by Volentrin

?

I was sure I was being followed home. Whatever or whoever was following me, was good! I could not discern it at all. There was just a tickle of a sixth sense. My teacher, before she died, had said I was the best natural magic user she had seen in ages. Now I was alone. I had nothing and no one to train me, except for her books, and that was difficult at best.

I made it home, and put my primary shields of protection around the house and grounds. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could get in now. If there was one thing I learned well from my teacher, it was protection spells.

I needed training in offensive magic, but my defensive spells were at their height, now. The problem was, that learning that type of magic safely just from books was very difficult. They could give you the raw data, but using the little nuances was not included. That could prove fatal, if done incorrectly.

As I went to the kitchen for a bite to eat, something rocked my house shields. I paused. I heard a scream, and then more rocking as whatever it was tried to enter. No dice. I was safe as safe could be.

It finally stopped trying to get in, and I heard a knocking on my door. I paused. Now this was strange. A killer knocking on my door? Who had ever heard of such a thing? I ignored the insistant knocking on my door, and went to my library. I and pulled out my copy of 'Offensive Magic and You'.

While I had learned to safely use a few of the spells contained in this book, I was far from practiced and versed in them. I had the power, my teacher had told me so, but I had no one left to train me.

I opened to page forty six and started in on the spell I had been trying to learn lately. It was a force spell that delivered so much energy to a specific target that it was blasted out of existence when it hit. The problem was, that when used improperly, it had a nasty habit of rebounding on the user. Therein lay the problem. I was unsure if I had learned it properly.

'When making the gestures, be sure that your left hand is perfectly straight, at all times, ' I read.

I had this part down pat. It was just the description of the gestures, that was a bit vague. It wouldn't do to try to use a spell that was partially learned.

The right hand could be as fluid as I wished, but the left had to complete all gestures with perfect rigidity. It was a powerful spell. There was almost no defense against it, when it was cast properly. Even my best defensive spell would be hard pressed to block it... and I was a 'wiz', literally, with defense.

I continued reading. I practiced, and practiced, and practiced my gestures. I was sure I had them down, but was still afraid of this spell in the worst possible way. It was a major power spell. It was designed to take out just about anything and/or anyone. It was so powerful that 'colateral damage' was probable, rather than merely possible.

I had learned some minor offensive spells along the way, but this one was of a magnitude that was beyond anything of which I had ever heard. It was the difference between an seasoned and tested adult, and a child in kindergarten, as to the relationship between the level of power. It was a top end spell. I was learning it alone, while only partially trained.

Damn Melissa for dying on me. Still, she had died protecting us from a power storm, that had been sent by... something... or someone, at any rate. I thought I had inherited an enemy from her. It was very disconcerting that I didn't know even so much as the enemy's name.

The next morning I was ready to head out to work. I put up a protective spell on myself, as I usually did. My protective spells had kept me alive through several attacks, as well as some very curious 'accidents', that seemed to happen around me a lot.

I worked at a college as an assistant professor of languages, and I needed to be at school by the start of the seven-thirty class. The professor always seemed to be missing. I usually had all his classes to cover. This meant a busy day for me.

While I had expected an attack on the way to the campus, none materialized. Good news for me, but now I was worried about the lack of an attack. So far, there had been no attacks during school hours, for which I was grateful.

I had my best protective spell, "Rebound" going. It would turn any attack back to the attacker or attackers. It was a specially designed spell that I had developed on my own, and I was proud of it. So far it had stood up to anything cast my way, in the form of an attack.

I had even turned the dangerous "Death of Soul" spell, which someone had at cast at me, just last month. That was high magic, indeed. I had not learned much about the spell, as yet. It was a 'dark magic' spell... sometimes known as 'black magic'.

As I thought about it, it occurred to me I might have angered a powerful black wizard. Well, too bad, really. I was not going to roll over and let him or her kill me, over some imagined slight.

I made it to school without incident, and started my classes. All day we did the ancient Greek islands. It was a fascinating study, really. I assigned homework in preparation for an upcoming test. I explained to each class, that testing would begin at the end of the week.

It was after I had gotten off the bus, that the first attack was cast at me. A "knock down" spell of some sort had been used on me. My personal shield flared and, of course, sent it back just as it had been designed to do! The flare was visible to any who looked so I stepped between two buildings, and waited.

Finally the flare died down, and I knew that the spell had rebounded, and was back attacking whoever had sent it.

'Well, more power to em, ' I thought with a grin.

That would teach whoever it was, a very valuable lesson.

I was almost back home when a shadowy figure stepped in front of me. I stopped.

"Johnathon Bishop. I request a truce with ye," the figure stated.

"Uh, huh. Why should I truce with you? Aren't you and your friends trying to kill me?" I asked him.

"This is not important. What is important is we talk about a mutual problem," he/she/it stated.

I stared at the person in front of me, curious. Here they were trying to kill me today, and then suddenly THEY wanted to talk, now. Strange.

"Talk," I said.

"We are a group of black wizards who are trying to become supreme. We have accidentally released a small demon, and need the help of a powerful white wizard to put it to rest. Will you help?" I was asked.

Huh? Demons were real? Since when? And how did you release a demon at all?

"Why me?" I asked blithely.

"We cannot approach the white guild, as they have promised us death at first sight. We war with them, and have for years," was the reply.

"And this affects me how?" I asked curiously.

"You are independent from the guild. They do not know of you... or if they do, they ignore you, to their detriment. We are willing to halt hostilities against you, if you will help us in confining the demon," was the response.

There was a white guild! I wondered if I could contact them with information provided by these dark wizards?

"Tell me how to contact this white guild, and I will do it for you. It occurs to me they would know more about laying a demon than I do," I stated.

"Not possible. They would smell the black magic attached to you by our attacks, and not answer you," was the reply.

Great. I was being penalized for something that was not my fault. I had also not known of this white guild. Why hadn't Melissa taught me about them? Perhaps she was going to, but had died first?

"I will give you my answer, tomorrow. Meet me at Chase Park, at seven AM," I responded.

"It shall be as you command," the dark one said, and left as suddenly as it had arrived.

Now wasn't this a pretty pickle? At least two groups vying for power, one didn't know of me, the other wanted me dead most times. How could my life get any more interesting?

I had my answer, two blocks later.

A dark shape started to materialize in front of my home, blocking me from it.

"Take heed," its demonic voice hissed at me. "Do not involve yourself with my feud, if you do not wish to be damned for eternity," it said, and disappeared.

Well, well, well. I was being warned off by the demon! Who would have thought it possible?

I went into my home, and reset all the wards and protections. I felt dirty so took a shower to get clean. As I was coming out of the shower I felt a strange call coming in. This was something that had never happened before!

"I am Lassiter. Do not help the dark ones, or you will be condemned as a black magician. As it stands now, we have been watching you for some time. We are almost ready to bring you into the guild. Be warned!"

Then it, too, was gone.

Son of a bitch!

The guild knew of me, but had not contacted me until this threat. The demon had just warned me off, and the black wizards wanted my help. I felt very popular all of a sudden.

I sighed and looked at my library of books. I needed something with which to fight off a demon, the black wizards, and the white guild. Perfect.

I found what I was looking for by accident, which seemed to happen a lot.

I mean I had accidentally discovered the spell for my "rebound" magic, and I had discovered the "force spell," which was a powerful spell indeed. I had gone over that book before, and had never noticed that spell, yet I was learning it now.

I memorized the "force spell". The book had fallen open to another spell, seemingly by accident: "The Spell of Dispelling"

I had never heard of it, yet it was described as the perfect banishment spell.

The hair rose on the back of my neck. Something or someone was trying to tell me something. That was the only thing I could think of. I committed this spell to memory. It was easy for me this time, as was the "Force Spell", now.

I now had two offensive spells in my repertoire, plus a host of defensive spells I was sure would defeat nearly any offensive spell.

I slept the sleep of the just, that night. I awoke refreshed, and ready for anything.

At seven AM, I was waiting at the park for my mystery man from the dark wizards. I had the feeling I was being watched, and by more than just one group. It was very disconcerting.

The dark shaped person arrived. I told it I would help it, but that all attacks on my person must cease, forever after. There was silence, then agreement. Ok, one down, two to go.

"We need to summon the demon, for me to get rid of it," I told the dark one.

"This is difficult. The summoner is in jeopardy since there are no constraints placed upon the demon," I was informed.

"Tough. I need this creature summoned to me so I can do what needs to be done," I answered snidely.

At this time, a bolt of lightning came out of the clear blue sky, hit my shield, and then was gone. I felt a startled hurt, then nothing, coming from a distance. I was shaking from the power of the bolt I had just turned.

Apparently the white guild was not pleased with my actions, and had taken action against me. Well, I hope they didn't kill themselves when their own bolt hit them. My "Rebound" protection had turned it as surely as it would any attack.

The dark one had noticed, and nodded agreement. It asked me to place it in a protective circle, which I did. It then chanted something, which I had a hard time understanding.

I waited The demon appeared, and began to attack me immediately. It sent barrage after barrageof power at me, which my "Rebound Spell" turned, but I was weakening!

It renewed its attacks, as it heard my chanting and saw my gestures. Finally, the spell was done, and I launched it. There was a blinding flash of light and a huge groan from

the demon, and it seemed to freeze, and sink into the earth.

When it was gone, I looked at the dark wizard. I released his circle of protection. He bowed to me, and was gone.

"Well done. Demons are to be destr oyed or returned from whence they came. The white guild is pleased with your work, this day. Know you will be asked to join us in the near future," a voice said to me... then it, too, was gone.

How about that? Was this a damned test of some sort? I was pissed, to say the least!