Chance Jones A Short Story

39 W Lincoln St Apt D Approx. 7,000 words

Westerville, OH 43081
Chance.jones@otterbein.edu

The Misadventure of a Wizards First Job

Edmund sighed heavily as he set the bucket of beers down at the table. He sighed

again as he took to his seat, and once again as he pulled a bottle from the bucket. He

twisted off the cap and took a long swig of the ice cold liquid before turning to his friends

and saying, Well, every round is on me tonight.

The blue bloods must be paying you well, Brandon, a childhood friend, quipped

as he took a bottle himself.

Better than all the years on that stipend from The College. Edmund laughed and

took on a more conspiratorial tone. Actually, its a little scary how much this gig is

making me.

Alex, another long-time friend of Edmunds, asked in between mouthfuls of beer,

So, whats it like? Can you tell us without breaching some crazy privacy clause?

No, but Im gonna tell you anyway of course. Edmund smiled around the table

at the friends who had gathered to celebrate the end of his first week on his first job after

graduating from college and being granted full title as a magus.

I just cant picture you as a bodyguard. What would you even do? This from

Devon, the last friend of his to speak up.

Thats the million dollar question, right? Edmund laughed a small, stress-

melting laugh before going on. Seems to be a bit unnecessary to have a bodyguard these

days, but the Cato family actually has three. Im just the new guy, with the new guy
assignment: babysitting the heiresses.

You sound like theyve put you through the wringer.

I guess I shouldnt be too facetious about it. Theyre all actually pretty nice; the

daughters, their father, and even the old man. Well, other than the little brat Vivian. It just

makes me tense not knowing how to act around nobles, and not being able to get a decent

explanation on what my job is supposed to be. The eldest daughter, Veronica, had given

him a strange answer that made it seem as if he was supposed to be a disciple rather than

a protector. Edmund laid his head on the table wearily as he went on about the

happenings of the week hed spent with the Catos. Itd be one thing if they were actually

in danger, but they dont even get out of the mansion that often. Other than that one

incident, Ive just been watching them go about their daily lives and training.

Incident? his friends chimed in together.

Edmund paused for a moment and then told them in bored tones, The first day I

showed up, there was a staged assassination attempt. Somehow the wand their

confederate was using was switched with a wand that had a nasty little lightning bolt

bound into it.

Devon asked, Wait, why was there a staged assassination?

Ah, well you know, it was supposed to be a test of my loyalty and skill. In a way

it was a true test, and I passed with flying colors. Knocked the wand out of the guys hand

with a dirty trick of a curse, which is when it nearly exploded at his feet and they all

realized something was amiss. The entire event was still vivid in Edmunds mind as well

as how Veronica had thanked him earnestly for intervening to save her.

Alex whistled quietly. I still cant wrap my head around why youre so
determined to get involved with this magic stuff. Seems like its just going to be the death

of you.

Edmund himself felt that he might be losing touch with his goals. Hed had an

image of what wizards could do to help others stuck in his head ever since hed seen one

use magic to divert a natural disaster when he was a child. However, that superhero-like

vision didnt seem to reconcile with an everyday existence. To be certain, hed never

considered serving one of the aristocratic families until the offer had come his way thanks

to Councilor Riemann. Still, he smiled and shared a bit more gossip with his friends.

The younger sister, Vivian, during the whole commotion with the swapped wands she

slipped away and went rummaging through my trunk. Edmund reached beside his chair

to slap the worn luggage case that served as his mobile magicians workshop. It was filled

with the alchemical reagents and assorted mystic trinkets hed been collecting since he

was a boy. Even Veronica, the eldest, was pissed when we walked in on her with

everything tossed about like she was a thief looking for a score. But, she had found my

Gameboy and was just sprawled out in a chair in the middle of the mess. Completely

shameless, and after we walk in she just says to me, I apologize for my incorrect initial

assessment of your character.

Sounds spoiled, Alex said wryly.

Edmund laughed with a touch of bitterness. When we first met, she called me a

guard dog.

Its probably been awhile since that sort of insults been used on you. Brandon

spoke with the gentle candor of someone who had grown up watching Edmund insulted

over one flaw or another.

 Edmund drained the bottle he was holding. I find it funny more than anything.

So whatever, heres to the end of the first week of this weird as hell job. He took another

bottle from the bucket and snapped the top off.

***

A few hours later, Edmund stumbled his way home from the bar. He was

wondering what proper magi were supposed to think about using flight magic while

drunk, since driving was a no-go for ordinary folks. Of course, hed never overcome his

fear of heights enough to even try learning how to fly. However, the thoughts were

banished from his mind as he came to the front door of his apartment. As soon as he

touched the door, he knew something was wrong. Though he could not manage to place a

seal on the door strong enough to stop a dedicated thief from using magic to flip the lock,

hed placed a uselessly weak seal anyway so that he could tell if someone had broken in

by way of magic. He ran his fingers over the door and felt it devoid of that lingering

spell. A jolt of cold fear cut through his insobriety. Someone, a magic user, had broken

into his apartment.

After a few moments of hesitation, he steeled himself and quietly tried the

doorknob. It had been left unlocked. With great care, he opened the door and peered

beyond the darkened entranceway into the living room. What he saw there surprised him

more than if it had been a burglar; the room was lit by the harsh glow of his television

awash in the bright colors of video games being played on his home console. Sprawled

out across his sofa lay a young girl he recognized at once as Vivian Cato.

What the hell are you doing here? He cried out in surprise as he flung the door

wide and entered the apartment.

 That left eye of yours works, right? She didnt even look over to him as she

replied with a nonchalant air.

Edmund had lost his composure for a moment, but with his mind toward his

situation as her familys servant, he reeled in his confusion. He asked her directly, Did

you really break into my apartment in order to play video games.

I didnt break anything when I let myself in.

He sighed. Thats kind of beside the point. His mind was beginning to race with

possibilities. He knew that she was under a strict curfew, and he wondered what dreadful

kind of scandal might arise if he were implicated in impropriety for having harbored the

young noble at his home. You snuck out of the mansion, correct?

Finally she turned to look at him with a displeased cast to her features. Sneaked,

but just ignore that, alright? Ill go back in a few hours and Sis will yell at me. Done

deal.

Sorry Vivian, Im pretty sure I have to follow decorum here and report you to her

myself. Edmund felt a tinge of regret as he made his way over to his phone. He couldnt

fault the girl for rebelling against the austere upbringing she was being forced to endure.

The estate itself was worth more than Edmund could ever conceive of making and every

meal he had shared with the family was like a feast, but he felt he understood how boring

such an environment could be. He dialed the number of the estate and asked for Veronica

to come to the phone.

Good evening, Edmund. I hate to be terse, but Im in somewhat of a hurry. Her

tone conveyed a restrained stress.

Are you looking for Vivian, by any chance?

 How didis she with you now?

Yeah, she showed up at my apartment.

Ill be right there. There was a growl to Veronicas voice which he hadnt heard

yet and it made him wonder exactly how fierce of a rebuke Vivian usually received from

her sister.

Edmund went over to sit on the other end of the couch. He politely said, I talked

to Veronica. Shes on her way over I guess.

I figured as much. There was no particular anger or annoyance in Vivians

voice.

How about you and I make a deal.

A deal? She openly showed her curiosity.

You promise not to run away and break into my apartment again, and Ill get

your family to let me take you to the arcade downtown. Edmund found it strange to be

recalling the sort of bargaining his parents had used to tame him and his brother. Despite

her attitude, he found himself beginning to grow fond of the girl he was charged with

protecting.

Her eyes lit up for a moment before she reined in her excitement. Consider the

deal made then, but if you cant follow through on your end I will be sure to actually

break your door when I return.

The two lapsed into silence as they waited with only the sounds of the games

filling the room. Much to Edmunds surprise, there was a loud rapping on the door only a

few minutes later. He sprang from the couch and opened the door to find Veronica

standing outside with a broomstick slung over her shoulder. At once he understood that
shed flown there, which only reinforced for him the difference between his skill as a

magic user and hers.

Im sorry to bother you, by which I mean Im sorry a certain little sister of mine

has caused problems once again. As usual, Veronica carried herself with a demure

authority.

I dont mind it, really. Edmund paused unsure how to say what he felt. I think

shes a good kid.

Veronica smiled softly. Im glad to hear that, and Im glad you also have the

sense not to indulge her. She strode into Edmunds apartment and glared sternly at the

girl on the sofa.

Long time no see, Sis.

Were going home, now.

Edmund waited as the two sisters marched outside and stood in the doorway to

watch them mount the broom. The pair began to rise into the air and were quickly lost to

sight in the nighttime sky.

***

For a moment, Edmund felt the stress of his turbulent situation fall away, subsumed under

the haphazard sounds of the arcade machines and the laughter of the other patrons.

Though Vivian was pressed up against the Ultimate Gladiatorial Sorcerers machine with

all her intention bent toward beating him, he could easily fend off her amateur assaults

while relaxing in the chaotic atmosphere. He thought about the first time he had met her

and her older sister lined up with their servants on the great staircase of the Cato mansion

dressed in garb worth more than hed spent on clothes in his entire life. Just two weeks
later, he stood beside a girl indistinguishable from the others running around the arcade

with glee. He still wondered how hed ended up as a bodyguard for a family of magi who

by all accounts should be more capable of protecting him, and taking their youngest

daughter out for a day among other commoners seemed entirely out of character for that

job as well. Veronica had been unexpectedly supportive when hed told her about the

promise he had made with Vivian, she had even taken the worst of the responsibility off

of his shoulders by arranging the outing with their father herself.

Im not going to ask you to let me win or anything, Vivian said with barely

suppressed frustration after her latest loss. But could you use one hand only?

With a hint of sarcasm, he smiled down at her as he replied. Ah, what did you

say? I wasnt really paying much attention.

She fumed, Fine, just tell me which one is the best character. Then she slammed

several more quarters into the cabinet. Edmund obliged her by pointing out one of the

easier to play characters while taking the most fragile one for himself. It was still a

horrible mismatch, but it amused him to watch her struggling to learn.

Would you mind if I played the winner? A soft voice called out from behind the

pair. Edmund turned his head just enough to find that standing there was a man with

whom he had a passing familiarity, Robert Astor, a peer from his days at the Hermetic

College. In fact it would almost be disingenuous to call them peers, for Robert was

accomplished in every way in which Edmund considered himself a failure. Even here in

the arcade, Robert wore a fine tunic under the maroon cloak emblazoned with the golden

crest of his family over his heart. With his distinctive poise and unmatched skill (for not

once during their time in college had Edmund seen Robert beaten in a duel), it seemed to
Edmund as if he could have been a character who had stepped straight out of the game

they were playing.

I would have never expected to see you here. As Edmund replied, Vivian tried

to execute a special move under the cover of distraction, but he blocked it and countered

without even looking.

Robert spoke as coolly as ever, almost hard to hear over the cry that the girl sent

up as she watched her health drain to zero. Ive become quite amused by some of these

games. He held his chin thoughtfully for a moment before adding, I can see merit in

their use for training ones ability to react, without the potential for destruction that so oft

accompanies a duel. That much Edmund thought to be true, at least for those whose

power could raze buildings and tear the ground apart like tornado born plows.

Vivian, want to give Mr. Astor here a shot? He asked her with slight trepidation,

unsure of how the mercurial girl would respond to the idea.

Only if you dont hold back, I want to see someone else get crushed. Rather

than impatience, she responded with a venomous eagerness and nearly skipped to the side

to make way for the new challenger. Edmund dropped another set of quarters into the

machine and the two men squared up shoulder to shoulder. Robert made a selection

which struck Edmund as akin to selecting himself from the roster of characters, an old-

fashioned wizard with a flowing cloak. In turn, Edmund chose his most played character,

a dingy-looking grappler who combined magic and martial arts, and the match began.

Even from the first moment, he could see that the nobleman was more experienced than

the young girl. Robert activated a teleport to move as far back as possible before

beginning a barrage of long ranged attacks. However, that itself was the way that
character should be played and therefore the attacks could be predictably blocked as

Edmund advanced across the screen with his close range brawler. His opponent tried to

teleport again, but Edmund rushed in decisively during the moment of vulnerability

before the move completed. Just like that, the match was decided. His melee fighter had

trapped Robert in a corner and he launched into a combination of attacks which left no

room for anyone but a master player to escape. In short order, the second round ended in

a similar fashion.

Would a rematch be acceptable? Robert asked with only the slightest chink in

his elegant demeanor. Edmund turned to look for Vivians approval, which came with an

excited nod. He slid more quarters into the slot and prepared for another match. They

selected the same characters and went at it again, but the result was the same. Robert had

clearly some experience with the game, but it paled to the hours Edmund had spent at that

very arcade. After another set of two rounds taken by the latter, the former merely asked,

Again? More quarters were eaten away from Edmunds pocket.

This set the two into a heated competition with game after game going to

Edmund. He began to realize that there was a more fundamental weakness in the way

Robert played; he was adhering to the traditions of a magicians duel even in the game.

He would rigidly set himself as far away as possible and begin to cast spells, waiting to

see Edmunds reaction before selecting another spell to use. Even without knowing by

heart how to dodge or block each attack, Edmund could easily outpace that overly

methodical style. Whats more, Robert refused to switch to any other characters, even as

Edmund began to bring other selections to the matches. Though they both became

absorbed in a heated battle, the nobleman could barely manage to win single rounds, and
never a two-round match. Their intense showdown began to draw a crowd who cheered

for one, the other, or the sheer joy of spectacle as a flood of quarters was offered by

outstretched arms. Edmund was drawn into the moment as few times before, and

certainly not since he had taken his position with the Catos. It felt great to prevail over

and over in the energetic atmosphere instead of living on edge in a confusing situation as

he had been. Finally, he chose the same character as Robert and delivered a decisive

victory in a mirror match.

It appears your prowess is praise-worthy indeed, at least in one regard. Robert

barely needed to whisper the phrase due the overwhelming cheers of the crowd, but

Edmund failed to detect the maliciousness hidden behind the weak smile Robert gave in

defeat. The nobleman stepped back and melted into the crowd which pressed forward to

have a go at challenging Edmund who was nearly swept away by the atmosphere of

competition and revelry. However, he turned his eye across the mass of people with a

sudden strike of realization. Turning around against the press of people, he couldnt spot

Vivian.

Edmund shouted over the noise of the arcade, Hey, where are you? He snatched

up his trunk before pushing his way out of the throng surrounding him. He felt a cold

chill growing from the pit of his stomach as he began to rush about in the arcade.

Veronica had warned him to watch her closely and he had already experienced the girls

capriciousness firsthand. He wondered if hed been lulled into complacency by his charge

as she looked for some opportunity to wander off. He looked around the rows of game

cabinets, along the lines of ski-ball machines, and across the humming air hockey tables,

but Vivian was nowhere to be found. With mounting worry he left through the large bay
doors of the arcade and cast his gaze about the busy street. There were dozens of other

shops bustling with people on that fine Saturday afternoon, among whom he could not

catch a single glimpse of the girl. Her last unexcused journey hadnt been his fault, but

today was different. If word got back to her father that hed lost her even for a moment,

he was unsure of what his fate would be. Termination, or maybe even termination. The

Cato family certainly wasnt known for that kind of cruelty, but there was a limit to the

generosity they could be expected to show a commoner like him.

Edmund sprinted down one side of the street, poking his head into every store that

seemed like it might draw Vivians attention. When he reached the end of the block, he

stood indecisively at the corner wondering what direction to go. The light changed and

with it the crossing light, so he stormed off across the intersection and sprinted back up

the other side of the street. He refrained from calling out her name wanting to make as

small a scene as possible. Edmund was caught between trying to decide another direction

to search in and considering staying still in case she returned to the arcade. The voices

flowing around him in the midday sun began to swirl together into a dizzying cacophony

and the sight of dozens of strangers became a terrifying veil separating him from the girl.

At last an old bit of information broke free to cement his panic: the Catos had already

been targeted by an assassination plot in front of his eyes.

While the thought that she could have been taken rather than wandering off on her

own seared him with fear, it also brought him to a resolution on his next action. Edmund

ducked down an alleyway and threw his trunk to the ground as the din of the city abated.

Searching over the various bottles, trinkets, wands, and stones, he pulled out a small

rectangular box. Inside was a stack of origami paper pressed from the pulp of a thousand
year old tree. From his jacket he took the ball-cap Veronica had given Vivian to hide her

identity which she had promptly discarded on the way to the arcade. Searching inside it

intently, he found a stray hair shed from her head and quickly began folding it within a

piece of the paper. A few moments later he held up a bird-shaped creation with a timorous

hand while reaching for a vial of steely colored liquid. He poured a few drops over the

paper while reciting the incantation to activate the homing spell and the silvery substance

seeped into the bird as if filling in the lines of a drawing. Suddenly, the paper bird leapt

from his hand, hovered overhead for a moment, and then shot off toward the street.

Edmund slammed his trunk closed and ran after his fleeting, flitting hope.

The bird shone in the sun as it soared out from the alley and circled lazily over the

heads of those standing on the sidewalk. As Edmund was about to catch up to it, the shiny

flyer dove away down the street and picked up speed. It flapped and rose and fell just

over the downtown crowds who began to take notice of the strange bird and the man

chasing after it. When he came to an intersection, Edmund saw that the light was against

him but he felt compelled to follow the bird across.

Sparkburst! He shouted as he flung a spell like a Roman Candle into oncoming

traffic. He heard the whining of break pads start up before the chorus of car horns and

didnt even turn to ensure that the drivers had indeed stopped before dashing into the

street. Neither did he stop to look behind him at the chaos nor to answer to the voices

raised at his retreating back. The bird flew ahead faster as though sensing his urgency,

which he supposed was possible enough for the mystical creation. Even after bumbling

his way through a few more intersections and running several blocks, it surged onward on

silver wings without any sign of having come closer to its target.
 After fifteen minutes, he had run from near the center of the downtown to a less

crowded industrial area. His paper-craft spell finally flew over to a large brick building

and smashed into a thick steel door. The bird crumpled and fell to the ground. Now that

he had arrived, his heart pounded harder than ever as he tried to recover his breath. He

assumed foul play by that point having been led to such an out of the way place, in which

case, he was unsure of how to proceed. A direct confrontation could lead to Vivian herself

being used as a shield against him and that was not withstanding the fact that his

confidence in his ability to triumph in a fight was low. He took from his trunk a wand

which would at least augment his power, and then tried the door. To his surprise it was

unlocked and swung open with barely a creak of rusted hinges. He tensed up for a

moment in expectation of being blown apart by an ambush from the interior, but as his

vision adjusted to the dimness he saw nothing but an empty warehouse.

Edmund thought for a moment that his homing spell had failed in one way or

another, but he stepped into the building with no greater hope for finding the girl. He

clutched his trunk and his wand tightly as he stalked through the dust and gloom. In fact

it was in just such dust that he caught sight of shoeprints leading away to another room at

the back of the building. He crept along as quietly as he could approaching the door

which had been left opened ajar. Pressing himself up against the doorframe, he peered

through the gap with his heart threatening to burst from his chest. However, the sliver of

room he could see appeared to be empty. He was emboldened by the sight and charged

through the door with wand raised and a few choice spells at the tip of his tongue.

Vivian! He couldnt help but shout as he saw her, and only her, sitting against a

wall in the room. The young girl had her head down with eyes closed, but she sprang to
life as he called out. Some sort of cloth was wound around her mouth and he saw other

such scraps binding her wrists and ankles as he hurried over. She looked up at him with

fear that was rapidly changing into relief and a few tears threatened to fall from the edges

of her bright green eyes.

When he had just managed to pull the cloth from her face, she yelled out, Sis, we

have to warn sis.

Warn her about what? Edmund hoped she would quiet down just a bit as he

undid the rest of her bonds. He noticed that the cloth was printed with sigils which he

recognized vaguely as an anti-magic curse.

You idiot, Im not important, She had reined her voice in to an impatient growl.

Theyre just using me as leverage.

Edmund asked quickly while helping her to her feet, Who?

I dont know, some guys, they were talking about it while I pretended to be

knocked out. He wanted to question her further, but as they emerged into the open area

of the warehouse they saw that they werent alone. Robert stood in the entranceway

Edmund had forgotten to close.

What are you doing here? Edmund asked weakly with a sinking feeling that he

already knew the answer.

Actually, thats what I should be asking you. Roberts voice was strong and

cold. You arent supposed to be here.

Edmund tried to think of some way out and started to ask, Please, tell me youre

not But he was cut off.

Leave now, leave her. Any doubts he had hoped to hold died inside him, and so
he immediately went into action. Edmund pointed the wand still clutched in his hand

against the back wall of the building and shouted out a single devastating word which

resonated through space and tore apart the brickwork.

Without hesitating, he turned his arm toward Robert and yelled, Sparkburst. A

shower of glowing bolts erupted from the wand and darted toward the nobleman. Robert

merely drew his cloak around himself and the incandescent projectiles bounced off

harmlessly. During the brief spectacle, Edmund calmly ordered Vivian to flee. Run, you

have to get out of here and go to your sister as fast as you can.

A roar of provoked fury sounded out from the other side of the room as Robert

flung a ball of rolling flames in their direction. Edmund stepped forward to receive it with

wand held aloft. With its tip, he drew a circle in the air and filled it with the power

remaining in the wooden sprig. The oncoming fireball smashed into the glowing disc

which had formed in front of Edmund, its bound fire streaking out in all directions before

both cancelled each other out and left the air still. Vivian had already slipped away.

Why are you doing this? Edmund asked as he dropped the wand. It had held

several times more power than he himself had, and now it was expended.

Robert replied with a vitriolic shout, Youre that close to those progressive fools

and you dont understand their folly? Raising up a commoner such as yourself is just

more evidence for why they need to be stopped.

Whos telling you that? He could scarcely believe the anger Robert displayed,

seemingly at odds with the man he had known in college.

Be silent, The noble snapped and then continued, There isnt room in our

society for the kinds of changes that family wants to make. Youd have done well to
never have gotten involved with them.

I dont understand what sort of ideal youre trying to protect like this. From what

little Ive seen, they should be everything we aspire to be. Edmund wasnt sure whether

he should be stalling for time, trying to talk sense into his counterpart, or taking some

other course.

Thats exactly right, you dont understand. You were born outside of the world

youre in now, and therefore you can never understand it.

Have you ever really thought about it? Why youre pursuing this kind of power.

Ridiculous, I was born to this way of life. Robert responded with self-assured

haste.

Thats exactly right. Edmund repeated the phrasing to annoy the other. You

were born into a system youve never had any reason to question. But at the same time,

that means youve never asked yourself why youre chasing the goals that youre chasing,

right?

Because they are proper! Robert cried out.

Edmund went on with a patronizing tone. Because someone else told you its all

proper. But youve never had to stand on the outside and figure out if thats really the

case. I wasnt born to family of wizards, I was just inspired seeing someone use this sort

of power for the benefit of others. Anyone can be inspired and strive for something.

That sort of foolishness is carved into your flesh. Do you think I have any such

ugly scars? There are reasons for outsiders to be kept outsiders.

Youve never stopped to ask yourself why youre pursuing this path, and you

never look at anything around you, but Ive been asking myself that from the beginning
and Ive only gotten this far by watching those I can learn from. For instance, Robert

Astor, the undefeated duelist from my class known for his signature spell, the Thundering

Dragons Smite.

Robert sneered, If youve been watching, then youve failed to learn anything. I

wasnt told to take care of you, but Ill put you in your place here and now.

Oh, so you are taking orders from someone? Edmund would have been

interested in prying for more information, but the wrathful shout Robert let out signaled

that the time for talk was over. The nobleman pulled a wand from the holster at his hip

and raised it over his head. In the same instant, Edmund dashed forward clutching his

trunk in one hand. He had woven a lie of sorts, for he knew that Robert was indeed

considered a master of two destructive sorceries. Though the two had never dueled

against each other in their time at school, Edmund had tried to watch every match

between his peers in hopes of improving himself. From this second hand experience, he

knew had no hope of defending himself against the spell hed named and a slight prayer

of countering the other. He hoped that he had tricked Robert into using his other

technique because if the ploy failed, Edmund was charging headlong toward a certain

death.

The air in the warehouse contracted inward toward the tip of Roberts wand and

space itself seemed to bend under the strain of the energies in motion there. Edmund

could feel the static pulse, freezing atmosphere, and dropping pressure as the powerful

spell drained everything within the room. With just those changes, he knew he had

succeeded in deciding for Robert which of his spells he would cast. An orb of radiant

plasma flared into life over Roberts head and grew steadily larger even as Edmund
sprinted to close the gap between them. Robert dropped his arm and the smoldering

sphere shot out toward Edmund whose response was to hurl his trunk with all his might.

It collided with the ball of plasma between the two men and set off a vicious explosion.

The blossoming flower of destruction burned away the reagents and tools within the

trunk, seeding the blast with further blooms of color and sound.

Robert instinctively stepped back from the conflagration and raised his arm to

shield his face from the waves of heat. It was just this response which left him

unprepared as a figure burst through the burning curtain. Edmund ran forward with his

arms covering his head and streaks of gaseous fire clinging to his clothes. Before either

could react, he impacted Robert and the two were thrown to the ground in a tangled heap.

They tumbled over a few times before coming to a stop with Edmund astride his

opponent. He began smashing at the others head with his bare fists. Robert struggled to

defend himself while lashing out with the hand not still holding a wand, however the

futile efforts got him nowhere. He regained some of his sense and leveled his wand at

Edmunds face, but found his head gripped by two powerful hands such that he was

staring into sweat soaked palms. In the slight space between Roberts eyes and Edmunds

hands, skittering sparks began to coalesce.

These might be fireworks compared to what you can do, but I can tell you that it

wont be pleasant, Edmund growled down at the man trapped beneath him. For a

moment there was an incalculable tension between the two, and then Robert let his arm

drop to the ground across which the wand clattered away.

Iconcede. The nobleman spoke with a hush born of shock and humiliation.

Edmund wanted to interrogate him there and then, but he felt more strongly that he had to
get in contact with Veronica. He worried that he could not move from his position

without allowing Robert an opportunity to restart their fight. Whats more, the receding

rush of adrenaline revealed a throbbing sort of agony spreading along his right leg and

many more minor pains boring into his body.

There was a sudden rumbling that filled the inside of the warehouse. The roof and

ceiling began to come apart as though a monstrous tornado was deconstructing the

building. The metal roof plating tore and crumpled as the uppermost layers of brickwork

scattered into the maelstrom which had appeared over their heads. The mass of debris

spun inward to create a condensed ball of wreckage which was orbited by stray bricks

and scraps of metal. The top of the building had been peeled away so that the midday sun

shone down into the warehouse. Beyond the slowly turning ball of ruin, a figure hovered

in the sky. Veronicas shimmering blonde hair danced in the wind as she held herself aloft

with a large wooden staff. She stood with one foot on a platform jutting from the bottom

of the rod and gripped it with one hand a few feet below the ornate tangle of roots which

formed the top piece of the staff.

As he watched her drift down into the warehouse, Edmund asked of Robert, Did

you really intend to win against her, even with a hostage? And received no response.

With an easy grace, Veronica set down on the dusty floor and walked over with a

look of pleasant surprise. She looked at Edmund and said, I underestimated you again.

Edmund let out a nervous laugh and tried to rise to greet her, but he collapsed into

a crouch as he tried to put weight on his wounded leg. He looked up at the woman and

showed a small smile while he spoke. I should have known I could rely on you getting

here so quickly, I could probably have stalled for a little longer.

 Veronica cast a gaze toward the defeated Robert where he sat on the floor. So,

this one, is he the culprit?

Something like that, but hes not working alone.

She sighed and lowered her stave to touch Edmunds wounded leg. Hold still for

a moment, Ill patch you up a bit. Komala Avestana. Her words drew together strands of

magic to enwrap his leg in a shimmering bandaging that spread soothing warmth over his

injuries. At this point, the sounds of police sirens began to filter into the warehouse.

Edmund asked, So what now?

We turn him over to the cops; detectives will come by the mansion later to take

our statements.

It surprised him that she intended to handle the situation so normally. As a noble,

she was well within her rights to execute Robert on the spot or even imprison and torture

him. That was the sort of treatment that made people whisper about the sorcerer elites in

fear and even his own nervousness around the Catos was due to that association. He stood

up slowly, still unable to fully utilize his right leg. The three waited silently as the sirens

grew louder until they could hear the squad cars pull up outside. Veronica exchanged a

few words with the officers who came inside before they led Robert away with a set of

rune-inscribed handcuffs locked over his wrists. The warehouse began to fill with

investigators, so Veronica offered her shoulder to support Edmund and they began to

walk back to the Cato estate. As they left, he gazed back at the ball of compacted debris

which still turned slowly above the broken warehouse.

After some minutes of limping along in silence, Edmund found himself turning to

study Veronica as she aided him. The movement caught her attention and she turned to
him. Their faces were close in a way that was both comfortable and tense.

What is it?

Edmund looked ahead and began to chat hurriedly. That man, Robert Astor, was

at the College at the same time I was. It was just sort of strange to end up fighting him,

and its hard to believe hed do something like aid in the kidnapping of a child.

Thats because youre nave, Veronica said softly. Conflict, not peace, is more

common for those that pursue magical power. Although, Ive been nave as well. When

we first met you asked what purpose there was in employing you as a guardian; I was

unable to give a clear answer because I had thought that maybe we really were living in a

more peaceful era.

I guess I got a clear enough answer today.

The reason I gave before, that hasnt changed either. Youre a promising talent

and I intend to monopolize your future for the benefit of my family and society.

Edmund laughed dryly and said, That doesnt really sound like a monopoly, that

sounds like a hassle.

In return, Ill do my best to see that your ambition is fulfilled as well. She spoke

with a resolute tone that made her words sound like an oath. The ideal youre chasing

after is admirable, and you should be proud of the heroism youve displayed already.

Hearing such praise reminded Edmund of the way he had felt in the aftermath of

the sabotaged assassination plot. Though confused by the circumstances, hed felt a sense

of achievement from receiving the gratitude of the Catos. When he reflected on the

feeling, he thought that he might not mind throwing himself into danger such as facing

down wizards like Robert. As a young boy, Edmund had been awed by the appearance of
a lone magus during a terrible storm. The man had flown down from the sky on radiant

wings to turn away the onrushing waters of a flash flood just as they threatened to sweep

through the suburb. It was that heroic figure who had been burned into his mind as a

model to chase after. Even graduating from the Hermetic College only brought him the

vague sense that he was catching up to the image of that unknown man, but since meeting

the Catos he was starting to feel that he could reach that goal. At the same time, he was

also forced to confront the fact that not everyone shared his view of magic as a tool for

helping others.

Edmund lapsed into introspection as Veronica helped to support his steps and the

two made their way from the city streets to the hedge-lined avenues of the aristocratic

district.