My big book of weirdness

Merlin

A teaser for an upcoming book of mine, Merlin.

The house looked as well constructed as a toddler's brick tower, sections jutted to the left and right, it looked like a strong wind would be enough to blow it down. The rooms changed their order in the stack daily, as if they got bored of being in the same position. Inside ladders dangled from holes in the ceiling as the only way to get to the higher rooms. Clocks ticked, cats stared, windows kept popping up out of nowhere, changing shape a few times and disappearing with a sudden bang. Doors changed the walls they were on in a whimsical fashion. The house quietly sung silly songs to itself.

It smelled like a dirty old rag, spilled puddles of steaming potion littered the floor, shelves were crammed with glass jars of repulsive ingredients like sheep intestines, pickled lizard brains, and rabbit eye balls, snakes tongue and rat's ears. Assortments of hats in various stages of repair hung on a coat stand, casting a shadow like a crazy castle. Every kind of cloak from double lined, velvety, fur trimmed winter cloaks, to light linen summer cloaks were dropped in a crumpled heap by the thick oak front door. Several cauldrons were bubbling and steaming with self-stirring spoons.

The only tidy bit in the house was the wizard, Odrabe Tarum's private study. Odrabe was clearly obsessively compulsively neat. Row upon neat row of dustless jars labelled in the same neat script with even strokes of the quill, every label facing forwards. On closer inspection they were categorized according to the content and then alphabetized within their categories. Brooms, cloths and feather dusters patrolled the room as if propelled by invisible arms, sweeping, dusting, wiping. Thick oak chopping boards lean against the white painted wall, an array of shiny stainless steel knives from scalpels to huge chopping blades are lined up next to a porcelain sink in order of size, each one looking cut-throat sharp. Golden old fashioned weighing scales with an assortment of weights sit next to the knives.

A child of only one year was found on the wizard's doorstep around 13 years ago. It was a tiny creature with unnatural amounts of magic coursing through their veins. Odrabe had done the natural thing to do when you find a child on your doorstep and tried to give them to the other wizards and witches in the area.

However, not even Ivwahl, the powerful warlock who lived down the road, offered to take them of his hands. He had told Odrabe that the child's parents had chosen him as its guardian, so he must fulfil his duty and raise the child to be able to control and use their magic.

And so from that day forward, Odrabe was tasked with raising the child, who he had dubbed Merlin.