Wandmaking 201: Sunshine Mystery Magic Club Adventure, #2

By Tom Crepeau and David Hochhalter

 The Sunshine Mystery Magic Club, consisting of Sara, Katy, Jonnie and Nenet, managed to save the world, which is all well and good, but there are still consequences. Namely an annoyed dragon, a half-wrecked village and the magic runes which the village depends on were destroyed.

 

After what they've been through, the club should be stronger than ever, but cracks are forming. The newest member throws everyone off. And, enemies have started to notice the young girls coming into their power.

 

Can Sarah, Jonnie, Katy and now Nenet bond and stand as one against vicious opportunists, human and otherwise?

 

The Sunshine Mystery Magic Club series is:

Three parts coming of age

Two parts parents running to keep up

One part military backdrop

Two pinches of Lovecraft

One shake of a dragon

Mix well with an Arthurian legend

A recipe for Adventure

No one told them the worlds were the stakes

• Language: English
• Publisher: Goblin Books
• Release date: Jan 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781734058581

Book preview

Table of Contents

Wandmaking 201

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Introduction to Wandmaking

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 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Wandmaking 301: Excerpt 1

Excerpt 2

Classes in Avalon Society

The region around Avalon City

Wandmaking 201

By David Hochhalter and Tom Crepeau

Copyright 2020 David L. Hochhalter and Thomas M. Crepeau

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical—without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

This is a work of fiction, not a work of history. All characters portrayed in this book are products of the authors' imagination. Even when a character is modeled and named for a person who really existed, what emerges on the page is a portrayal of a fictional character who did what they did on these pages to create a good story. It is not presented either to praise nor to diminish the actual people. Instead, our characters are used by the authors to present a good story, nothing more, and (hopefully) nothing less.

ISBN: 978-1-7340585-8-1

Cover Art by Tiago Da Silva

Formatting by Anessa Books

Published by Goblin Books

Burke, Virginia, USA

Acknowledgements

From Tom

During the writing process, several of David's relatives were invaluable and very patient reading along as our story developed. Thank you, Theresa! Thank you, Mr. Hochhalter! In particular, though, I have to thank Scott, who read, reread, and reread again across the last year or so. It was Scott who pointed out we had a good ending point and needed to turn our manuscript at that point into a book, instead of trying to cram too much story between two covers. (The rest of our manuscript gives us a nice head start on our next book). So, Scott, thank you ever so much for all the recurring hard work. Our super editors Wendy Putnam and my wife, Laura Crepeau, did yeoman's work correcting English mistakes and typos endlessly, turning our narrative into something presentable. It is in no way their fault that some errors were almost definitely missed: one tends to fall into the story, and then your eyes report what the story requires to be there, instead of seeing what was actually typed into the manuscript. Also, neither David nor I are entirely immune in breaking something else as we fixed things, sometimes adding typos as we correct others. Alpha readers Pamela Poindexter, Sunny Bentley, and Charlie McBride contributed as well to the Great Typo and Storytelling Error Hunt. Tiago, your art is exquisite. Merry Bond, your invaluable assistance at turning manuscript files into a properly formatted book helped us out wonderfully.

From David

For my Father,

Thank you for all your stories over the years.

Introduction to Wandmaking

Magic is prominent on our story-Earth, which is otherwise much like our own. That magic has influenced story-Earth's history, so that it differs from (our) recorded history.

This is the Sunshine Mystery Magic Club's second adventure. While it stands alone, it might be helpful to know a few things from Wandmaking 101, A Sunshine Mystery Magic Club Adventure.

It's a Friday in mid-October, 1963, after school in Brookhaven Middle School, in Middletown, Virginia. When Sarah, Jonnie and Katy test their latest attempt at a magic wand, it doesn't explode or burn up. Then the club's sponsor, math teacher Mr. Hort, asks them to bring their notes and join him in Principal Calvit's office. Mr. Hort asks Mr. Calvit how to get the wand tested for safety, and certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Calvit calls an old army friend, Colonel Morgan. They arrange that once the Veteran's Day weekend passes, the girls and their parents will come to school and someone from Colonel Morgan's staff will test and certify their wand. Mr. Calvit locks their notes and their wand in his office safe to protect them. What happened next is unexpected: Colonel Morgan orders them to avoid Ms. Hale, a busybody deeply interested in the girl's magic club.

He says: We honestly don't know what she is, so avoid her at all costs.

The path home for the girls, however, goes past the high school, where Ms. Hale's car is parked. There are bushes beside the parking lot, so the girls can't actually be seen until they cross that lot.

Sarah takes Colonel Morgan's at all costs to mean she should try to teleport them home, even though she hasn't tried to teleport anything alive yet. She sets up to do so, and discusses her spell with the more skeptical Jonnie and Katy.

Several young men from the High School, seeing their distress, come over to offer their assistance with whatever is troubling the trio. Oliver goes to the same church as Jonnie, and Michael recognizes Katy, the daughter of Lord and Lady Altum.

The young men tell them that when Ms. Hale tried to talk her way past the principal of the high school (to try to persuade Oliver, born on Avalon, to come with her to her Spiritavit School of Magic on the coast of Delaware), the principal refused to let her into school and threatened to have her arrested if she didn't leave. From the parking lot, though, Ms. Hale spots Oliver, since he isn't hiding. Coming toward them, she walks into Sarah's spell. That spell shreds her magical human disguise, revealing a malumbrus, a monster from Avalon's legends.

The monster starts slinging murderous spells at them, but Katy's shields hold. Katy screams at Sarah to finish her spell and get them out of there, and Jonnie burns her hands badly casting a fire spell. The creature ducks most of Jonnie's spell, but her car catches fire and explodes.

The students find themselves in a dark forest. Was this Sarah's spell?

No. A legend out of King Arthur took Sarah's spell as a gate spell (a spell between worlds), and as the guardian of gates, rescued Oliver, Michael, Sarah, Jonnie and Katy by bringing them back to her circle of standing stones deep in a forest on the neighboring world of Avalon. (King Arthur had been an actual Avalonian King.) Soon the Lady of the Lake says she must return to sleep, awaiting her next summons. She suggests the students walk out of her circle and follow a trail out of the forest, then go on to Avalon City to get home. But Sarah takes the impossible as a challenge: the Lady wishes to help; the monster is associated with a school on the coast of Delaware, and children are in danger. Sarah and the Lady work out how she can become more mobile: by taking a chip off one of the stones of her circle, and bringing that with them. The Lady continues helping Jonnie's hands heal.

Soon, they're walking that trail, accompanied by the Lady. The Lady gets the opportunity to speak to the parents of the missing students, and with government officials who are deeply concerned by the missing children and by the monster. The Lady tells them she's leading the children to Avalon City, where there is a gate they can use to reach Richmond, Virginia. But the parents and the government aren't sure how much they can trust this apparition.

The Lady is summoned from beside the students to another world, to receive back a sword from another hero. Unexpectedly, Jonnie goes with her; but this is a new Jonnie, taking over Jonnie's body with only the briefest of introductions. They return to the others, but now Jonnie is aware of this other Jonnie inside her, watching, where before the old Jonnie was watching as this new Jonnie accompanied the Lady as her apprentice.

This wildly unexpected event leads Sarah to conclude this is a side effect of the Lady leaving her circle while still sending healing into Jonnie: her circle has concluded Jonnie is to become the Lady's apprentice. To help, the circle has created a Jonnie with added capabilities which the circle thinks Jonnie would need to be her apprentice, and linked the two Jonnies.

The monster has followed after them from Middletown, and is searching the forest in Avalon for them. If it can destroy the children on Avalon, they can't tell their story and lead the government to investigate the Spiritavit School of Magic.

Jonnie discovers the consequences of becoming more like the Lady: she can now read the minds of those she touches. This leads to conflict with Katy. Katy and Jonnie try to resolve their differences, with some help from the Lady. Sarah, who knows she needs a wand, goes off with the two boys so Jonnie and Katy can have privacy to talk.

Sarah finds a patch of woods that is very magical. She almost kills herself making a powerful staff, but has forgotten to shield her efforts. Her spell impacts things in all directions, including almost destroying a nearby hamlet on the edge of the forest. Her spell interrupts the forest dragon's sleep. He orders her out of his forest. Oliver, Michael and Sarah make a hasty retreat with her new (talking) staff, new wand, and wands for Katy and Jonnie.

Michael, Oliver and Sarah come across the monster, trying to fight off an attack by pixies who know it intends to attack the schoolchildren, starting with Sarah. The pixies are attacking it because they have decided Jonnie is their new goddess. Michael and Oliver distract the monster by throwing rocks, and Sarah traps the monster in a powerful spell circle. The pixies escape the encirclement, and the dragon, now doubly annoyed, stomps the monster. He blames Sarah for leading the monster here deliberately, until Oliver convinces the dragon that the Lady, not Sarah, brought them here, and it isn't their fault the monster followed. The dragon orders the students to run, and begins a spell dangerous to bystanders.

Sarah works out a way for the two Jonnies to change back and forth deliberately instead of accidentally, and they realize that without further intervention, the new Jonnie must fade away eventually. The Lady mentions that there may be a way for the new Jonnie to continue to survive, but if, and only if, Jonnie's mom is willing to accept having a new daughter.

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

The five children meet up with their parents in Avalon City. Jonnie's mother accepts Jonnie's new twin sister. Five helpful Avalonian waifs are invited back to Earth with the group of parents.

Army Rangers, a Marine landing force, and a Navy fleet attack the Spiritavit School of Magic to deal with the monsters and rescue the students at that school, assisted by the Lady and her dragon friend. There's an epic fight between another malumbrus and Sarah's mother, together with sailors on the deck of a battleship off the Delaware coast. The students must gate themselves from Avalon to the deck of the ship, to rescue both Sarah's mom and the ship.

The Marines and Rangers are storming the school trying to prevent the monsters from summoning a Lovecraftian Elder God to render Earth suitable for them (and deadly to humans) while the monsters try to sacrifice enough magically-oriented schoolchildren to raise that Elder God. The allied anti-monster forces succeed, but at a heavy cost.

Our group of five return with the Lady to Avalon to assist in repairing the hamlet Sarah's spell almost destroyed.

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

This book, Wandmaking 201, picks up right at the end of Wandmaking 101, before the students can get back from Avalon to normalcy in Middletown.

Chapter 1

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

-Jonnie Puliver-

Avalon City

With Sarah's spell having gotten away from her earlier, now we had a village to help rebuild. It had been a long day already, both on Earth and on Avalon, and we weren't certain what we'd find in the hamlet of Llamrel when we got there. I was worried about getting back home, going to school, and having to explain my identical twin sister who remembered everything I'd ever done--but no one had ever met before. Mrs. Cognitor said she was working on a story to explain Nenet's sudden presence. So far, Nenet would involuntarily disappear every few hours, only to reappear perhaps two hours later. The disappearances were becoming further apart, but no one knew how long they would continue.

At least Mom wasn't adopting all five Avalonian waifs by herself: just Chirp. Mind you, Mom would have. Fortunately, Chirp's four friends were being adopted by the Millers, the Altums and the Cognitors. Even so, there was definitely going to be a lack of space in our home, and sharing my bedroom with not one but two new sisters was going to take a lot of adjustment for all three of us. Uproar was going to be ordinary in the Puliver household for a while, especially as it related to the bathroom.

But for now, we had to do everything we could to rescue the hamlet which Sarah's pressure wave had torn through, beginning with recruiting people from Avalon City to help us.

In a whirlwind of activity through the better parts of the city, Sarah collected healers and others about her. Her negotiating tactics were simple: she just agreed to whatever the person wanted. Then Sarah turned away, dragging us toward the next person or group on her list. Mr. Hort had to remind her several times to actually tell the stunned person where and when we were meeting. In Sarah's mind, that was a detail. This is something she is very bad at; I know this from many years of working with her. Getting her to slow down and explain her ideas is exceptionally hard. I think she's gotten better over the years. Maybe.

So, I saw only bits of the city. Horses were everywhere, hauling everything from carts full of dung to teams of eight pulling heavy four-wheeled carriages, and everything in between. We did see one odd motor car, sort of a home-built contraption with large spoked wheels. Katy said it probably had a steam engine. Competing with the horses, wagons and pedestrians near the center of the city were bicycles. I even saw the same bicycle I had at home proudly displayed in a shop. However, when I looked at the price, my eyes went wide. Mom and I bought my bike used, two years ago, for four dollars. Converting the price from Avalon City pounds to Republic dollars, the same (used) bike in this shop cost more than twenty times that.

Avalon's standard taxi was a two-wheeled carriage pulled by a single horse. Typically the driver sat forward, to allow for two to sit side by side further back. The carriages near the Continental Hotel and the surrounding areas were very elaborate, with air-filled rubber tires instead of plain, steel-rimmed wooden wheels. Further out, much less so: in the poorer reaches of the City, the smooth pavement reverted to the earlier cobblestones and there were fewer bicycles. And in the poorest, easternmost sections of the city, I'm told the cobblestones had worn away. Everywhere, I heard that things in the poorer neighborhoods had been better when Arthur was King.

At one point, we turned a corner and watched in fascination as two tourists from Earth rode in an open taxi, taking pictures as the horse clomped by. Like me, they were entranced. I felt like someone had taken our Old West and gave it a Roman background, guards and all. Mix that with a smattering of Confederate clothing here and there. On top of all that, add magic, lots of magic.

The people of Avalon City were colorful, and boisterous. They seemed to bet on anything and everything. Wherever you turned there was magic, from street corner magicians trying to earn a coin, to some street vendor selling potions, the next selling amulets, and then one selling magic rings. I really wanted to look at the magic rings, but we didn't have the time. Although I doubt if I could have afforded one anyway.

We didn't have time to go into many of the shops, but like the street vendors, the shops seemed to specialize in a particular brand of magic, or merchandise, or both.

I know English of course, and I'm pretty good at Latin. I mean I have to be, in order to dig into some of Sarah's really old math books. I can parse out written Russian, although slowly. They never went through Europe's magic purge, so you can get some interesting magic books from Russia. Well, I can't afford any; but both Katy and Sarah own several such books. In Avalon City there were so many different languages being spoken! Most of the merchants we talked to could shift from one language to another without any issue. Many were languages I had never heard before.

As we wove through the crowd, we saw sorcerors, nobles, more merchants (out shopping, or heading to some meeting?), urchins selling everything from pencils to baubles, while others were begging outright. We saw tourists, the occasional person or group wearing amulets (usually the tree of the Great Forest Clan), and endless servants on errands of one sort or another. There was even a boy about my age directing an illusionary dragon. It flew up and down the street while breathing fire. When the boy noticed Katy, he leered and directed his dragon toward her. As it got closer, I felt a small, odd pulse of magic and the dragon disintegrated. While I found all of this very fascinating, Chirp almost looked bored. She was much more interested in talking to Mom.

Then, on another street, my face went red when I realized that even, um, prostitutes were out soliciting customers. I had never seen one before back in Virginia, but it was obvious from the way she dressed and talked what her profession was. When we passed another one a bit later, Mom crossed her arms and frowned, while pointedly staring at one of the city guards. The guard just shrugged, and smiled back at Mom. Mr. Petotum and the others who lived in Avalon City didn't seem to notice them. To Avalonians, I guess, they were part of the scenery.

Mixed all together, Avalon City was a noisy, messy show of sound and color. I really wanted to come back and explore again. My only reservation was the smell. Near the center of the city it wasn't too bad. But further out, it was intense. The locals didn't seem to notice it, but I did. The average commoner smelled and looked like their most recent bath was days ago and some of the nobility were worse; they tried to mask the smells with perfume. How Katy could keep a straight face while talking to some of the more fragrant ones, I had no idea. It took everything in my power not to retch. When we passed a noble that reeked of perfume, Nenet and I looked at each other, and we both made a gagging face. Then we giggled in sync. Katy just rolled her eyes at us. True to form, Sarah didn't notice any of this. Mind you, any of the nobles could bathe every day. They definitely need to! It's even in the guidebook that many still believed that bathing is unhealthy.

Chapter 2

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

If you draw the Devil's card: this card does not mean that you're going to die, just that those of your pursuits which are in this reading are destined to fail. What you seek will bring you nothing but anxiety and emotional pain. However, you will keep going back for more, because you cannot help yourself. Some people associated this result with the Seven Deadly Sins. They are incorrect: The urge for the Seven come from you: they are your own demons. But the Devil's card means the whispers are coming from someone, or something, else.

- Madam Gelliny, Reader/Adviser, Madam Gelliny's Fortunes

-The Spy-

Avalon City, Some hours earlier

Iwas beginning to feel bored; the urge to seek the cliff's edge was there again. To hang by a thread, walk a path no one but I myself could see. I am a spy. I'm not a thief of knickknacks or of money, but of information. Long ago the thrill of taking money or items lost my interest; the cliff was no longer steep. Then I was given a job to listen in on five sorcerors, and report back the conversation, as well as what I saw. My life had changed; now the cliff had no bottom. It was glorious.

Word had reached me of a job. I traveled quickly to Avalon by alternate gates, then discarded my disguise. Donning another, I teleported to Avalon City to meet a contact. His benefactor was requesting my services.

At eleven minutes past the hour (our pre-arranged time in the clock shop), a small bag of diamonds was slipped to me, along with instructions of where to meet. The diamonds were but a signal the job might prove interesting, and payment for traveling here to listen. From the street scuttlebutt, I could tell dust had been disturbed. The Lady of the Lake had appeared, purportedly with an apprentice! Both on Earth and on Avalon, a woman was seen riding a dragon, and there were rumors of a Green Hand close by, possibly in Avalon. I was almost salivating.

Twenty minutes later, I was at the chosen street corner, and hailed the nearby one-horse cab. The driver wore a rangy green cap (his hat was another identifier it was the right cab). Once inside, I greeted my contact with a nod and the carriage driver nudged the horse forward. He was older and well dressed, but took good care of himself; I could sense a little magic about him. If interested, we would discuss payment. I waited. He didn't blather, look around conspiratorially, or attempt to shake my hand. He seemed professional. Things were looking up.

Once past the third corner, he spoke. He had an educated voice: un-hurried, traveled, but not of Avalon. Several young adults and their parents, from Earth, together with servants and with street urchins in tow, paid a great deal of money for services to help a hamlet nearby. They left the Continental Hotel four hours ago, and are no longer in the city. Once we had turned twice more, he continued. One of the young adults holds a staff, another a sword--a Japanese katana.

As in Japan, Earth? I asked. He nodded.

I waited, as the question had not been asked. He did not appear angry at my apparent lack of excitement or other emotion.

Find out all you can, who they are, how they came to be here, the path they took. The markings on the katana, its history. The staff is unusual.

He paused for a moment to look at a fight in the street between two men, onlookers taking bets. I couldn't place the accent. I am usually very good at determining where people are from. I turned away slightly so he would not see my thin smile; I like mysteries. He continued, When it was divined from a distance, it first appeared as if there were no protective wards on it. But it is of a very unusual design. A trap of course: the diviner then went mad.

At last I spoke, Street scuttlebutt suggests a Green Hand in the area. I watched as we passed a small park, where a group of children with their parents were flying kites. Older children, some in poor clothing, were demonstrating their magic skills in hopes of getting a coin from those passing through.

How close to the cliff would I be walking?

Without looking at me, he said. Rumor has it the one with the staff is of the Green Hand. As he spoke, he tossed a small coin out of the carriage. It landed perfectly centered in the upturned hat of boy who was creating illusions of small demons. The boy looked up and bowed in gratitude. Ten feet past the boy my potential employer leaned outside the coach slightly, They need a bit more curve in their horns.

I looked back as we turned the corner, seeing the edges of the kites over the top of the trees. Then we began negotiating payment.

I finished with, I'll take the job, and got out of the cab, somewhere in the south end of the city.

Chapter 3

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

Teleporting adjacent to the dragon's lands is actually a popular tourist attraction. Three considerations of note: One, the teleportation circles are rather expensive to use. Second, there is no return circle near his lands. It is a good twenty-mile hike to Llamrel Station, where you can either catch the train or utilize the town's own teleportation circle. Third, and we cannot stress this enough, the dragon has an odd sense of humor. We recommend not crossing into his territory unless you have pre-arranged an invitation. The only exceptions to this are for the Great Forest Clan, and for those living in the hamlet of Llamrel next to the forest which the dragon claims.

- Guide to Avalon. 4th Printing

-Jonnie Puliver-

Main Teleport Circle, Avalon

The main Teleport Circle turned out to be adjacent to the Gate Circle from which one could reach other planets. Mr. Hort had a clipboard and checked off the people we were expecting to be certain we weren't leaving anyone behind. Everyone was already waiting for us. As a group, we entered the teleport circle, except for Mr. Miller. His face had turned a little greenish. He was reluctantly pulled into the circle by Michael and Oliver. I felt a magic surge, some displacement, and our scene had changed. Mr. Miller let out a relieved gasp. Within minutes, his hue turned back to normal.

We found ourselves in a forest clearing next to a small gravel road.

At the gravel road stood a large wooden warning sign declaring that Man's law ended here: past this point lay the dragon's lands. A smaller rough-hewn sign below it read the dragon likes his meat well done, in red ink. Sarah had stopped just before the boundary and hesitated. I could feel Nenet's amusement at Sarah's apparent apprehension.

Before I could stop her, Nenet pushed Sarah forward across the boundary ward. One step later, my eyes opened wide as I felt the full power of the dragon's wards.

Katy is the best of us at wards. However, this ward was phenomenal, dwarfing anything she'd done. If the dragon wanted us stopped by these wards, I'm not sure even Sarah could advance. But, the wards allowed us to step through them. These were just his outer wards; I knew that if we wanted to advance past the hamlet, there would be more and stronger wards waiting.

Our destination was just past some modest fields of crops. Llamrel was a small hamlet with a large shed just downstream of the dwellings and a sawmill with a water wheel on the far end, alongside a modest stream perhaps 20 feet wide.

The hamlet wasn't anything like Avalon City. It had its own smells (like the tanning shed: yuck). But still, the hamlet generally smelled better than the city, with many green and growing things. Also, the horses here were treated with much more respect. While they hauled things and pulled plows, the people treated them kindly, almost like pets. The language was different, too. In the hamlet they spoke one language to each other: English, but with odd dialects. The shifts in tones, and how the words were phrased, seemed to be tied to a person's social status. A local noble would refer to me as My Lady, while a commoner would say Mia ada. One of the things that set me apart was I was not only from the big city, (usually said referring to the entire party) but from "Earth, too." Another was my clothing. The dress made for me at the Continental was really nice, better than anything I had before. Also, Nenet, Mom and I were the only people here with red hair. Finally, throw in my wand, and to these people I was a powerful sorceress from afar.

Back home, I was in the background. So it was very odd being bowed and curtsied to like I was some queen. Sarah, they got. Once the villagers noticed her little green-amulet bracelet, they seemed to sort of expect her to be aloof and weird: Sarah in one. Katy they understood, too; she looked and carried herself like a noble. Also, her magic is quite flashy. So to the villagers, Katy became the the noble sorceress.

Sarah had Mr. Hort, and Katy glommed onto Mr. Petotum, who slid into the role of her magic teacher with ease. Like Mr. Hort, Mr. Petotum seemed to really like teaching. Katy's smart, but like me, she gets lost next to Sarah, so I could tell she was happy to have a teacher all to herself. By agreement Nenet and I left Mr. Petotum alone, although I did pick up through our link that Nenet enjoyed watching the man.

But Nenet and I didn't have a teacher or guide with us. This further increased the mystery. We didn't seem to fit into a known mold for them. We were sorceresses, and at the same time, apprentices. But what else? We puzzled them. A game of sorts got started. A child would run up to Nenet or me and ask us a single question.

Do you have a Master or Mistress?

Does she live on Earth or Avalon?

Does she have red hair too?

And so on.

With an answer in hand, he or she would run back to their friends and then a whispered discussion would start among them. Sort of a simple game of what's-in-the-box: the rules apparently allowed for indirect questions, but only one question at a time. Through this process they learned we had a mistress, and that our mistress wasn't with us, and that she lived somewhere on Avalon. That Nenet and I were both her apprentices. That she was taller than us, had blond hair, and so on. Toward the end of the day, the game devolved into suggesting possible names of the sorceresses our mistress might be. I got that it would be break some agreed upon rule of the game if they asked for her name outright. As the Lady of the Lake was never mentioned, they remained confused even by day's end.

Like Sarah and Katy, Nenet and I helped where we could. We all did. Many people were injured to some degree or another, and the damage to the hamlet was extensive. No thatched roof had survived intact, so wholesale re-thatching was occurring.

Thank God, no one had died. The one healer who lived in the hamlet couldn't come close to providing care to everyone. Her supplies had been used up within minutes after Sarah's magic wave blew through. Master Medicus, one of the healers Sarah brought with her, immediately took charge of the other healers and quickly doled out jobs. Within half an hour, all the injured had been diagnosed and treatment had begun. I didn't know anything about healing magic, but it was fascinating to watch it being used by experts.

Through all of this were the local pixies. In the city, I had sensed them in the background looking at me as we went by. But here in the hamlet, they came out and introduced themselves. Also, wherever I worked, they did, too. I spent a great deal of time explaining in simple concepts what I was attempting to do. Honestly, it was like having a room full of energetic two-year-olds helping me. But the smaller children of the hamlet were entranced, and I sort of became the defacto babysitter to them while their parents were either being healed, or helping somewhere else. Toward the end of the day I was named the Pixie Sorceress.

The biggest building at the hamlet was the main hall, sort of a place to gather, eat, and have meetings. The manor next to it was the hamlet's one inn. It was built to house the occasional visiting trader or passer-by.

Since the roofs of the main hall and the inn had survived, they had housed 3/4 of the village last night. With all the villagers, the Inn and the main hall weren't nearly big enough for the entourage trailing Sarah, so nobles offered up rooms for the various healers and others. Even then, small tents had to be erected to provide shelter for the apprentices and others that the masters had brought with them from Avalon City. The citizenry lived in a patchwork of stone and wood houses, and most had thatched roofs, but regardless of the construction, each had a stone foundation and floor. I was told one house was the fifth one built on that foundation.

The average family was at least seven; in some cases, much larger, with grandparents and great-grandparents all living together under the same roof. The oldest of the family line, whether male or female, held sway over all the others. Our small two-bedroom house back home would seem like a mansion to most of these families.

Instead of the colorful clothes and different styles back in Avalon City, if you weren't a noble and you worked outside, your clothes might start out clean at the beginning of the week but were pretty soiled by laundry day. Several of the richer merchants owned enough clothing for fresh clothes every day. Like Avalon City, magic was here, too, but mostly magic of a simpler kind. Except for the nobles and a few others, I didn't see any books. There was no school. I gathered that all the magic and knowledge they learned were passed down from parent to child. Mom was horrified. Even Chirp could read, a bit. But unlike Avalon City where I heard constant whining or shouting (usually that something costs too much), the people here were more reserved. They just went about their business until the job was done. Outside of the horses, the largest commodity was carvings. These people were master carvers, and took pride in their work. Lord Altum purchased an amazing bed frame here. The detailed carvings of the horses and trees were breathtaking. Across the headboard was the dragon, breathing fire.

After taking a break from helping out at the wood mill, I actually found a carver that sold wands. He was pleased that I seemed interested in his work, and brought out his entire family to meet me, all eighteen of them. The youngest might have been one. The oldest was a mass of wrinkles and sat on a rocking chair, steadily watching me. Several of the older ones had been injured. They wore a brace or a cast. Even with the healing magic and potions brought from Avalon City, the healers wanted time for the bones to strengthen and properly set. But in a few days they could take the braces off. Healing magic is amazing.

Quickly, I was surrounded by his younger children. I wasn't sure what to do. Some were looking at my wand, others my dress, and a few my red hair. When one of the boys tried to reach up and touch my hair, the mass of wrinkles on the porch barked out a command and the children went running. The family elder had spoken.

Ere, ere. Oui ay ave one, said the man. He handed me the wand I was looking at. It took me a second to understand he wanted me to have it.

I shook my head, Sorry. I cannot afford it. I have no money.

He pressed it in my palms. It was very urgent to him that I have it. It ors. He patted his chest and pointed to a symbol on his front door, the same symbol was carved into the wand: a rose. The wand did have a magical signature, but very faint. Bound within it was a single spell, light. But the magic wasn't tied to the wood correctly. It might last a week or so before the structure fell apart; perhaps more, in someplace with less magic about than Avalon. But this man was so proud. Even before Sarah figured out the locking mechanism to tie complex runes to wood, we could have made a better wand almost two years ago. I didn't have the heart to tell him he was essentially giving me a flashlight.

I looked toward one of the healing apprentices close by for help. Like me he was taking a break and chatting up a young lady about my age. Embroidered on her simple dress was a single rose. The wandmaker's eldest daughter, I bet. The two of them noticed me staring, and they both went quiet. After a nervous glance at her family's Eldest, the young lady stepped forward and curtsied to me. He is 'e father, great lady. He wants ou to ave it, so others ight come.

Compared to her fathers' more extreme dialect, hers was easily understandable. Your English is better, I stated. Do you go to Avalon City?

She blushed and curtsied again. This time she spoke slower, carefully pronouncing each word. My name is Rosalyn, great lady. I am allowed to travel in caravan to the train station, so I may sell our families' wands and carvings.

As Rosalyn introduced herself to me, I felt the wrinkled woman sitting on the porch giving this young lady a hard stare. It felt a bit like when Sarah and her Mom went at each other in the past, but this only had a twinge of power to it, not full on World-War-III. The apprentice healer felt it as well; he backed up a few steps and looked at the ground while shuffling his feet. He wasn't about to meet the old woman's stare. It was a family matter, none of his business.

Rosalyn looked nice enough from a distance, but now that I was next to her, she was very attractive. She was shorter than I, about Sarah's height. Her brown hair framed a pretty face with blue eyes. Her figure was better than mine, not like Katy's, but she was also a bit stockier too. I bet her idea of a hard day's work and mine probably weren't in the same vocabulary. I also sensed a bit more magical power from her than her father. Her aura was stronger. Considering she was intentionally ignoring the family elder by talking to me, I got that she wanted something important. The energy from the wrinkled elder was growing. She wasn't casting a spell, but her displeasure at being ignored was evident. If I wasn't used to Sarah's mom, I would be really intimidated.

I cautiously asked, quietly enough that her family couldn't hear me, What would you like me to do? Rosalyn picked up the undertones in my voice.

Rosalyn bit her lip and cautiously stepped to the side. Now I was between the Eldest and her. She quickly pulled out a wand from her dress and handed it to me. The signature on this felt different: I bet she made it. It was better than her fathers', but only by a little bit. The same spell was placed upon it, but hers used a slightly different locking mechanism for the runes. It might last three weeks before it faded, versus her father's one. I held out my hand, I am Jonnie. Then in a quieter voice I repeated, What would you like me to do with it?

Now Rosalyn looked very nervous. She glanced at the healer's apprentice who still wouldn't look this way, then toward the main road out. Apparently making a decision she looked back toward me, but wouldn't meet my eyes. She curtsied suddenly, and whispered, Please show it to a master. Then she fled back to her house. Once she was inside, I heard her father yelling at her.

The healer's apprentice walked back with me toward the main hall. He was using me for cover from the watchful eye of the family elder. Once we were out of sight, he shuddered. He seemed to really believe the old lady might cast some evil spell on him. Watching all that unfold, I wondered how my mom would react to Oliver if he ever got the nerve to ask me out.

How valuable do you think her wand is? I asked the apprentice. Also, outside of Mr. Hort or Principal Calvit, I wasn't really sure who to show her wand to. I hoped Principal Calvit might be able to do something. Rosalyn seemed like she really wanted to learn more.

The apprentice shrugged, On the streets of Avalon City, Milady, it might sell for a few silver. He chortled, I doubt her family knows how to permanently tie magic to wood. If they did, the family wouldn't still be living here.

I felt the magic within the wand again, and agreed with him. It might last a month, probably less. What do people buy them for?

Milady, mostly as toys for children that have just come into their magic, or as souvenirs for visitors.

So, what I thought originally: a flashlight. When my magic came in, learning to project energy with my mind was hard at first. For Sarah, it had come naturally, like everything else. I'm not sure if having this wand would have helped me, or hindered me.

Soon we parted. He went back to helping his master, and I did what I could as well.

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

I was really tired, and it was getting late. I wanted to write some letters before I went to sleep. I wanted to remember this day forever; Oliver asked me to the dance, and Mom didn't kill him. As Sarah calls Michael, Oliver is my maybe-boyfriend. I was so happy.

I don't have Katy's gift with tongues. She can talk to anyone without showing any self doubt. I can't, so I write. I have several pen pals. It's my way of talking, just with my pen. Also, I write as a memory aid. Once I write it down, I remember it better. While my memory is very good, even better than Katy's, it's nothing like Sarah's. She only needs to see something once, briefly, and then she will know it forever. The hamlets' stores (either of them) didn't sell writing paper (or books). So I asked one of the older female healers who was taking a break if she had any paper I could use. Since Healer Hochim treated the patients around her with compassion instead as them being just a job, I wasn't too nervous approaching her.

Jonnie Puliver, correct? she asked, while sitting down across from me on one of the benches in the main hall while she was taking a breather. Like me, she looked tired.

Yes, Ma'am. I was hoping you might have some paper, and a pen, I asked hopefully.

Well, I could spare a few sheets of paper, and a pencil. She gave me a stare, as if looking at my magical aura. Are you willing to trade?

Um, I don't really have much with me. The only thing of value I had was my wand. Sarah had made it for me, and I wasn't about to trade that. Also, I wasn't about to give away Rosalyn's wand.

She laughed. "Believe me, young lady, you have more with you than any of those who live in this hamlet."

Sorry? I asked, confused.

She laughed, and suddenly looked younger. It's been a long day. How about trading five sheets of paper and a pencil, for four questions answered truthfully?

I liked Healer Hochim and if she asked something weird, I would just get Mom. I was so tired and really wanted to jot down some of the things that happened to us before I fell asleep. So I agreed.

Very well then. First question. The other young lady, your twin. She dissolved into little lights and she is inside of you, right now?

Yes, Ma'am. That's Nenet.

Healer Hochim nodded thoughtfully. Second question. She can see me right now? Your twin.

While normally she could, right now she's asleep. I can tell, she snores. I tapped the side of my head, It's actually kind of weird hearing snoring noises inside my mind. Just parsing out that last sentence sounded strange even to me.

Third question then, Miss Puliver. I heard a rumor your twin is apprenticed to the Lady of the Lake, as well as you. You both are?

Yes Ma'am. I'm kind of the spare. Sort of; I'm just the second apprentice.

I see, replied Healer Hochim, who suddenly went quiet. She had pulled out a really old stopwatch, and was clicking it while she thought. After a few seconds she said, Your friend Sarah follows the Lady of the Green Hand. You and your twin are apprentices to the Lady of the Lake. So, final question. How does Miss Cassandra Altum fit into all of this?

I had to think about it for a minute. I mean, she's Katy. My best, oldest, friend. Loyal. Upstanding. Wonderful. Persistent. (She keeps trying to get me to take the exam for college admission: just thinking about it made me queasy).

Sorry. I'm not sure I understand. Katy's my best friend. She's Miss Cassandra Altum, daughter of Lord and Lady Altum, of Middletown, Virginia. The same as she was the day before yesterday, not to mention all of her life.

I really didn't understand. Katy was our friend, part of the original team. My wall. She was everything to me. Was Healer Hochim asking what path Katy followed? Katy was an aristocrat; her parents held a noble title. She would marry an aristocrat, and if he had a title (and, knowing Katy, he probably would), then, alongside him, she would take care of a region, just like her parents, Lord and Lady Altum did, back home. And, like her parents, I bet she'll be really good at it. I was still trying to figure out the best way to describe Katy when Healer Hochim handed over five sheets of paper, and two pencils.

There you go, she said. I'm going to bed soon. So I will see you in the morning, Miss Jonnie Puliver, second apprentice to the Lady of Lake. With that she stood up, curtsied to me, and left.

I called out, But I didn't really answer your fourth question, Ma'am.

Honestly, I didn't really know what she was asking. But Healer Hochim just kept walking, and never looked back. At my question, she just waved to acknowledge she'd heard me, but just kept going.

I was so looking forward to going home. Middletown wasn't home to monsters (well, other than the one we'd run into yesterday) and the biggest problem we usually faced, other than Sarah destroying something in one of our school Magic Club meetings, was a pop quiz in Latin. Okay, maybe trying to grasp whatever mathematical thing Sarah just asked Mr. Hort about, like how come using a magical gate to another planet didn't suffer from Einsteinian time/space/distance limits, and take years to reach? I still didn't want to take the college exams, though. I mean, after Mr. Hort, I bet they're really hard.

Mom and Chirp were asleep. Nenet was still inside me, snoring softly. But I wanted to write a bit more, so I had cast a little ball of light just above my head. Dimming it slightly I leaned forward to glance out the window. Katy was still outside, talking to the dragon. She had been telling him the story of our journey with Ianua. I quietly laughed to myself, it seemed like such a long time ago.

As I wrote my thoughts down I looked at Rosalyn's wand. It wasn't very good, but she deserved a chance. Even though her magic aura didn't feel very strong to me, I bet if she worked with someone like Mr. Hort she'd get loads better. I wrote about our meeting to remind myself to give the wand to Principal Calvit once we were back home. Just before I dropped my light spell, I wrote about Oliver asking me out to the dance. I bet tomorrow is going to be interesting.

Chapter 4

A close up of a fish Description automatically generated

I'll have my Aide-de-camp Bob, here, help with that.

- Robert E. Lee, President of the Confederate States of America,

1868 (Prior to the new constitution of 1871)

Hello. My name's Tom, but everyone calls me Bob. The President has several Aides-de-camp, and he calls all of us Bob for simplicity.

- Thomas Marmot, Aide-de-camp to President Lee

-The President's Bob, William Delany-

Earth: Norfolk, Virginia

It was almost morning. I just woke from my cat nap, refreshing myself before I would stand in front of the President. At some point the young lady called Charlotte had found her way into my tent. I found her asleep in the corner, shivering from a nightmare. How she got past the guards would be a discussion for another time. Before leaving to take a quick shower, I placed my blanket over her.

It had been a long but successful night. The kids were out of their prison-school, and now in Norfolk. Some of them were still crying. Others were so exhausted they had passed out. About half of them were eating what I suspect was their first good meal in some time. The young men from the high school, along with their accompanying parents, had taken a short flight to Norfolk in a military cargo plane to be here when the rescued children arrived. Seeing a group of healthy albeit tired kids, along with their parents, clapping and cheering, seemed to raise the spirits of the rescued children. I suspect seeing people their own age showing enthusiasm, instead of being shackled with a constant fear of death, helped to reignite a long-missing spirit. I would have to thank the Captain for recommending that they participate.

The Captain, his wife, and Mary were all asleep in one of the many hastily erected tents on the base. I had two guards standing by. They had more than earned good will toward maintaining some temporary privacy. A small part of me was interested to see where this was going to go. My immediate concern, past their privacy, was relieved when the Captain said he was planning to keep the sword, for the short term at least, until he was sure it was no longer needed. I suspected there would be a private discussion between the President and the Captain in the near future. Several people from the Avalon school had elected to be interviewed, one while in surgery to remove a bullet. However, at some point the Captain was going to have to make an appearance. Word had spread about the event and his sword.

Then the dragon came, with Mrs. Cognitor riding him. At their impressive entrance, so did a swarm of reporters. The photographer who accidentally stepped on the end of