Chapter Four

I arrived in the realm early the following morning, ready to train. As I stepped out of the portal, Morgyn was right there to greet me.

“Oh, hi!” He smiled. “Didn’t expect you so soon.”

“Well, expect it,” I grinned. “I’m so ready for this.”

Morgyn beamed. It was like I was his star pupil, and had exceeded all expectations. We hadn’t even started yet! 

“Great!” He smiled. “First, let me show you the various hot spots around here, in case you need anything on your magical journey.” He started walking toward a portal at the end of the path to our right. I followed.

Once on another island, he gestured to the various buildings around us. “Welcome to Caster’s Alley! These are the shops.”

I smiled and started to walk, but stopped. The people Manning the shops weren’t actually people. They were ghosts.

“They’re ghosts?” I asked.

Morgyn laughed. “Yes, ghosts. To this day, I’m not sure why, but we just go with it. They’re harmless.” He gestured toward the first shop. “Here you’ll find wands, tomes and familiars.”

“Familiars?” I asked. I had heard that term when they were talking about Darryl’s dragon, but I didn’t quite know what it meant.

Morgyn nodded. “Yes. They are like little pets that follow us, help us with magic, encourage us and protect us.” He waved his hand and a phoenix appeared. “This little guy is Ember.”

I giggled. “Ember. So, his name is…”

“Ember Ember,” we said together, laughing.

“Yes,” Morgyn smiled. “He came with the name, and I thought it was too perfect to change.”

I glanced at the shop. “I think I’ll pass on a familiar.”

“But why?” Morgyn asked.

“Darryl’s dragon,” I said, solemnly.

“Ah, right,” Morgyn nodded. “One thing you have to know about Darryl is that he is wild. He likes to push things to their limits. Most familiars won’t rebel like his dragon did.”

I nodded slowly, still unsure.

“But you could still buy a wand and books if you so choose!” Morgyn reassured me. He gestured to another shop. “And if you think you’d like to ride on a broom, or need crystals for potions, or just to look at, that’s the shop for you.” He turned and gestured toward the last shop. “And that is for other potion ingredients.” He nodded in conclusion.

I smiled, looking around us. “Wow. Thank you.”

He smiled back, warmly, practically melting my heart. “Of course! And I still encourage you to invest in a familiar. They help you build skill quickly.”

I nodded, thinking about it. “I will consider it.”

Morgyn nodded and gestured back to the portal. “I’ll wait here if you want to shop around.”

“I’ll just grab a wand and broom,” I smiled. I walked toward the first shop. I found a marble wand that I fell in love with. I had always loved the look and feel of marble, and if I wanted something to represent me, this was it. I bought it and moved to the next shop. I found what was called a ‘rocket broom’, liked the design and purchased it. I could make it disappear and reappear with magic, so I didn’t need to carry it.

Next, Morgyn took me to the gardens.

“These are the gardens,” he said, holding his arms out.

I looked around. It was calm and peaceful. There was a small pond, surrounded by white bricks. It was marked as a fishing hole. There were trees and bushes filled with fruits and vegetables ready for harvest, and a large greenhouse in the middle of it all. It was calm, soothing and, maybe it was just the way I had been feeling…

“It’s romantic,” I blurted out. My eyes widened, and I backtracked. “I mean, hypothetically.”

Morgyn grinned at my little hiccup. “Hypothetically romantic,” he said with a smile. “I will have to write that down for it’s specifications.” He winked at me, and a shiver went down my spine.

Morgyn quickly shifted back to tour-guide mode. “These trees and bushes are free to harvest from, daily. First come, first serve, obviously. They hold potion ingredients you may need.” He gestured toward the pond. “Here, you can fish, as fish are also used in potions, as are frogs,” he gestured by the greenhouse, “which you’ll find here.”

I nodded simply, still embarrassed by my comment.

“The last place is the dueling grounds, but I’ll show you that later, when you’re ready to duel.” He started to walk, and I followed. He stopped suddenly and turned, causing me to bump straight into him.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, jumping back. “I’m sorry!”

Morgyn laughed. “That was my fault,” he said. “I wanted to say, when casting spells and dueling, you’ll build charge.” He explained further, “You need to take frequent breaks or you’ll become overcharged, which can kill you.”

My eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Not to worry!” He grinned, placing his hand on my shoulder, causing a shock. “Oh, sorry,” he smiled. “But um, the chance of you dying from it is slim. Just stay mindful and careful.” He nodded to himself. “Also, those shocks between us are due to our combined charge, or power. More specifically untamed charge to untamed charge. Spellcasters can choose which magic they want to pursue, or choose them all.” He smiled warmly at me, “but something in this world really wants you to practice untamed magic.” He saw the worry on my face. “That doesn’t mean you are always charged,” he said reassuringly. “It simply means there’s a lot of charge between us.”

“What causes it?” I asked, afraid of the answer. It almost sounded like the natural chemistry between two people, only specific to spellcasters.

“From what I’ve read, it could be a number of things. Power, strength, natural balance, and even compatibility, if you’re into that sort of mindset.” Morgyn shrugged.

“Are you?” I asked, not realizing how forward it was.

He looked at me with a blank stare, reading me before he answered. His eyes pierced my soul. “Yes,” he said hesitantly. “Of course I am. I’m a sage, and need to be open to any and all possibilities.” He cleared his throat. “But there are, um, multiple explanations.”

I was mortified, yet amused that I had made him a tad nervous while talking about it. I shrugged those feelings off and nodded. “Right.”

We headed back to the main building to begin training.

“Be careful of how much force you put behind the spell,” Morgyn said, putting his hands on my arms to help demonstrate.

I blushed, but followed what he was saying.

“Perfect!” He smiled as I finished the spell I was practicing.

I tried again a few times, slowly getting worse with each attempt.

“No, no,” he said. He went to grab my arms, but I pulled away.

“Ugh!” I exclaimed. “I’m not this powerful future sage you think I am. You’re pushing me too hard!” I immediately felt bad, putting my hands up to my mouth. I walked away, but slid on a green puddle on the ground, left over by a poor soul who had been cursed. I started to fall backwards, but Morgyn caught me.

I looked up at him, blushing again. I knew he could see it.

“T-thanks,” I pulled myself up and stood tall.

He grinned. “Maybe it was a sign that you shouldn’t run away.”

“I’m tired,” I said, frustrated. “This is harder than I anticipated. I thought that with that power you say I have, this would be a breeze.”

“It would actually be a breeze if you didn’t have that,” he laughed.

I sat down on a nearby bench, with Morgyn following.

“Why do you say that?” I asked, putting my head in my hands.

“The excess power is what’s tripping you up. You just need to tone it down a bit.” He gently touched my arm, gesturing to pull it down so he could see me. “It could also be that you’re distracted.” He winked again.

I blushed again. “No, I’m not.” I knew he could tell I was lying, but I wasn’t about to admit whatever the hell was going on with me.

He grinned playfully. “Sure.”

I glared at him. 

He laughed and stood up. “Shall we keep working?” He held his hand out.

I sighed, taking his hand. “Yeah.”

We trained well into the evening. I learned how to better control my powers and felt happier and more confident.

“I think that’ll be enough for today,” Morgyn smiled warmly at me. “You’ve done very well.”

I bowed my head. “Thank you. And thank you for being patient with me.”

Morgyn smiled. “Care to sit a minute?”

I followed him to a bench in a secluded area outside. We sat down.

“You remind me of me,” he said.

I just gazed at him, not knowing what he meant.

“When I was starting out, the sage of untamed magic knew just what I would become. She trained me extensively, and there were plenty of times I just wanted to walk out and never look back.” He smiled and looked at me, his green eyes sparkling. “I’m glad I didn’t give up.”

I narrowed my eyes in awe. “I’m glad you didn’t either.”

For a moment, I saw him blush. “Well, I see incredible potential within you,” he smiled, poking my shoulder. “You just have to will it. And if it seems like I’m pushing you too hard, just know it’s because I can see what you’ll become. You could be my successor.”

I looked down and wrung my hands together. “Morgyn, that’s not what I want,” I shook my head. “I wanted to be a spellcaster because it interested me. I don’t want all of that power, and certainly don’t want to take it from you.”

Morgyn placed his hand on my shoulder, causing a quick shock, a reminder of the point he was making here. “I’m going to die eventually.”

I sighed. He was right. But we were the same age. How could I be his successor? I looked up at him, perplexed. “We are the same age.”

Morgyn laughed. “No, we aren’t.” He gestured to the portal as if Caleb was standing there like yesterday. “Like vampires, spellcasters can be immortal. We just have to use potions to stay our current ages.” He looked at me. “I am younger than Caleb, but the history we possess happened long before he met you, or Ruby, or Ruby-you, whatever.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You know about Ruby?”

“Yes,” Morgyn nodded. “I met her, and saw her a lot when I saw Caleb.” He looked me up and down, playfully. “And Caleb told me yesterday that when he met you, as you are now, that you were so much like her. He was right. You’re like her carbon copy.”

I blushed as I looked away. I started thinking about the night before, and the way I reacted when Caleb seemed to awaken my inner ‘Ruby’.

“And I know the feelings you have for each other are strong, too,” Morgyn continued, seeing me blush. “Which, if you ask me, it’s about time.” He laughed a little. “I was beginning to think that I would have to date Caleb just to fill whatever empty void he may have.”

I looked at Morgyn, shocked, but started to giggle. “You two would make a really cute couple.”

“We did,” Morgyn winked.

“Wait, what?” I asked, surprised. 

Morgyn laughed again. He knew he didn’t need to repeat himself, as my reaction said I heard him loud and clear.

“Why not now?” I asked.

Morgyn shrugged. “Time got the better of us,” he said. “He became one of the most well respected professors at Britechester, and I became Sage here in the magic realm.” He smiled at me, but I could see the sadness in his eyes. “I’m just happy we are still friends and have the moments we shared.”

I nodded. “I understand that.”

We sat in silence for a while. We both seemed like we had something to say to each other, but always kept it to ourselves. 

“Thank you,” I said quietly, gazing off into the vortex. “I’m happy I met you. I’m happy I’m here.”

Morgyn smiled. “I am too.”

We heard some commotion in the building. We both stood up and ran in to see what was going on. Morgyn stopped dead in his tracks as he stepped in, and all of the color drained from his face.

I followed his gaze. A Spellcaster was frantically trying to calm her dragon familiar. It was still small, but very clearly rebelling from her. Without hesitation, Morgyn and I ran to her, as did the two other sages and several other spellcasters.

The dragon bucked around as we all tried to help the girl regain control of him, but he was too strong. I didn’t even know what I was doing. I stepped back, realizing I had no idea how to help. Morgyn quickly grabbed my hand, harnessing my power into his magic. The shock that resulted shook me to my core, weakening me enough to knock me to the ground. Morgyn managed to subdue the dragon and had the Spellcaster dismiss him, so he couldn’t rebel again.

I tried to stand. My whole body shook and I collapsed again. Now I was the spectacle, as everyone crowded around me to see what was going on. 

“Alright guys,” Morgyn said, stepping between the crowd and me. “Go back to what you were doing. She will be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

Everyone dispersed slowly, leaving Morgyn and I alone. He crouched down beside me. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay,” I choked out. I looked up at him with a faint smile.

He smiled back, genuinely and warmly.

I tried to get up again.

“No, no,” Morgyn stopped me. “Hold still and relax.” I felt him place his hands on my arm. He closed his eyes and channeled some of his power back into me. I immediately felt my strength coming back. He opened his eyes and smiled again. “Better?”

“Yes,” I smiled back. “Thank you.”

He stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me up. I stood up a bit too suddenly, and found myself inches from Morgyn’s face.

We both froze, just staring at each other. Something in the way he looked at me shifted. Like the way I looked at Caleb before I kissed him. I mustered the strength to look away and break the connection that was forming. 

“S-sorry,” I said, acting like I was straightening my pants leg. 

He ducked down a little to look at me. “You really need to stop apologizing,” he laughed quietly. “I’m not some big, mean ogre who is going to eat your soul if you make one wrong move.

I felt playful. “Of course you’re not!” I waved my hand. “You’re too cute to be an ogre.”

He blushed, but laughed at my joke.

“Why, thank you,” he held his hands up to his chest, like an overexaggerated award acceptance speech.

I giggled.

“We need to be mindful of dragon familiars,” Morgyn said slowly, his expression serious again.

I nodded. “What happened anyway?”

Morgyn nodded, as if he was mentally preparing himself. “When Darryl lost control of his dragon, we know the dragon grew to full size,” he explained, as we started to walk. “Once they are full size, they regress in the training we’ve provided, and regain powers they wouldn’t normally have.” He sat down on a bench. “Like the ability to summon other dragons.” He looked down, clenching his teeth. “I knew this would happen the moment I heard what had happened. It was only a matter of time.” He looked at me with a worried expression. “This could get quite bad, and could result in a lot of casualties. It could also eradicate everything we are.”

My eyes widened. “How?*

“War.” He said it plainly and painfully.

I just wanted to hug him. It was the first time I had seen him not full of confidence in his abilities.

“I’m glad you came to us when you did,” he continued. “I know I keep talking about your power, like a broken record, but you may be the deciding factor in our safety and victory.”

I sat back, shocked. “I won’t let you down,” I nodded, as if I was telling it to myself.

He smiled and leaned toward me. “I know you won’t.”

I got butterflies in my stomach. They flew away when I realized he was leaning in to hug me. I hugged him back, reaffirming that I would do anything I could to save the spellcasters.

“It’s late,” Morgyn said, still holding me. I could feel his breath on my neck, and I felt intoxicated by him. “I don’t want to keep you.” He pulled away and smiled apologetically. “We need you to be well rested for tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Right. I’ll head home then.” My voice sounded strange to me. I assumed it was due to the unexplained attraction I had for him. I stood up. “See you tomorrow?”

“I look forward to it,” he smiled. 

I smiled back and headed for the portal. Before I stepped in, I turned to look at him, and he was still watching me. I gave him a small wave and stepped in.

Chapter five (click here)