The Wizard's Apprentice

The Wizard’s Apprentice

By Joshua Wheelon

Arden woke up to the wretched scent of something burning out in the kitchen area. He sat up with a start and made a disgusted face as the horrible smell overpowered his nostrils almost costing him to puke. The aroma was almost like that of the spray the comes from a skunk’s glands. Then his eyes widened with delight for he knew why that wretched smell was in the hut. Today was the day.

His master, Sheamus, had often promised him that the day would come when he would help him cast a very special spell. One demanded by the king’s brother. They would get the spell ready in the hut and use a potion to cast a spell on the King’s daughter, Princess Ingrid. He assumed that the spell was some sort of protection.

He got up and quickly put on his tunic. He raced out to the main part of the house where Sheamus stood a cauldron that was in the fireplace and tossing in spices little by the little. Certain spices were some of the ingredients, unfortunately, their aromas did not disguise the aroma of skunk gland. One of the main ingredients. Also included were chicken feet, a hog’s heart, a bull’s horn, sheep guts, and olive juice. Strange combination for a protection spell, but of course Arden was only ten years old. He had a lot to learn about magic.

Arden was only six when his parents discovered he had the power of magic within him. They hid him for a year but an incident at one of the town’s festivals revealed his magic to everyone. He was then sent to Sheamus as an apprentice. For the King ruled that anyone in the kingdom who possessed the power of magic would be trained to become Battle Mages or Wizards for his army. While most kingdoms were timid to use magic, this King was obsessed with the power that magic brought him. Several kingdoms were conquered by the use of magic.

Sheamus was an old wizard with long, white hair and a goatee that went down to his chest, further when not braided. Sheamus was the oldest of the Wizards and used to serve as the King’s highest Wizard until he decided to retire and only teach one pupil at a time. He wore a black robe with a gold belt and was often drunk. Never drunk enough to not be able to teach, but never sober enough to drive the carriage.

Sheamus was very focused on his task but finally looked up to see Arden, who leaned against his bedroom door.

“Ah, Arden, my boy.” He smiled the spell is almost ready. “I’m just missing-where did I put the celery stick.”

Arden saw a celery stick on the far end of the table. He made his way over to the table quickly, grabbed the stick and handed the vegetable to Sheamus who tossed the stick in.

“Thank you, Arden.” Sheamus gave him a smile. “You are one of the best pupil’s I have ever taught. Learning so quickly. Perhaps you could be the King’s High Wizard someday. Still a decade or two off, but you never know with how quickly you are learning. You are only ten and at the level of a mid-teenager”

“I live to learn, Master Sheamus.” Arden smiled. “I hope to be the greatest Wizard of all time.”

“The world is yours.” Arden nodded. “As long as you remember to never stop learning. The mind grows when being taught but grows stale when lacking an education. That’s why we call Wizardry the art of practicing magic.”

A thought suddenly hit Arden’s brain. “You could apply that logic to anything correct. Like cooking, or swords play, or…”

“Poetry.” Sheamus finished his sentence. “Yes. One can be skilled at two. But one must focus on one primarily, or he won’t be the master of either.”

“Of course.” Arden nodded. “Poetry is just a small fancy for me. Something to woo the ladies when I get older. But magic is my passion.”

Arden was confident in saying that. He knew without a shadow of a doubt, that he would be the greatest Wizard of all time. Nothing would stand in his way. Not sports, not politics, not friendship, and not even love.

“Good lad.”

Sheamus grabbed a serving spoon and dipped the kitchenware item into the cauldron. He took out some liquid and poured it into a vial. He motioned for Arden to follow him and then went out of the hut with Arden following close behind.

Arden was excited to see this spell performed. He followed Sheamus to a stump in the middle of the yard. A mallet rested against the stump with the handle pointing up. The old wizard placed the vial directly in the center of the stump. He pulled out his book of incantations and turned to a particular page near the very back. He muttered the words and then set the book down behind him on the ground, still open to the page he had read.

Arden thought he remembered that most of the protection spells were in the front of the book. As Sheamus grabbed his mallet and began to chant loudly. The young boy curiously leaned backwards and glanced at the pages. His eyes widened in terror. The spell was not a protection spell at all. Just the opposite. According to the words, the spell would kill the Princess when she reached the age of seventeen. Also, the death would be incredibly painful. She would melt from the inside out.

Arden was horrified as he looked back up at his master.

“Maledictum mortis prolixae super phialam infer! Maledictum mortis prolixae super phialam infer! Maledictum mortis prolixae super phialam infer!”

Every time Sheamus repeated the sentence, he yelled louder. Also, wind began to circle around them and whatever mourning light had been there vanished in a small circle around them. An evil voice whispered the same phrase in Arden’s ear.

The last time he shouted at the top of his lungs and lengthened the vowels on the last word.

Then he raised the hammer up and brought the object down the vial. At that moment the wind stopped, and the light returned. Sheamus lifted the hammer, and the vial was still in one piece.

“Okay, lad.” Sheamus picked up the vial. “We must bring this vial to the meeting place.”

Sheamus noticed the look of horror on Arden’s face. “Right. I should have prepared you for everything that happened. This was your first large spell. Takes a lot out of you.”

Arden wanted to speak up about the real reason he was terrified, but he thought better of that. He knew that his master had agreed to do this. So, protesting would do no good. Obviously Sheamus was receiving a large sum for this. Probably to pay his gambling debts.

“Yes. A bit much. But I’ll get used to it.” Arden faked a smile.

“Well, get the carriage ready. We must make haste.”

“Yes, master.” Arden went over to the donkey, who was tied up next to the hut and untied the donkey. He led the old, gray beast over to the small, wooden carriage. He attached the reigns to the creature and the climbed up to the driver’s seat, while Sheamus crawled into passenger area.

Arden lifted the reigns and snapped them. The donkey started slowly and then picked up what little speed he had. The carriage went down a small path.

An hour later, Arden was feeling tired as the went around a curve. But he saw a small gathering ahead. Two knights sat on their horses and between them stood a tall man wearing a black cloak with a hood over his head. He pulled to a stop as they were blocking the path.

Sheamus got out of the carriage and grabbed his staff to use for steadying himself as he walked over to the three individuals. Arden then noticed a fourth individual, who stood between the two nights and almost completely behind the hooded person. The fourth one was also very small and had a long nose. A small scar underneath his eye.

The hooded figure lifted his hood. And Arden recognized him immediately. Neatly groomed brown hair, which was graying slightly and a neatly groomed beard. The man was none other than Harold Bravefox, the King’s brother.

“Sheamus, old friend.” Harold greeted the old wizard. “It’s good to see you again. Do you have the potion?”

“Yes.” Sheamus nodded. “Will my niece be released now.”

Arden’s eyes widened. His master was not doing this for his own gain. They had his niece and were threatening her life.

One of the knights turned his horse and pointed up at a hill nearby. Sheamus’ seventeen-year-old niece, Angela, was tied to a post with another man standing next to her with a knife.

“Of course she will. But slight change of plan. The little brat is having her birthday today. Only children allowed into the ball room. You will have your pupil deliver the potion to the Princess. Or I will send to you Angela’s head.”

“I don’t want him involved.”

Arden jumped off the carriage. “Come on, Master Sheamus. It’s only a protection spell like you told me. I can do that.”

Sheamus turned to Arden with surprise. “Are you sure you can be sneaky, lad? The King doesn’t want magic used on his daughter for some reason.”

“Absolutely.” Arden said proudly. “Besides, who would suspect a ten-year-old.”

“Okay.” Sheamus reluctantly agreed. “He will deliver the potion and you will release my niece.”

“Absolutely.” Howard smiled. “My friend, Elijah, will escort him to the palace and get him in as one of the servants. He will bring a drink to the Princess and put the potion in her cup.”

“Very well.” The small figure stepped forward. “Come with me lad.”

Arden followed him around the corner to where a donkey stood. The incredibly short man pulled Arden up behind him.

“Hang on kid!”

The donkey lunged forward and began to race down the path.

Two hours later Arden found himself wandering around the ball room, which was more magnificent than anything he had ever seen. The carpets were red and lined with gold on the outside, and elegant, white curtains hung from the ceilings and surrounded the room. On one side of the room were two balconies, one close to the thrones were the royal family sat. Steps led up to the thrones. The middle two thrones were for King Robert and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. Beside Queen Elizabeth, opposite the side with the balconies sat Prince Robert. He was seventeen years old. The princess sat on the other side. Arden was stunned by her beauty. Even at only ten years old. But she seemed from a distance like a spoiled brat. She was annoyed at most of the presents that were offered. Except a small pet chickadee that sat in a cage next to her.

Getting to her was hard, because all of the cups of juice left his plate before he made his way to her. He wondered what he would do to find the right time.

As he placed cups of juice on his plate, he noticed her arguing with her father, the King. She stood up and ran out to the balcony. Her father started to get up, but the Queen grabbed his hand and stopped him.

This was his moment.

Arden grabbed two cups of juice and raced over to the balcony. He found Princess Ingrid as she stood on the balcony and looked up at the stars. A single tear was flowing down her right cheek. Arden set the cups down, pulled the vial out of his pocket and poured the potion into the left cup. The he put the vial back into his pocket and picked up the cups. As he stood up, Ingrid looked back at him. He held the left cup towards her.

“No, thanks.” She looked back at the stars. “I can’t believe my father wants to arrange a marriage for me. My brother is going to take the throne, so it doesn’t matter. Sometimes I want to just run away to a far away land. Where I could be whatever I want. Anything but a princess.”

Arden felt pity for her. And something else too. He liked her a lot. Even in just this small moment. He knew he loved her and could not let her die.

“You know, I think I will take the juice after all.” She turned towards him and reached out her hand.

Arden looked up and saw a small, hooded figure appear from a higher balcony and look down at them. The hooded figure nodded.

“But only if you drink with me.” She smiled.

“Sure.” He smiled. “As you wish, Princess.”

He handed her the right cup, and they clinked the cups like wines glasses and drank the juice together.

“I must return to my father now.” Ingrid walked over to the door and looked back at him. “What is your name, servant.”

“Arden.” He nodded and then watched as the Princess turned and walked back into the ballroom.

Arden’s eyes widened in terror. He had just drunk the potion and would die at seventeen. No being High Wizard. No achieving greatness at all. Unless there was a way to undo the spell. He did not want to tell Sheamus if he did not have to. He had seven years to find a way to break the spell. He swallowed to clear his throat and made his way back into the ballroom where Elijah was awaiting him.

“Good job, lad. You’d make a fine spy if you weren’t a wizard-in-training.”

“Perhaps I’ll be able to combine the skill someday.”

“Okay. Let’s get out of here.”

Arden followed Elijah across the room and as he left, he turned to see Ingrid laughing as she watched some jugglers performing a comedy routine. She had no idea that he had just saved her life. Perhaps at the expense of his own.