The Warlock’s Apprentice

The little boy ran out of tears hours ago. His mother had hidden him underneath the bed and thrust their black pet weasel into his arms when the mob came with their torches and weapons. "Stay here," she said. "I'll come fetch you in a moment."

After that, his world shattered. He did not know what happened to his mother. The mob set fire to the cottage and he ran out in fear to the woods near his home. Men with torches began shouting and chasing him. He panicked, running as fast as his legs would allow. Branches tore at his clothes and scratched his face. Looking back, he could see a man dressed in the black robes of a reverend. The man pointed at him and shouted. The weasel squirmed and he lost his grip on the creature. It darted into the dark trees. The reverend's chase halted as the dark shape of the weasel leapt onto the man's face. He screamed in pain and fear. Almost immediately, they stopped their pursuit. Scared and lost, he wandered through the trees. Being four years old, he had no idea how much time passed.

The pet weasel returned up with a gash in its side and soot caking its fur. They wandered through the woods with the weasel in the lead till it collapsed The boy curled up next to the weasel, shivering, and cried himself to sleep.

***

Odo was pleased. The sun had been up for several hours and warmed his scales and wings as he soared through the air. He had just enjoyed a tasty plump robin and was comfortably full.

He landed at the edge of a pond for a drink and admired himself in the water. He was large for a pyrausta dragon, and quite handsome if he was honest with himself. His body was almost twelve inches long with a tail that nearly doubled his length. His scales were olive green and large butterfly patterned wings that reflected rusty red colors in the light.

Odo took off back towards home, lazily gliding in the mid morning air. The August morning warmed quickly, and as he flew over the forest his spine tingled, giving him an uneasy feeling in his gut. There was another magical creature in the area.

Odo nervously looped around to take a look. His master liked to know about any magic in the area, but there were other creatures bigger than him that may think he was a tasty snack. Dodging in and out between trees, he searched for anything out of the ordinary. At first he didn't see anything. The forest floor looked the same as ever. He flew around using his sense of the other magical creature to narrow the search. The aura growing stronger the closer he came to the source. Finally, he saw a small lump of fabric and fur huddled next to some large bushes.

Odo hesitated, checking that no one else was nearby. There was always the chance of ambush. Once he was sure they were alone, he glided down not far from the lump. Now he could see the two figures more easily. It was a little boy and a black furred weasel.

As he cautiously approached the pair, the weasel stirred and looked up, seeming unwilling to move. Odo studied the weasel. There was a magical aura around the creature. It was another familiar he realized. But whose familiar was it? He was sure he knew all of the other familiars in the area. "Who are you?" He asked.

The other familiar studied him for a moment before replying. "It does not matter," She said tiredly. "Please protect the boy. It was my mistress's final command to me and I don't have long."

"Don't give up!" Odo cried, "My master is close! Wait here. I'll fetch him. He will be able to put you right." Without any hesitation, Odo launched himself skyward and started winging his way for help.

***

Caius hummed. He loved this time of day. Nothing like making a cup of tea and taking a nap. Naps had become a nice part of his day after he had turned one-hundred years old. He appeared as if he were in his late thirties now, but was actually comfortably in his early four-hundreds.

He was pouring his tea when Odo burst in through the hidden door made for him. He cursed as he flinched from the noise and knocked the teacup and milk bottle off of the table. They smashed on the floor. Adding to the noise of Odo's entrance.

Caius really wished Odo could come in a little quieter. No doubt something had excited him as usual. Caius bent to retrieve the pieces. As he did, he noticed Odo's agitation was more frantic than usual. "What is wrong?" He asked.

Odo recounted finding the weasel and the boy and briefly speaking with the other familiar.

Caius's eyes widened. "A familiar without its master or mistress?"

Odo fluttered to a stop. "Yes. She said her mistress ordered her to protect the boy. There is a really bad gash along her side."

"What is the boy's condition?"

The little dragon hesitated. "I'm not sure." He admitted. "I didn't think to check."

"Very well," said Caius. "That can't be helped now, let us hurry."

He spent the next few minutes bustling around the small house collecting items that may help him. Caius muttered to himself as he collected the items. "Rosemary, there it is. Where is that turmeric? Ah there it is."

All the while Odo impatiently paced on the table. Little puffs of smoke curling from his nostrils.

"Alright, let's go," said Caius nodding to Odo.

It took several hours to reach the area where Odo found the boy with the familiar. They saw the weasel first. Odo rushed over only to stop short several feet.

"She is gone." He said sadly.

"Not from her wound though." Caius replied, examining the creature. "She died because of the death of her master or mistress. There wouldn't have been anything I could do. Where is the boy?"

They both looked around searching. Odo launched himself into the air and quickly located him. "He's over here!" He called. "Oh no! He looks in bad shape, Caius!"

Caius ran towards the boy. Red stains covered his clothes and skin. He began checking for injuries. As he checked, he became confused. Aside from minor scrapes and scratches he couldn't find any injuries that could have produced the blood to have stained his clothes and skin with so much blood.

Odo was hopping from branch to branch anxiously. "Is he ok? How bad is it?" He asked .

Caius looked up. "I'm not sure. I can't find…" He stopped mid sentence and stared at Odo. After a moment he began laughing.

Odo froze on a branch. "What is so funny?" He demanded. "Help him!"

The boy stirred. Roused by the laughter. He sat up and looked fearfully at Caius. "Where is mama?" He asked.

Caius smiled sadly. "I don't know. We just found you. What is your name?"

"Griffin"

"How old are you Griffin?"

Griffin proudly held up four fingers.

"Well Griffin, that is a good age," said Caius. "How would you like to come home with me? Are you hungry? Or did you get enough of those raspberries you have all over you?" Caius looked over at Odo and grinned when he mentioned the raspberries and Odo seemed to realize where he was perched. He was in a large raspberry patch.

"Oh." He said somewhat embarrassed. "I see. That would explain the red stains."

Griffin heard the dragon and looked at the raspberry bushes. He saw Odo for the first time. "Butterfly!" He said with a smile.

Odo snorted. A curl of smoke coming from his nostrils. This time he spoke to Griffin. "I am not a Butterfly. I am a dragon." He stood as tall and proud as his small stature would allow.

The boy's eyes widened at the words. He looked at Caius. "He talks!" Pointing at Odo.

Caius smiled. "Oh yes he talks. How would you like to come home with us where it is warm?"

"Yes! I want to go with the butterfly dragon! Griffin exclaimed. Then he hesitated. "Can Minny come?"

Caius's smile faltered. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry, she can't come with us." He said. "She has to stay here."

Griffin's face fell. "Why can't she come?" He asked.

Caius was unsure how to proceed. He had never had to explain death or loss to a child. There had always been a parent or relative to explain those things when one of his patients died. He contemplated his dilemma for a moment before responding. "Minny died Griffin. She was too hurt to get better."

Griffin's lip trembled. Tears formed in his eyes. "Can she come back?"

"No, she can't," replied Caius gently. "It's ok to be sad that she is gone." He thought about it for a moment. "I suppose we can bury her so you can say goodbye and her body will be safe. Would you like that?"

Griffin shook his head. His tears were streaming down his face now. "No! I want Minny to come back!" He shouted as he hit his little fists on Caius's arm. "She is mama's friend!" He was sobbing in full now. Shuddering gasps were shaking his small body.

This was far from what Caius had planned. He had hoped suggesting to bury the weasel would give the boy some form of closure. Apparently not. As Griffin sobbed, Caius came to a decision and reached into his bag. He pulled out a jar of gold powder, poured some onto his palm, then blew it into Griffin's face.

The effect was immediate. The sobbing stopped. Griffin sneezed, then toppled, unconscious. Caius caught him before he could hit the ground.

"That was quite dramatic," said Odo. He had frozen at the boy's outburst. Unsure what to do.

Caius grunted as he laid Griffin down. "It's not surprising though. I think young Griffin has been through a lot today. It's very probable that his mother was a victim of those ridiculous witch hunts that have been going on."

After he gathered up his bag, he wrapped up the weasel, and slung the sleeping boy over his shoulder. Caius and Odo made their way back home. It was well after dark when they arrived.

Caius laid Griffin on his bed then went back to the main room. "I suppose I'll have to figure out what to do with him." He said gruffly. Surprisingly, there was no reply. Caius looked up at the shelf where Odo nested. The dragon was already fast asleep. It had been an exciting day. Caius smiled and blew out the candle.

When Caius woke the next morning, he went to check on Griffin. The boy was not in the bed. After a brief search, Odo informed Caius that he was outside by the backdoor.

The area just outside the door was covered by a slanted roof shelter. Griffin was sitting under the shelter next to the bundle that held Minny . Caius had placed the bundled weasel on a small shelf the night before. Griffin had pulled the cloth back from her head and was stroking her soft fur.

Caius put a hand on his shoulder. "I am going to make some food. Are you hungry?"

Griffin nodded. Still petting Minny's head.

"After we eat, we need to say goodbye to Minny." Caius said. "We need to bury her so her body is safe from animals."

Griffin's lip trembled, but nodded again and followed Caius inside. They ate breakfast, then returned to the back door. Griffin gently picked up Minny while Caius picked up a shovel.

They walked into the woods heading to a clearing not far from the house and they stopped there. Caius dug a small grave and they laid the weasel inside.

"Would you like to say goodbye?" Asked Caius.

Tears streaming down his face, Griffin said quietly, "goodbye Minny, me and mama will miss you."

Caius scooped the excavated dirt back into the hole. He looked at Griffin, "Now find big rocks to cover the grave. She needs to be protected."

Griffin found the biggest rocks he could carry and with the help of Caius, they soon had the small mound covered. Once it was covered, they headed back to the house. Griffin yawned, exhausted from carrying the rocks and the traumas of the past few days.

As soon as they returned to the house, Griffin went to the wood stove, curled up on the hearth rug and fell asleep.

"He is a tough little guy," remarked Odo. "He has been through a lot. Though I wish he wouldn't sleep in my favorite napping spot."

"I'm going to have to figure out what to do with him." Said Caius. "Things are a little tense at the moment with the witch hunts. I'm not sure anyone will take him in."

Odo cocked his head. "You'll have to figure something out. He can't stay here forever."

Three hours later, Griffin woke up. He seemed to be happier now that he had napped. After looking at his surroundings, he asked Caius for some food and happily munched on a loaf of bread and an apple.

Caius watched the boy and noticed how curious his visitor was. He wandered through the house inspecting his surroundings. There was a chest with more potent ingredients that Caius kept locked against one wall. When Griffin came across it, he yanked on it several times. A frown crossed his face along with a look of concentration. "Open!" He commanded the lock. To Caius's surprise, the lock popped open.

Quickly, Caius went and closed the lock again. "Those aren't things a little boy should be playing with."

Griffin pouted. "I want to play," He said.

Caius thought for a moment. He did have some children's toys for when his patients came to his home and had their children with them. "Come here," he said and led Griffin to a box near the fireplace. "I have some things you may play with."

The box had a small variety of toys. There were balls, dolls, whirligigs, tops and a few other toys. Caius smiled as Griffin's eyes lit up and he reached into the box, pulling out what seemed to be a clay tobacco pipe. "Do you know what to do with this?" He asked.

Griffin shook his head and Caius went to retrieve a bowl from the kitchen. When he returned, he also grabbed a small jar with a clear liquid that was on a shelf. After dumping the liquid in the bowl, he turned the pipe upside down and dipped it into the liquid.

He offered the stem of the pipe to Griffin. "Blow into it," he said, his eyes twinkling. Griffin hesitated, then blew into the pipe. Bubbles began to come out of the bowl of the pipe. Griffin's eyes widened. Then he laughed with delight and began to chase the bubbles.

A knock sounded at the door and Caius gave the pipe to Griffin. Odo disappeared behind a bookcase.

He opened the front door and a young boy, maybe twelve years old, was on his front step, poised to knock on the door again. Odo squeaked and vanished behind some clutter in the house.

"May I help you Erick?" He asked, not unkindly.

"Yes please Healer Caius!" Erick responded wide eyed. His eyes were red and tear tracks ran down his face. "My mother is very sick and cannot breath well. I think she has the consumption."

Caius stared at the boy for a few moments while he thought of the things he would need and tried to decide what to do about Griffin while he was gone. "Just a moment." He told Erick. He turned back into the house and closed the door. "Griffin, will you be ok if I leave for a little while?"

Griffin did not respond. He was too busy galloping a carved wooden horse across the hearth rug. Caius looked around for Odo. After the door had closed he had reappeared from behind the bookcase and was peering out the window at Erick.

"Odo," said Caius to get the dragon's attention. "I need to go help Erick's mother and I should probably try to find Griffin's family. I want you to watch over him. Make sure he doesn't touch anything dangerous."

"How long will you be?" Grumbled Odo. My wings are aching to go flying."

"I'll probably be most of the day." Replied Caius. "I'll have to be careful while asking about his family if it was a witch killing."

Odo grumbled about not being a babysitter, but agreed in the end. Caius gathered several ingredients and stepped out the door, joining the anxiously waiting boy. "Now young Erick, lead the way," he said. "Let us go help your mother."

***

Griffin dug through the toys for an hour or so before he got bored of the toys in the box. He could see the butterfly dragon at the top of the bookcase, lazily flicking his tail like a cat. It looked like he was sleeping. The butterfly dragon would play with him, Griffin thought. He just needed to wake him up and get him down.

He pushed a chair from the table to the bookcase. When he had clambered onto the chair, he reached his hand as high as he could towards Odo's tail. Odo was jerked awake from his nap as he was pulled unceremoniously from the bookcase, knocking several books and boxes to the floor.

Griffin laughed in delight as his plan worked. The butterfly dragon was awake and down from the bookcase and now they could play. Unfortunately Odo was not so willing to go along with the plan. "Let me go!" He cried wriggling his tail loose from Griffin's hand and darted to his door, leaving the boy by himself. Unnoticed, several scales came off Odo's tail, falling to the ground.

Griffin tried to follow Odo out the little door, but even as small as he was, he was still too big. He sat down and kicked the door, his bottom lip sticking out in a pout. After a moment though, his attention shifted to the boxes Odo had knocked to the ground.

Griffin went over and started looking at the contents of one of the boxes. After a moment, he pulled out some green and gold feathers. He looked at them for a moment then tossed them aside. As they fell to the floor, a breeze blew through the house. Griffin took no notice, he was too busy looking at some of the other things in the box.

To his surprise there was a colorful cloth doll in the box. Caius hadn't gotten out all the toys he thought.

Odo returned at that moment, recovered from the trauma of being yanked off the bookcase. "I am not a toy to be pulled on and prodded!" He declared. Then he noticed what Griffin was doing. "No! Those are Caius's things! You can't play with them!" He jumped into the air, swooped past Griffin and snagged the doll from him.

"No!" Cried Griffin. "Give back!" He chased after Odo, trying to get his new toy back. They ended their chase back at the bookcase. This time Odo's tail was not dangling in his reach. Griffin stamped his feet and yelled and screamed at the dragon.

As he stomped around the bookcase in his tantrum, Griffin noticed the small green scales that had come from Odo's tail. He picked one up, looking at it curiously. It was warm, almost hot. As if it had been sitting in the sun for hours. Griffin took it over to the toys and sat down still examining the scale. Aside from it being warm, there wasn't anything interesting about it. He quickly grew bored and dropped the scale into the bowl with the bubble mixture and the pipe.

For a moment, the liquid began to boil. Then it stopped almost as quickly. The scale seemed to have dissolved. Griffin stared in amazement and excitement. He got up and ran to the bookcase. Quickly he found three more scales.

"Stop that!" Said Odo half heartedly. He was curious what was going to happen.

One by one, laughing excitedly each time Griffin dropped a scale into the mixture and it rolled to boil. After all the scales were added, Griffin dipped the pipe into the bowl. He blew on the pipe as hard as he could. Several bubbles ballooned from the pipe.

As they floated away, one popped. There was a bright flash of fire followed by a bang. The rest of the bubbles drifted away and popped against things with the same flash of fire and noise, leaving small scorch marks against whatever they touched. After Griffin recovered from the first bubble popping, he watched the rest eagerly.

Once they had all popped, Griffin looked around for something new to put in the bubble mixture. Odo jumped down from the bookcase excitedly. "Try these!" He said. Nosing the green and gold feathers that Griffin had dropped. He was curious what would happen. The feathers were from a dragon who lived south, near New Spain.

Griffin gathered several feathers and brought them to the bowl. He dumped them in and there was a bright flash that temporarily blinded both of them. "I can't see!" Exclaimed Odo. He flew around frantically knocking into the walls and knocking things over. Several more scales came loose and dropped to the floor. After a minute, they could see again. Odo shot out of his door again, traumatized for the second time that day.

Chairs were knocked over, jars and boxes had their contents spilled all over the floor. Griffin looked around curiously at all the new things within his reach now. He went and picked up a couple of the scales Odo had dropped and stuffed it into his pocket. One of the jars caught his attention. It seemed to be spilling glittering golden sand. Griffin picked up the sand jar. Looking at the sand seemed to make his eyes heavy. He went to the bowl and poured in some sand. The mixture turned gold briefly and began to emit a pleasant flowery smell.

The mixture was still clear, but seemed to have a slight golden sheen on the surface. Griffin picked up the pipe and dipped it into the bowl. This time, when he blew into the stem, instead of several small bubbles coming out, there was a single bubble the size of Griffin's head. It floated through the room. Randomly changing direction as if it were bouncing off things in the air.

Odo burst back into the room. "Hide!" He said. "There is a reverend outside! He does not look happy." He flapped to the top of the bookcase and tried to make himself small.

A moment later, the front door crashed open. The man that had chased Griffin through the woods days before stood in the doorway, one eye now covered with an eye patch. Fresh deep scratches were visible around the eye patch as if something had clawed his face. Three men stood behind him. All of them held rifles . "It's the son of the devil worshiper!" He said. "I told you I'd find him." Griffin trembled at the sight of the man.

"You sure did." Said one of the men behind the reverend."A little late to save him though. He's already made a pact with the devil and is doing devil work." He stared at the bubble floating through the room.

"We can't save everyone Peter," the reverend replied. "Get him"

The men pushed their way into the house. Griffin cried out in fear and clambered underneath the table. They laughed and surrounded him. Griffin cowered and reached into his pocket and pulled out the dragon scales there. As hard as he could, he threw the scales. They popped loudly as they struck the men.

They screamed and stumbled backwards. Odo chose this moment to brave an attack. He swooped down at the men. Raking them with his claws and breathing fire on them. Their courage broke and they fled, shoving each other as they tried to escape.

The reverend blocked the door. "Cowards!" He screamed. "Turn around and be men!" He shoved them back into the room. Peter lost his balance and stumbled right into the bubble that was still floating around the room.

The bubble exploded. Rattling the whole house. All the men were thrown off their feet. Golden dust now drifted through the air and seemed to be collecting around everyone's faces. One by one, they all collapsed, unconscious. Griffin slumped to the floor and Odo, who was still amazingly in the air, fell and crashed into the table. After a moment, silence enveloped the house.

***

Two hours later, Caius returned to the house. As he saw the front door ajar and the mess inside, he pulled a double edged sword from his cloak and approached the door cautiously. Unconscious people and his things were strewn everywhere. "What on earth happened here?" He asked himself, checking the unconscious bodies of the reverend and his men to see if they were alive and looking for Odo and Griffin. Odo was the easiest to find, having crash landed on the table. Griffin was a little harder to find. He was in the corner partly covered in debris.

Caius carried Griffin over to the table and laid him on it. After a quick inspection of them both to make sure they were okay, he ran a finger along the table's surface. There was a film of golden dust clinging to his finger. One of his eyebrows rose. "I see you got in my store of sandman sand." He said. He gave the dust a flick and a breeze rustled some loose papers on the floor. "My quetzalcoatl feathers too."

He gently shook Griffin awake. "Time to wake up Griffin," he said. After a moment, the boy's eyes opened. Caius smiled. "Did you have fun with Odo?" Griffin nodded groggily. "Do you know who they are," Caius asked.

Griffin looked around and bolted upright. Suddenly wide awake. "They are mean!" He exclaimed.

Caius nodded. "I thought they might be." He said looking at them. After a moment, his gaze shifted to Odo. Best to let the little dragon sleep it off. He would be hysterical if he woke now with the chaos around him.

The reverend began to stir. Standing near the door when the bubble popped, he hadn't been hit as hard or been exposed to as much of the golden sand. "Get the devil child." He mumbled.

His expression hardening, Caius looked around. As he did, his eyes landed on a small vial the size of his thumb. The liquid in it was clear, but had the hint of blue swirls throughout it. He walked over, picked it up and went to the reverend.

"Away from me!" He said fearfully as Caius approached. His feet scrabbled on the floor as he tried to rise. Caius pushed him back down.

"You have hurt enough people," Caius said sternly. "I won't kill you like all the people you have killed. I'm giving you a second chance. Not that you will remember it." He pulled the stopper from the vial and pinning the reverend's head down, tipped a drop into his mouth.

The reverend shuddered, collapsed, and transformed into a fox. Caius promptly did the same with the other men. Soon a badger, an opossum, and an owl lay next to the fox. All of them were unconscious again. Caius put all four outside the door for them to regain consciousness and run away. The spell would wear off in a week or so and they would have no memories at all.

Caius righted a chair and sat down heavily. It had been a long day. "Are you alright?" He asked. Griffin nodded. Caius studied the boy. The things he had discovered could wait, he decided. Griffin had been through enough for one day.

Together, they cleaned up the mess. It took several hours before they finished. After, they laid down and were asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.

The next morning, after breakfast, Caius sat Griffin down at the table. "Griffin," he said slowly. "I went to look for your family yesterday while I was gone."

Griffin's eyes lit up. "Mama?" He asked.

Caius looked sadly at the boy. "No Griffin I didn't. She died."

Tears began streaming down Griffin's face. "I want mama." He said.

"I'm sorry Griffin." Caius said. "She can't come back."

Griffin jumped off the chair and ran over to the bed he'd been using. He climbed onto it, curled into a ball and began to cry. Caius decided to leave him be for a while and worked on organizing his things that had been thrown around the day before.

After an hour, Griffin sat up on the bed. His eyes were red and his shirt was wet where he had used it for his tears and running nose.

Caius noticed Griffin and moved a chair next to the bed. He sat down and looked sadly at the boy. "I'm sorry I can't take you back to your mama." He said. Griffin didn't say anything. He simply stared at his feet. Caius hesitated. "You can stay here if you want. You can be my apprentice, and learn magic."

Griffin looked up. He stared at Caius. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face and he nodded.

Caius smiled warmly at his new apprentice. "Very well. Let us begin."