some too. I am famished.”

  She walked all the way to the partition that hid her tub on the far end of her hut and stepped behind it removing her soiled garments. My brother chuckled and pushed against the wall walking towards the kitchen. It consisted of a fire hearth, a long narrow counter table and a tall cabinet that held the bowls, pots and cooking utensils. He grabbed a big wooden bowl and opened the food basket on the counter. He took three potatoes, an onion and a h
and full of carrots and two celery stalks out of it and put them in the bowl then placed it on the table. He then opened the large clay pot on the corner and pulled a piece of pork from the salt within. He set them on the counter and reached for a knife placing it next to the bowl. He chose a large iron pot, and filled it with water then placed it on the hearth.

  “You need to set the fire first, brother. Do you require my help?”

  He huffed, “Do you know how many times I have used that spell in the last century alone? I don’t need your help, Bro. I can make a fire in my sleep. Here, watch this.

  Leig teine bhi air a bhreith—let fire be born. The words crossed my mind mechanically. My brother lowered his hands dramatically towards the hearth and said in an ominous voice.

  “Firestorm!”

  The fire erupted reaching the iron pot. I looked at him perplexed.

  “Firestorm, Art?” I asked, praying to the Goddess for patience.

  “I may or may not have tweaked the spell a bit, you know. To give it a little something, something.”

  I took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes tight as his laughter reverberated in the hut. Yes, my brother was going to be the death of me.

  I sighed and stood, picking up another knife and going to the counter to aid him in cutting the vegetables, while Eisha finished her bath.

  The stew was done when she stepped out of the partition, wearing a light gray tunic and wrapping a brown leather belt around her waist. Her long black hair was wet and rested on her right shoulder. It reminded me of my beautiful Goddess from the beach. My pulse responded to the image and I frowned at my reaction. I blinked a few times dispersing her sight from my mind and returning to the present.

  Eisha smiled looking at Art while he served the stew in the bowls. I was sitting at the table.

  “Ah, the man is good for something, after all,” she said, and chuckled walking towards my side.

  I chuckled along. “Mother would be proud,” I said and winked at her playfully.

  She nodded smiling, and stopped the moment her eyes took in Art’s attire.

  “What is that you are wearing?” She asked him confused and looked at me for answers. I just shook my head and sighed.

  “You like it?” He asked flattered. “The pants are called jeans and the shirt is called a t-shirt. It’s made from cotton. Want to feel?” He said stopping next to her on his way to the table with the bowls. He spread his arms, baring his chest to her so she could feel. She let her hand caress the fabric on his stomach and smiled surprised.

  “You see, the ladies like it,” he said looking at me with a mischievous smile.

  She chuckled then turned to me and shrugged. “The ladies do… I like it. It suits him.”

  I grunted standing up and pulling my bowl from his hand. I picked up my spoon and fell back on the bench. I glanced towards Eisha. “He does not require any encouragement to behave this way.”

  She shrugged. “He is not a child but a grown man. A warrior. He is more than capable of taking care of himself. He is not harming anyone by getting a new attire.”

  “And he is standing right here,” Art added, while sitting next to her.

  I ignored him and looked back at Eisha. “He already has perfectly suitable attire, one we have used all our lives. I fail to see how that is better than what we are accustomed to.”

  She looked at him once more, “I think it to be interesting. Co.. cold. No, how do you say it again?” She asked looking at him confused and he beamed.

  “Cool. You think it’s cool,” he smiled looking at me triumphantly. “I’m teaching her.”

  “Yes, I think it is cool,” she repeated. Grabbed her spoon, and took her first serving.

  I rolled my eyes, and she chuckled. They were both going to be the death of me, I decided.

  “Oh that reminds me. I have something for you,” Art said excited, getting up from the table and hurrying out of the hut. A few minutes later he returned with what seemed like a colorful sac made of paper and handed it to Eisha. Her eyes widened and she smiled happy.

  “So many colorful flowers, this is beautiful Art. Thank you!” She said turning the paper sac around to inspect it closer.

  He chuckled, “not the gift bag silly, the gift inside it.”

  He took it from her hands and opened it for her. She looked at me curiously then let her hand inside the bag. She pulled out a package wrapped in fine pink colored paper. Setting it on the table, she carefully opened the paper to reveal a soft red fabric. She gasped and stood quickly unfolding the present. A long red dress with short sleeves and a fabric belt of the same color draped from her hands. She looked at Art amazed.

  “It is stunning, Art. Thank you!” She kissed his cheek and hugged him.

  “This, is a zipper” Art said, holding a tiny metal leaf on the back of the dress and pulling it up and down. He demonstrated how it worked on the garment.

  She squealed overjoyed, her stew forgotten and hurried to the partition to change into it. I smiled. A couple of minutes later she walked towards us. The dress made her body seem soft and feminine. The color had an interesting contrast to her pale skin, her black hair and ice blue eyes. It fit her perfectly and it was the opposite of her standard warrior outfit, or her tunics. It made her look…

  “Gorgeous. You look absolutely gorgeous, Eisha,” Art said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

  She smiled wide and twirled, the long skirt floating around her. I smiled at her excitement and playfulness. It had been long since we last saw this side of her. My brother did well. I looked at him smiling appreciative and we exchanged a nod. When my eyes returned to her, the image of my beach Goddess revisited my mind. I saw her laughing while she danced on the water. My breath caught as though she was in front of me once more.

  “I got an outfit for you too, Bro. Whenever you are ready just let me know,” Art said and laughed at my expression.

  I reluctantly chuckled. I stood up with my empty bowl, placing it in the washbowl on the counter. Eisha sat down on the table and continued eating with a smile on her face. Art sat next to her again and returned to his stew.

  “I think I will turn in early tonight brother. Have a peaceful night Eisha, you do look quite gorgeous in that dress.” I said patting Art on the back and placing a kiss on her cheek. She smiled wide and gave me a small hug. I looked behind me when I reached the door. They continued talking and laughing.

  The night had fallen upon us. The village looked ethereal with the light of the moon and the flickering of the fire torches illuminating the path. I took a deep breath making my way to my place. Art and Eisha’s huts were close to each other in the center of the village, while mine was at the entrance. The way I planned it when we began building, was so there would only be one way in. I sought guidance in Mo meantóir’s journal to create a powerful spell that would protect it and shield it so that its inhabitants could be the only ones to see it. With my hut at the entrance of the village I would be the first one to react if something were to happen. The fact that there was a stretch separating my hut from where the village actually began was another point of protection. This would give me the advantage and sufficient time to react and form a plan of defense.

  I would be able to protect them.

  I walked into my hut and took a deep breath. I let my body fall backwards on my bed, folded my arms under my head and stared at the roof. No matter how long I attempted to overlook it, there was a desire within. A longing. I needed to see my Goddess again. Her energy was now part of me, fierce and unstoppable. It called to me, pulling me until the need to see her was unbearable. I stood up and walked to the washbasin splashing some water on my face. I pulled at the leather string untying my hair and stared at my reflection in the small mirror on the wall. I splashed more water and dragged my hands through my hair, then dried my face with the small linen towel.

  I must not do this. Every fiber inside me begged for me to search for her. I must be strong. The sa
fety of my people was more important than anything else. Even myself. I could not… I stared at myself for a long stretch, trying with everything inside me to ignore the urge. I straightened looking at my reflection and took a painful breath. I tucked my shirt in my trousers then turned, grabbed the blessed passage stones and closed my eyes. I concentrated on my Goddess’ essence and connected to it until I could find her location. Throwing the stones in the air I watched the archway form, the swirling energy became clear and my pulse began to race. My eyes settled on her. A strange emotion took over.

  “À sealladh”—disappear. I whispered.

  A smile curved my lips and I stepped through the portal.

  *

  BRIANA

  I awoke curled upon the sofa of my living room. I blinked slowly. The light from the TV flickered all around, creating weird shadows on the wall. I yawned and stretched my aching body. I had fallen asleep watching Merlin again.

  “Thank God I had the sense to call Grandpa before I pressed play,” I said remembering the close call we had the other night.

  Today had been a strange but good day. I had a beautiful time with Grandpa at the park. The talk we had, had been both heartbreaking yet significant. After learning the full details of what Grandpa had gone through and how my parents died. A piece of my heart had cracked. But even broken it had also managed to grow. I loved Grandpa and now that I knew exactly what he had gone through I loved him even more. When we got home, I took a much-needed shower after my impromptu performance at the beach. I just couldn’t help myself. There was something about nature that made me feel overjoyed, euphoric even. And I had loved seeing grandpa laugh again. But wearing blue jeans and a tank top afterwards had definitely been the wrong choice. The jeans’ waistband was digging into my belly and almost cut me in half. The button had branded my skin for life.

  Ok I am exaggerating, but it seriously felt like it did.