A Slave to Magic (10 page)

“You must fetch me
the claw of a cockatrice.”

“H
e’ll be killed!” Nera shouted in protest. “It’s
not a fair test!”

“That is the test he must take,” Rili replied
calmly.

“I’ll do it,” Kwil said. Wrinkling his brow, he
asked, “What’s a cockatrice?”

“Kwil, you can’t do this,” Nera warned. “A
cockatrice is extremely dangerous. It will kill you without a second thought.”
Turning to Rili, she said, “You can’t be serious about this. He isn’t ready! A
master wizard can’t face down a cockatrice.”

“If he cannot do it, I will not teach him,” the
wizard replied. “If he returns victorious, he will become my apprentice.” To
Kwil, he cautioned, “Don’t try bringing me a fake. The claws have specific
magical properties, and I’ll know easily if you’re trying to deceive me.”

“I would never do that,” Kwil replied.

“And the girl must stay here,” Rili added. “No one
may assist you in this final test.”

“You’re intentionally making this difficult for
him,” Nera accused. “You want him to fail!” The injustice of this test made her
angry, and she wasn’t afraid to let the wizard know it.

Rili raised a hand to silence her. “Either Kwil
will accept the test and pass it or he won’t. It makes no difference to me.”

“I want to do this,” Kwil said, his eyes pleading
with Nera to cease her argument. “Where can I find this creature?”

“There is a cave about three miles west of here,”
Rili explained. “Once you’ve gone about a mile, you’ll notice a narrow trail.
It is created by the dragging of the cockatrice’s tail. Follow that path, and
you will see a rock formation when you’re about a mile from the cave’s
entrance. The forest thins out nearer the cave. Good luck to you.” Turning his
back, he stepped away as carefree as ever.

“You’d think he could be more helpful before he
sends a person to his death,” Nera commented. Taking Kwil by the arm, she said,
“Listen to me. A cockatrice is part dragon and part bird. Its gaze can turn you
to stone, even with the slightest glance. You mustn’t look into its eyes.”

“I understand,” Kwil replied, nodding. “What
happens if the creature sees its own gaze?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled.

“Its reflection,” he said. “Like when it takes a
drink and sees itself in the water.”

“I have no idea,” Nera admitted. All she knew was
what she’d heard in old legends, and she was barely paying attention. Her mind
was always filled with music, and learning about the various monsters in the
world held little appeal unless it was told in song.

“Has anyone ever managed this?” Kwil wondered.

Nera could not say. “I hope so,” she said. After a
pause, she asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Shaking his head, he replied, “I don’t want to,
Nera, but I have to. Whatever it takes for Master Rili to teach me is what I’m
going to do.” Leaning forward, he hugged his friend tightly. “This is my
dream,” he said. “If I don’t try, then I’ll never be more than a slave.”

Feeling the tears welling in her eyes, Nera did
her best to hide them. She understood the yearning in his soul. It was the same
thing she felt when her father announced she had to become a sorceress when all
she ever wanted was to make music. Her dream denied her, she had resigned
herself to a life of misery. Meeting Kwil had changed all that. She was now
free to create her own future, and so was he. “Go carefully, my friend,” she
said. “And come back in one piece,” she added with a smile.

“I’ll do my best,” he promised.

Wringing her hands, Nera watched as her friend
walked away. He had no weapon with him, and no way to shield himself from the
monster’s wrath. Rili had sent him completely unprepared, and her heart ached as
she watched him walk away. If he didn’t return, she would find a way to punish
Rili, though she had no idea how to go about facing down a wizard.

Kwil attempted to walk with confidence as he moved
away from the manor grounds and into the trees. Was Rili observing him? Would
he show up in a flash of light and save Kwil if something went terribly wrong?
Shaking his head, Kwil put the thought away. There was little chance the wizard
had something like that planned. Maybe he did intend for Kwil to die in this
attempt, but if there was a way to succeed, he was determined to find it.

The frozen ground crunching beneath his feet, Kwil
pressed on to the west. With each step, he grew more anxious. Taking deep
breaths, he did his best to stay calm. After only ten minutes of walking, he
felt like he’d been going forever. Glancing back over his shoulder, he could
still see the smoke rising from Master Rili’s chimney. Determination urged him
forward, though his feet felt heavier by the second. This would either be the
best day of his life or the last.

When his eye fell on a narrow trail, Kwil’s mouth
dropped open. This meant he was nearing the cockatrice’s cave, and he had better
start readying himself in case the creature was skulking about. Every attempt
he made to clear his mind failed. His mind raced with visions of vicious claws
and flashing scales, and his fear was beginning to take hold.

“You can do this, Kwil,” he said out loud. “No
point in worrying about it now. You agreed to the task, so do it.” Staring up
at the sky he focused his mind to the soft gray clouds gathering above him.
Nearly becoming dizzy, he stared into the endless void, losing himself inside
it. Finally, his mind was calm and clear. With renewed confidence, he continued
toward the cave.

Before long, the rock formation Rili had mentioned
came into view. It was much larger than Kwil expected, rising high into the sky
and spanning several hundred feet across. The stones looked to be etched and
possibly shaped by some long-forgotten race of ancients. Heading toward them,
the trees thinned out, leaving the young slave exposed. But he did not care. A
strange sensation drew him to the rocks. He had to touch them, to feel their
smooth stone beneath his fingertips.

As he approached the rocks, he felt magical energy
pulsating through his body. Almost too intense at first, he eventually relaxed
into the feeling and came to enjoy it. It was revitalizing and energizing,
filling his magical stores with a sensation he had never experienced. Was this
what it was like to bathe in pure magic? All he knew was, he would gladly stay
stuck to this spot forever, absorbing the stones’ magic through his veins.

Taking a seat at the base of a tall, pillar-shaped
stone, Kwil rested his cheek against its surface. To his delight, the stone was
warm, despite winter’s chill. It glowed with a pale yellow light, and he raised
his hand to shield his eyes. When the light became more intense, he pulled
himself away, releasing the bond he had created between himself and the stone.
The light faded, leaving him to wonder what had happened.

A flat, round stone lay at his feet, and he
decided its smaller size might produce a less dramatic effect. If he could
determine what was happening when he touched it, maybe he could learn to use it
properly. Placing his palm on the flat surface, he felt the stone’s warmth, and
the same light began to glow between his fingers. The image of the cockatrice
flashed in his mind, and the stone emitted an electric jolt. Pulling his hand
away, Kwil tried to shake off the pain. Looking down at the rock, he noticed
its surface had been altered—it was now polished to a mirror-like shine.

Looking around, Kwil searched for the source of
power at the rocks. He saw nothing besides the plain, gray stones, settled into
the frozen ground. If it weren’t for the intense feeling of magic in the area,
he would never have expected anything to happen.

Was this part of Rili’s plan? He had mentioned the
rocks after all. Perhaps he knew only a sorcerer would sense the magic in the
stones. Kwil wished Nera were here so he could ask if she sensed anything. Her
disinterest in magic might make her immune to their effects. If so, Kwil would
know that Rili had indeed offered help, though he didn’t make it too obvious.

Rising to his feet, Kwil observed his reflection
in the rock’s surface. Using this against the cockatrice was a far better idea
than having it look into water. This was portable and just the right size to
serve as a shield. With his heart yearning to study the rock formation further,
Kwil knew he had to move on. He wasn’t going to find the cockatrice sitting
here, and the task was too important to abandon. Hoping that someday Rili would
bring him here and explain the magic of the stones, Kwil forced himself to walk
away, following along the path carved by the monster’s massive form.

As he approached the cave’s entrance, fear gripped
hold of his mind. No longer certain that he wanted to continue, he hesitated,
staring into the mouth of the cave. Only a few feet inside, the light faded
away to darkness, and Kwil felt a churning in his stomach. Clutching the
polished stone against his chest, he begged it to give him strength. The warmth
returned to its surface, spreading throughout the young man’s body. Steeling
himself, he stepped inside the monster’s lair.

To his delight, the shield remained lit, providing
enough light for him to easily maneuver through the cave. His feet immediately
hit water, and he paused, observing the pool in front of him. It appeared to go
down for eternity, its depths descending into blackness. Wondering if he would
have to swim across, he became uneasy. Kwil was not the strongest swimmer, but
the monster might be. Stooping low, he grabbed a small pebble and tossed it in
the water. It splashed, landing no more than a few inches from the water’s
surface. Looking upward, Kwil realized the pool was only reflecting the
darkened ceiling with its partially illuminated stalactites. With a quiet sigh
of relief, he continued forward.

A booming voice echoed against the cave walls,
startling him to attention. “Who wanders so foolishly into my abode?” the voice
asked. The words were followed by audible footsteps—the heavy, resounding steps
of a massive beast.

His throat nearly too dry to speak, Kwil did his
best to project. “My name is Kwil,” he began, “and I’ve come to ask a favor of
you.” Civility, he decided, was the best option here. This creature was
intelligent enough to speak, so maybe he could reason with it to avoid a fight.

Laughter resounded throughout the cavern. “You are
a bold fool,” the monster said. “What favor would you ask of me?”

Swallowing hard, he replied, “A single claw is
all. My master requires it.”

A brief silence followed, and the young man tilted
his ear toward the cave’s depths. He recognized the faint sound of dragging and
the dripping of water, but nothing of the cockatrice’s voice. Shining the light
of his shield throughout the cavern, he counted no fewer than five passageways.
With the echoing sounds, he could never guess which way the voice had come
from.

Without warning, a heavy blow knocked him off his
feet, his shield scooting away from him along the muddy floor. Its light faded
out before Kwil could scramble to his feet.

“I’ll be keeping all of my claws today!” the
cockatrice roared. With a swipe of its tail, it struck a second time, slamming
Kwil against the cave wall.

Pain exploding through his body, Kwil struggled to
suck in a breath. Dropping to his knees, he clawed desperately at the floor,
searching for the stone shield. Feeling the beast’s breath on his neck, Kwil
instinctively rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a gnashing beak. Groping in
the darkness, he continued to search for the shield, knowing he must find it or
die.

The cockatrice struck again, sending the slave’s
bruised body sliding into a shallow puddle. As he came to a halt, he flipped
himself over and coughed up a mouthful of pebbles and mud. When he reached out
his hands to steady himself, his fingers brushed against warmth—he had found
the stone. Its light glowed as the mage’s hand grasped it, and he lifted it
high in the air. With the cavern illuminated, he got his first glimpse of the
creature that had attacked him.

Golden scales glittered in the pale light, its
long slender neck rising to the height of the cave. A menacing hiss escaped its
hooked beak as Kwil trembled at the sight. When the creature spread its batlike
wings, the slave pulled the shield close to his head, shielding his eyes from
the beast’s gaze.

Realizing the intruder carried a polished stone,
the cockatrice commended him. “Clever boy!” it shouted. “You’ve come prepared!”
In a fluid motion, it swung its spiny tail, and sent the mage flying.

Biting his lip to endure the pain, Kwil clutched
tightly at his shield. Knowing the monster would not relent peacefully, he
resorted to the only plan he could think of. Drawing on the magic inside him,
he placed one hand flat against the back of the shield. Adding his own heat to
the stone’s, he spoke a brief word of magic. The light illuminated tenfold, the
shield’s rays glinting off every puddle in the cave.

Roaring with displeasure, the cockatrice was
forced to cease its attack and squeeze its eyes shut. Should its gaze fall upon
its own reflection in one of the many pools, it would turn itself to stone.
“Enough!” the beast cried. “Dim the light, and I will give you what you seek.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” Kwil asked. Right
now he had the upper hand, but if he doused the light, he would be at the
creature’s mercy.

The cockatrice lifted its foot to its beak and
clamped down, severing a section of claw. Spitting it in the mage’s direction,
it said, “Take it and leave this place.”

Kwil grabbed the claw and shuddered, imagining the
damage it could have done him. It was larger than his own hand and as strong as
steel. “Thank you,” Kwil said. Before dimming the shield, he asked, “If it was
so simple to remove the claw, and it caused you no pain, why did you make it so
difficult for me?”