The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 1: The Pendant of Life

Chapter 8: Silver Eyes

Chapter 8

     The whole of Witching Way went in a large circle with the buildings making a large ring. The center of the circle was a large grass lawn. In the middle of the grass lawn was a large gazebo. A few seats and benches surrounded the gazebo, radiating around it and spread out in crescent rows.

     The outskirts of the lawn itself were lined with vendors that sold all kinds of wares. There were vendors selling licorice wands, enchanted purses, even a vendor selling flying carpets. The lawn was beginning to fill up with crowds of witches and wizards.

     In the gazebo were all sorts of Ministry Officials and several other important figures. Shade could not see all the people in the gazebo, but he wasn’t really paying attention to them. Shade kept a wary eye on the two Parasites standing next to Parson and Knap’s. They kept glancing over, and as the students were finishing their ice cream and making their way out, Shade kept everyone close, and motioned them to the northern part of the lawn. He instructed them all to sit down and wait as the festivities were about to begin.

     The Salem Magistrate, Vonnegut Creek, stood on a bandstand and placed his wand to his neck. Using the Sonorus charm he spoke aloud to the crowd.

     “May I have your attention?” Creek spoke, his voice booming over the crowd and gaining their attention. “Welcome, my fellow witches and wizards to the One Hundred Ninety-Eighth Annual Witch’s Day Celebration!”

     The crowd applauded and hollered and whistled in excitement.

     “This day is not only a day to celebrate the beginning of the school year for the students of Salem Academy, but also to honor the long standing traditions of the town of Salem, and to the people who keep these traditions alive!”

     The crowd applauded again.

     Shade kept looking out for the two Parasites, but in the crowd, he lost them. They disappeared in the movement of the crowd, and Shade nearly panicked. He started to look around and drew out his wand, scanning the crowd for the fur-lined jackets, and the pale faces.

     “We welcome the new and returning students of Salem Academy, as well as the alumni of the many years of Salem’s long years of producing generations of witches and wizards. We would like to thank the staff, teachers, and masters of such a fine institution, and to raise our wands in honor of their skill, dedication, and commitment to making tomorrow brighter and stronger!”

     The crowd raised their wands to the sky. A handful of wizards and witches standing behind the Magistrate raised their wands and shot forth a flurry of sparks and fireworks high into the air, bursting in colors of all sorts.

     The crowd oohed and awed in sight of the fireworks display. People were cheering and were genuinely festive.

     Shade kept scanning the crowd, looking for any malcontents, any sign of the two Parasites.

     In the flashing of the lights, as the crowd was looking up, Shade saw two silver eyes piercing through the crowd. He strained his eyes and stared at their owner. He saw the two Parasites next to a man that Shade had never seen before but knew who he was. He bore a fedora hat and was holding a black cane with a silver tip that resembled a wolf’s head as it howled. He wore all black and a large, fur-lined coat, with a bolstered collar that rounded out above his head. He was of medium height, but he didn’t need to be large and imposing in his human form. His fingernails, like his two cohorts, were long and gnarly-looking, and he wore several silver rings on each finger, all bearing various precious stones that lit up as the fireworks burst in the sky. He wore a few silver chains around his neck, and wore several pendants on them. His long, white hair was in a tail behind his head, poking out from under his fedora. He stood, rigid. He cut an imposing figure, despite being several inches shorter than his cohorts. He bore no facial hair, and his wrinkled, leathery skin hugged his face. His nose was broad, his snarl still. He was the Lord of the Parasites, the master of a clan of werewolves that had been around for centuries. He was rumored to be over a hundred years old, and had been a powerful sorcerer in his time as a non-werewolf. Many years had passed since he had left his normal life behind and took on the mantle of the Lord of the Parasites. He had never been caught, never been brought in to justice. Outside of his Parasites, no one in memory that had seen him around had lived to tell about it. He stood there, both his clawed hands on his cane, his head down and staring straight at Shade. Shade didn’t take his eyes off of him. He didn’t move, wondering what to do, and yet not willing to take his eyes off of him, for fearing of losing him in the crowd again. He was a villain, and villains were what Shade chased.