Rosemary's Quest

By Aurora Springer

Untrained teen witch tangles with an evil demon and a white wizard in this coming-of-age fantasy novella. 

Seventeen year old Rosemary watches the shadows of Demon Kafkad creep closer and fears his vile darkness will engulf her village. She has no training in magic to counter his attack. When the villagers scoff at her warnings, she sets out on a desperate journey to beg the fabled Wizard Strange for his aid against the demon king. But Kafkad's creatures pursue her and nobody knows if the mysterious wizard is still alive. Can Rosemary harness her unknown powers to repel the evil shadows threatening her homeland?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aurora Springer
• Release date: Aug 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516301669

Aurora Springer

Aurora Springer is a scientist morphing into a novelist. This year, I achieved a lifelong ambition by becoming a published novelist, after years of working as a professional scientist. I have composed science fiction and fantasy stories for as long as I can remember. I was born in the UK, and have a PhD in molecular biophysics. Currently, I live in Atlanta, USA with my husband, a dog and the requisite two cats to lie on my laptop. My novels allow me to express humor and a wild imagination with weird new characters and worlds, while exploring serious questions. My published works include science fiction romance novels and a short fantasy novella.

Book preview

Rosemary’s Quest

by

Aurora Springer

Untrained teen witch tangles with an evil demon and a white wizard in this coming-of-age fantasy novella. 

Seventeen year old Rosemary watches the shadows of Demon Kafkad creep closer and fears his vile darkness will engulf her village. She has no magic to counter his attack. When the villagers scoff at her warnings, she sets out on a desperate journey to beg the fabled Wizard Strange for his aid against the demon king. But Kafkad’s creatures pursue her and nobody knows if the mysterious wizard is still alive. Can Rosemary harness her unknown powers to repel the evil threatening her homeland?

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Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Copyright © 2014 Aurora Springer

All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 1

BLOOD RED TENDRILS of smoke crept over the mountains in an omen of the Demon Kafkad’s dominion.

Perched on the tree branch overlooking the valley, Rosemary stared at the gloomy horizon. She frowned. The shadows seemed closer than the last time she had climbed this hill. She imagined the ruddy clouds were the fingers of Kafkad, reaching out towards Peliore. An icy chill ran down her spine and Rosemary shuddered. Was she the only one who could see the shadows of the Demon King? She feared that Kafkad was preparing to invade her homeland.

From the height of her tree branch on the hill, she overlooked the whole extent of the country. The fertile pastures of Peliore stretched from the Black Mountains of Kafkad’s realm to the foothills of the peaks on the horizon.

The shadows had covered the lands to the east of the Peliore for many years before Rosemary was born. The murky clouds had swept onto their neighboring country slowly and inexorably. Now, no one knew exactly when the Demon King had emerged. These days, people feared Kafkad and his evil powers. The Demon King ruled the Shadowed Lands, where the somber clouds shut out the light of the sun. Kafkad’s black magic produced the clouds. He had built a strong fortress to the east of the Rift Mountains, now renamed the Black Mountains. His gloomy clouds spilled over their peaks into the western lands. 

Rosemary lived on her family’s farm outside the small village of Twyford. Everybody in Twyford feared the Demon King. Yet, they had lived so long in sight of the Shadows that they had grown accustomed to his presence in the distance. No one imagined that Kafkad would venture into their homelands.

For as long as she could remember, the Shadow had troubled Rosemary. Her grandmother, Elwyn, was a witch with the second sight. She had a premonition of Kafkad’s invasion and persuaded her husband, Dulac, to flee across the Black Mountains and find a new home. Rosemary had inherited some of Elwyn’s powers, but her magic talents were faint and erratic.

Rosemary missed her grandmother. Elwyn had taught her simple magic tricks and illusions. Elwyn had promised that Rosemary’s talents would grow stronger with time and she would learn how to control them. Rosemary was not sure that she wanted such strange powers. She had few friends among the villagers. Even the children were suspicious of the reputed witch-child and refused to play with her. She was a solitary child of necessity. 

Pursing her lips in regret, Rosemary slipped from the branch and dropped to the ground. She had to return to the farmhouse and finish her chores before the evening meal. Her parents were not unkind to her. But, since her grandparents had died there was no one who could really understand her gifts.

A slim girl with long chestnut hair and green eyes, Rosemary had roamed the countryside alone from an early age. She knew the name of every animal. When she ran over the moorlands, even the strongest and swiftest of the village children could not catch her. They claimed she used magic to confuse them, but she knew it was no conscious spell. 

When she arrived at the back door, her mother called out, Rosemary, where have you been? The cows are waiting to be milked and you still have to feed the hens.

I’ll do my chores right away, Rosemary said. She fetched the bucket from the kitchen and stepped into the barn to milk the cows. The barn was warm with the smell of the animals. The two horses and five cows were in their stalls, chomping on the hay.

Her brother, Barry, was in the barn tossing fodder to the horses.

You’re late as usual, he remarked without rancor. Barry was sober-minded and diligent. His chief desire was to tend their farm on the banks of the Lonely River. He griped, Rosemary, you’re late again. I suppose you were lazing about and staring at the Shadow.

Shivering, Rosemary said, The Shadow creeps nearer every day. Our farm is the closest to the Black Mountains. I’m afraid we’ll be the first to endure Kafkad’s shadow.

Barry dismissed her worries about the distant, mythical king. Don’t be such a fusspot, Rosemary. I’m sure there’s a natural explanation for those gloomy clouds. Maybe it is the temperature on the other side of the mountain. Anyway, what would Kafkad want with the likes of us? 

The Demon King has ambitions to rule every land, Rosemary said. She sighed. Barry would never believe her warnings until the army of Kafkad marched into their fields, she thought uncharitably.

She sat on the stool by the spotted cow, Betsy, and pulled streams of milk from the udder. Their cows produced plenty of milk to drink and make into butter and cheese. When Barry had finished with the horses, he came and helped with the milking. He was a good farmer.

When Rosemary had finished her chores, she washed before the evening meal. The family sat around the wooden table in the kitchen and piled potatoes and stew on their plates.

Her mother brought up the old complaint. She griped, You should get married, Rosemary, and settle into your own home. You are almost eighteen, already two years older than most girls when they wed. By now, I should have grandchildren to hug.

"Mother, no one has asked