The Kidnapping King

CHILDHOOD APPRENTICES

BOMBAY, INDIA - 1879 

 "Ok, so, you said," Jack turned to Bunko, "this whole thing is relevant to Samantha, too," he looked at the girl then back to Bunko, "I think it's time you explain why you wear a tracking ring like the one my uncle wears." Jack raised his eyebrows and dipped his chin toward the man.

"Agreed," Bunko Kelly gazed down to the glowing black stone on his right-hand ring finger and rubbed it with the thumb of his opposite hand.

"You see, in the beginning, many eons ago, the magic world was designed for the good of humanity."

"As a sort of blessing," Lydia interjected, "to help guide and assist humans as they evolved along their path to immortality."

Bunko nodded and continued, "yes, and it was built upon family lines, with each generation passing it's particular gifts along to their descendants,"

"in an apprenticeship sort of way," Lydia added.

"Right," Bunko nodded at her, "so, the rings were crafted for each of the mentors...a child's magical guardian...to not only detect magical energy around the child, but the ring is imbued with that child's essence...to create a unique bond between the apprentice and the mentor,"

"In this way," Lydia added, "a mentor is intimately connected to their child and can intuit what specialized training each student is ready to embrace. Frequently a child is bonded to a close relative, but not always. However, the apprentice and mentor connection is thought to be unbreakable and eternal."

Jack pursed his lips and opened his eyes wide, glancing at Samantha. "Huh...sounds much more beneficial than the way my uncle explained it to me. Does that mean Uncle Earl will always be able to track and control me?" A frown broke out across his face.

Bunko and Lydia exchanged a knowing look.

"It's hard to know, for sure, Jack," his grandmother began, "You see, the magic was corrupted. Thousands of years ago a dark witch, by the name of Chava, twisted the story to her own advantage. As a result, what was once designed to be a blessing, was changed into a curse. But not all of it...her actions created a split in the magical world. And that's when The Order of Light came into being. For those who embrace the light, magic is still a blessing and a guide," she paused, looking at Bunko, who resumed the explanation.

"But for those with darkness in their hearts, magic became a source of power to control and manipulate others...forcing them to bend to their will."

"So, Jack, the rings are a reflection of which school of thought a particular witch or wizard subscribes to. And that differentiates the intent and purpose behind the power. In your case, unfortunately, those behind the power in your uncle's ring have dedicated themselves to the powers of darkness. And their intentions are wicked. But that is certainly not true in all cases..." she glanced at Bunko, who lifted his ring in Sam's direction and nodded at his niece, grinning.

"Like Sam and Bunko's." Jack said. It was more a statement than a question.

"That's right," Lydia agreed, smiling.

"But, then," Jack tipped his head to the side, "does that mean my dad had a mentor? And Inez and Clara, too? And if so, who decided who became their mentors?"

"Those are great questions, Jack," Lydia smiled, "I can't say what happened with your dad because I was gone," she paused, "But yes, both Inez and Clara had mentors," she took another sip of tea before continuing, "and regarding the selection process, I can only speak, with any accuracy, where The Order of Light is concerned," she looked at Jack, who nodded in response.

"In The Order of Light, we wait until a child's powers manifest, at which time they are presented to the Council of Elders, who determine the extent of the child's gifts, and an appropriately gifted Master in that area of magic is chosen as their mentor. Then, through a special ritual, a drop of blood is drawn from both the child and the mentor and blended together in a bonding spell to craft their apprenticeship ring. This forms a very special connection between the child and their mentor. Kind of like a godfather or godmother relationship, if you're familiar with those terms. And that is what happened with Bunko and Sam."

Lydia finished and glanced at the others around the room.

"But, what about the ring my uncle Earl wears to track magical energy around me?" Jack raised his eyebrows high on his forehead and looked at his grandmother, who raised her brows in response and shrugged her shoulders, then looked at Bunko.

"It seems clear, Jack," Bunko sat forward in the captain's chair, resting his elbows on the surface of the desk, "that things operate differently in The Dark Cabal, generally speaking. But it also seems that your situation, in particular, is unique. Whoever is wielding power behind the scenes in that organization, doesn't appear to be following any kind of established protocol or methodology, where you and your siblings are concerned. And the reason for that remains a mystery."