Amber Janusson: Protector of the Magic Lands

By Helen Cardwell

Amber thinks she is no different from any other fifteen-year-old girl in her world. Apart from being the latest in a long line of Witches and Wizards and belonging to a family who would rather she didn't exist, there is nothing outstanding about her. But Amber hides a secret that even she doesn't know. Together with her friends Sean, Heather and Eve, and with guidance from the Head of The High Council, Ambrose Withrington, Amber sets out to discover, amongst other things, just who the evil Silas Morrigan is, why he is so interested in her, why her family members are feared and hated so much, and that you can never be truly sure of who you are or where your destiny lies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 7, 2003
• ISBN: 9781469709604

Helen Cardwell

Helen Cardwell was born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, in 1979, and started writing as a child. She spent three years studying at a local college before moving to Whitby, Yorkshire. She is now back in Melton working for her former college and is concentrating on getting her writing career started.

Book preview

Chapter 1

It was hard to imagine that The Lands had once been a place of peace—a place where humans had lived their lives, unaware that they shared their villages, towns, and even their workplaces with Witches and Wizards, oblivious to the secret valleys and hidden lands that were only accessible to those with magic in their blood.

Here you could find Unicorns roaming free and collect magical plants that grew nowhere else. It was a place where Pixies and Elves could spend their days carrying out raids on each other’s kingdoms, each trying to out-do the other and prove who were the best warriors, without fear of being spotted by an overly observant human. It was a place where truth and goodness reigned.

Keeping watch over these creatures and their homes was a Council made up of the thirteen most powerful and respected Witches and Wizards in The Magic Kingdom. They were there to ensure that humans never got to find these places. For they had learnt the hard way that Man exploits the natural resources and power at his disposal for personal gain. They were there to make sure that Evil of any kind did not take over The Lands.

For many years this Council worked. Witches and Wizards who lived among the humans chose to live in isolated areas, in places where they could practice their spells and casting, knowing they were unlikely to be seen.

They also limited the amount of magic they practised around humans. This meant that they had to start using ‘Mortal’ means of transport to get about, instead of just waving their wands to get from one place to another. It was time consuming and difficult at the start. However, everyone knew that it was for their own safety.

It was therefore quite unexpected when sudden and unexplain- able attacks occurred on many Wizarding families. Many people disappeared and were never seen again. Others families were simply discovered dead. All of them had been tortured and bore the marks of having had many Hexes and Curses placed upon them. Their bodies were so contorted and deformed that they were hard to recognise.

These attacks were worrying enough for the High Council, but then their worst fears came true. There were reports coming in that there had been several similar deaths in the Mortal population and their people could not figure out the cause. The death toll was rising fast and yet there were still no clues as to who or what was carrying out these murderous attacks. It was the one thing that the High Wizard, Ambrose Withrington, had feared since he had inherited the title.

Withrington was an elderly man with short, grey hair, and was about seventy years old. But this night, as he rushed to the main Council meeting Chamber, he looked at least thirty years older. There had been another attack on a magical family, but this time there was a survivor.

As he burst through the doors into the Chamber the High Wizard saw the other eleven members of his Council who were present undertaking various tasks. Some were talking in corners; others were looking in ancient books. The rest were all huddled round the person who was lying on the table in the centre of the room.

As he approached, Withrington could see that the victim was a young woman called Jenny Holmes. She was the eldest child in one of the most respected families in the Witchcraft world.

The Wizard bent over the youngster. He could see the knife wounds that had been inflicted upon her. To look at them, they didn’t appear too serious. Some cuts had barely broken through the skin. But the clue was in the weapon that had been used. It was a Magic Blade. These knives carried specific curses that were placed on them by the owner of the knife. They proved fatal unless expert treatment was received immediately, and they had long since been outlawed.

As he looked at her injuries, Ambrose Withrington could see the poison setting in. The flesh around her wounds was starting to turn green and was now weeping dark green pus. Withrington spoke quietly.

Who was it? What happened?

Jenny could barely breath. She struggled to get her words out.

They came…all in black. Her breath was short and rasping. Her eyes were beginning to mist over. Said we had to join them.Kill us if we didn’t.

She paused in a desperate bid to catch her breath. We said No! Never. Then he…he told them to kill us.

Who told them? Withrington leant in closer.

It was useless asking. Jenny was now gasping for air. Her hands were clawing wildly at the table as she struggled to cling to life.

Who told them? Withrington demanded in a sharper tone.

With a final desperate breath, Jenny spluttered out the name.

Si.Silas Morrigan! Then she let out a howling scream that would make a Banshee run cold and was still.

Everyone in the room fell silent. As one of the Witches went to close Jenny’s eyes, her lifeless body melted down into a puddle of stinking green pus. Withrington stood up and looked at the rest of the Council members.

Silas Morrigan. The thirteenth member of the High Council. They were supposed to protect The Lands from such evil and now one of them had turned to the Dark side of magic.

Withrington looked at the other members. They all knew what they had to do. It would not be easy—but it had to be done.

Chapter 2

Silas Morrigan was summoned to appear before the Council. He still had no idea that the other members were aware of what he had been doing. Although he was a powerful Wizard, Morrigan was no match for the combined powers of the other twelve members of the High Council.

Morrigan, in his mid twenties, was much younger than Withring- ton. He was tall and well built with jet-black hair, dark eyes and even darker features. It was a very young age for anyone to join the Council, but when his father had died unexpectedly, the position was passed on to Silas Morrigan. It was the law. The death of Samuel Morrigan had been thought suspicious by many. Now no-one doubted that he’d met an untimely end.

As soon as Morrigan entered the Council Chamber the door was shut behind him. He spun round in surprise, for now he was trapped and could not leave. What’s going on here, Withrington! Morrigan demanded as he marched over to the Council table.

Ambrose Withrington rose from his chair and told Silas that they had discovered his crimes. But unlike Morrigan, the Council would give him a chance to explain—a chance that was never given to some of his victims.

Silas Morrigan just looked at them. For a moment he did not move or speak and he showed no emotion. The Council waited for a response. Then he started to giggle. It grew louder until he was laughing uncontrollably. The Council members remained unmoved.

Morrigan was almost hysterical when the smile left his face as quickly as it had appeared. He turned and fixed his stare on With- rington, his eyes gleaming as dark as his deeds.

We have had enough! he stated. My followers and I have grown tired of having to hide our existence from Mortals. We do not see why it is us, the most powerful beings in The Lands, who are living in hiding. The Dark Wizard Morrigan began to pace around the room, waving his arms and speaking at the top of his voice, as if he were addressing hundreds of people. We are tired of having to restrict our magical practices in case those inferior beings see us! The people are crying out for a new leader. They have become tired of being led by an old man who is more concerned about the welfare of those damn Mortals. He ran over to the High Council’s table and looked Ambrose Withrington in the eye and fell silent. He stared at the High Wizard for a moment, then whispered: Why don’t you join me? We’d be unstoppable if we worked together. The people would accept the new leadership if you gave your approval. What do you think?

The two men continued to stare at each other.

And if we don’t, what then? Withrington began, breaking the silence. Will you do to us what you have just done to the Holmes family and the countless other people you have killed?

They would have tried to stop me, the fools! Morrigan shouted.

They were prepared to die in order that lesser beings could be left alone, to continue the way they have been. I could not allow this to go on any longer. Withrington remained standing and looked at his adversary. And I cannot allow you to carry on in this way. He turned to the rest of the Council and they all nodded in agreement. Then, turning back to Morrigan, the High Wizard continued: "Silas Morrigan, you have been accused of committing an act of betrayal against all of Wizard kind, and more seriously, against the Mortal humans who have no defence against you and your follow-

ers. But you shall not be alone in your punishment, for they too shall be tracked down."

At this the other members of the Council all stood up. Withrington went on.

Therefore, it is the decision of this Council that you are stripped of your powers and are from this day banished to the Barren Plains, where you will live out the rest of your life.

As he finished speaking, the High Wizard and the rest of the Council raised their wands and started to chant.

Takebac, factor, the power possessed, we now withdraw, because of the blood that stains his hands, we hereby banish him to the Barren Lands.

Morrigan backed away from the table slowly, looking for a way to escape.

While the Council cast their spell, a great wind started up in the room. At first it swept around everyone, but then it became more concentrated, and began to wrap itself around Morrigan.

The Council chanted faster and as the wind grew stronger it became a visible force. Withrington raised a clear glass orb into the air and commanded: Return to the Creative Force from whence you came!

A flash of light shot out from Morrigan’s hands and was absorbed by the orb. At the same time, the wind started to lift him off the floor into the air. He spun through the air faster and faster until he was lifted up towards the window.

The wind was so strong that it blew the windows wide open, causing the glass to explode from their frames. Just before he went through it, Morrigan yelled out a warning.

You cannot stop me! I shall return and take my rightful place as Ruler of these Lands!

With a final laugh he was sucked through the window and disappeared into the night. Only Morrigan’s wand remained, lying in the centre of the room. As Withrington looked at the now blue orb that contained the powers of Silas Morrigan, he could not help but think that they had not seen the last of him.

Fearing the worst was still to come, the High Wizard gathered the remainder of his Council together and they performed a Ritual that would allow them to look into the future.

What they saw was Morrigan