Wielders of Magic, Book 1: A Spell Binding Tale
The Chase

". . . And your hands are the main center of control atthat point." Jackson demonstrated, a small flame shooting out of his handafter an elaborate sort of dance. "But that's only with the elements. Yousaid something about-"

"Telekinesis. That's my main problem." Drusilla said,sitting on a tall tree root that protruded out of the ground before bendingback down and digging into the snowy earth again. "I uh . . ." Shelooked away, ashamed of what she was going to say, even though it wastrue.

"What?" Jackson walked towards her, his eyes wide andhis ears ready to listen.

"No, never mind, can we just get on with the lessonplease?" She became rigid, not meeting his gaze.

"Oh . . . yes, of course." Jackson retreated back tohis original spot with a sigh. He was not offended; most people didn't trusthim anyway.

He was a little disappointed though.

"Alright. I have a surprise." He turned, a smilecrossing his lips. "I am going to teach you something that I bet you neverheard of. Not unless you read spell books until your eyes shut down fromexhaustion." He laughed a little.

She looked at him than, a very small grin on her own rose petallips. "What is it?"

"Come here, I'll show you how." He motioned for her tojoin him. She got up gradually and walked over to him, her footsteps lightenough to walk on top of the snow as she met him in the small area he hadcleared of the frozen participation.

"Put your hands up like this." He made a small, sortof graceful gesture. She paused for a moment before mimicking his movements, alittle apprehensive of what he was teaching her.

"Now you close your eyes, and say asmilic as mosisan-drean." He did so and asmall stream of blue smoke rose from his hands and gathered a few feet in frontof him, turning into a noble stag that pranced around and played in thesnow.

Drusilla gasped in surprise for a moment, staring at the gallantanimal in fascination. "That's brilliant!"

"Hush! Do as I told you woman." He smiled after,letting her see that he was joking in his frankness.

Drusilla closed her eyes and resumed the position he had showedher. "Asmilic as mosisan-drean."She said softly. There was a wave of pleasurable feeling thatwashed over her immediately after saying so, and she felt a slight pull at herfinger tips. When she softly opened her eyes, she saw a fox sitting in front ofher, staring into her strawberry eyes as if waiting for something.

"Go ahead, make it move." Jackson said, appearingbehind her.

"I don't know how." She whispered, as if it was a realfox she could scare away.

"Like this." He lifted a finger and stroked her smoothneck, which made her jump with a slight squeal. The animal did the same as her,its eyes opening to full, outraged capacity.

"How dare you!" She turned on him, the spell slippingfrom her fingers and the fox disappearing. "How dare you touch me! Youcould of unleashed something so powerful it could of killed you! I am asleeping dragon right now, you wake me up and everything dies! How can you notsee that you terrible human being!"

"I am sorry, I was showing you how the animal movedand-"

"Yeah, great job by startling me!"

"It had to be done! The fox is part of you, which meanswhatever you feel like, that's how it will act. You were waiting for somethingto happen, it was as well, and then you were startled, it was startled aswell." He put his hands up, his eye searching for a weapon or spell thatwould harm him. A protection incantation was on his lips at that moment, justwaiting for a movement or threat to make it burst forth and protect its master.It was automatic now, having trained himself into it, and there wasn't a timeit wasn't on his mind. "You see? You are angry now; you might do somethingrash. Control it, Angel, calm yourself, and you will have control."

She slowly dropped her hands, the burning ember in her eyesfading a little. "My . . . my name is not Angel, nor am I like one."She turned away, taking long breaths to settle her anger. This had been thefirst time she had not exploded when she got livid, and it made her feel somuch joy as she moderately came to the realization.

"I consider today a success." Jackson said softly,nearing her once again. "Don't you?"

Drusilla started to feel the warm, excited feeling one gets whena plan is successful, and she did see today as a win. She beat her anger intothe ground, calmed the sleeping dragon back into its slumber, she was going tomaster control sooner than she expected!

"YES!" She shouted and flew into the air, her hairflying around her in a soft pink curtain, whooping all the way. "I did it!I did it!"

Jackson started to notice something about the snow around him.It started to change color, like a rainbow almost, just too light to beconfirmed. Grevich left her cottage to see what all the commotion was about andgasped at the scene that was before her. The snow started to rise into the air,slowly floating around her as it was caught in time.

Drusilla descended from the sky and hovered just above theground, staring at Jackson with her calmed, beautiful strawberry eyes, seemingto silently thank him.

Jackson didn't know how to react, dazed at her overwhelmingbeauty.

"Alright you two," The old woman said, a smile on herlips and tears in her eyes. "Pumpkin soup is ready for the both of you,now why don't you come inside and have some?"

"Yes, we should." The angelic being softly landed onthe snow, the flakes around her slowly descending to the ground. "Come onMr. Spellbinder."

He shook the cobwebs from his head and quickly followed hisvoice still a little slow. "How . . . how many times must I tell you, it’sJack!"

"And they are called what now?" Drusilla asked, hereyes set on a patch of light brown toad stools.

"Poison Apple." Jackson answered. "They taste assweet as an apple, but kill you after putting you to sleep. Nasty things."He took out his dagger and cut it from its growing place, setting it on theground and sending a small flame to burn it away.

"Jack . . . stop moving!" Drusilla hissed, grabbinghis arm, her grip amazingly strong. He slowly looked out into the distance,both their eyes seeing a small hill blanketed with the white snow. A stag saton top of it, as if looking over his domain with a kings’ eye.

"Beautiful isn't he?" She asked, her face so close tohis he could feel the warmth emanating from it. Her eyes were sparkling as shestared at the magnificent creature, so spellbinding he himself could not bearhis own name.

Suddenly an arrow whistled through the air, embedding its selfin the dear's eye. The two magic users were shocked as it came tumbling to theground, three armored gentlemen quickly surrounding it, laughing at theirlatest kill.

Jack quickly placed a hand over Drusilla's mouth, not wantingher to scream. She shook under his arms, and he could feel the power that wasabout to be unleashed. He jumped away, replaceing shelter behind a rock."Fight it! Keep yourself under control!" He shouted at her.

The three men turned their eyes towards the noise, their earsnot missing a single word of it.

Drusilla breathed heavily, thinking of her fox, thinking of thesnowy forest, the stag being thrown completely out of her mind. She settleddown, her wings relaxing behind her as her hands clenched into fists. It washard, like Jack had said, it was really hard to control herself, even after allthose weeks of training.

It was true, it had been weeks.

"We have to go." Jack said, hopping back over the rockand taking her by the hand. They ran through the forest, both with fear anddread in their throats. Those men were chasing them! Why were they chasingthem!?

Another arrow whistled by them, barely missing one of Drusillaswhite, feathery wings. She gasped and quickly looked behind her, wondering howclose the men were.

She tripped.

Both magic users went down, face meeting the puffy white snow.They coughed and sputtered before rolling over, seeing swords pointed at theirthroats, being held by the armored men.

"Ah, so we have found you finally Red Witch." One saidthough his face covering helmet, his voice strangely hollow.

"But wait!" The one without a sword to their throatsearched through his bag. "That one on the right looks a little familiar .. . AH HA!" He ripped out a paper, holding in front of his fellows."Jackson Splendor."

Jack snorted, which they didn't take into account. He couldn'tbelieve they hadn't found out his real last name yet.

"Good work Lilith. So we have a witch and a warlock. Whatwere you thinking of doing? Breading maybe? We can't have that."

"You sick twisted bastard!" Drusilla shouted, her facetwisting up in anger.

"Whoa, calm down." Jack said, looking over at herfearfully. He could protect himself in a flash, but if her last outburst hadalmost killed her, imagine what this one would do.

"Don't call me that!" One of them shouted, whippinghis sword down the side of her and cutting her arm.

Suddenly his broad sword started to glow with hot fire, burningthrough his gloved hand and making him cry out. He dropped it and took a fewsteps back, clutching his hand.

Drusilla got to her feet and spun around once, her powerfulwings causing a blast of air that blew the three away from her and Jack. Thewarlock than stood up and said a few words, his hand outstretched towards them.They suddenly were clutched buy the trees behind them, their long branchescurling around their limbs and neck, pinning them to their trunks.

"Now, stay calm. I will deal with them." Jack approachedthem, his brow arched, his mind replaying over and over again how the man inthe middle of the three had cut Drusillas arm. He drew his dagger, wanting tocut them into little pieces for doing her harm. Not quickly, but slowly,agonizingly, letting them suffer.

The trees around them started to withdraw themselves. Theysmoked a little, as if they were being burned by the three witch hunters’armor.

"You see, we have a little magic ourselves." The onewith a gold dragon on the chest of his armor said. "Yours doesn't likeit."

Jack tried to freeze them with another spell, but it onlybounced off their armor as they broke the rest of the branches off ofthemselves. They looked his way and began advancing towards him. Nothing hecould do would stop them, and he fell to the earth, nothing but a dagger in hishand to defend himself.

"Come on!" Drusilla shouted, grabbing him and takingto the sky with her, her powerful white wings working hard to support the extraweight. "We have to get back to the cottage!"

"Yeah, that way Grevich can heal your arm!" Jackreplied, hanging onto nothing but her hands.

"Jack it’s just a cut, we need to lose these guys beforethey kill us! We can't stay here anymore, we have to leave!"

Suddenly their home seemed forbidden to her.

Grevichs’ house had seemed like their home, and they had thoughtthat it was. Maybe it had been for a while, but this solved the mystery of whyJack's arrow didn't point to it. They had to move on again.

But at least they had each other.

Landing in the vicinity of the old woman's cottage, the twoburst through the door, running to gather their things without even saying aword of greeting.

"What are you two doing? Why are you in such a hurry?"Grevich asked, running after then and standing in their way as they rushedabout, reminding them of her cat that always seemed to get in their way.

"We can't stay here anymore; we have to leave before youare hurt." Drusilla replied, stuffing her clothes the old woman had madefor her into a sack.

"Hunters are after us, and we cannot escape them. They aremagic resistant." Jack gave her a swift kiss on the cheek before headingfor the door, the winged witch following after him.

"Wait, but you can't leave me now!" She started tocry, her eyes wide and fearful. "I'll be all alone! I have no one either,except you two, and now you are leaving me?"

"Grevich . . . we are sorry, but it’s to keep yousafe." Jack went over to her, taking her old, wrinkled hand in his."We don't want you to perish, because if they replace you, replace outthat you have helped us, they will kill you as well."

"But . . ." Her voice trailed off in a sob, buryingher head in his fur lined cloak. "But . . ."

"I know, you old dear." He wrapped her in a hug."But it’s for-"

There was a savage cry outside and half the house went up inflames. Drusilla screamed and Grevich lost her breath. Jack quickly picked herup and ran outside with the Red Witch, all coughing at the smoke they inhaledand falling to the snow covered ground, inhaling the clean, cold air withstrangled gasps.

Three blurry figures walked out of the shadows, two wieldinglong swords and the third - the smallest - wielding a flail. They advancedtowards the fallen group of magic users, flames flying off of Grevichs’ cottageand into the forest behind them.

"Well, your one we haven't seen in a while!" The manwith the broad sword picked the old woman up by the throat, lifting her off herfeet and laughing through his helmet. "Grevich, is it not?"

She cried out and looked away, not wanting to stare into thesteely gaze of the witch hunter.

"Well, best we get this over with, so you won't suffer outin the cold. Which, by the way, I would much prefer, only I don't want youslipping through the cracks of death like last time."

"No!" Drusilla and Jack screamed as his gloved handdrew a dagger from his belt.

"Good night, you old darling." His dagger flew up intoher shaking form.

"GREVICH!" Jack screamed, trying to jump at the manbut being held down by one of the three hunters. Drusilla sat frozen, her jawdropped and her eyes quickly filling with tears.

The man dropped the old woman to the snowy earth, staring at herlifeless form for a moment. "I was starting to think we would never catchthat one." He chuckled and advanced towards the Red Witch. "Yourturn, Pretty."

"Leave her alone!" Jack growled, his face darkening,and his breaths getting shorter and shorter every intake. He was losing controlof himself; he was letting his anger control his actions. He couldn't let that happen,he had to-

The witch hunter placed his hand on Drusillas chin, slowlystroking, caressing her smooth, perfect skin. "You know . . . maybe Ishould keep this one . . ."

Oh, that's it!

Jackson screamed in anger, throwing off the hunter that was on hisback and pouncing upon the one touching the Red Witch. "How dare you touchher? How dare you even think about harming her?"

His eyes saw through a sheet of red, everything was blurry;everything was thick, scarlet blood. He only felt the enemies face beneath hisfists, the power emanating from his body gradually roasting the witch hunters’flesh as his armor acted like an oven. He would have screamed, but he could notfunction anymore, his face was a bloody mess. He couldn't see, he couldn'tthink; slowly he was slipping away into darkness . . .

"Jack stop it! PLEASE!"

Her voice was like a calm river, gently putting out his angryflame that wielded his soul like a sword. He finally saw what he had done tothe witch hunter. Whatever was left behind the helmet couldn't be much, for itwas a smashed in, red mess that made him sick!

Jackson got up and ran. He ran away from his anger, the terriblemess of a person he had made. He couldn't bear to see the horrified expressionon Drusillas face, her gaping jaw, her large, questioning eyes that pried intohis soul without mercy.

Stopping, he collapsed onto his knees, looking down at his handsthat were covered in blood. Whatshe must think of me. Hethought, tears replaceing his eyes. This was only a result from loss of control,and he couldn't control it, not when people were going to hurt Drusilla.

No one would even touchher without her consent. And if someone did . . .

"Jack, please stop crying."

It was her voice again; the river that now joined his saddened heart.She came up behind him and her hand slowly grasped his, coming around andsitting in front of him as he stared at the snowy ground. She didn't care aboutthe mess on his hands, he realized.

The reason was, she was used to seeing it on her own.

"You must think me a monster." He said softly, hisvoice barely audible.

"Yes, I do."

"Thank why are you not afraid!?" He shouted, lookingup at her, his raging, chocolate brown eyes - now like burning embers - staringinto her calm, strawberry orbs that matched her hair all too well.

"Because you are talking to one." She smiled sadly, atear streaming down her own cheek. "I am not afraid of my own kind,Jack."

He was speechless.

"Come, we must . . . we must bury Grevich." She pulledhim to his feet, her wings quivering behind her. She wanted to break down andcry, she wanted to let her anger out, but she wouldn't.

For Jack.

She had to be the strong one this time, and that was a sensationthat was unfamiliar to her. She would do it though, because she cared about herdear, fellow monster, and did not want him to crumble into the being she usedto be.

She had the control now, she had it in the palm of her hand, andif she didn't use it when she needed to, why should she have it?

The two buried Grevich together and put out the remaining flamesthat clung to her beloved cottage. After that was done, they took Jacks horsefrom the make-shift stable he had built and took off, hoping never to be caughtby the witch hunters again.

"I'll kill him! I'll kill them both the way hekilled Merivilous!" Lilith ranted, storming through the forest as thesun dipped beneath the horizon, shedding unsettling shadows around them.

The witch hunters’ brother kept silent, his rage almost morethan he could bear. They should have had a better plan than to advance upontwo, very powerful warlocks and think them nothing but children.

"Why are you not saying anything!?" Lilith screamed,shoving him onto the snowy ground. "Why are you not angry!?"

"I am angry!" He got up and pushed her back, makingher fly across the ground and land two yards away from him. He was strongerthan people gave him credit for. "I am as angry as a pillaged andplundered dragon! I have more right to be angry than you do, you were nothingbut a harlot that accompanied his bed at night!"

Her face flushed, and she sucked in her breath.

"If you ever touch me again I will throw you off acliff." His voice was darker than the air around them, and his eyes glowedwith terrible scarlet infravision, striking a small amount of fear into thewoman. "I promise." The last word hung in the air with a hiss.

"Now get up and lets’ get moving. The girl has wings, sothey can fly. We will have to get a set of our own." He looked around,searching the skies for any sign of them.

Lilith got up and put her helmet back on. "I knowsomeone."