Azeltine

By M Occhiuzzo

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius! Journey with young John Fergusen to the world of Azeltine, where myth is history and fiction is fact. When Scorpio and the Gemini Twins abduct John's mother, it's up to him, his sisters and the cantankerous wizard Aquarius to cross the twelve realms of the Horoscope to bring her back before Scorpio unleashes the creatures of fables upon our own Earth!

• Language: English
• Publisher: M Occhiuzzo
• Release date: Nov 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452321424

M Occhiuzzo

You can reach M Occhiuzzo at [e-mail]

Book preview

Azeltine

Book 1: Lords, Ladies and Other Serious Business

By M Occhiuzzo

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 M Occhiuzzo

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

PROLOGUE

Serious John.

That’s what everyone called me back when I was a boy. Serious John. Because I was so very serious. But I guess I had to be serious. Growing up as the only boy in a family of three other sisters, and having no father figure, being John Ferguson was Serious Business. Even our dog, a black Labrador named Tisha, was a girl. The house was chock full of girlishness. So I had to add what manliness I could, even as a young boy. It was my responsibility. And to me, responsibility was Serious.

And so I was Serious John. And I thought Serious thoughts. I thought about math, and science, and how when I got older I would have to work to make money so my mother didn’t have to work two jobs just to feed us. I figured I would be a doctor, and cure cancer, because cancer was bad. It was Serious Business. Or maybe an astronaut, and discover a new planet, in case we overpopulated ours. Back when I was nine I only had a dim awareness of what overpopulated meant, but it sounded Serious, and Serious was my business. I even considered going into the armed forces. None of that happened, though. I learned many Serious lessons when I was nine. Lessons that changed my life and redirected its course.

Serious John. And now look at me. Not a doctor. Not an astronaut. Not a soldier. At twenty-three years old, I don’t know what I want to be. A writer, I guess.

I know what I want to write about. About all the Serious Business that happened when I was nine. I don’t know if you’ll believe a word of it, but it’s a story that needs to be told. If anything, so I never forget it.

Some things should not be forgotten.

It all began the day the wizard showed up at my house.

THE WORLD OF SCIENCE

It was raining, that day. I remember it was raining because that was why I was at the window, looking through the screen as the fat drops fell down. The rain meant I could not go out and ride my bike. The rain meant that Meredith, my younger sister by one whole year, could not go out and tend the garden she loved to nurture. The rain meant my older sister, Madison, had to use an umbrella when she walked to pick up my baby sister Sarah from daycare.

Merry was wandering around the living room, less upset than I was by the rain’s unexpected arrival. Where I was known as Serious John by my mother, Merry was known as Merry the Dreamer. Sometimes she wouldn’t even hear her name if you called it, lost in some world only she could see where flowers grew as big as houses and dogs could talk. She had blonde hair like me, and people often thought we were twins. But we weren’t. I was a whole year older. Which I never let her forget.

Madison, my oldest sister, was twelve, which she never let ME forget. Madison was almost a teenager, with fiery red hair and an attitude to match. She liked to boss me around a lot. She was Oldest. And Oldest, as she reminded me often, had certain PRIVILEDGES. I tried to argue that I was Oldest too, the oldest boy. But she said that didn’t matter. In fact, being a boy was a mark against me. I counted myself lucky not to be thrown out of the house because I was not a girl.

On this rainy day, Madison left with the umbrella, mumbling about how when (IF, she’d say, when she was in a bad mood, which was half the time) I was her age I would have to go pick up Sarah. It was one of the things I didn’t look forward to when I grew up. Sarah was cute, but a little weird. I didn’t understand much of what she said. Then again, she was only three. I imagine I was a little weird when I was three too.

Sarah was the Baby. This meant she got away with even more than Madison. Merry used to be the Baby, until Sarah was born. Now Merry was just in the middle, not a boy, not Oldest, and not the Baby. No wonder she was always off in another world. She could be special there.

So, it was because of the rain that I was sitting at the window the day the wizard appeared at our door.

He did not look like a normal wizard. He was not very tall, with a long grey beard like Gandalf. His beard wasn’t grey, it was black with two streaks of white through it, and was kept close-cropped in a neat goatee. Instead of possessing Gandalf’s imposing height, he was short, as short as Mother. He did not wear a tall pointy hat to cover his hair. In fact, he had no hair on his head. He was as bald as an eagle.

But his eyes, they were wizard eyes. They darted all around when he appeared, very intently. His mouth didn’t look like it formed a smile often.

Now, when I say when he appeared, I mean appeared. He did not walk up to our doorway. He did not get out of a car at the curb and amble up to ring our bell. He...appeared. Out of nowhere.

There was no flash of smoke. No sparkling lights. Just one minute he was not there, and the next he was. I blinked in surprise.

He stood there, in the rain, looking at our door for a minute. And then he raised a knuckle to the wood and rapped sharply three times.

Can I help you? I asked from the window, as polite as I could be. Mother had always taught us to be polite to adults, and even though he was a wizard, he was an ADULT wizard.

He swiveled his head to the window, as surprised to see me there as I was to see him appear out of nothing. He narrowed his eyes at me, and cleared his throat.

You, boy, open the door, he said, and his voice was gruff. I have business with the lady who lives in this house.

I’m sorry, sir, I replied. But my mother is not at home and I cannot let strangers inside.

The man stared at me for what felt like a long time without saying a word. Then he scowled.

Then when is she to be home? he asked, eyes boring through me. You are just going to let an old man stand out in the rain?

She will be home in a half hour, I informed him. And the rain shouldn’t bother you. It doesn’t seem to be hitting you at all.

It was true. The man was standing in the pouring rain, but not a single raindrop was hitting him. It looked as if the rain were bouncing off of him before it even touched him. His rumpled grey suit (ill-fitting and decidedly unwizardly) was as dry as if it were a bright sunny day.

A waste of mana, but I do not like the rain, the man said tersely. So it obeys me. As should you, boy.

I’m sorry, Mister Wizard, but I must obey my mother first, I replied, and that was also true. The last time I did not obey one of Mother’s orders I could not play video games for a week.

Mister Wizard! the man exclaimed. So, you know what I am, then, boy?

My name is John, I said, and it was pretty easy to figure out, the way you just appeared like that.

Hrumph, the wizard said, and abruptly sat on the step. Then I will await your mother out here, and when she finds out you did not let me in, we’ll see if she isn’t displeased with you, boy. I am an old friend of hers.

I’m sorry, Mr. Wizard, I said, and I was. I was nine. Having an adult unhappy with me was very uncomfortable.

Hrumph, he said again, fishing a long black pipe from inside his jacket. He put it between his lips and absently snapped his fingers. A bright flame danced at the end of his thumb, materializing from thin air. He held the flame to the pipe and breathed in deeply. The tobacco inside caught and the flame disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

You shouldn’t smoke, Merry said from beside me. I jumped. In my fascination with the strange man at our door, I had not heard her come up beside me.

Oh, I shouldn’t, shouldn’t I? the man said, looking up from the step.

No, you shouldn’t, Merry said. You’ll get cancer and die.

The man laughed a short laugh. So this is the little prodigy, he said cryptically.

You shouldn’t smoke, Merry said again. It’s nasty.

Well I LIKE being nasty, the man said, studying my sister like a bug. Merry met his gaze for a moment and then lost interest, walking away from the window. He followed her with his eyes until she was lost from sight, and then glanced at me, puffing away on his pipe. It was now my turn to be examined by those sharp eyes. I shuffled my feet. I didn’t know whether or not I liked the wizard. He didn’t seem to be very friendly.

It was then that Madison came home, with Sarah clinging to her back happily as Maddie tried to keep the umbrella over both of them.

Who are you? Maddie asked the man bluntly. She knew that Mother said be polite to adults, but the older she became the less Maddie listened to things Mother said.

WHO! Sarah added loudly from Maddie’s back. She had recently become much more talkative when she turned three. Her full sentences still came out half jumbled, but she could repeat a word like a tape recorder.

My, my, aren’t we the direct ones, the wizard said, looking them up and down.

Madison, I said from the window. This is a real live wizard.

Bull, Maddie said, shooting me a look that said grow up. And then, as usual, she ignored me and turned back to the wizard, who continued to smoke on the porch.

No, that would be Taurus, the wizard said. How strange, suddenly he was talking nonsense like Sarah. And is that your name, girl? Madison? That isn’t even a girl’s name. It’s a boy’s name. He tapped the pipe out onto our driveway. The rain snuffed out the burning tobacco the moment it hit the pavement. In fact, it isn’t even a boy’s name...it’s a LAST name.

Madison was not bothered by his mock. She had suffered worse most of her childhood about her name. You shouldn’t smoke... she began.

Yes, yes, I know, he snapped. It’s nasty and I’ll die.

DIE! Sarah crowed happily from Madison’s back.

Who are you and why are you on my doorstep? Maddie asked.

I told you, Madison, I repeated. He’s a wizard. He came to see Mother.

John Ferguson, stop making up stories! Madison commanded. You sound like Meredith!

It’s TRUE! I shouted back, face flushing red. I pointed at him. Why isn’t he getting wet?

Madison started to retort, and then stopped abruptly, peering at the wizard. He was still dry, even as the rain fell all around him. Madison’s eyes grew wide and her knuckles went white around the umbrella. She took a step away from the man.

Who are you? Madison asked through clenched teeth. Sarah wriggled to get down from her back. The man, sensing Maddie’s fear, favored her with a grin. Maddie whispered for Sarah to stay quiet and stop wiggling.

My name is...Joe, the man said. It was apparent he made up the name on the spot, even to me.

No, it’s not, I said. Joe isn’t a wizard’s name.

The man frowned, brow creased in thought. Harry? he tried.

No, I answered.

Hrumph, the man replied.

Meredith appeared again at my side at the window, eating a popsicle. She slurped noisily as we waited for the man to surrender his name.

The wizard, with a sudden shrug of his shoulders, caved in. I have many names. The Water-Bearer. The Magician is another, though more description than name. Rainmaker. Avis. But the most popular, and the one I favor, is Aquarius.

AQUARIS! Sarah repeated.

Rius, the man corrected her, pronouncing the word: Ree-us. Sarah nodded.

Ris! she announced.

No, little girl, the man tried again, It’s R...

Ris Ris Ris Ris Ris! Sarah screamed, her face suddenly covered in dark clouds. A trademark of Sarah’s. It dared the man to contradict her.

The wizard simply stared at her tantrum, his eyes slightly widened. Sarah was crying, but not really. It was just that when she screamed, she knew somewhere in the back of her three year old mind that tears would amplify the effect.

Alright then, the man conceded. Ris it is. If anything, to stop your incessant howling.

Ris, Sarah said happily, tears gone as if they were never there.

So, the man said. The blonde boy is John, and Red here is Madison; she of the Boy’s Last Name. And what is your name, little screamer?

RIS! Sarah announced. The man sighed.

Her name is Sarah, and I’m Meredith, Merry informed him, licking the stick left over from the popsicle.

What a delightful little brood your mother created, he said dryly, not looking the least bit delighted.

Listen, Mister Ris... Maddie began, insulted.

Dispense with the Mister, Red. Ris is bad enough.

Mommy’s home, Meredith interrupted, pointing over Ris’ shoulder.

And so she was, pulling into the driveway. I could see her eyes when she spotted the wizard. She recognized him.

And she did NOT look happy.

Mother threw the car into park and quickly got out, so quickly she forgot to close the door. I thought to tell her that, but the look on her face changed my mind.

What are you doing here, Magician? Mother demanded, stalking up to him.

So nice to see you too, sunshine, Ris replied.

Don’t ‘sunshine’ me, you old goat! she snapped back. Madison shifted uncomfortably, and lowered Sarah to the ground. I was a little uncomfortable myself. My sisters and I argued loudly all the time, but other than on TV, where it was make-believe, we never witnessed two adults yelling at each other.

As soon as Sarah’s feet touched the ground, Mother scooped her up into her arms protectively. Sarah began crying again, for real now. Mother’s mood was washing off onto us, and Sarah was frightened. I began to feel frightened as well. Who was this wizard who had Mother so upset?

Did he do anything to you, honey? Mother asked Sarah urgently. She looked then to Maddie, inspecting her up and down with her eyes as if searching for something wrong. Maddie, did he...change you into anything?

Mother... Madison began, one eyebrow arched.

Oh, don’t be an idiot! Ris snapped. Mother turned two smoldering eyes on him. Do you really think I would waste my mana to turn your children into frogs?

Wow! I said, the exclamation escaping my mouth in my shock of hearing him call Mother an idiot. You can DO that?

The wizard winked at me merrily, more for my mother’s sake than mine, I think. That and more.

Do NOT talk to him, Johnny! my mother commanded. Madison, in the house, now! Madison looked at her feet and shuffled inside. And you, Aquarius, go back to where you came from.

My name is Ris nowadays, thanks to your little one’s grasp of language, he said. And as one wizard to another, I request audience. You know the rules. You cannot deny me.

His words sunk in. One wizard to another. Mother was a WIZARD?

To the Abyss with you and the rules! Mother swore. I flinched. I didn’t know what the Abyss was, but it sounded bad. But, what had the wizard said? Mother was a wizard?

You. Cannot. Deny. Me, Ris said, slower this time, as if talking to a child Sarah’s age. Mother looked fit to spit. But her response surprised me.

Fine, wizard, she muttered. You have an hour. The minimum by the Code. And at the end of it I want you out of here and back in Azeltine.

Nothing would delight me more, Ris said graciously, motioning to the door.

Mother opened it, pushing past the wizard. The wizard chuckled to himself, enjoying Mother’s anger, and followed her inside.

I could tell it was going to be an interesting, if not pleasant, evening.

Mother was a wizard?

Madison, go give Sarah a bath, Mother commanded, moving toward the kitchen. The wizard followed her, eyes darting around the house at everything; our pictures on the wall, our backpacks randomly dropped on the floor, my half-eaten pop tart on the counter. His nose wrinkled as he made his observations, as if the house were dirty. I frowned. The house wasn’t dirty; it was just a...house.

But Mom... Maddie protested, unwilling to be dismissed with such an odd stranger in our midst. But a look from Mother stopped her in her tracks, and she took Sarah by the hand and led her toward the bathroom.

Tisha bound into the room the moment Ris passed the threshold and rushed at him. I half closed my eyes, expecting Tisha in her frantic burst of energy to knock the man down. Tisha was big enough to knock Mother down if she wanted to, and the man was only slightly taller than Mother.

I expected the wizard to flinch back, with all that fur and muscle hurtling at him, but instead the first smile since I laid eyes on him crossed his face. He opened his arms wide to take in the dog. Instead, Tisha stopped midrush and groveled at his feet, tail beating the floor happily. And then, in a characteristic Tisha way, she took his wrist firmly in her mouth and led him to the table.

Ah, Tisha! Ris exclaimed. How you’ve grown! And then his eyes grew sad. Things age so quickly here ...

Tisha released her hold on the man’s wrist and bobbed her head, as if she were agreeing with him.

You know our dog? I asked.

Know her? Ris replied, playfully tousling the hair on Tisha’s head. Who do you think taught her that wrist trick? Boy, I gave this dog to your mother when she was just a pup.

You did? I asked incredulously. I knew Tisha was old, around since before Madison was born, but I never wondered about where Mother had gotten her. Tisha just always was there, like Mother.

John, Meredith, go to your rooms, now, please, Mother said.

Are we punished? Meredith asked, confusion on her face. We weren’t used to going to our rooms this early in the day. It wasn’t even five o’clock, much less nine-thirty.

Mother’s angry face softened. It wasn’t us she was upset with, and she must have realized she was talking sharply to us when we hadn’t done anything wrong.

No, Merry, you’re not punished, Mother said. It’s just that Mr. Ris and I need to take care of some business that doesn’t concern little children, so it would be best if you went into your room and colored or played video games.

Come into my room, Merry, I offered suddenly. We can play a game.

But I don’t want to... Merry began, more interested in the wizard than any game I could offer. But I took her by the hand and urged her toward my room.

Let’s go, we’ll have fun! I prompted. Merry tried to shrug off my hand, not wanting to go, but I leaned in close to her. Trust me, I whispered. She relented and let me lead her in.

We entered my messy room and stepped over some plastic army soldiers piled in the middle.

John Ferguson, I want to listen to what that wizard has to say to Mother! she pouted. Through the wall, we could hear the water running in the tub as Maddie prepared Sarah’s bath.

So do I. So come here. I said, dropping to my knees and crawling near the base of my bed. Merry dubiously followed suit and joined me.

How is this going to help? she asked petulantly. When Merry didn’t get her way, she had a tendency to complain long and loud about it.

Shh, I said, dropping my ear next to the air conditioning vent. Noises from the kitchen wafted through, and the voices of Mother and the wizard were faintly audible. Merry bumped my head trying to get in close enough.

John Ferguson! she whispered, realizing I had done this before. You little sneak!

Yes, I am, I giggled. Merry look suitably affronted for all of two seconds and then started giggling with me.

And then we shushed and began to listen in earnest.

I frowned. I could hear their voices, but it was coming out garbled. The words were odd-sounding, as if the wizard and my mother were speaking underwater or something. I couldn’t make out even a single word.

They sound weird, I whispered to Meredith.

Shh. I’m listening,