The Edge of the Circle

By David Miner

Everyone feels different growing up, but not everyone knows where they fit in at school, especially if your family has magical abilities, you’re fourteen with a twin sister, you’re learning your skills, and you’re attending a school for regular humans.

Pardaris Ravenstorme, seventh son of Wyngarde Ravenstorme, has enough trouble getting through a boarding school with his twin sister, Persephone, living with three other roommates at Squires Knoll Academy while trying to keep his abilities hidden from his friends. But sometimes, circumstances don’t allow some things to be hidden as faeries inhabit the school and the nearby town of Aldsley. What happens when the past is ignored and secrets are exposed? What happens when magic returns to a world of science?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532064227

David Miner

David Miner spent eight years in the United States army working in military intelligence and seeing the world. He served in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He currently living with his wife in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Book preview

1

BEYOND THE HORIZONS

The troll gave no quarter against the human invaders in his cave for when this battle started; the trolls outnumbered the humans two to one and yet these four humans had killed seven of his brothers. The aged troll mistakenly underestimated the human youthful appearance and fighting skills. The boy the troll faced possessed more speed and reflex was more than the troll could handle on his own and in a fair fight. It would take the role of the dice from The Ones from Beyond to decide this winner. The troll’s sword strikes were equally meet with the resilience of the human blade and the human he was fighting. Baztak saw his opening and struck but the human dodged the attack and struck the troll in the side. The human grabbed the Aresblade, thrusting the sword through the heart of the troll and then pulled it free before the body hardened.

Yet, the troll continued his battle, for eons ago he and his brethren were charge with guarding this level of the dungeon, but the younger trolls felt that they were only pieces, made of pewter, to be moved around at the whims of the Ones from Beyond. Baztak, wounded, decided to use his enchanted Aresblade, a sword that would give the sword wielder the strength of the person his sword and Baztak would love to add this human’s strength and youth to his strength.

When he pulled the blade free of Baztak, Astelyn now had the strength of the Troll flowing through him. The others in the party grabbed what treasures they could off the defenders except for Imellegan, the master enchanter. His quest for the third key was almost over, for behind the steel door in front of them was the last mystical key that would open the celestial gates and free Maxmagus from the Nethervoid.

We waste time we do not have to waste. Imellegan said impetuously. He extended his arm and pointed. Behind that door is the final key!

Astelyn studied the door and then looked at the old wizard. Imellegan, you’re a master wizard, can’t you open the door?

This door appears to have an unusual lock on it. It is magical in design, my friend, but… The wizard despised the young swordsman’s doubting tone. There would be a later time to teach him a lesson about respect. Step back everyone! the magic-user ordered. His hands glowed and then he fired bursts of magic and kept firing until he was too weak to use his magic and the magic the sorcerer used was reflected back to the source.

Imellegan, shaken and angry, never saw a door as the one he faced and time was running out.

Master, you have the other two magic keys. Can’t you use their magic against the door? suggested Imellegan’s apprentice, Whisper.

The lad was right. Imellegan thought. The wizard retrieved his two magic keys from his enchanted pouch. He held the gold and silver keys together like a cross and the door opened to his surprise.

Selrow led the party, by his sharp elven senses, into the vast chamber lit by phantom torches floating in the chamber. In front of the party, was a long narrow stone bridge spanning across lava to an island at the center of the chamber. They struggled to cross for the heat of the lava suppressed most of their energy. Below them, a fierce dragon raised his serpentine head and struck with the speed of a cobra. When all four found the middle of the bridge. Selrow, with practiced ease and calm, grabbed an arrow from his quiver and fired in one smooth motion.

The arrow had no effect against the thick hide of the beast.

The dragon inhaled and exhaled a stream of fire at the intruders; spraying his inferno fury down on the bridge.

The party trapped on a narrow long bridge under a barrage of fire from the dragon, somehow avoided the flames much to their surprise, but the bridge broke apart, stone by stone at first and then the center poured into the magma below. The bridge cascaded from the center to the chasm’s edge, falling out from under the party. They all sprinted to the edge and leaped to safety just the moment the bridge plummeted into the magma.

Selrow stepped back from the flames to get another shot, slipped on the edge of the bridge and dangled above the pit. Whisper seeing his friend in peril, summoned a cloud to lift the fallen elf back up to the bridge.

Astelyn, with his steely eyes focused on the dragon’s flight, held his sword ready and struck when the dragon was in range. Astelyn, aided with the strength of troll and the Aresblade, was able to make a shallow cut in the neck of the dragon. Selrow saw his chance and struck the wound with his arrows three times. The dragon choked on his own blood from wounds, but he was still not dead yet. The dragon thrashed about more wildly, trying to call out but only feeding more blood into his own throat.

Whisper curled his hand and inside his hand, an icy blue glowing sphere developed. Whisper eyed the dragon’s wounds and aimed his sphere at the dragon’s neck. The sphere struck the dragon and ice crystals grew violently on the wounds caused a freezing spell on the dragon’s wound opening the wound more and the cold slowed the dragon’s healing abilities. The dragon choked from the bleeding and fell to the floor to his lair, dying.

I have it! announced Imellegan, holding up his prize of a platinum key. I have the third key! He held the final piece of his puzzle and shouted, We have gone through dungeons and fought dragons but at last, I have the final piece! He called out in triumph for his prize was in his hands after the long hard years of searching. We must hurry to the destined spot by sundown!

Master, Whisper said. Iron Rune Valley is several days’ way. How will we get there?

My apprentice, Imellegan laughed. I have taught you everything you know so far but I have not taught you everything that I know yet. He pulled a magic ring from his bag and placed it on his finger. Everyone, hold on to me! He said a few magic words and the dungeon was gone.

A vast empty city surrounded Whisper. It was a city he had seen before once when his master took him here to a temple nearby where he bonded with the spirit of his former master in a ceremony where a blue beam from the sky struck the center chamber. When the beam faded, Whisper noticed how confident wiser his master was, like Imellegan had knowledge of spells yet to be discovered.

Iron Rune Valley, named for the sheer cliffs of iron ore that surrounded the city to the west, was a haven for magic users of all sorts because it seemed the iron made magic stronger. Whisper was unsure if that was true, nevertheless, it made for a great legend.

The town clock clanged five times and Whisper jumped at the loud echo of the brass bell. No one was about save one man dressed in a black and blue cloak two blocks away. The figure set the pots on the street and lit the insides. With a small poof and a puff of smoke, a fire elemental was formed and the overactive fiery being charged Whisper. Whisper dodged the attack from the air; however, he knew that the fire elemental was toying with him. Whisper ran straight for the fountain but was cut off by the Fire. The Fire sadistically laughed at the boy’s plight and continued to torment the lad until he thought the game had grown stale but the lad was still feisty, trying his useless spells against him and then resorting to throwing small sticks and stones all doing no good. It would seem that now was the time to end the game.

Whisper reached into his pouch and pulled out a large leather sack and tossed it at the Fire. The Fire laughed when he caught the sack and ended with a Bang! that snuffed the flame for good.

Snake’s feet, he grumbled. That was the last of my flash powder. he said despondently to no one and sat on the edge of the fountain, waiting for someone or an answer to come to him. Something did come to him.

A watery arm ensnared him from behind and yanked him into the water. Whisper just inhaled during the moment he was dragged in to the shallow water. His lungs needed the air the Water denied him. His first instinct was to use lightning but he realized what would happen if he did and didn’t think his body could survive the punishment. The water held on to the bottom of the fountain while Whisper could still see the surface inches above him but he couldn’t lift his head to breathe and in moments the Water would have the kill his prey the way his master wanted.

Whisper panicked until he thought of another way.

A tiny frog leaped from the fountain and hopped away before the water could discover what had happened. The frog had hopped some distance before he changed back to Whisper and the apprentice ran. The Water took a humanoid form and chased after. Whisper turned the corner and bolted down the alleyway with the Water roaring right behind him. Whisper discovered an open door and entered. He closed the door and used his magic to levitate heavy object to block.

The Water pounded on the barricaded door, like waves of the sea fueled by a savage storm, before it decided to seep under the door until it was all the way through and took a humanoid form in front of a startled Whisper. Whisper ran into another room. It was a dead end.

The Water moved closer to him.

Whisper waited and then at the right moment, pulled a rope that dropped two open sacks of flour on to the water. He was not finished. Other sacks of flour had been cut open and Whisper used a wind spell to blow the flour around the room.

The Water had no control over absorbing the flour. His movement slowed with each moment, his fluid form was transforming into walking glob of dough, slowing under its own weight; each step sticking to the floor until after four steps; the gooey sticky mass could no longer keep its form and collapsed into a mound of dough that could make dozens of loaves of bread for the entire village.

Whisper emerged from the bakery covered in flour and pleased with himself after stopping an elemental without this mentoring of his master and it felt great to know he could stand on his own for once. This was the first time in the quest where her wasn’t in the back of the party and had to be protected by everyone else. Whisper was on his own and so he had to control his excitement and fear now. He needed to be on his guard for if he was attacked by two Elementals, he still had to watch out for the other three.

Whisper’s stroll down the alleyway was spied on by the eyes from a mound of dirt in the alley. It waited and then from a signal from its master, the Earth rose up and formed arms and legs, following the boy.

Whisper felt something following him. He turned, facing a wall of living dirt twice his size with eyes peering into him. The apprentice ran.

Why do they always have to do this the hard way? Couldn’t he just give in and save himself the time by being buried alive? Won’t hurt me any more or less if he gave up now. the Earth said to himself with a disgusted sigh before he slowly followed Whisper.

Whisper turned and used a flame spell against the Earth. The Earth flinched but snuffed the flame out and continued to chase Whisper.

Whisper entered the Royal Street Tavern through the doors and the Earth took a more direct way by crashing through a wall. He spotted Whisper and followed him down the stairs into the storage cellars. The Earth lumbered down the steps, confident he had that kid trapped, and soon it would be over. He savored the thought of the boy struggling under his cool dirt, denied of air until he expired like so many have before. His two brothers would be avenged. Nothing can hurt the Earth.

Whisper reacted instantaneously by throwing two bottles of Dwarven rum at the elemental. The Earth laughed at the useless ploy and lumbered forward. Whisper recited a flame spell. The rum ignited and the Earth transformed into soft dirt and curled himself into a ball to smother the flames.

It was in the perfect spot. Whisper fired, from his hands, one ball of energy at a large keg of ale by the door blocking the elementals’ escape. Then Whisper blew open two more kegs above the Earth. The ale cascaded down, dissolving the mound into nothing.

Whisper, with soaked and heavy robes, waded knee-high through ale to the steps and then climbed the wooden steps with boots full of alcohol, squishing as he climbed to the main room, covered from the hips down to the boots in ale and the rest in flour. He needed a rain spell to clean him. Before he summons a rain spell, a light breeze entered. The gentle winds dried Whisper off but the winds gradually grew stronger. A cyclone formed in a corner by the fireplace and then made itself into a human like form. Whisper tried to run. The Wind knocked him off his feet and then threw debris at him. The Wind continued throwing more debris into the street along with Whisper and a bottle of dwarven rum he didn’t know he had in his hand.

The laughing Wind howled above him, and like the Fire, wanted to play until the game grew tedious. Whisper gathered some debris and poured rum on the wood. The Wind was curious as to why the human built a fire and hovered around it. The fire couldn’t hurt it, but the smoke choked the Wind. Whisper took two bottles from his bag and poured the contents into the bottle with rum. He stood his ground despite his fear welling up and threw the bottle onto the fire and ducked just as a large fireball erupted and consumed the last elemental.

You are truly worthy to let live and be my new apprentice! Maxmagus would be most proud to have you! applauded the man in the black and blue robes. Come the festivities are about to begin. Your friends have ‘volunteered’ to be part of the great sacrifice.

Whisper looked the other stone tables with Selrow and Astelyn chained on the tabletops to be sacrificed. With the Key, I will become a god and free my love, Doma Thyra, from the chains of Gorenthnyr! And he raised his ceremonial dagger over his head.

Stop! screamed Whisper.

Then an irritating buzzing reverberated through the air and the sky cracked, releasing white light on Whisper.

All the room lights were turned on.

Is it half eight already? Jeremy stretched his arm to his nightstand and turned off the alarm. I guess we have to continue our quest tomorrow night. What do you think, Brandon? After all, you said you would be the Game Caller for the final stage. Jeremy Pennington, a Year Eleven student who just turned sixteen a week ago, asked wanted to finish the adventure tonight but it had running long and he had a date at the library before it closes at ten. He stood up and stretched his gangly arms from his gaunt frame Everyone, tomorrow night we will finish this quest this week? Pardaris, are you in? Jeremy asked while writing notes on his characters and the game and then next ran his hand through his dark hair.

The rest of the game players nodded in agreement while Pardaris, thirteen years old, finished his notes on his character of Whisper. He swept his raven hair from his bronze eyes. I think I can make it. Father’s been working on his exams and grading essay papers tonight and plans on doing it tomorrow night as well.

Other teachers do that at home or in the house. Why does your father stay here to do that? asked Niles Reeves, who finished his notes on Selrow and bought a new bow at with some of loot for the next game; hopes his character will be two levels stronger for the next game. Niles was smaller than most of the boys his age at Squires Knoll. He