Spellbound
Chapter 16

The dining room was quiet as all parties consumed a beautiful meal and it was only after the meal was finished that a small amount of talking was done in front of the purple fire Azadarin procured in the fire place. The soft purple glow reached out and lit each face that gathered on the couch to talk about the days proceedings. Nibbles now flew straight to the lap of Penelope and soaked up as much rubs, cuddles and affection as she could because closing her eyes and once again snoring peacefully. Nathaniel was weary as too was Penelope but they stayed up a little longer to hear what Azadarin had to say about their battle in the caged dome and what might next be expected of them.

“My friends....you both fought so bravely today and I am extremely proud of both of you for using the spells you have been taught...but I would say this...do not at any stage from here on in become complacent and take things for granted. Yes you won today but you may not be so lucky tomorrow...such is the magical way in this world there is always some one who is ready to whip the legs out from underneath you and end your life...so always be prepared for the worst to happen that way you can celebrate with much joy if something good happens instead...do you understand me?” said Azadarin sipping one of his herbal teas and stroking his beard.

“Understood Azadarin” said Nat and Pen at the same time but there was something in his words that made them both feel an impending sense of doom approaching. It wasn’t that he would die it was more like something wicked was brewing close by and was going to attack before they were both bought up to speed with their magical capabilities.

“I think its time that Nibbles and I took our leave from you both and retired to get some sleep...you may sit here for as long as you both like just put the fire grill up in front of the fire when you turn in ok?” said Azadarin standing up and gently retrieving the sleeping Nibbles from Penelope’s lap and walking slowly into his bedroom saying...“Goodnight friends” and the bedroom door shut all by itself behind him.

Nathaniel picked up the fire grill and placed it in front of the fire and stood looking at Penelope deep in thought about how the day had gone fighting then killing a beast he had never seen before. Penelope was thinking of Nibbles and how attached she was becoming to her then she looked up and spoke to Nat just before he spoke to her....

“Do you think that Mr Morkas will come looking for Aza, Nibbles, you and I Nathaniel....should we be more vigilant than we are as of right now?”

“I could not agree with you more if I tried Pen...I believe that Azadrin can feel things we are only just starting to realise about what may be coming down the path towards us all and he is nervous and yes...I believe we should use every waking minute to be ready just in case something happens here or at home” said Nathaniel sounding more like a 5 star general than a young Wizard in training.

“I think you are right...lets get some sleep because I really think we are going to need it tomorrow Nat”

“Ok Pen I will say goodnight then and hope that you have good dreams on your pillow”

Both Nathaniel and Penelope got up and went to their bedrooms , dressed in their pyjamas, brushed their teeth and got into bed. They both fell deeply asleep very quickly as the fire in the dining room began to go out.

Tucked into their beds that night, the sleep pooled on their eyelids, and the wooden log cabin in the forest was filled with the soft sounds of people and one talking furry bat sleeping. The wind outside swooped up, over the heights, rushed and rustled through the tough forest grasses, and gradually ebbed away through the crags to silence.

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Outside in the forest the trees are veiled in the lightest of mists, their trunks sombre brown with sable cracks that gnarl the bark. As the mist travels to the edge of the log cabin it becomes a silhouette against a blanket of white, as if it is only daylight where they sleep, and they are encircled by twilight...some one was in the forest...watching the log cabin from a distance.

The dreams that filled both Nat and Pen’s sleep were disturbing ones and they both couldn’t settle. At almost the same time they both woke up with a deep sense of impending calamity and disaster, sitting bolt upright in bed and looking out their windows into the forest now completely engulfed in a white dense fog. Something was wrong. Without each of them knowing what the other was doing they both got dressed warmly and walked out of their rooms and bumped into each other in the dark.

“Can you feel that Pen” whispered Nat in a very quiet voice.

“Yes...it is why I woke up and I’m guessing you feel it as well” said Pen as she tied up the last of the laces on her boots.

“Something is out there...I can feel it” said Nat.

“I can to Nat, best we don’t light a candle and we stay hidden for now...could this be part of what Azadarin is testing us on or do you think it’s a bit more sinister than that” whispered Pen to her friend.

“I think Azadarin is asleep but it would be good to have Nibbles with us because she can see in the dark and can fly very quietly” said Nathaniel leaning down to whisper this in Pen’s ear.

“I am also very good at pre-empting things as well you two....and yes I felt it as well” whispered Nibbles now taking her place in Penelope’s shoulder.

“Some one IS out there”

“Should we wake Aza Nibbles?” whispered Pen to her talking furry friend.

“No let the man sleep I think if you can handle a Serpentum Felus, what ever is out there is child’s play for you two....I will fly to my fave pine tree and see what I can see, you two turn yourselves invisible, hold hands and be ready to hide, attack or run ok?”

“Sounds like a plan Nibb’s...let’s go then...Pen just squeeze my hand if you see or hear anything and we do exactly what Nibbles said in that order ok” said Nathaniel opening the front door as quietly as possible and letting Nibbles fly off into the pitch white fog while Nat and Pen negotiated the front steps, held hands and became invisible and off into the fog they walked ever so quietly.

A vast blanket of white hung heavy over the forest. It suffocated every tree at their base, swallowing every distant object and vanishing around every corner of the log cabin. It crept round all of the trees, its silent footsteps tiptoeing around each pine needle and branch passing by the water well and vegetable patch, before finally coming to rest at the foot of three freshly dug graves. Nathaniel stood in the still silence of the forest with Penelope, their only comfort being that of their warm hands gripping each other while the fog seemed to get even thicker around them. Fear now grabbed at them at this horrendous sight of the three graves and Nathaniel wished that Nibbles would return and they could go home.

But this was not to be.

The anticipation was a nervous kind of energy. It tingled through them both like electrical sparks on the way to the ground, gathering in their toes. Something was out there with them but they could not see it and thankfully what ever it was could not see them. This fear is the challenge and our demon to slay, for it will come until we do, unannounced and gnarly.

The only way out is to order our brains to function, to demand solutions instead of this crazy-making circling anxiety. So though it feels as if our bones have no more strength and our muscles are all out of power, we still have the option to remain still, to be quiet enough to choose how to fight thought Nathaniel ruminating about the spells he has been shown, the fear that now gripped him and the safety of his friend Penelope standing next to him.

The fear travelled in Penelope’s veins but never made it to her facial muscles or skin. Her complexion remained pale and matt, her eyes as steady as if she were shopping for shoes. She let out an understated sigh and turned to Nathaniel, showing she wasn’t afraid to turn her back. While looking to her left she could feel Nathaniels hand in hers but could not see him because of the invisibility spell they were both under. There was a small movement of cold air next to her left ear then a familiar feeling of claws holding on to her shoulder. Penelope was glad Nibbles was back now with them and she looked to the left and down at the claws that were digging in just a little too tightly. In the place of the talons that Nibbles owned was not her friends claws or legs at all.

It was a hand that belonged to an arm and that of a creature that was now digging its grotesque nails into Penelope’s flesh. She squeezed Nathaniels hand as hard as she could then ducked down as quickly as she could to break the hold the creature had on her.

Nathaniel turned and released from his fingers a concentrated burst of intense flame in the direction of the beast behind Penelope and the forest was filled with a scream and blood curdling cry of pain.

Azadarin awoke from his sleep at this sound and was out the front door in a heart beat.

Penelope was bleeding from the shoulder and her right arm was now out of action, but she aimed her left hand at the creature and aimed flames of the same intensity at the lower half of the creature and at once it burst into flame, flaying about to rid its self of the heat and skin that was now blistering and falling off its body. While thrashing around this creature fell into one of the graves and now it couldn’t get away. Nathaniel and Penelope aimed their hands at it in the grave and increased the intensity of the fire spell sending this hideous creature into ashes before their very eyes. Azadarin could see the yellow / orange glow of the flames through the fog that his students were creating and he rushed to their side to help.

“STAND BACK YOU TWO...” yelled Azadarin at Nathaniel and Penelope and they stopped their fire spell and stood behind Azadarin and Nathaniel attended to Penelope’s wounds. Azadarin raised his Wizard staff and a very bright white light came out of the green sapphire wrapped in the tree roots at its end. It lit up the grave and surrounding area as if the sun had broken loose in that exact area of the ground. Nibbles flew back from deep within the forest and landed next to Penelope and she wrapped her wings around her to keep her warm.

“SO....IT HAS COME TO THIS...YOU HAD BEST DO BETTER THAN A MEAR MHEKAK IF YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT THE MAGIC GUARDIANS” and with one deadly fling of the staff he was holding Azadarin put to death the Mhekak that was in the grave and buried it as quick as a blink. On making sure that there was safety in moving he turned, gathered up Penelope in his arms and marched back to the log cabin with her to tend to her wounds. Nathaniel stayed behind with Nibbles on his shoulder making sure that no one would pounce from behind at any of them then he to joined Azadarin and Penelope back in the log cabin. Poor Penelope was hurt and bleeding but Azadarin was quick to clean the wounds the Mhekak’s nails made in her shoulder and with a spell muttered under his breath the wounds vanished.

“Penelope I have healed your wounds but your shoulder may be a bit stiff for a few days so use it wisely and don’t over do it....NIBBLES....did you see anything in the forest?”

“Yes Aza I did.....and I’m sure you are not going to like what I tell you” said Nibbles staying close to Penelope and Nathaniel.

Then she told Azadarin what she saw and Azadarin said a spell out loud and the log cabin and forest surrounding it started to change...it was starting to prepare for battle and to defend itself...to the death.