Spellbound
Chapter 9

After arriving home both of Nathaniels parents and Penelope’s parents greeted them dearly when they came inside and wanted to know all about what happened. Nat and Pen told both of their parents they passed the first test and there was much relief in all the parents minds because they had all been so worried about the outcome of the test for their children.

Authors Note:...Young Adults if you don’t mind !

Both Nat and Pen slept like pressed red house bricks that night and were up early for school the following day meeting each other at the school gate and filling in each other on the ‘inquisition’ they both got when they got home. The school bell was about to sound so they made their way into the classroom only to be greeted by a different teacher.

No Mr Morkas.

As they took their places together up the back of the class near the window they listened to another teacher tell them that Mr Morkas was ill and would be having a few days off to recover. Both Nat and Pen looked at each other and guessed this was a lie straight away. He was obviously up to something that required him to travel hence his absence from his usual position at the school.

It was dually noted by Nat that the large boy who ran past them in the forest was in the class with them down the front getting his homework out and at recess both Pen and he decided to talk to him about what he remembered. As it turns out all the questions they asked were to no avail because the spell Azadarin hurled at him whipped his memory rather convincingly and he had no recollection of why he was even in the forest to begin with.

Nat and Pen had no idea who else had tried out for the test and given that everyone else failed they both assumed that those students also had their memories altered as well. So from now on in it was just them sitting the tests. It was a better day in the classroom without having Mr Morkas staring at them intently all the time but both Pen and Nat wondered where he was and if he was sick or not.

They guessed not.

They were ‘spot on’ correct with their assumptions. ...............................................................................

A considerable distance away from the school he was supposed to be teaching at on this given day was one Mr. Zell Morkas. He was trudging out of the The Scarlant Woodlands and back into an area of landscape that he was very familiar with. He grew up out here and knew every twist and turn where his feet directed him. His mind was filled with things he wanted to say and share and he could not get to where he was going fast enough. Sweat was breaking out on his face and every so often he would just yell into the air with rage frightening birds who nested on the ground and wildlife unlucky enough to be in a close proximity to his outburst. The anger was festering in him so badly he just wanted to explode and cause damage, perhaps even kill.

On the edge of The Scarlant Woodlands it slopes down gently to bramble filled ditch, ditch overgrown with cow parsley and nettles, bare patches, thick lush dew laden grass, cowslip with it’s broad yellow flowers trumpeting the music of spring, Dandelions, Ragwort, scattered clusters of rabbit droppings, hawthorn hedge, brook half chocked with weeds, purple thistle, bumble bee, rutted track, animal droppings and clumps of figwort. Zell Morkas cared nothing for anything he was walking through. He just wanted to get home to vent his frustration and share news of importance to the only person he really cared about...his mother. She had not seen him for some time so there would be a lot to catch up on and share together. All of it gruesome with dark overtones of deception and revenge.

It wasn’t far now to hike and he would be home before nightfall. The faces of Nathaniel and Penelope firmly ensconced into his mind matched with the lies he heard Nathaniel tell him about the letters from that ‘has been’ Wizard Azadarin that they ‘never got’. They got them alright and from all reports that runt of a student and his bitch friend were the only ones who passed the first test so now wheels were in motion towards building up the rank and file of The Magic Guardians again.

As he walked he yelled again with dark and menacing overtones that rang out across the open field. There was something in that shout, a pain behind it. The anger was nothing but a shield for pain, like a cornered fighter in an army randomly throwing out arrow after arrow, scared for his life, lonely, desperate. He breathed in real slow. His anger was truely apparent on his face and he sneered unendingly towards his final resting place.

He hated Nathaniel and Penelope and was sure to make their end...a most horrific one.

.................................................................................

“It was so much nicer not having to look over our shoulders into the horrid face of Morkas leering at us all the time don’t you think Pen” said Nathaniel opening the school gate for his friend as they left to go next door to the library and study some more.

“Yes I tend to agree with you Nat...the room felt less claustrophobic than normal and we could both get our work done...are you looking forward to getting the new letter from Nibbles?” said Pen as she opened the library door for Nat just to return the favour he did to her.

“Yes I am Pen...and I am also going to give Nibbles a heads up about Morkas while she is there as well so we get a message to Azadarin that things are a bit suspect with this man and I feel he is not to be trusted...so Azadarin should know this as well...thoughts?” said Nathaniel rather convincingly to his friend who was now sitting opposite from him opening her books and notes from the day and getting ready to fire questions at her friend like she usually did.

“Yes I totally agree Nat...Azadarin has to know because being forewarned is being forearmed” said Pen convincingly whilst replaceing the last page of notes on cultures from different lands they learned about that day.

“I am a bit concerned Pen...Morkas has never had a day off as long as I can remember being at the school...I just wonder what he is up to and where he is?” said Nathaniel opening his school books and looking at the library door half expecting Mr Morkas to walk through it and sit with them while they tested each other.

“I think for now Nat we should just concentrate on the work in front of us and get ready for the next test with Azadarin and Nibbles...it will serve us no good to squander our study time wondering where an absent teacher is when we could be learning more than we know now don’t you think?” said pen and as usual she was right. She was very good at doing that, speaking from her heart and it being dead accurate.

“Ok then...lets study....fire away pen...I’m ready”

And so Penelope fired a series of questions at Nat that he got right and then he did them same for her and she got all of them right as well. It felt like they were spending more time in the library than in class...but eventually they had to go home. They packed up their books and Nathaniel opened the library door for Pen and they said their Goodnights to each and walked home.

Once again they were being watched but this time the creature watching them both was chewing on some fruit she had picked from a local neighbours fruit tree and the was mango juice running down her face and into the fur on her belly. As soon as she saw them both head their seperate ways she stood up on her branch, gave her body an almighty shake and the juice spilt on her fur went in all direction. She ascended into the sky and flew home to talk to Azadarin about what she had seen.

..................................................................................

“Quintus Mortem Basthshood Evilian” spoke Zell Morkas to a cave wall and at once it groaned and crackled then a doorway opened opened up and into the darkness he walked and the doorway shut behind him. He was home and there standing before him was his mother.

“It has been an age since I have seen you Zell...come and give you mother a hug and tell me news...I know you have some because of the look on your face...so hug me and let’s talk” said Zells mother, a woman in her fifties with long grey hair and wrinkled facial expressions dressed in a long black satin gown with a magnificent ruby encrusted belt that met in the middle of her waist with the initials BW on it. Zell approached his mother and put his arms around her and they hugged. Then after some food and rest they talked until sunrise then slept until night fall.

There was much to discuss.