Spellcaster series #1: The Neophyte

Synto's Army

TRISTAN

Red lights streaked the night sky, hovering above The Academy. A foretelling of what was to come—which meant Synto had not arrived yet.

The four of us stood in the middle of the Garden in peace, as The Academy always was in. Some of the spellcast trainees stuck their heads out their dorm windows to witness the red strings of light in the sky.

Jesse and Voltaire headed to the office while I cast the spell of Elemento Electricus, a spell that electrified the gates and fences of The Academy and encircled the school with the ring of fire. The cosmic energy was descended as Wynona cast the spell of Elemento Cosmos, a spell that would strengthen every spellcaster when churning up their pure energies.

"Keep that up," Wynona said with a smile, "and you might just be a stronger spellcaster than your grandfather."

I teleported to my office and retrieved a new red coat and cuffed my ruby on it. My old one was still back in the makeshift Lair, shredded and singed from the explosions. Jesse managed to retrieve my ruby and wand from my old coat right before he and Wynona were attacked by Ingram.

I put on the coat and adjusted its collar. I fastened the ruby and let its energy flow through me. In the mirror I adjusted my hair and watched as my olive-green irises turned to an orange hue and deepened into red.

"Ready?" I asked Wynona as I teleported back to the entrance of The Academy. She smiled and nodded with a mischievous spark in her eyes.

We held up our hands, palms facing the gates and shut our eyes. In mere seconds, a portal tore through the dimension and crowds of Vampires spilled through it. Another portal also opened and other Spellcasters from the Worldly Realm arrived.

Synto had his army, we have ours.

After the last Vampire and Spellcaster had entered our realm, we shut the portals as soon as we could. We feared that Synto was awaiting the unlocking of the portals—

—and our fear came true.

A couple of djinns slid through the portals and started attacking the Vampires. Wynona immediately cast Strangify, a spell that made the target confused as being in a strange place. Then a spellcaster finished them off with Arsonion.

"She's not far behind," Wynona said as she gathered the others at The Academy.

She. My heart sank a little.

As Wynona ushered them away, I locked the realms to stall Synto and his—or her army.

"Wynona, alert Jesse and Voltaire. I can feel her dark energy."

"I feel it too."

Wynona left as the spellcasters and Vampires took their place behind me. I shut my eyes and let the cosmic energy flow through me.

"Uh, Tristan," A Spellcaster nudged. His voice sounded tight and unsure.

I opened my eyes. His gaze was fixated at the gates. I turned to see.

There she planted her feet on the other side of the gates, all five feet and two inches tall. Her irises of golden yellow eyed me. She wore a black robe that ended at her feet, her thin lips curled skywards. Her dark hair parted in the middle and fell straight on the sides of her face, slighting brushing her cheekbones.

It was at that moment that I began to feel angered while the energy bubbling in me started to swirl. I put in all my energy to tame it but not for long.

"Thou dareth taint this realm with thy presence," Lord Voltaire spoke from behind me. He walked to my side in full shadow form—just as I thought I had forgotten it.