"Magic" drabbles by Jeff Taylor

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Where's my room?

Magic #96

Amethyst got up and leaned over the monk standing next to Barnabas. "Right then! Where's my room?" The monk looked along Amethyst's muzzle and into her eyes, terror gripping his insides.

"Th... Thi..."

"Spit it out, man!"

The monk started to shake uncontrollably as Barnabas bowed. "Allow me to show you Mistress Amethyst." He nodded at the monk, and then in the direction of the monastery. The monk bowed and then streaked across the grounds and through the giant doors to illusory safety.

Amethyst ambled behind Barnabas. "You have a nice place here fox."

"Thank you mistress Amethyst. Greatly appreciated."

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A retainer for services rendered.

Magic #95

Kralla looked at her cupped paws full of large gems. A couple of rubies, three diamonds, emeralds, sapphires. Amethyst leaned in closely.

"Don't get any ideas. I ain't made of money tigress. But the boy is under my wing now and he needs a good set of claws by his side. I know a pro when I see one princess, even if she is dossing about in the low lands."

At the sound of the word princess, Kralla's pupils widened and she looked sharply at the dragon. Again, Amethyst winked. This time knowingly, before turning away and sneezing once again.

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A bed innkeep!

Magic #94

Amethyst looked around. "Nice enough place you have here fox. Any chance of a barn I can sleep in?"

Barnabas whispered in the ear of an increasingly horrified monk. "There is a stone annex that's used for wintering the animals. Will that be alright?"

"So long as it's clean, that'll do. I'll do my own bedding." She looked down at Will. "That's lesson number one boy. If you have trouble sleeping, bring your own pillow." She winked at him. "And you, tiger."

"That's Kralla thank you."

Amethyst reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of gems. "Your retainer."

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First Responder

Magic #93

"Why is that not good? Beyond what the Oracle told us about the last time the Augury appeared."

Amethyst sighed heavily, then coughed again. "Because as the first dragon to meet the Augury, I now have to attend him." She thumped the ground. "Hell and damnation! Why couldn't it have been Audrey? She loves this kind of thing! Bloody cold." She grumbled.

"So you will be staying with us?"

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Yes. But don't expect me to pull your bony arses out of the fire when it comes to it. I'm here for the boy alright?"

"Fair enough"

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Smoke and Fire

Magic #92

Amethyst sat on her rump and wiped her nose yet again. "So, master Tellerick, before I lose my voice. What did the Oracle have to say for herself?"

"Well mistress Amethyst, the Oracle said that Will is the Augury."

Amethyst burst into a fit of coughing and sneezing, emitting fire and smoke that lit the late afternoon sky and blanketed the ground in foul-smelling soot; forcing everyone to rush to the monastery for cover.

Managing to calm down, the dragon signalled it was safe for Tellerick to approach. "He's the Augury? Oh, bloody hellfire. That's not good." She croaked.

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Back down the mountain...

Magic #91

A few hours later Amethyst settled onto the ground next to the monastery, where Barnabas had to quickly run to and tell them not to gather weapons.

"Blimey. Weeks of trekkin' over in a blink." Said Skaran. "You should do a taxi service missy. Earn a fortune!"

Amethyst blew her nose messily. "I'm not a taxi. That was..." She sneezed into the sky, emitting an enormous gout of blue flame. "Bleurgh! That was payment, rat. And you need to lose weight!"

Skaran looked down and patted his paunch. "I'm no dwarf missy dragon, but I can quaff with the best!"

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Don't go back the way you came...

Magic #90

Outside, the dragon was hanging its head over the side of the plateau.

"Ahem! Madam? We have your list!" Said Tellerick loudly. The dragons head rose up from below, and Amethyst wiped her mouth.

"Sorry." She looked down over the edge, then quickly looked away. "Erm, I'm afraid I've been a bit ill. You shouldn't go back the way you came." She reached out and took the list, reading it quickly. "Hmm... You said you could help with some of these?"

"Madam, I'm sure we can."

"Then I shall give you a lift down the mountain as payment. Hop on!"

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Ignore nothing

Magic #89

William looked at the ground. "I don't know how to do that."

Tellerick smiled. "And I do not have a clue how to teach you about prognostication either! I'm hoping that there is someone close by who will be able to though. I will carry on teaching you the basics; the standard magic's. But nothing the Oracle says should be taken lightly. Do you remember what she said about the whispers of Amethyst?" Will nodded. "I think that she meant our dragon friend outside. So we should hurry out and give Madam Amethyst her shopping list back don't you think?"

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Truth in the flight of birds

Magic #88

As they left the Oracle behind them, Will pulled on Tellericks' robe. "Master? What's an Augury?"

Tellerick smiled. "Most people would say that it is a tool for poking holes in things. But there's an obscure meaning that reaches far back into the past. I'm reasonably sure the Oracle means that one, and not the tool reference." He stopped, turned and knelt in front of William.

"An Augury is a person who can tell the future from the flights of the birds in the sky. And they are, very, special people indeed."

"And I am an Augury?"

"Yes. You are."

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No Fate, But What You Make

Magic #87

"But, but you're the Oracle! You tell futures and things!" Spluttered Skaran.

She smiled. "Time is full of eddies, ripples and currents. It is not immutable, it is as water in a river. The appearance of the Augury blinds me." She looked back at William. "Your fate is what you make of it. Follow the teachings of Master Tellerick. Listen closely to the whispers of Amethyst, and be patient with Master Barnabas." He nodded. "Good. Trust your friends William. They will always be there for you." She stepped back. "I also believe Mistress Amethyst needs her shopping list filled out?"

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A Sign of Change

Magic #86

"War?" Said Skaran and Kralla at the same time.

The Oracle stood. "The Augury is not a precursor of war, but of great changes in your world." She looked at Tellerick. "Change is inevitable Master Tellerick. The augury you have brought before me is young. He does not yet understand his role in your future events."

Tellerick bowed his head. "But you do. Don't you."

"And you know that I cannot tell you, even though I am considered an Oracle by your world. The appearance of the Augury is a sign of great change. Change that is fluid in time."

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The Time has come again...

Magic #85

William knelt in front of the oracle, who sighed heavily. "That time has come again." She looked up at Tellerick. "You have brought the Augury before me because you do not recognise him."

It was Barnabas' turn to raise an eyebrow. "Wait, I know that..." He frowned, trying to remember where he'd seen the name before. "Augury..." If he had been human he would have paled, instead, the fur on the back of his neck bristled and stood on-end. "The sundering of the species. The Augury was the one who predicted the war of all ages, observing the birds."

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It can be whatever it wants to be

Magic #84

Kralla raised her eyebrows. "It's a woman?!"

Tellerick patted her arm. "It can be whatever it wants to be." He stepped forward. "Oracle, I have brought someone for your opinion."

"REALLY HUMAN TELLERICK? AN OPINION? THAT IS NOT LIKE YOU."

Barnabas and Skaran sniggered at the back. "Girl's got sass." Said Skaran.

Tellerick gestured to William, as the image knelt on the worn stone floor becoming more solid as it did so. She beckoned.

"Come, young William." She held out her hand, her voice now less booming and coming from the Oracle herself instead of the air surrounding the group.

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The Oracle Speaks

Magic #83

Skaran nudged Barnabas as they walked towards the Aspect. "Is it my imagination, or does that look like a Chabbarat gambling dice?" Barnabas looked down at his companion.

"You mean die. Dice is more than one."

"Yeah, yeah. I know the singular, but no-one uses it. I'm not imagining it though am I?"

"No Skaran. You're not. it does look like one, except it's the size of a melon and glowing purple."

"Wonder why that is."

"IT IS BECAUSE I AM THE CONVERGENCE POINT OF TWENTY UNIVERSES RAT CALLED SKARAN." Before them, the ghostly image of a woman appeared.

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Warm Breeze

Magic #82

Along the worn walls of the fissure came a warm smell of cloves and other spices on a warm breeze that flowed outwards.

"Smells like mid-winters feast in here!" Sniggered Skaran. "Better than the usual mouldy old smell."

The fissure widened out into a large cavern. Scattered around the entrance were a few small tents, their occupants the source of the smells.

At the far end of the cavern, glowing softly was the aspect of the Oracle. Faintly visible in the dim light were crystal-like lines in the air, converging on the flat surface of the purple polygon.

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Lighting the way

Magic #81

Skaran squinted at the gloom of the fissure. "I know human eyes aren't all that great in the dark Master Tellerick. Shall I get you a torch?"

Tellerick smiled, before casting a tiny glow-spell above them all. "No need Skaran. I've got this one handled."

The warm yellow light from the glowing sphere filled the cave with shadows. Perhaps more than their own.

"You are all welcome to join us. It may be something you would want to do anyway. The Oracle will likely invite you in, so you may as well come along as well." He strode forward.

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A Warm Welcome

Magic #80

It felt warmer inside the cave than without. Before them the entrance constricted quickly down to a narrow fissure in the rock. The floor was clean, recently brushed and very well worn.

"Well Master Tellerick, this is your show now. We've done our part and delivered you to your destination. Do you want us to wait here, or shall we follow?" Kralla sniffed at the warm, dry air coming from the fissure.

"No wonder Amethyst couldn't get in here." Said Skaran as he dumped his pack onto the ground. Removing his coat and gloves, then stuffing them into the pack.

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Interesting Times Ahead

Magic #79

Amethyst shook her head, and turned away, sneezing again she emitted another cloud of greasy black smoke. "Sorry." She sniffed.

"The boy has no aura, he just 'is' if you understand my meaning. I'm truly at a loss, and would very much like to hear what the oracle has to say about him." She wiped her nose. "Intrigued, indeed. There may be interesting times ahead. Hmm?" She blew her nose loudly into the giant handkerchief she had brought out. "I'd be more interested in my ingredients first though. I think I'm running a temperature, and that's never a good thing!"

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An Aura Reading.

Magic #78

"You have me at a loss Madam. Will's aura is missing?" Tellerick looked at Will.

"Yes! Yours is a deep violet master Tellerick. You are filled with intuition. The universe flows through you"

Amethyst pointed at Skaran. "Yours, master Skaran, is a very pure yellow. You enjoy your fun, and hide your intellect behind it."

Then she moved on. "You, master Barnabas, you are blue. As suits your chosen path, you are filled with peace and truth amongst others."

"Whereas you, Mistress Kralla, you are a deep red. You are grounded, and stable yet able to be spontaneous when needed."

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We all have one...

Magic #77

William peered out from behind Barnabas at the enormous Dragon. Amethyst squinted at him. "And now I am intrigued." She looked straight at Master Tellerick. "You are here because of the little one Master Tellerick?"

"Aye madam, we are. He is a natural magic-user."

Amethyst sat up. "Come out little one. Let me get a better look at you." William held tightly onto Barnabas. She leaned forward once more. "Now where is your aura child?"

Now it was Tellerick's turn to frown. "Can you see something madam?"

She looked quizzically at William once more. "The boy's aura is missing."