Terminus Part I: The Journey There (Draft)

Chapter 50: Martin Magick

 The child now known as Martinigold Summers was eager to learn from Herman about magic. The first lesson was in the next morning, and to prepare him for it, he was given a tour. It was during this time that he was introduced to his new mother and brother, Julia and Ernest Summers, respectively.

Later in the day, Herman showed Martinigold to his room, and asked if he could ask a question.

"Depends on the question, my boy," said Herman.

"Why is my name Martinigold?"

"Ah, that's a fine question. Well, that was the name of my father's favourite employer. A little odd for a name, but if it honours the ones you love, you must respect it."

"I understand."

In the morning, Martinigold began his training with Herman and Ernest. He learned that the Summers had been magicians for millennia, dating back to the first Admiral, and the Ender of the Dark Ages, Two Summers. He was named this because in his generation, the family had resorted to naming their children after numbers. Why or how they did so is lost to history, as well as any major records of Two's siblings.

"Our first order of business is establishing the basics. Do you know the four different types of magic?"

"Illusion, Curse, Power, and Dimension Magic."

"Very good. Now how many subcategories do you know of?"

"There's Harmony, a type of Power; Spirit, a type of Curse; Utility, a type of Illusion; and Paradox, a type of Dimension."

"Yes, and there perhaps even others you don't know about. Of the ones you do know, what can you tell me about them?"

"Harmony Magic can protect, but can also destroy. It is born of peace or music, and can only be harnessed by an experienced magician. Spirit Magic confines the essence of a person to a corporeal form. It is a little unpredictable, and still requires more research to fully understand. Utility Magic is made up of basic enchantments that have practical uses. An example would be the ability to translate any text through magic. Lastly, Paradox Magic involves manipulating things that are otherwise immutable, through inter-dimensional means. Having recently been discovered, the implications of this magic are unknown."

Herman was satisfied with the answer given, and they spent the rest of the day going over different types of magic. Above the scene, the minds of James Baron and Martin Magick were observing the day's events.

"You know, if this were any other dimension, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. I never even showed you what Paradox Magic can do," said Martin.

"Look, I know what you're doing. You don't have any issues with your past, and you're simply showing me what happened to prove some point. Well, I do know it will be over soon, and then our fight will really be something to behold."

The two of them continued to watch the events unfold below. The days and lessons blurred past, showing that Martin had a relatively productive life as a member of the Summers family. That is, until a night when Martin was eleven.

He awoke in his bed needing to go to the toilet. He climbed out of his bed and walked to the bathroom. It was a little bit of a walk, given that they lived in a mansion. Wondering why he had not been given a room closer to a bathroom, or with its own bathroom, he shrugged and continued walking. He walked past Herman Summers' office, to find the door ajar. Peering in, he saw Ernest hunched over Herman's body.

"He's dead, I don't know why but he's dead," he was saying over and over again.

The two boys would grow apart after this day. Ernest inherited the mansion and Martinigold left of his own accord. The young hitchhiker was soon picked up by Aouda, then leader of the Gentleman's Club. As a Gentleman Student, he continued to learn magic under the tutelage of Jack Door.