reading

While reading The Legend of the Wizard’s Apprentice, I felt like I was in the adventure the whole time. The characters were so well explained that by the end of the book, I felt like I knew them all, and I CAN’T wait to see what happens next!!! – Maddie Mensher

The diversity of characters added interest. I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what other interesting creatures Kerwyn would meet and befriend. You can most definitely put me on the list for a copy of the next book in the trilogy. I look forward to following Kerwyn and his friends as their adventure continues. – Pam P.

The combination of these two is a good draw card for those of us who enjoy a fantasy tale. This book was quite a good tale and leaves an ending that begs for a follow-up book. Quite an enjoyable read and yes, I will be buying the follow-up. I think this tale is worthy of investing your hard-earned money in. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. – Gaza

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The forest and its inhabitants are all quiet now, as the final aftershocks of the earthquake have settled into stillness. The few birds that did not flee at the onset of the first rumblings are fluttering and calling out through the trees, searching for the cause of the strange ground shaking. A spotted brown buck twitches his ears and nose as he scans the depths of forest for any sign of movement. He is tense, and ready for that moment of quick escape, if need be. The moments pass from seconds to minutes and the deer relaxes, lowering his head to take a mouthful of the leaves that have been shaken loose from the branches of the maple trees. He continues his vigilant scanning of the forest as he chews his newly-acquired meal, and the forest turns silent once again as the earth returns to stillness.

The earthworms, abundant in numbers, wriggle their way across the ground that, just moments before, had torn them from their sleep. Each of their small, reddish, segmented bodies glistens with the morning dew. They search for a spot to return underground, so they might escape the heat of the morning sun. The ground is covered with countless varieties of insects that normally live beneath the surface. These, like the worms, search for a way to return to the depths of the earth from whence they came.

Life in the forest tries to return to its usual existence, but in the rumbling wake, there is a strange new feeling in the air. Mother Nature’s creatures can sense the vileness that has emerged. The air smells of sulphur and decay, and it has an acidic sharpness that makes every breathing creature feel diseased and unhygienic. The new smell has extinguished all others that were once associated with the joy and laughter that, before today, was unmistakable here within the River Glen Forest.

Here, beneath the forest’s canopy, is where the tree sprites, pixies, and fairies used to live and play. Now, these creatures have fled from the strange evil that has infected their domain. They leave behind the fate of their beloved forest to the children of man, whom they hope will have the power to return all that is good to the land. But until that day, they have gone into hiding, fleeing this world until they can return.

About three miles away, there is a large, newly-formed gap nestled in the forest. The area was once a meadow; filled with lush grasses and sweet clover for the forest creatures to graze upon. What stands in the gap is a pillar of solid black crystal that rises up toward the sky. Its sides are jagged, and there are cracks down its smooth surface. The color is as dark as the coming night. It is made from chunks of the oldest stone imaginable, polished not to reflect or shine, but rather to absorb all life in the light of day. The pillar has the ability to turn hope and happiness into dread and despair, and it gives the unmistakable impression of having been constructed by a twisted, daemonic being looking for revenge. It is the cause of the evil that has returned to the land. It is the Black Tower of the Dark Master, standing in the meadow once occupied by so many beautiful creatures. Now, only the dead remain to gaze back upon the structure, as it stands silhouetted against the backdrop of the dying land.

Thunder can be heard far off in the distance, and the storm surges closer with each crack. Above, the sky darkens. The shadows on the ground seem to grow as they prepare to fade away into the night’s embrace. The smells of sulphur and death take on a life of their own. The creatures run deeper into the forest because they can feel the presence of the oldest evil emerging again.

The insects rise to the surface once more, this time taking the shape of a tidal wave. The wave—carrier of death and despair—rises up from the Black Tower and spreads out through the clearing. It rushes to reach all corners of the forest, increasing in power with every inch. Everything the wave hits becomes diseased, and decays until it is so distorted that it resembles the creatures from the pits of the abyss.

The trees and plants twist and wrap themselves into huge masses of brambles and thorns. They grow mouths and turn carnivorous, hungry for the taste of fresh blood and the warm, meaty flesh of any living creature that might be careless enough to venture too close.

As the evil wave gains strength, a crescendo of blood-curdling screams and deafening howls can be heard. The creatures from inside the Black Tower’s domain have once again come to be among the waking world of man, bringing with them, the greatest evil and most terrifying reality to what was once only a legend.

The evil sounds of laughter and screaming from within the Black Tower become increasingly intense as the wave covers more ground. The Dark Master is still unable to break free from the Black Tower—his prison of a thousand years—but his minions have found the cracks he has made for them, and they slip free to once again wreak havoc on the world of man.

Outside the clearing, three dark forms sever themselves from the shadows and begin a slow trek, shuffling toward the center of the Black Tower. They have risen from their icy graves at the sign of the evil wave, to heed the call of their Dark Master.

The three figures stop in front of the tower’s base and look up toward its peaks. Their appearance is like that of the walking dead, with exposed bones poking through their torn, rotting skin. Any semblance of what race they once belonged to has decayed away. What remains are tattered scraps of clothing and armor, the crests and meanings of which have been forgotten for centuries. All good things from their former lives are long forsaken. They are compelled to kill and destroy all living things in their paths until the end of days.

Upon each of their boney chests there resides a red, brightly-glowing necromancer’s symbol, representing neverending death. From their eye sockets, an unnatural, evil light shines out and guides their way. On each hip, a rune-scribed sword is slung. The swords were gifts from their Dark Master, at the inception of their evil afterlife. Each sword holds the power to administer the most painful, horrible death imaginable.

Only armor, that was made of the purest silver or magically enchanted, can deflect or stop the passing of a Death Knight’s sword. A mere scratch would cause a wound to fester and burn from within, and black maggots to slowly eat away at the flesh of their victim until nothing but bones remained. A healer may try to reverse this process, but there is no cure known in the world of man that can slow down or stop the death of the victim.

Once a victim has perished by a Death Knight’s sword, his soul belongs to the Dark Master. His skeletal body will rise as one of the walking dead, bound for eternity to his master’s wishes.

The sounds of evil grow in the forest, as the Death Knights stand vigilantly, awaiting their master’s commands. The Black Tower’s inhabitants run out of the clearing, making their way to the forest’s edge. Here, they wait for any unlucky traveler who ventures too close. The doomed first become a feast for the Black Tower’s creatures, and then turn into another one of the undead, ready to serve their great Dark Master until the end of time.

It has been rumored that long ago, there were five Death Knights. Legend has it that an extraordinary wizard with two different-colored eyes—one totally black, the other liquid-ice blue—tapped into the full force of the One Power, destroying two of the Death Knights in a colossal battle. The wizard was said to be an anomaly among his peers—an unlikely hero, who not only had the power to banish the Dark Master and all the evil he commanded, but also to rival the gods themselves. According to the legend, the gods grew jealous of his increasing strength, and cursed him to be reborn every one thousand years. They compelled him to fight the Dark Master and his minions again and again, until the end of time, or until he died or broke the curse, and challenged the gods.

Of course, this is just an old bedtime story passed down to me by my late grandmother, whose grandmother had passed it down to her. Perhaps it is nothing more than an old tale that’s been occasionaly told through the ages, but I like to think of it as a true legend that was almost forgotten, until today.

Here begins the Legend of the Wizard’s Apprentice.

“Well, my boy, Kerwyn, it looks like you’ve done it to yourself again.”

A tall, lanky human male with unkempt brown hair and loose-fitting clothing of blue and green robes was huddled on the floor covered in a sticky mess of magical webbing that had gone terribly wrong. Master Sernett looked Kerwyn in his strange, troubled eyes. One eye was as black as the darkest night and the other so radiant blue that one would think it was glowing with its own inner light.

Master Sernett shook his head and wondered what he was going to do with the lad. He knew Kerwyn had the inner ability to do magic, but the boy had no focus. In fact, he could sense the greatest amount of the One Power in him that he had ever sensed in anyone. Sometimes it was so powerful that Master Sernett wondered if the old legends were, in fact, true. One day, the greatest wizard would return to battle the Evil Master. The world would finally be rid of the Black Tower and the evil creatures that lived inside.

Master Sernett shook his head and chuckled to himself, thinking that if this seventeen-year-old boy lying before him covered in sticky, magical webbing was the all-mighty wizard reborn, then this world was done for and the evil would surely be victorious this time.

He raised his hands and uttered the words of command: “Aufero veneficus!” Master Sernett cast his removal magic spell. The webbing melted and slid off Kerwyn like it was nothing more than water.

Kerwyn looked up at his Master and watched him run his aged hands through his ample grey beard and long, flowing, wavy grey hair while removing the tangles from them. He then saw his Master slowly take his time to smooth out the wrinkles and wipe away breakfast crumbs from his two-toned brown rune-inscribed Wizard’s robes that he wore as they flowed all the way to the floor. The runes on his Master’s robes seemed to glow and shift on their own with every move or step his Master took. Master Sernett had a strong, aged look to his face, which would tell anyone who looked upon him that he was far wiser than normal years would allow. Kerwyn knew that his Master had been alive a lot longer than anyone else whom he had ever known. His Master had that telltale sign of someone who could control the One Power, and who could cast fantastic magical spells. His bright blue eyes seemed to hide unimaginable secrets, yet they were full of life and love every time he looked upon Kerwyn.

Kerwyn, looking intently at his Master, was very thankful that this incredible man had chosen to take him in and become his adopted father. Kerwyn had no idea who his real parents were or why they had chosen to leave him on Master Sernett’s doorstep so many years ago. But he knew that he had been loved and cared for by this great man, whom everyone else in the town of River Glenn respected, and possibly even somewhat feared.

“I’m sorry, Master. I will never be a great wizard like you. All of my spells seem to backfire at me or turn into something other than what I was casting.”

“Now, Kerwyn, what have I told you at least a hundred times?”

“I know, Master: to never doubt my own powers and to focus on what I want my spells to do. But why do I always mess them up? I have been working on this spell for the past week. I finally made it work, but it ended up backfiring on me again. How can I help protect the village from all the trolls and goblins if I can’t even cast a simple web spell properly? I’ll end up getting the whole village killed.”

“Kerwyn, no apprentice of mine is allowed to talk of such things. Practice, practice, practice, and you will eventually get it right. You need to focus on the target and not get distracted while casting. I have told you that if a wizard gets distracted in the midst of a spell, you never know what the outcome of the spell will be. Once the One Power is drawn upon, it requires a strong mind to control it. Think of the One Power as a child without discipline. It will run wild and do as it pleases, with no feel for the consequences. Remember the One Power is all around us and is created by all living things. This planet and our sun produce most of the energy the One Power wizards use in casting our magic. It is the life energy of all things, and we wizards have been taught how to feel for its presence and how to control it. A Necromancer will draw on the same One Power energies made by death, also called Dark Magic. There have only been a very few wizards who can draw on both the living and death energy of the One Power. You have seen firsthand what happens when the One Power runs freely. The old apple tree out back is still a bit angry at you for bringing it back to life and not giving it legs to walk around on.”

Turning to gaze upon the small, rustic wooden cottage that he had always called home, Kerwyn closed his eyes and took in the peaceful and tranquil sounds of the River Glenn as it flowed and gurgled past his home. There was a little spot where the river branched off and turned into a small, bubbling brook that flowed into a tiny pond where the fireflies and frogs played. This is where Master Sernett and he would go and wash up before their meals and Kerwyn would sometimes sit at the pond’s edge and fish for their evening meal. Kerwyn had captured these sounds and memories into his thoughts forever, as these were the things that put him to sleep every night, and always seemed to be a part of his dreams.

Kerwyn then opened his eyes and, turning just enough to look beyond their cottage and home, took in the scenic backdrop of the majestic and mysterious River Glenn Forest. The forest had always been a huge part of his adolescent life. Kerwyn could not count how many times his Master had taken him deep into the dark and endless forest while they were searching for rare and unusual flowers, which only grew far within the canopy of those great trees. Kerwyn smiled as he took in the massive forest that seemed to stretch and go on forever. But the forest left a little clearing all around their cottage, protectively wrapping his home in the forest’s green embrace. The only clear entrance to their property was to come across the River Glenn by boat or to walk through Mudpuppy Cove, crossing the muddy flats and marshy area that was inhabited by the little cousins of Dragons.

Thinking about his little friends and playmates, Kerwyn enjoyed all of the time he had spent with the small mudpuppies playing on the river’s edge with the friendly creatures. Even though they were related to the mighty Dragon’s, Mudpuppies did not have the nasty temperament that went along with their larger reptilian bloodline. Kerwyn laughed as he thought about how mudpuppies resembled small dogs that he had seen in the town of River Glenn. Bringing his attention back to the clearing around their home, Kerwyn could smell the fragrant sent coming from his favorite apple tree. Looking over at it, Kerwyn watched as it made a gruff sound and turned to look away from him while crossing its branches across its chest. Shaking his head sadly, Kerwyn knew that his magical apple tree was still mad at him for not giving it legs to walk around when he had brought it back to life so many years ago.

“Master, I did not mean to bring it back to life. It had died and I didn’t want to lose my favourite apple tree. I loved that tree; it made me sad that I was not going to have any more of those delicious apples. I just kept reaching out to the tree and asked it to come back. I did not even know that I was using magic; it just sort of happened. Out of nowhere, I felt the One Power fill me. A brilliant light shot from my hands and the next thing I knew, the dead tree was now alive, and asking me why it couldn’t walk.”

“Kerwyn, all things die in time. You giving that old apple tree a new life is against the nature of magic. I still do not know how you did it. In all of my years, I have never seen a wizard powerful enough to bring anything back to life once it had died.” Without using the forbidden evil Necromancer’s magic, Master Sernett thought to himself.

The old man continued, “You were not only able to bring it back to life using the One Power, but you also changed it into a sentient being, which not only feels and thinks, but also talks. No, Kerwyn, my boy, you are a marvel. You have access to complexities of the One Power that are far more powerful than my own. One day, you will learn how to control that power and be the strongest, greatest wizard in the land. We just need to find a way for you to not kill yourself in the mean time,” he added with a chuckle.

Kerwyn knew that his master was making a joke, so he laughed along with him. Still, Kerwyn wondered how, all those years ago, he had brought forth the One Power so intensely that it had been enough to bring the dead tree back to life.

He wasn’t at all sure how he had done it. He remembered feeling sad at the loss of his favorite tree. His desire for it to be alive was so passionate that every fiber of his being surged with energy and ended up breaking forth in a flash of blinding light. It even took him a while to realize that the light had come from him. It was an even bigger surprise for Kerwyn when the tree called him “Father.” Remembering that now, Kerwyn chuckled at the tree calling him “Father,” which he would remember forever.

Kerwyn also thought back to a few arguments that he had with that silly apple tree, about not being allowed to come into their home for tea.

The interesting thing about the tree now was, not only was it alive and well with a will of its own, but the apples that it bore year round also had a magical healing effect on anyone whom the tree allowed to eat them.

Kerwyn thought to himself, “The gods must have something special planned for me. Who would have ever thought that I, an abandoned kid left on a stranger’s doorstep, would live with Master Sernett, the most powerful wizard in the area?”

“Ok, Kerwyn, enough of that daydreaming. You still have more training to do before you stop for the day,” said Master Sernett.

“Sorry, Master Sernett,” Kerwyn said, with a downcast look.

“Ok, Kerwyn, instead of the sticky web spell, let’s try and make the light spell that you have been working on. This time, try to get it right; we don’t need any more misshapen spider web spells today. Concentrate on the flow of energy that’s all around you and feel the One Power passing through your body. Once you have it inside, start channeling that energy into a single focal point. Once you have the image in your mind, speak the words of power and then create your glowing ball in the air.”

“Ok, Master, I’ll try,” said Kerwyn.

As Kerwyn opened up his mind, he could see all of the One Power energy that moved around him like rivers of energy. Master Sernett had told him before that energy flows are found throughout the world. “Places of Power” are places that seem to contain more of these energy flows. Then there are spots that have only a few energy rivers. These places are known as “Voids.” The Voids are a mystery, as no one has been able to determine why they even exist. It is almost as if the Voids suck all of the One Power into nothingness. It was once thought that the Voids draw the One Power deep back into the planet’s core in an effort to restore missing energy to the planet. A wizard must be very carful when casting spells in Voids, as he will end up using his own life energy to cast his spells if there isn’t enough of the One Power’s river energy to tap into. The Void has a tendency to leech energy from a wizard, and when there isn’t enough of the One Power’s energy flow to tap into, the wizard may expend his own life energy to cast the spell.

Kerwyn started to channel the energy of the One Power and concentrated it into a single point of power. He glanced above the small bubbling brook by the edge of their property and saw a firefly flashing its light in the distance, which broke his concentration for just a moment.

He waved his hands and spoke the magical word of power—“Luminarium!”—and a blast of energy rushed from his open hands. The air shined and began to fold in on itself in such a way that time and space became one. In that instant, there was an explosion of sound and light, then right there, where Kerwyn was focusing all of his energy, now buzzed five hundred fireflies. Each one flickered and blinked, hovering in a tightlyformed group roughly the shape and size of a three-foot-diameter ball.

Master Sernett sighed and shook his head before he spoke.

“Kerwyn, you did well, but you didn’t focus your mind on a ball of pure light. Why did you think of fireflies? Yes, they give off light, and they seem to be following your will, but a ball of pure white light would be more useful when one needs to see in the dark.”

“I’m sorry, Master. I didn’t mean to summon fireflies. I saw one over by the brook and then… they were just on my mind.” Kerwyn’s face turned scarlet.

“Kerwyn, you really must stay focused on what you are doing! One of these days, you’re going to cast something that you don’t want to cast and it’s going to end up hurting someone.” Master Sernett exhaled and slowly drew in a breath to calm himself.

“I know, Master. I’ll try harder, I promise.” Kerwyn was speaking in a small voice, upset that he had disappointed his master, yet again, that day.

“Alright, release those fireflies and let’s try it again.” Master Sernett tried to calm his voice to put Kerwyn at ease. Kerwyn released his will over the fireflies and watched them scatter across the sky looking for a nice place to hide.

Master Sernett put his hand on Kerwyn’s shoulder and said, “Kerwyn, this time I want you to concentrate on a ball of pure bright light. Then focus really hard on the spell you want to cast. Once you have that firmly in your mind, slowly draw in the One Power. Be sure to maintain control of it until you’re ready to cast your spell.”

Kerwyn again opened up his mind to the flows of floating energy that surrounded him. As soon as he did, the energy of the One Power rushed in and filled him with a sense of unlimited power. He focused his mind on a ball of pure white light, the way his master had told him to. He then waved his hands and spoke the word of power again: “Luminarium!” He again felt that familiar rush of energy.

Suddenly, there was an intense, blinding explosion that threw Kerwyn and his master several feet to the ground. In front of them, hovering three feet above the ground, was a ball of the brightest and purest white light the world had ever seen. It was approximately four feet in diameter and it pulsed with the pure force of the One Power’s energy.

“Kerwyn, tone it down, my boy, or you’ll blind the both of us!” exclaimed Master Sernett, surprised that Kerwyn not only succeeded with what he was told to do, but that he had also done it with more power than he had ever seen it done by anyone.

Kerwyn concentrated his will toward the brilliant, glowing ball of light and gradually the light’s intensity dimmed enough so that it no longer hurt Kerwyn’s eyes to look at it. Blinking rapidly and rubbing his eyes, Kerwyn quickly looked over at his master and saw the biggest smile on his Master’s now red, sunburned face.

“Kerwyn, my boy, you did it! Not only did you do it, but also what a light! I think I’m going to see spots in front of my eyes for the next couple of weeks. Plus, I’m going to have to make a healing lotion to sooth our sunburned skin.”

Kerwyn saw his master laughing and was somewhat proud of the fact that he had finally done exactly what and how his master had trained him to. Even though he himself was somewhat temporarily blinded and had a sunburned face from the initial flash of light, Kerwyn again looked at the ball of light and then made a mental note to close his eyes and cast the ball a little further away from him the next time he cast the spell. He also knew that by casting the spell perfectly, it would show his master that he could now focus his will. Kerwyn thought that maybe one day, he might even be the greatest wizard in the world, just as he had always dreamed. But, of course, that was just a childhood fantasy that would never come true for an orphan like him. “One day, just maybe, one day,” Kerwyn whispered to himself.

Neither Kerwyn nor his master yet realized that they had just begun the biggest good-against-evil journey of all time. The wheel of time had just turned one more spoke closer to pulling all the evils out of legends and bringing them closer to this world. In the darkest part of the River Glen forest, the evil that lived in the Black Towers squealed with excited hatred at the unsuspecting world that their Evil Necromancer Master would release them from so that they could destroy it. This was the way of legends. The Wheel of Fate had been turning for this day since the beginning of time. Once a person’s path was caught up in the wheel, nothing in either this world or any other could alter fate’s design.

Days after Kerwyn produced that ball of light, Master Sernett had him recreate it time and time again. Kerwyn was getting the hang of making the light appear in different degrees of brightness and in different colors. Master Sernett even had Kerwyn make copies of living creatures with it. Kerwyn made it take on the shape of one of the forest fairies, flying around and flapping its little wings. Then he had it take on the shape of a ten-pointed stag, and had it run around bucking and acting just like it would if it was defending its territory. He then had it run as far as the eyes could see, just to test his limits. Master Sernett was very impressed with how well Kerwyn’s strength of will could control the One Power.

“Kerwyn, you are getting stronger with your spells—and your control of the One Power—each day. I am very proud of you, my boy. I think it’s time I started teaching you how to use offensive spells and and when to use each one. You just never know when you may need to put an angry Dire Wolf to sleep, or set a raging Troll on fire. Do you remember that fire is one of the most common ways to kill a Troll?

Fire, magical weapons, weapons made of pure silver, or magical spells will destroy the creature’s ability to regenerate.To use normal weapons on them is risky, as they can regenerate quickly from non-magical wepons? If it was to be cut limb from limb, using normal weapons, the pieces would either crawl their way back to rejoin with the Troll’s body, or the Troll would just regrow a new set of limbs healing themselves.”

“Yes, Master, I remember. You told me that even though a fierce warrior could cut a troll into many parts using a normal weapon, unless you burn all of those parts. The troll can heal itself quickly, and it will come back, seeking revenge for all the pain it suffered, when you least expect it.

“Good,” Master Sernett said. “What else do you remember?”

“Trolls are big, long-limbed, and strong. They stand anywhere from seven to fifteen feet tall. They can pick up a fully-grown horse and eat it like we would pick up a chicken leg. They have knobby and usually broken teeth, with which they crush and tear the flesh into bite-sized bits. You also said that a troll prefers a living meal to finding and eating a dead one.” Kerwyn grinned, feeling that he had explained the ugly trolls in as much depth as could remember. Master Sernett backed up and sat down on one of the many logs that surrounded their little house by the brook, while going over in his mind everything that Kerwyn had said about trolls.

After what seemed like forever to Kerwyn, his Master opened his eyes and responded with, “Yes, I did say that, but they are not likely to skip over something that is already dead, either. They just prefer to hear the screams from their food while they crunch bite-sized chunks off. Trolls are evil creatures and they will kill anything just to hear it scream. But that’s not all. Even when their victims are dead, they will break the bones, just to hear them snap. Trolls are generally solitary creatures—thank the gods—but during mating season, the biggest male trolls band together and take out entire villages. They do this so they can bring as many screaming victims as possible back to the female trolls they are trying to impress. The more living victims a male troll can bring back to the females, the more the female trolls will favor them. It is a well-known fact that female trolls will only mate while listening to the sounds of the crunching bones and the painful screams of their victims. This is one reason there are so many trolls in this world. They really don’t care what type of creature is doing the screaming, therefore, there is no shortage of victims.

“Now, while we’re talking about trolls, there are many different species of trolls. There are Wood Trolls—dead, brownish tree-like creatures that will wander through the dark forests or simply plant themselves and wait patiently until an unsuspecting victim walks beneath them. Swamp Trolls look like big, moldy mounds of dirt with moss growing all over their backs. These trolls usually move very slowly and have huge mouths to swallow anything that walks across their path. Lake Trolls are large and have a bluish color to their skin to blend in with the water. They will wander around the edges of lakes and rivers looking for unsuspecting prey that are trying to get a drink. Then there are the dumbest, biggest, and most aggressive trolls of all—the Mountain Trolls. They are huge, grey creatures that are all rocky in appearance and have very tough skin that is hard to cut. They blend into the mountain slopes and paths. They will amble along these paths and caves seeking out anything that they could kill and eat.

“All trolls are deadly, but it is the mountain trolls who really enjoy the kill. They crush their prey using their clubs, and then slurp the victim’s leaking fluids. Finally, they chomp the mashed, fleshy leftovers down their throats.”

Kerwyn’s face changed to a sickening shade of green as he envisioned each of these creatures catching and killing helpless travelers. Just as he thought his stomach might be about to eject its contents, Master Sernett interrupted his thoughts and asked his next question:

“Now, let’s talk about goblins. What do you remember?” Master Sernett tried to get his apprentice to focus on his questions. He reached out and touched Kerwyn on the shoulder, seeing that he looked a little green.

“Goblins are humanoid in shape with twisted limbs and very hard heads. They are generally easily spooked, but become a lot braver when they travel in a hoard. You told me to never get into hand-to-hand combat with them, as they are a lot stronger than they look,” Kerwyn recited from memory.

“That’s right. They are strong enough to tear a full-grown man’s arms off. What else do you remember?” Master Sernett asked.

“You said that goblins are like ants. They will swarm an enemy and will even kill their own kind without remorse. They are notorious for their cruelty and sadistic ways of torturing their enemies and prey. The leader is usually the biggest and the most sadistic. He maintains his leadership status by being the most feared goblin in the hoard. The leader will have the most kills and trophies around his neck. The trophies are usually the ears or noses of their victims. A lot of times, these gruesome trophies even belong to other goblins that had challenged his right to rule or were killed by example.

Goblins are a merciless lot and they have neither honor nor loyalties to any ruler. A true rampaging goblin hoard is nothing short of a giant mass of black, twisted bodies, on a mission of devastation and destruction. Once started, their blood lust fills them with hatred. They will even kill their own kind without remorse, if caught under the surging goblin wave.” Kerwyn looked at his master and waited for his direction to continue.

“Ok, that’s good. Now, I’m going to ask you a different sort of question. You will need to think harder about this one. Which spell would you use to stop a lone goblin from attacking a farmer out in his field?”

Kerwyn purposefully blinked and paused a moment, as he tried to formulate his answer. Finally, he said, “I think I would cast the magic missile spell. That way, I would kill the goblin before he had a chance to strike.”

Master Sernett waited to see if Kerwyn would think of anything else or elaborate on his answer. He heard nothing further from his apprentice and decided to help him out.

“Well, that is one way to stop a goblin. But what guarantees do you have that you would not miss and kill the farmer, instead?” his Master asked, trying to get Kerwyn to look beyond his normal thought process.

“Hmm, I see what you mean.” Kerwyn thought for a minute and tried again. “Well, then, I guess I would cast a sleep spell and put the goblin to sleep before he could hurt the farmer.”

Master Sernett knew that Kerwyn was starting to realize that not all spells work in every situation and he began to press him a bit more. “Well, that would work, as well, but then you would also have a sleeping farmer. Your sleep spell would cover a wide area and it would put everything within the casting area to sleep. You would then have to try and drag the farmer to safety, because as you well know, goblins hardly ever hunt alone.” This made Kerwyn’s face wrinkle in thought.

“So, now that would leave you both open for an attack.” Master Sernett knew full well that his apprentice was getting frustrated, but continued to question him, trying to get him to think quickly on his feet, so that he would have a better chance at success.

Kerwyn threw up his hands in frustration and said, “Alright, Master Sernett, I give up. What spell should I use in this situation?” With a defeated look on his face, Kerwyn turned to his master for help.

“Well, Kerwyn, if I were you and I had just finished learning my new ball of light spell, I would probably cast that one.” The Master paused long enough for Kerwyn to absorb his words and continued. “You just told me a few minutes ago that goblins spook easily. One thing that you didn’t say was goblins prefer night hunting to day hunting. The only reasons a goblin would be out hunting in the daylight is because the Hoard Frenzy would be on them, or if they are ravenously hungry. They have extremely sensitive eyes and bright light makes it hard for them to see. So, after casting your ball of light spell, chances are, the goblins would get spooked and run away in search of a good hiding place. So, now you have scared away the goblin and saved the farmer, and given both of you enough time to get to safety. Now, let’s just say that this wasn’t a small group of goblins, but a full hunting party, out searching for food to feed the whole colony. Then what would you do?”

With each scenario, Master Sernett attempted to draw Kerwyn further into the unknown, trying to make him see that not all situations were as cut-and-dried as the legends in the storybooks made it appear.

Kerwyn thought for a moment. “Well, what about the spell of confusion? Casting that would make all the goblins forget about killing the farmer. Then, even if the farmer was caught up in my spell, he wouldn’t remember what he was doing, either.” Kerwyn didn’t look all that confident with his answer and waited to see what his master would say.

“Well, Kerwyn, that is not entirely correct. What happens to the farmer if he forgets to run away, or forgets that he is not a match for the goblins, and tries to attack them? Plus, remember this is not a lone goblin; this is a goblin hunting party and it could have up to thirty or more goblins in it. Kerwyn, you need to remember the two basic natures of goblins: One is to kill, and the other is to eat. With that in mind, I don’t think the farmer has much of a chance of survival with the spell of confusion.”

Kerwyn looked defeated and cried, “Ohhh, mudpuppies, Master! I don’t know what spell would be the best for that situation!”

Smiling to himself, Master Sernett responded, “Well, you actually have a pretty good idea by using a summoning spell. Mudpuppies would work very well in this situation. I would recommend summoning about a hundred for this task. Mudpuppies do not like goblins much. In fact, goblins usually avoid the river and riverbanks for this exact reason. Mudpuppies are fierce protectors of their territory, and become very defensive when a predator enters their area.”

Confused, Kerwyn said, “But, Master, mudpuppies are just harmless little lizards.”

“Oh, Kerwyn, the mudpuppies you’re thinking about are just babies! A fully-grown mudpuppy can be about three feet long. And they are a member of the dragon family, which makes them dangerous.” Master Sernett wanted Kerwyn to open his eyes to the power of dragons. Even the smallest dragon could be deadly, if it wanted to be.

“But, Master, I have played with the little ones by the rivers many times and they’ve never hurt me. Sometimes there are so many mudpuppies crawling on me that I have to sit down before I fall over from the weight of them.”

“Oh, Kerwyn, you need to stop thinking from a commoner’s point of view. You are a wizard’s apprentice. Consider this: If mudpuppies attacked humans, then humans would hunt them. They are vicious when they need to be, but prefer not to make enemies. Mudpuppies act with humans much like dogs do: If treated fairly, they can be quite social and even accept a human as one of their pack. Have you ever heard of a human hurting a mudpuppy? No. If one ever tried, the adults would quickly protect their young. Sometimes we only think about them as being harmless because humans do not intentionally go out of our way to hurt them. We have an unspoken bond of peace between our species. Our young are like playmates to their young. Do you understand what I am saying, Kerwyn?”

“Yes, Master, I think I understand now. Mudpuppies don’t hurt us because we don’t hurt them. And they hate goblins, just like all good living things hate and fear goblins.” A triumphant look appeared on Kerwyn’s face.

“That’s right, Kerwyn. All the animals in our world treat us the same way as we treat them. It’s the way of magic here in this world. And since mudpuppies are part of a dragon’s family, they can sense whether or not we mean them harm. It’s related to our aura, and the way each living thing taps into the One Power. They know when danger is near and will hide from it. That’s why when birds of prey—such as crows, hawks, and harpies—fly overhead, you will see the mudpuppies run and hide underground. But rest assured, the adults are on guard for the persistent predators, and will defend their young and territory when the need arises.

“Now, back to the task at hand: summoning a hundred mudpuppies would work because they would have no place to hide, therefore, they would fight the goblins while inadvertently protecting the farmer.”

Kerwyn had a realization and interrupted with, “Sometimes, Master, magic isn’t just about the magic, is it?”

“No, Kerwyn, it isn’t. Being able to cast offensive spells is one thing. But knowing what spell or series of spells to cast could mean life or death. Don’t worry, Kerwyn. You will learn what the best spell is for the occasion. It takes years and years of practice to get it right. Sometimes it will be from your mistakes that you will learn the most.

“Ok, enough about goblins. What do you remember from my teachings about dragons? We have already touched on some of their relatives, so tell me what you remember.”

“Well, there are a lot of different species and colors of dragons.” Kerwyn started counting the types of dragons on his fingers. “There are the great and honorable golden dragons; the rare and very evil undead bone lich dragons; and the very small, shy pixie dragons with amazing magical powers. There are also the evil black dragons that can breathe acid, as well as fire; the unpredictable blue dragons; and the white frost dragons from the north. You have also taught me about the mean green dragons that are known for their incredible cruelty and love of destruction; and the deadly water dragons, and….” Kerwyn put up a finger for each type of dragon, almost as if he had them each catalogued and was reading from a book.

“Ok, Kerwyn, so you know about the many different types of dragons. I see you were paying attention during that lesson. But, can you tell me what all of the dragon species have in common?”

“Oh, yes, Master. All dragons like their privacy and collect vast treasure troves, and will defend them right down to the last copper coin. They are temperamental and unpredictable. Dealing with any dragon can be deadly, as all dragons are known to kill and eat humans on occasion. Also, dragon magic is one of the most powerful types of magic in our world, as dragons are the most in tune with the One Power. Dragons were one of the first creatures created from the One Power by the gods themselves. Or, that’s what we believe, anyway, as they are the oldest living creatures, though no one knows for sure.”

“That’s correct, Kerwyn. Now, what else can you tell me about dragons?”

“Well, all of the dragon types have what we call Dragon Fear. That’s when anyone who gets too close to a dragon feels such an overwhelming and immense fear that they freeze in place and are unable to run or fight. You said that it take years of being around a dragon before one learns how to overcome such fear. You also said that the Dragon Knights, who hunt out and kill the evil dragons, spend as much time with the friendly dragons as they can. This is to condition themselves to overcome the dragon fear.”

“That is also right, Kerwyn. Now, tell me, what is dragon fear?”

“Master, I don’t know what dragon fear is, only that most dragons have this effect on all living things,” stated Kerwyn, while scrunching up his face in confusion.

“Kerwyn, since dragons are closest to the One Power, doesn’t it stand to reason that dragon fear is their aura or the way a dragon taps into the One Power’s energy?”

“Ohhhh, just like the mudpuppies can sense good and evil in us, or the way they sense a predator coming?”

“That’s right.” Master Sernett patted Kerwyn on the shoulder, smiling at his understanding. “It is exactly the same way, except that we feel the dragon’s aura of power, which we feel and interpret as fear. Now, since we are wizards and draw on the same One Power ourselves, it makes sense that we should also be able to cast a protective barrier around ourselves to dampen our senses to the dragon’s aura of power, right?”

“Looking at it that way Mmaster, yes, it does seem that we wizards should be able to do that. But how do we cast a spell using the One Power and shield ourselves from the same power that we are drawing from? Wouldn’t the One Power just cancel itself out?”

“Ah ha! Now you’re thinking like a wizard, but you are still trying to use standard logic to figure out this problem. What you are not thinking about is this: Just because we call it the One Power, does not mean that it is just One Power. By the look on your face, I can see that I have you really confused. Let me explain it this way. The One Power is all around us and floats all around us, like rivers of energy. Are you following me so far?”