The Big Book of Enchantments, The end of the beginning

    Well, the rough draft of The Big Book of Enchantments is finished. I plan on revisiting it, I keep coming with issues I need to fix, but for now I can put it aside and focus on other things. 

   I must say, I don’t think it’s good, but I’m still happy I finished it, or at least finished the first step. It sucks, but it’s still my own work. To me, this is massive. 

    I have lots of plans for the future. I want to make writing my career, especially if I find out I’m not great at it. I’ve lived on the internet for long enough to know that the works that change us the most aren’t the works with deep meaning and lots of symbolism, they’re the works we can build and change ourselves and build shared experiences around. I hope that I’m remembered as the writer who built something people love, no matter how good it is. 

The big book of Enchantments, Chapter 9, Jessica's Story

     I’m not a hero. Heroes don’t get this frightened of people who can’t hurt them. Heroes don’t let their companions get taken by someone who should never have been a threat to them. Heroes save the day before anyone else knows that it needs to be saved. I didn’t stop her, even though I knew the spell was coming, and because of that, I now have to save my friends. 

    If they were in the Citadel somewhere, it would be easy to save them. We can’t afford new books for the library, let alone fancy prison cells. Sadly, the Enchantress is aware of that fact and probably has them in one of the Citadel’s dimensional rooms, built by our founders to keep ruffians in check. No one but the head of the Citadel or one of their chosen favorites is supposed to get in, but the way we check involves measuring somebody’s resistances, so maybe I can get in.

     The spell is complicated, though not as complicated as some of the ones I remember from the capital. One more way we’re way behind everyone else I suppose. It’s still more complicated than what I’m used to. I’m about to give up on finding an entrance when I notice the part of the spell that’s supposed to detect intruders isn’t catching on me at all. I don’t know if that’s because I don’t have any resistance, but it seems like someone should have checked for that at some point. 

    I come into a hallway that looks just like the rest of the Citadel, the same way my room still looks like my room in dreams. I keep seeing bits where it’s clear whoever made this knew something had to go there but didn’t remember what should go there. I can hear the Enchantress talking, presumably the others are nearby. I continue walking down the hall, before I notice that everything seems a bit, off. I poke the wall, and I notice there’s no resistance. This isn’t real, it’s an illusion. 

     The Enchantress can’t do much magic. She can do more than most, but that’s only because magic users are exceedingly rare these days. What she can do is create illusions good enough to fool almost everyone who gets trapped in them. I can sometimes see through them, because the illusion spell she likes to use doesn’t always notice that I’m there.

     I open the Big Book of Enchantments to find a way to dispel the illusion, but then remember my father telling me that the dimensional rooms have no true form. It could be the illusion is the only thing keeping me here. I move down the hall until I notice the book at the end. I look at it, and I notice the seal on the front. No doubt about it, this is the Book of Knowledge, the only thing stopping the Enchantress from being totally powerless. 

     I could try and take it, but from what I’ve heard it’s one of those artifacts that hurts you if you aren’t it’s chosen wielder. I don’t know how that works, but I’m not going to test it. I do have to wonder how it got here though; I don’t think the Enchantress would let it out of her sight. 

     Suddenly I get an idea. This book is old, older than the Citadel is. Or at least that’s what they say in the history of artifacts class I had to take. If it breaks apart, it could destabilize the illusion spell and allow everyone to break free. I open the Big Book of enchantments, find a spell, and cast it. 

     The book breaks apart instantly. At first nothing happens, then the spell starts to loosen up. I see Johnathon poke his head out.

    “Jessica, what are you doing here?” He asks

     “Rescuing you, of course.” 

    I see the others looking confused and yell, “Follow me. You don’t want to be here when the spell fails.” 

    I run back the way I came. Finding one’s way out of an illusion is difficult, but in this case the spell is failing so quickly that all I have to do is follow the backbone of it to get out. In the distance I hear the Enchantress cry out. I think she just discovered she’s now powerless. 

    We make it out just as the spell fails. I look around at everyone and say, “Sorry, I didn’t get the shield up in time, are you alright?”

    Everyone nods. I look back and notice we’re back in the middle of the field. 

    “I think it’s over. She can’t do anything without the Book of Knowledge.” I say.

    “What happened to it?” Zac asks. 

    “I found it in the illusion and destroyed it.”

    Zac nods. “So, what now?” He asks

   I don’t know. I had no plans. “I guess we just go about our lives.” I say.

  I mean it to. This adventure is over. Or at least, over until the next time we meet up. 

 

The End? 

The big book of enchantments, Chapter 9, Johnathon's story

   Long ago the great mages of Altra built the citadel of magic as a barrier between us and infinity. They built it out of stone brick and filled it with every book of magic and physics they could, to keep us from ever having to glimpse that which humanity should ever see.

     Or so I was told when I was a small boy. 

     I’ve never seen the citadel up close before. Any relevance it has was destroyed by the passage of time. First artifacts came and made it pointless to learn spells, then Magitech came and made artifacts irrelevant. Yet the citadel still stands as it did almost 1000 years ago, looking almost exactly the same, as if time passing made no difference to the way magic works and things still are the way they were back then. 

   Looking at it, I’m struck by how worn down it is. It looks like it’s being maintained, but only as much as is necessary to keep the building from falling down. Bits of it are crumbling all over, vines are creeping over every surface that isn’t covered with moss. There don’t seem to be any windows. I know that was the way buildings were built long ago but combined with the cracked stone I can’t help but get the impression the people living here don’t want anyone to know how bad things have really gotten. It’s like they’re hiding until we decide to go away on our own. 

    “I hate to say it, but this place is a dump.” I say to no one in particular. 

    “How did we get here?” Someone asks.

     I think for a minute. I don’t actually know. I seem to recall we were walking through a field that went on for miles when Jessica started shouting at something, then the next thing I know we were here. 

    “Didn’t you want to come here?”

     I turn, but I don’t see anyone. “There’s no point looking for me, you won’t find me.”

    Suddenly I’m in a circular room with Julia, Rachel, Zachary, and Michael. In the center of the room is a woman I’ve never seen before, but who looks oddly familiar. “Now that you’re all here, why did you decide to enter my domain?”

    That voice is Jessica’s voice, I’m certain of it. I’m transfixed. My entire body is screaming at me to run, but there’s nowhere to run to, and I’m not sure what I’d be running from. “Jessica, is that you?” I ask.

    The woman glares at me. “I’m not Jessica. I’m not sure how you know her, but she and I are far from the same person. My name is Mildred Stonebridge. You may call me the enchantress.” 

    I don’t believe it. She’s the enchantress. I know Jessica said she was an unimpressive woman, but no enchantress would be this short, stocky, or old. She doesn’t look like she could command a dog to sit, let alone the respect and fear of everyone in the citadel. 

     “Ma’am, with all due respect, you turned my family against me, set assassins on Julia and Rachel’s tail for no reason, and have been trying to frighten the people of Altra all because you don’t want to admit that both you and your citadel are well past your prime and would be better off leaving everyone alone.”

     Everything goes black. I feel the world spinning. Then I’m back, as if nothing had happened. “I may not be as strong as my ancestors were.” Mrs. Stonebridge says, calmly, “But I’m still a mage, and everyone knows that even a weak mage can wreak havoc if enough magic is present, and she knows her opponent’s weakness. And do keep in mind your majesty, your weaknesses are know by everyone in the entire kingdom.” She turns to catch all of us in her gaze, “All of you would do well to remember that I have access to the best scrying equipment in all of Altra, and I have been watching you since you enter the Citadel’s radius of power. I know what I need to do to keep you in line.”

     “Then why are there only five of us here?” Zachary asks. “You did see we had another person with us, didn’t you?”

   “Of course I did! But mages are so very slippery.” She waves her hand at us. “Don’t worry, she’ll be here in due time.” 

     The room dissolves and turns into another room, this time with almost nothing in it. It’s a prison cell, I guess. I look around the room for anything I could use to get out, but I have no luck. Strange, given how obvious it was that the building was falling apart outside, it should be easy to find a way out. Yet I can’t find anything. 

    Suddenly I hear a loud crash. I turn and see a small bit of paper on the floor. I pick it up and see what looks like spell writing on it. I try reading it out loud, but nothing happens. Then I look up and see that the room looks like it’s melting. I push my hand on the door and realize I can go right through it. 

     Well, I guess my time in this prison cell is over. Time to escape. 

Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 8, Jessica's Story

      The closer we get to the citadel, the less real the world seems to get. I don’t have any other way of putting it. They say that reality, the way we see it, is a recent event. Most of our history happened in a time where there were no rules, nothing to unify the bits of the universe. Now, they say, you wouldn’t know that unless you were a mage. 

     I didn’t appreciate that until I left the citadel. Coming back, I’m amazed at how easy it is to take the world for granted, especially if you don’t see the way it really moves. I thought that things stayed how they were in the Citadel, but I can’t help but feel I was wrong.

    It could just be the increasing number of Illusions that’s making me feel this way. My mother is a powerful illusionist, you would think I’d be able to spot one instantly. But one side effect of being completely unable to cast a spell is that I’m almost completely unable to resist spells. I keep putting up shields, but most aren’t designed to absorb the full impact of spells. I’m not the only one having issues. Johnathon and Zac seem to be alright, but Julia, Rachel and Michael seem to be flagging. 

    There’s nothing to do but remember how the world should work. Up is up, down is down, the grass is green, and the sky is blue. That only goes so far when you’re dealing with a mage who knows that the sky can also be cloudy and that no field is ever perfectly grassy. The rapid shifts are difficult to manage. It doesn’t help that I don’t really remember what the outside of the Citadel looks like. I ran through this place as fast as I could when I left. 

    “You shouldn’t be here. You need to leave now.”

     Why does she keep trying to scare us away? She won’t have enough power to stop us once we get there at this rate. Is she scared that she can’t stop us? I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. I’m tired and I just want to get this over with.

    “Stop it. Stop trying to hurt us. Stop trying to convince us to leave you alone. I know you’re weak. I know you’re scared. But I don’t care. I’m tired of having to pretend you’re a good person. I don’t want to be on the run my whole life. Either skip to the part where we fight you or kill us off and be done with it.”

     Sometimes I forget that the enchantress is watching us. She’s not much of a fighter, but diss her and you’ll regret it instantly. 

     I flip through the Big Book of Enchantments to my strongest shield spell. I just barely get the spell up in time. Unfortunately, I forgot I was traveling with five other people, and when I look around, there’s nobody but me. 

     I never wanted to fight the enchantress. Until now I’ve spent my life avoiding her. But now, I have to stop her. Even if I don’t know these people all that well, even If I know they don’t like me at all, this isn’t okay. Even if I can’t stop her, I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t try.

    “You shouldn’t have done that.” I say, not sure if she’s even listening. “But it’s nice to know I’m allowed to try and stop you.”

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 8, Zac's story

     In the four years I’ve been on the road, I’ve never felt this uneasy. We’ve been walking for days, trying to reach the citadel, and the closer we get, the angrier everyone seems to be. 

     I think it all started when I asked Jessica why we didn’t just start by going to the Citadel. Everyone knew that Mildred Stonebridge was planning something, everyone knew the only way to stop her was to go to the citadel and show her what’s what. When I mentioned this to her, she just said, “You can’t defeat her. Even if you prove she can’t beat you, she’ll never let you win. She won’t admit defeat, she’ll keep fighting until you either kill her or decide it’s easier to just give up. Once she invited an assassin over and the two got into a fight. He injured her badly, but she kept fighting until he agreed to do what she wanted. It doesn’t matter that we’re stronger than her. We’ll never win.”

    I think she’s crazy. Everyone has a moment where they give in, and if you keep pushing, you’ll go past it eventually. But the closer we get to the citadel, the more nervous she seems to be. We keep asking her for tips, and she’ll either say nothing or say, “I don’t know.” 

    We’re about a day away from reaching the Citadel, and I can’t stop this horrible feeling that we’re being watched by someone. I don’t know who would have a scrying orb this far away from anywhere, or know why they’d be using it on us, but I’ve been on the run long enough to know one when it’s being used on me. 

    Is Mildred Stonebridge watching us? Does she know that we’re coming? Is she trying to stop us? Why does Jessica seem so afraid of her? 

    It’s late now. This orb spell Jessica uses keeps the rain off but doesn’t keep out the noise. I’ve slept outside to long to be afraid of the dark. The stars are beautiful tonight. I remember hearing that back in the days when mages ruled Altra some would look into the sky to see the future. If they were looking into the sky, would they see us succeeding?

    “Well, well, well, Someone’s up past their bedtime.”

     Okay, who is talking to me? I look around to see that everyone else is asleep. “There’s no point in looking, you won’t see me.”

     I stand up suddenly and shout, “Who are you?” 

     “Zac?”

     I turn to see Jessica waking up. “Sorry, I thought I heard someone talking.”

    “This close to the citadel, you probably did. Mages try to keep in practice with illusion spells of all sorts.”

    “Why would they want to talk to me though?”

     “If I had to guess they’ve been watching us ever since we entered the citadel’s zone of influence. They don’t get many visitors.”

    “Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask.

    “They’re mages. I don’t know why you thought they wouldn’t be watching us.” 

    I guess she’s right. I don’t know what mages would normally do. They aren’t very common anymore. “Do you think Mrs. Stonebridge is watching us?” I ask.

     “Yes. Even if she’s asleep, she’ll have someone watching our behavior.”

     “Do you think she’ll attack us?” 

      “Once she knows what we want, she’ll go all out. But we have a while to go until then.” 

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 7, Jessica's Story

     Julia’s just announced that she and Rachel aren’t going to go to Brook’s Hallow. Julia promised her aunt that they wouldn’t go back until Rachel was safe, and she won’t be safe until the assassin gives up. When I found out the Assassin was sent by Mildred Stonebridge, my heart sank.

    “You’ll never be safe.” I told them, “If she wants something, she won’t stop until she gets it. She wanted a child, and she wouldn’t stop pestering her husband until he got her pregnant. When that child didn’t satisfy her, she made him give her another one. Everyone at the citadel gave her everything she wanted, not because they were scared, but to save themselves the annoyance.”

   Then, as I was getting packed to head into the city, Zac walked up to me.

   “It seems to me,” He said, “That you’re very good at identifying problems but very bad at doing anything to stop them.”

    “What am I supposed to do?” I shot back

    “I don’t know.” He admitted. “But you know the Citadel, and you know who this woman is. It seems to me you would have some way that would stop her.”

    “Short of killing her, nothing would.” I said.

    “Then kill her.” He told me.

     I stared at him. “Why would you want me to kill her?”

    “She’s putting everyone’s life in danger. She told the king and queen they can’t accept their son back or else she’s turning the kingdom against them. She’s set an assassin after Rachel and Julia so they can’t rest safely anymore. What else does she need to do to convince you that you need to do something about this.”

    I didn’t say anything to that. What could I say? When I left the Citadel, I promised myself that I would never go back. I was done for good. But now it seems the world will be in trouble unless I go back. And what would I do? I don’t know how to kill people. I destroy buildings, cause panic and mayhem, and cause things to catch fire, I don’t kill people.

   But I know Zac’s right. If I don’t kill her, this will only get worse.

   So I’m going back to the Citadel. The one place I never wanted to return to.

   I’ve never been more scared.

Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 7, Julia's Story

    I’ve been keeping my pocket mirror a secret from the others. I’m a little worried that if they see it, they’ll try and steal it from me. But I have to take it out now. There’s something I need to talk to my aunt about. 

    I flip it open and ask to speak to my aunt. It’s so late I’m sure I’ll have to leave a message, but to my surprise she answers. 

     “What is it, Julia?” She asks me.

     I tell her everything that’s going on, how we met Johnathon, then Jessica, Zac, and Michael, how we went to the capital and couldn’t get any help, and how Jessica now wants to go to Brook’s Hallow because she thinks someone might help Mike. “I don’t know why she thinks that, the only people who know any magic live in the place she just left.”

      “Maybe she just doesn’t want to go back. People like to put off unpleasant things.” My aunt says.

      “I don’t know. I don’t want to go back to the city until Rachel is safe.” I say.

      “Then don’t. Just say you don’t think it’s safe, then leave” She says.

      I look over at where Jessica is sleeping. “She’s not going to be happy about that.” I say.

     “That doesn’t matter. Rachel’s safety comes first.” My aunt says.  

Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 6, Jessica's Story

      It feels like I’ve been traveling for years, though if Julia’s phone is correct, I’ve only been traveling for a month and a half.

   All six of us are travelling to Brooks Hallow. Michael needs help learning how to control his magic, Zac is looking for people to steal from, I don’t want Michael traveling by himself, and Rachel, Julia, and Johnathon want to ask the leader of Magitronics Inc for help. They don’t know what else to do.

     If it wasn’t for The Enchantress, I’d be excited about going to Brook’s Hallow. From what Rachel tells me, it’s on the cutting edge of technology. Not only do they have Magitronics Inc building computers that can use magic, but they also have new artifacts that can sense the amount of magic in an area, project images into your brain, and write down your thoughts for later retrieval. To say nothing about advancements in medicine, engineering, and entertainment. I asked Rachel if it was a big as Portland and she said, “It’s much bigger.”

    I don’t know that much about Brooks Hallow. People at the Citadel didn’t talk much about life outside and almost nobody ever came to visit. What I do know is that, in addition to being a big city, it’s the oldest city in Altra other than the capital. According to Rachel, you wouldn’t know that if you went to visit, because they keep tearing down and rebuilding old buildings. There are a few buildings that are more than a hundred years old, but only because they bring in a lot of tourists.

    I suppose it’s a good thing the Citadel isn’t part of Brook’s Hallow then.

   I’ve been thinking, if we can’t find anyone to help Michael learn how to do magic in Brook’s Hallow, I’ll teach him magic myself. I don’t think going back to the citadel would be a good idea, for either of us.

   I knew magic had moved on, but until I left, I hadn’t realized how far behind we were at the citadel compared to everyone else. It’s not just that, outside of certain niche fields, nobody practices magic as magic anymore, or that even magic artifacts have fallen out of favor, it’s that spells are a lot more complicated, so keeping them balanced is beyond what a mage could hope to do. If Michael had been born five hundred years ago, I would take him to the Citadel instantly to see that he was properly trained for his calling. But everywhere I look, there are spells that could be unbalanced by a stiff breeze, let alone the kind of magic a human can do. I think he’d be better off learning how not to do magic, so that he wouldn’t destroy anything by accident.

    I have to say, as someone who had a lot of trouble learning how not to destroy things, I’m a little worried at the direction the world seems to be going. I know there are benefits to having so many complicated spells, but if someone like me lost control, a city could be shut down instantly. I can’t see how that could be sustainable unless you measured everyone for channeling potential and magic resistance and told everyone who couldn’t manage to control their magic to leave and not come back. Portland had a lot of spells like that, and the capital had quite a few as well. If every city is like this, my only hope is to find a village I can live in or go back to the citadel.

    If I get the chance, I’ll ask Rachel’s mother what she plans to do about this. Surely, she’s aware that this is a problem, and maybe I can convince her that it isn’t fair to force people like me to live in the middle of nowhere. If I can’t do that, then I think our future is very bleak indeed.

Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 6, Michael's Story

     “So you’re telling me that The Enchantress thinks you stole the thing that gives her power and is trying to capture you to take you back to the Citadel?”

   “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

    “Then why did my parents kick me out of the palace? Were they lying when they said she was going to turn the kingdom against them?”

    “I don’t know. I don’t know why she does anything or what she hopes to accomplish. All I know is that she wants power and respect for herself.”

   “Then why did she go after the kid. Does he have some sort of power she can use or something?”

   “No.” I say, “I don’t.”

   Everyone turns to look at me. I gulp. 

   “Didn’t you say that she came to your village shortly before you were chased out?” Jessica asks. 

    “I don’t know. All I remember is the local kids ganging up on me and saying a strange woman came to town asking about me.”

   “Did you see her?”

    “No.” I say, holding back tears. “They tried to beat me up, so I asked Colonel Jones for help, and he came and beat them up. Then later that night, Papa said the Great warrior had been stolen and tried to take him away from me. Then he kicked me out.”

    The others look confused. Johnathon walks up to me and says, “Michael, who is this Great Warrior? Who is Colonel Jones?” 

    Everyone is staring at me. I’m scared. 

   “My Papa said that long ago, when the first Artifacts were being made, A mage gave us an Idol that could be used to summon the Great Warrior. The mage said that as long as we paid our respects to the Citadel, we would be protected.”

    Jessica nods, “That’s sounds like something We’d do.”

   “Did you steal it?” Johnathon asks, in the same tone Papa used whenever he was about to yell at me. 

   “I’ve never even seen it.” I yell, and then burst into tears.

    Johnathon looks at me and says, “Alright then. Can you tell me who Colonel Jones is then?”

   I pull him from my pocket. “He doesn’t look like much, but when you’re in trouble he’ll come to you and save you.” I say.

    Johnathon reaches out, but then Julia stops him, saying, “Don’t touch that, Johnathon. It may have been a kid’s toy at some point, but it looks like it’s absorbed enough magic to become dangerous.”

    Johnathon turns to her. “It’s an Artifact.”

   “I don’t think so. But it isn’t to far away from being one.” She kneels down to look at Colonel Jones more closely, “I wonder if that mage came to warn about unstable magic being used in the area. I don’t know why they didn’t think to track where the magic was coming from.”

   “If they were from the citadel, they may not have thought of that.” Jessica says, “Artifacts didn’t catch on in the Citadel the way they did everywhere else. Anything that made it there was old and horribly out of date. It could also be that they knew someone was doing unregulated magic and didn’t think it posed much of a problem. Items at the Citadel become infused with magic all the time. Unless they blow up, nobody cares.”

   Everyone looks at her. “You’re saying the citadel has Unregistered Artifacts?” Julia says.

   “I suppose you could say that. We bribe off any government inspectors who come by and we denature everything once someone dies or leaves, so it’s no big deal.”

    “It’s a very big deal.” Rachel says, “People get killed when they deal with unregistered artifacts. Sometimes without even touching them.”

    “Does that an anyway justify kicking someone who made one without meaning to out from his village?” Jessica says, looking at me.

    The group goes silent. “Look, I realize what he did was dangerous, but young mages put people in danger all the time. You don’t punish them for it, you keep them under watchful eyes and teach them how to use their powers safely.”

    “Nobody learns magic on their own. Everyone has to learn it from watching somebody else.” Julia says.

   Jessica glares at her. “Not if they’re naturally gifted. Some people have so much magic, it can go off and hurt others. If you don’t teach them how to control their powers, you’re dooming them and anyone who goes near them. Since nobody thought to do that in Michael’s case, he put his power towards this.” She says, pointing at Colonel Jones. “The only thing to do now is for someone to teach him how not to do powers, then he can go back to his family once his action figure has been denatured.”

    I sniffle, “What if the other kids try to hurt me?”

    “I’m sure whoever decides to teach you can show you some basic spells to throw them off. You won’t need his help anymore.” Jessica says.

    “Who’s going to teach him?” Johnathon says, “I don’t think anyone in the palace would, and most people don’t know how to perform magic.”

   “We’ll find someone in the Citadel to do it. After all, they are the one’s who provided the Idol in his village. If they won’t help, then I’ll teach him.” Jessica says.

    “Are you heading back to the Citadel then?” Zac says.

    Jessica looks at him. “Not until I know why The Enchantress is trying to take me back.”

    Zac shakes his head. “Why offer if you won’t actually help?”

    “I’m going to help.” Jessica says, “But The Enchantress is dangerous. I’ve been on her bad side my entire life. I fully expected her to welcome me the same way Johnathon’s parents welcomed him. I have no idea why she wants me back so badly, and I don’t want to go near her until I figure out why.”

    “And how are you going to figure that out?” Zac Asks.

    “I don’t know.” Jessica admits.

   “We have experts back home.” Julia says, “Maybe they can help.” 

   Jessica looks at Julia and says, “Do you think they can teach Michael how to do magic?”

  “Probably not. They should be able to determine if he can control himself or not and come up for a plan if he can’t.”

   Jessica looks at me, “What do you think Michael?”

   “I don’t care. I just want to go home.”

   “Then it’s settled. Our next stop is Brook’s Hallow.” 

Thoughts on writing a novel

     I have to say, now that I’m about halfway through the first draft of Big Book of Enchantments, writing novels is oddly fun. I don’t think this first novel will really be good, mind you, but it’s fun to try to keep writing the same story day in and day out.

     It’s also very exhausting. I leave writing sessions feeling tired, even though I haven’t done anything physical. 

    I have high hopes though. I feel like I’m proving to myself that I can write something like a novel. I didn’t really think I could. I think we should push more people to take on big projects they’d enjoy, especially if they don’t think they’d do a good job. Even if I suspect people won’t like Big Book of Enchantments now, it still feels like a huge deal just to write this thing. 

     So go out there and do something that you want to do. Even if you don’t do a good job, you’ll feel good about yourself. 

Plans for The Big Book of Enchantments

    I know all my readers are eagerly waiting to learn what will happen next in the Big Book of Enchantments. Okay, that’s not really true. As of right now, nobody’s reading my blog. But I decided I should plan out what I want to do next with this story, since I’ve been mostly winging it up until this point, and since I don’t have any readers, why not turn it into a post.

     Chapter six will start with the group agreeing to go to Brook’s Hallow, followed by the group learning about each other’s past and what their goals are. It will end with Jessica agreeing to help Michael learn real magic so that he can go home safely. Chapter seven will start with the group arriving in Brooks hallow and learning that Julia’s aunt has been taken over by The Enchantress, and once Julia saves her, we learn that the only way to stop her is to go to the Citadel and destroy the Book of Knowledge for good. Chapter eight sees the group stopping at a town on their way to the Citadel and Zachary sees the man who was the owner of the ring he’s carrying guarding a prison. After giving the man his ring back, he promises to repent once he goes back home. Chapter Nine finally sees us at the Citadel, where we learn that The Enchantress has trapped everyone in an illusion and is using their magic to take over Altra. Jessica manages to prove that the Book of Knowledge is a fake, freeing everyone. The spells collapse causes the Citadel to Collapse, destroying it for good. The story ends with our hero’s unsure of what to do next.

     That’s roughly the plan, but that’s not how the story will end up. I plan on rewriting the whole thing once I’m done and then self-Publishing it somewhere. That’s probably going to be a while though.

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 5, Jessica's story

    As I watch Johnathon enter the palace with Julia and Rachel in tow, I can’t help but wonder about what it would be like to live there. I don’t feel all that jealous, since it’s in bad repair and even I know the King and Queen don’t have much power these days, but it would be nice to live in a place where you felt like you were a part of something, not just a girl who no one wanted to be around.

    I sit down in front of the palace walls. I should be getting up and hustling but to be honest I find charm selling to be deeply demoralizing. Back at the citadel, the only thing I was ever praised for was my charm making skills. Out here, nobody seems to care. That could be because I’m mostly using what I can find in garbage cans, but I worry I’m doing something else wrong. I don’t know what to do.

    Michael sits down next to me. “Do you want to go in?” I ask.

    “No. I don’t think the King and Queen would care about a common boy.”

    “Well, when Johnathon gets done with his errand, we’ll see about finding a library. I’m sure there’s some explanation for what happened.”

    “Shouldn’t you be selling charms?” Michael asks.

    I sigh and stand back up. He’s right. I may hate doing this, but it’s better than the Citadel. Or so I keep telling myself anyway.

    I feel somebody grab my shoulder. “Are you related to Mildred Stonebridge by chance?”

   I jerk out their grasp. “Absolutely not.” I say. Then I see who grabbed me. Mr. Jones, one of my mother’s goons from the Citadel.

    “Do you really think I believe you?” he says, then he points behind me. I look and see a wanted poster materialize. I don’t quite see what’s written, but I recognize the portrait anywhere. “Lady Mildred is offering quite a large reward to anyone who brings you back to the Citadel.”

    I open the Big Book of Enchantments and start flipping madly. “Why would she want me back?” I ask, knowing Mr. Jones is dumb enough to explain why.

    “Apparently you took something very important to her. Without it, she can’t run the Citadel.”

   I find a spell that causes disorientation. I center it on him and cast it. One advantage to being unable to cast spells yourself is that you can find a center for magic very easily. Unfortunately, I see a cop starting towards me. He apparently thinks the Big Book of Enchantments is some sort of unregistered artefact. I cast the spell on the cop as well and then bolt as fast as I can, pausing only to grab Michael and drag him up.

   “What’s going on?” Michael yelps.

   I don’t bother answering until we’re several streets away. “The enchantress is after me. One of her goons just tried to kidnap me.”

    Michael gasps for breath. “Look, lets find a place to lay low for a bit. Then we’ll go find Zac. He should be able to help.”

    “Bit late for that.”

   I turn to see Zac behind me. “Oh, thank goodness,” I say, for the first time in my life grateful to see someone I know breaks the law, “I think we’d better leave the city while we can.”

   “What about Michael?” He asks.

   He’s right. The whole reason we came here was to help Mike. But I’m scared to go to the palace with The Enchantress’ goon so nearby. I flip through the Big Book of Enchantments. I don’t have an invisibility spell on me, but a good illusion spell should work.

   “Wait.” Michael says suddenly. “Let’s find Johnathon first. He was going inside to help Rachel, right? Maybe he could help me.”

    “That’s a good point, why don’t we watch the palace to see when he comes out? Then we can talk to him.”

    “And what if he can’t help?” Zac says.

    “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” I say. “For now, let’s lie low. I don’t want to get caught again.”

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 5, Johnathon's story

     I must say, after being away from home for so long, I’m struck by how shabby the Capital looks. I have to wonder if giving the public so many tax cuts was wise. Michael and Zac don’t seem to notice it, but I’m sure Julia and Rachel have. Jessica is so absorbed in writing in her diary all the time, I have to wonder if she notices anything at all. 

   We’ve been waiting at the palace gates since dawn. Zac wandered off somewhere a while ago, Michael and Jessica are looking for people willing to buy charms. I don’t know why anyone would want charms in this day and age, though I must say that Jessica is exceptional at making them. I wonder where she learned.

     Jessica walks up to me and asks, “Do you know how late the palace is going to be open?”

     “They usually close a couple of hours before dusk. Why?”

     “Michael got kicked out of his home a few weeks after someone from the Citadel paid a visit. I would like to ask if anyone knows what’s going on.”

    “Are you going to ask the king and queen?” 

    “I don’t see why I would need to. Servants tend to know a lot of secrets.”

    “What makes you think they would know this?” I ask.

    “If someone from the citadel is going around casting enchantments, I’d be willing to bet that The Enchantress is involved somehow. She hates having people ignore her, and that’s all anyone’s been doing since she took power at the Citadel. I think she’s looking for a way to take over the country and make everyone do what she says.” 

     “Who’s this enchantress?” I ask. The terms so archaic I don’t know anyone who uses it anymore.

    “It’s what I call Lady Mildred. She doesn’t deserve any respect.”

     I sit and think. I don’t know a lot about the citadel. I know that it was once The Place you went to for any magical advice, but that was over five hundred years ago. Once magic artefacts became cheap enough, the need for people who knew how to cast a spell went away completely. 

    “Does she really think she can take over the kingdom?” I ask, “We have armies of people ready to fight her if she tries.”

   Jessica frowns, “I know it’s unlikely, but when I lived in the Citadel the first thing they taught us is never underestimate another mage. Even if they can’t cast as well as you or channel any magic, a good mage always has a plan. Don’t assume you can beat them easily, even if you came prepared.”

    “So, in short, a mage is like an assassin.” I say, chuckling. 

    “Didn’t you learn any magic? I know the castle has a library with more books on magic than anywhere else in the Kingdom of Altra.” Jessica says.

    “Only spells that work well with swordplay. Magic on its own isn’t that helpful. How’s the charm making going, by the way”

     “Not well. I’m beginning to think I’ll need to try something else.” Jessica says

     “Zac seems to be making enough money.” I say.

      “Well, he’s been stealing for years. I hope I don’t have to, but I’m not sure I’ll have a choice.” Jessica says.

     I have to sit for a while and absorb this. I knew Zac didn’t live on his own, but for some reason I didn’t think he was a thief. “Zac’s a thief? And you’re still willing to travel with him?” 

    “I don’t like it either. My parents taught me the value of personal property. But he doesn’t have any other way to survive, and I don’t want to force him to go back to his parents.”

    “Why not?” I ask.

    “Because I know what it’s like when your parents don’t love you and your forced to live with them anyway. I don’t know if that’s why he left, but Michael hasn’t stopped talking to me about how much he wants to see his family and Zac never brings his parents up at all. Besides, if I left him, I’d have to be on my own again. I could probably do alright, but it’s nice to have someone who knows what he’s doing with me.” 

  At that moment the palace gates open. I say good by to Jessica, and motion to Julia and Rachel to follow me. It doesn’t take long for me to notice that something is wrong. Nobody’s stopping me, of course, but everyone keeps staring at me in an uncomfortable fashion. 

    I stop before the throne room and ask the guard for permission to approach. I fully expect to be turned away, my parents are always busy, but the guards open the doors and announce, “The prince of Altra has returned, your majesties.”

    I walk forward slowly. My father seems deeply annoyed, while my mother wrings her hands. “I hope you aren’t going to try to stake your claim to the throne.” My father says gruffly.

    “No, your Majesties.” I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking too much. “I come here to plead on behalf of Rachel. She is being unjustly pursued by an assassin.”

    “Who is Rachel?” My father asks.

      Rachel steps forward and does a small twirl. You can tell she doesn’t spend a lot of time with royalty. 

     “I don’t seem to recall meeting you or your family. It’s not my job to look after common folk.” Father says.

    “She’s not common!” Julia shouts.

    Father looks like he’s about to have her thrown out. I step up and say “With all due respect, she’s the daughter of the owner of the Magitronics Corporation. I understand that the assassin who’s after her was sent after by none other than Mildred Stonebridge herself.” 

    I feel the air leave the room. My mother doesn’t talk about her family much, but I get the sense they must have history. 

    “Get out.” My father growls. 

    “Hang on a minute. I was told you could help. Are you going to tell me that you’re just going to let an assassin kill a little girl? Don’t think you could handle the PR, buster.” Julia says, glaring at father.

    “Young lady, we would help you if we could, but we can’t. My sister put a spell on this place. If we go against her, she’ll turn everyone in court against us. We could die. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find someone else to help your sister.” My mother says, sighing.

    “Now get out.” My father yells. “And son, don’t come back. I don’t know why you thought you could just leave, but as far as I’m concerned, you forfeit your right to the throne. If I see you again, you’ll be treated as a commoner.” 

   We leave the throne room in disgust. “What kind of spell could just turn everyone against you?” Rachel asks. 

    “I don’t think such a thing exists.” Julia says, “I’ll bet you anything they just wanted to get rid of us.”

    “Mother wasn’t lying.” I say, “She knows magic well. If she thinks it’s a threat, it’s serious.”

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 4, Jessica's Story

   Today me, Zachary, Michael, Johnathan, Julia, and Rachel arrived at the capital. It’s smaller than I thought it would be. I know Portland is bigger but, even taking that into account, this place feels small and shabby. To be honest, it reminds me of the Citadel, in that everything here is old, about to fall apart, or both. 

   When we arrived, Michael was deeply moved. He said he’d never seen a place as nice as this. Zac said he spent a lot of time here until the head of guards kicked him out. He doesn’t think it’s all that great. My impression is that this was once a great a noble city, but as the country started to outgrow the need for a king, it’s fallen off of everyone’s priority list. There’s something great about this city, beneath all the grime and decrepitude, but it would take a strong person with a passion for change to really bring it back to its glory days. 

    Johnathan says he used to live here. I wonder, how would he like the Citadel. It’s the oldest place in the entire kingdom, or so I was told, but as we’ve walked to the capital, I couldn’t help but notice how out of place it is. When you look at pictures of the Citadel from a hundred years or so ago, it looks almost identical to what it’s like now. But even when I got to Portland, I was struck by how different it was from the pictures in my history books. I remember hearing that the Citadel was once the place every mage tried to enter, it was where all great magic was performed. When artifacts began to get traction, power was drawn elsewhere, but the mages of the Citadel were able to hold their own against the changing tide. But now artifacts have gone out of fashion. 

    I remember a visitor to the citadel telling the enchantress “This place is dead. It would be better for everyone if it was gone for good.” The enchantress was furious. I thought he was just dumb, as most outsiders are, but even the Capital has changed more than the Citadel has. My biology teacher once said that everything, dead or alive, is subject to change. When will the Citadel change?

***

    Tomorrow, Johnathan, Rachel and Julia are going to meet the king and queen to ask if they can stop the assassin that’s harassing Rachel. Zac says he’s going around town looking for wallets to steal. I’m not proud of relying on a pickpocket, but it’s hard to make ends meet just by making charms. No one wants to pay that much for them. I promised Zac I’d look after Michael. 

    My plan is to look around the capital for any news about the Enchantress. I know she’s after me for something, and she apparently went after Michael for some reason. I know she’s related to the queen’s sister, and Johnathan think’s the queen is connected to the Assassin that’s after Rachel. I’m guessing she’s plotting to usurp the throne in some way. 

    The enchantress always complained that nobody outside the Citadel took her seriously. At the Citadel, if we were ever rude to her for any reason, she would curse us. If you were lucky, you got turned into a toad. If you weren’t, you would feel total unending pain for three days. Outside the Citadel, nobody cared about her. The elders wouldn’t let her curse guests, and she knew that if she cursed anyone from the outside without very good reason, the queen would execute her. She hated that. She was the one in charge of the Big Book of Knowledge, the one artifact that the Citadel held claim too, an artifact that was built before most of the other artifacts were. It’s powerful, but so unstable that no one who isn’t from the enchantress’ bloodline can use it. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. When I was about five, she lost her ability to use it, and now she can’t even touch it without getting burned. As time has gone on, she’s kept her position as leader of the Citadel, but has lost influence. In fact, last month, just after my thirteenth birthday, one of the teachers forgot to bow to her. You’d have thought Armageddon was coming based on the spell she let loose. 

    So, I’m guessing she’s going after people to show that even without the Big Book of Knowledge, she’s a major threat and everyone should take her seriously. I don’t honestly think that’s going to work. She’s a mage, but from what Julia told me mages fell out of fashion almost two hundred years ago. Any magic you could want is done by computers these days. 

    I need to learn more about life outside the Citadel. I was told when I was little that since I can’t cast spells, I could never be a proper mage. Julia and Rachel both say that not only have they never cast a spell on their own, they don’t know anyone who has. And they’re related to the owner of a Magitronics corporation. 

   Zac says he doesn’t know much about what normal people do. He hasn’t even gone to school in years. Michael says his teacher told him that raw magic was dangerous and if we saw anyone performing it, they should tell an adult. 

     My first memory involving magic was me accidently blowing up a wall in one of the dormitories. I can’t cast a spell, but I channel magic like crazy, and when I was very little, I was prone to accidents. Not minor accidents either. I melted books. I set tables on fire. I cause rooms to be filled with horrible voices. But when I blew up the dormitory wall, it was the last straw. The elder’s banished me to a tower high above everything, and said I could only come down for meals, schoolwork, and to study in the library. I still live there today, even though I’ve figured out how to control my magic.  I learned that if I channeled magic into something, and then used it for a spell, I could set of my magic in a way that was harmless. But that wasn’t enough for the Elders. 

    I wonder what my life would have been like if I had been born outside the Citadel. My accidents would have been a lot more dangerous for normal folk, and there wouldn’t be anyone who knew how to manage my problems. Maybe Julia’s aunt could have gotten me something to do the same job as my notebook. Every time I feel magic surging, I pull it into my notebook, and at least once a day I look through it for a spell to cast and then cast it, somewhere where nobody will get hurt. Ironically, all my practice writing, and casting spells has made me one of the best spell casters in the citadel. 

   I need to make more charms for tomorrow. I know Zac says no one wants them, but I’d like to have at least a little bit of honest money in my pocket. If I have to become a thief to survive, I will, but I don’t want to go that route unless I’m desperate. Mind you, I was perfectly honest, but the enchantress’ awful husband still stole all my money. I guess that means I shouldn’t steal. I don’t want to stoop to his level. Ever. 

The Big Book of enchantments, Chapter 3, Zac's story

     My friend’s call me Zac. My enemies don’t call me anything. Not because I don’t have enemies, but because all my enemies are the kinds of people who don’t care about a kid who decided to leave his family at the age of six. 

     Most people who know my story think I’m nuts. I guess I am. I was the kid who couldn’t learn anything, no matter how simple it was. I guess it makes sense I would think it was a good idea to leave home at six, and to still be on the road years later because someone like me will never learn their lesson, no matter how often it’s spelled out for them.

    I can’t even remember why it was I left to begin with. I think it had something to do with looking for my real parents. See, even though my mom and dad were alive, still are as far as I know, they didn’t like me at all. I think I had some brothers and sisters, and I remember them getting the lions share of my parents’ attention, but I don’t remember it clearly. The only thing I remember about my birth family clearly was the day I brought a report card home from school with a note saying I needed to be held back. I left the day after that.

    I can’t remember what they said that made me leave, all I remember is sitting in the closet in my room bawling my eyes out. I remember seeing a book belonging to one of my brothers or sisters, about a kid who got left on someone’s doorstep and was on a journey to find their birth family. I remember thinking “maybe I’m like that kid. Maybe my real mommy and daddy are out there missing me.” 

     I don’t know if that’s why I left. I do know that if I thought that, I didn’t look very hard. I just wandered from place to place, leaving when local residents drove me out. A few people tried to put me in an orphanage, but I just broke my way out. Nobody tried to find my birth parents. 

     But one day I found something special. I was walking one a road going somewhere, I’m not sure where, and I found a ring lying on the ground. It wasn’t anything special, just a silver band, but written on it were the words, “I will love you forever, Maggie.” When I saw it, my heart just started beating like crazy. I thought “This is it. This is how I find my family.”

    That was about two years ago. I haven’t found who, if anyone, it belongs to. 

***

    The nice thing about traveling with royalty is that nobody suspects you’re a thief. I’ve been stealing to get by ever since I left home. Jessica keeps telling me that I shouldn’t steal things because she can make charms that’ll let us get by. I say dream on. Charms are going the way of magic artifacts these days. 

   I don’t steal anything from people who’ll be ruined. I look at people and guess how rich they are and how much of jerk they are, and if I think they’re mean I swipe their wallet when they aren’t paying attention. I told Jessica this and she asked me “How do you know for sure they weren’t just having a bad day when you met them?” I said, “I don’t know, but I don’t have to look to see where they keep their wallets, so I’m willing to bet I can judge character pretty well.”

    I don’t think Jessica’s comfortable with me stealing. Why she hasn’t left I don’t know. It’s not like she has to put up with me. From what she’s told me, she left her family the same way that I did. 

    Maybe she doesn’t think she can make it on her own. She did say she comes from a high-class family from someplace called “The Citadel”. She might just need me to take care of her. Or she’s just looking to take advantage of me. 

The Big book of enchantments, chapter 3, Julia's story

Warning: the following story contains adult language       

My aunt isn’t very religious, but she says that if people think you believe in nothing, they won’t want to buy things from you. So, every week, we head off to the temple to hear about how there are gods watching us and making sure we learn important lessons so when the time comes, we can save the world. I don’t believe a word of it.

     I haven’t seen my mother in eight years. When I was really young, I lived with her and a cramped and dirty apartment. Actually, there were a lot of apartments, but they all kind of looked the same. They were always only one room, or at least only one bedroom, always falling apart, and always filled with mold. When I was small, I had terrible asthma. I don’t know why we moved around so much, but I think it had something to do with either debt collectors or gangs. I remember a lot of shady people in our apartments, and I remember my mom taking a lot of strange men back to her bedroom or chasing me out of the place we were living in. I don’t think I need to tell you why. 

    I didn’t go to school back then. I knew school existed, but mom never bothered to enroll me. As long as I wasn’t bothering her, she didn’t care what I did all day. Bothering her often meant being in the same room as her, from what I remember, so I avoided her.

     Outside was heaven. Not that anywhere we were was great, but it was much better than being with my mom and seeing what shady shit was going on. I didn’t have a lot of friends, mostly because I spent a lot of time rummaging through trash. I think I was looking for food, but I soon learned there was all kinds of stuff there if you kept looking. 

     The best trash was the stuff by rich people’s homes. If you got lucky, you could find broken Magitronics. I would collect them and try to put them back together. Sometimes I couldn’t, because I couldn’t find manuals, but sometimes I could, and I kept getting better and better. Or maybe just lucky.

    When I was seven, Mom finally had enough of me. I don’t remember what broke her. I think it was just seeing my aunt on tv and realizing she couldn’t have that life because she wasn’t that great with magic. So she sent me away to Brooks Hallow, where my aunt lived, so she wouldn’t have to see me again.

      In hindsight, I was supposed to go straight to my Aunt’s house and beg her to take me in, but young me didn’t get that Mom didn’t want anything to do with me anymore, so I figured I’d wait it out on the streets until the clock ran out, then I could go home. I had a return ticket with the departure date. So I went to the streets and lived off of what I could find and steal.

       I lasted three weeks. The police found me and realized immediately that my departure ticket was fake. They also realized that what my mother told me was mostly a lie. I didn’t want to be sent to my aunt, but when I realized the alternative was the orphanage, I let them take me there.

     I don’t know why my aunt never contacted my mother. I didn’t know my mother’s phone number, or even her name, but my aunt has more money than almost anyone else, more than enough to get rid of unwanted family members. 

     Maybe she kept me for the same reason she goes to the temple every week. One more way of assuring the public that she’s the good person she isn’t. 

    I had nowhere else to go. It was clear that most of my aunt’s servants felt the same way about me that she did, but I consoled myself with the fact that I could escape to the streets, the way I always had. That lasted until that fall, when my aunt enrolled me in school.

      I hate school, but that first year cemented that I would never excel in anything. Thanks to collecting instruction manuals, I could read better than anyone else, but I couldn’t write or do math. I was put into a class for people with learning disabilities. I hated it. I felt bored most of the time. Worst of all, my aunt didn’t want her reputation ruined when it came out that I wasn’t smart, so she had her servants overload me with as much homework as possible so I could keep up with my classmates. 

     Things got better after Rachel was born. Funnily enough, my aunt didn’t even realize she was pregnant until I pointed it out to her. I know she wasn’t showing, but it’s not like it’s that hard to tell if a woman’s pregnant. She was frightened until Rachel was born. She hates children, but I like to think she hate’s Rachel a little less. 

     Rachel’s a good kid. She’s smart, cute, great at sports, the kind of kid everyone wishes they could have. I like her mostly because when she was born, my aunt hired Mathilda to be her nanny. Mathilda doesn’t like me anymore than my aunt does, but she’s always been nice to me, and helps me when I feel like I can’t take living with my aunt anymore. 

    I can’t wait until I can leave. I’m better at school than I was, but I’ve made no friends. The only good thing about living with the aunt is that, since she owns a Magitronics corporation, I get to see them being made. I’ve learned a lot since I first got here, and I own a lot of them and can fix them up myself. The nice thing about magitronics is they don’t care about how good you are or how smart you are. If you know how to fix them, they can’t ignore you. If I wasn’t as stupid as I am, I would love to be a magitronic’s engineer. 

    I just wish that we weren’t on the run. People don’t care if we’re on the streets, unlike when I was younger. I always thought that Rachel wouldn’t have to learn what it’s like when people don’t like you. I wish she didn’t have to learn now. 

The Big book of Enchantments, chapter 3, Rachel's story

     Mathilda used to warn me to never, ever go on an adventure. Adventures don’t get work done or make the world a better place. No matter what people say about adventures, there only purpose is to see the world. They don’t promote growth, they don’t bring understanding, they don’t even help people make money. The world, she often said, would be better off if we just stayed home and did what our parents told us to do. 

    Then a man entered the nursery unexpectedly. I wouldn’t have been frightened, but Julia was there, and I didn’t want her to be hurt. Julia doesn’t have a lot of magic. So I grabbed the wand Mommy gave me for my birthday, and flung a spell at the man. I think I hurt him. I hurt a lot of people when I throw spells at them. 

    Mommy found out there was a man after me. I decided to leave. I didn’t want that man to hurt Julia or Matilda. I’m strong enough to fend for myself. But Julia wouldn’t let me leave by myself. She told me, “I know you’re a lot stronger than I am, but you’re still eight years old.” So I brought her along.

     It turned out alright. Julia’s not a strong mage, but she used to live on the streets. She knows how to live on next to nothing. That didn’t help when we had to sleep out in the open so much that my clothes got filthy and filled with holes. Then we ran out of money.

     Fortunately, Julia’s a whiz with technology, so she took on jobs for money. That meant that the assassin could follow us again, but fortunately, he isn’t that bright, so we were able to hold him off. 

    I wish we could go home. I miss Mathilda, Mommy and all our servants. Julia says we’ll be home soon, but I don’t think she means it. Julia can be mean sometimes, but she’s always been nice to me. She told me once that, “I can’t understand how you came into this family. I belong in this family but the world doesn’t like me much. I guess it’s a good thing you don’t belong in the family, because the world might just like you more.”

    People do like me a lot more than they like Julia, but people would like Julia more if she wasn’t mean so much of the time. Mathilda thinks so to. Julia says she doesn’t care that people don’t like her, but I think she’s lying. Mommy has people over for dinner, and I often see Julia in the corner looking sad when people don’t talk to her. 

   Johnathon says he can get the assassin to stop attacking me. I hope he finds a way to make Julia happy. She keeps saying that when she turns eighteen, she’s leaving us and never looking back. I don’t want to lose her. 

    Why can’t she stay with us? Why doesn’t Mommy care if Julia leaves or stays? Why did a strange woman send an Assassin after me when I’ve never even spoken to her in my life? 

    I don’t know. I just wish that Julia and I could be happy. 

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 2, Jessica's Story

    Every year at the citadel, the adults would put together a camping trip that anyone under the age of fourteen could attend. I never went. I was already hated by everyone in the Citadel, I didn’t want to spend hours at a time with my many enemies without any books to read. And they wouldn’t have wanted me to come along anyway. 

    I’ve come to regret that since I left the Citadel. I read every book I could find in our library about wilderness survival, but nature doesn’t really look the same in real life. The trees are much bigger, the plants all look mostly alike, and I’m never quite sure the water’s safe to drink even after I purify it. I was so excited when I made it to Portland because I knew the food was (mostly) safe to eat and the water from the taps was safe. But we had to leave, and now we’ve been walking for days, trying to survive on what we can find or what we can get strangers to part with. Zac’s been a godsend. He’s lived on his own since he was six and knows how to appear menacing or innocent if the situation calls for it. Michael and I have a lot to learn.  

   “My father kicked me out of the house for being stupid.” He told me one day after we stopped for the night. “I couldn’t get anything over an F at school and I kept running into things at home. He told me if I couldn’t shape up I should just leave. So I did.”

    “Didn’t your mother say anything?” I asked. I know parents can be truly terrible, but I find it hard to believe that people would be cruel enough to kick their small child out of the house because he was awful at math.

   “I don’t know.” Zac said. “It was years ago. If anyone said anything, it wasn’t enough to get me to stay home.” 

   From what I understand, Michael is in a somewhat similar situation, but what I don’t understand is why his family would kick him out for trying to give his father his doll, er, action figure. I find it tacky, but if the worst thing my sister ever did was offer me her Lulu Christie dolls, we’d be best friends instead of very bitter enemies. 

    “Are you sure he wasn’t cursed?” I asked Michael at some point. In books, whenever someone does something cruel, they are either evil or cursed.

    “I don’t think so. Papa doesn’t deal with magic all that often.” Michael said. “Though he did get a bit weird after that lady came to visit.” 

    “Which lady?” I asked.

   “I’m not sure. She looked very big to me, but Mama said she’s small for an adult.” He seemed unsure.

   “Don’t you remember anything else about her?” 

   “Not really. She was a little bit like you.” He said, pointing at me, “If you weren’t standing right there, I’d forget you even existed.” 

   We sat in silence for a moment as I swallowed the urge to say, “Why thank you for the gracious compliment.” When I wouldn’t have meant it at all. Instead, I said, “Did she do any magic?”

   “Not that I noticed, but I’m not good at magic. I think she had a mages badge though.” Michael said.

   “Did she wear any fancy jewelry or have any embroidery on her clothes?” I asked.

    Michael wrinkled his nose. “I think she had both.” 

   I don’t have any proof, but I would be very willing to bet that the enchantress paid him a visit. The fact that he couldn’t remember her is a good hint in and of itself. And anyone wearing fancy jewelry who wasn’t at some sort of party probably comes from the Citadel.

   See, it wasn’t that long ago when items imbued with magic were common. Not many people could afford them but anyone who could bought as many as they could get away with. While a lot of magical artifacts had everyday uses, such as beating eggs or washing clothes, the most popular were the ones with one very specific application: killing people as quickly as possible. 

   The artifacts that could kill could be in almost any shape and size, but the most common were wands, jewelry of various sorts, and specially embroidered clothes. Whole kingdoms rose and fell because they had access to the best woods for wand making, or the best materials for fancy vests and coats. But then one day, someone discovered that you could use computers to do the same job more cheaply and with a wider access to spells. Everyone wanted a computer after that, and the old magic artifacts fell out of fashion. Except for in the Citadel. 

   See, time moves slowly in the Citadel, hence the lack of indoor plumbing or central heating. Despite the fact that Magic artifacts had been in common use for about five hundred years, they were only just starting to catch on in the citadel when computers came into use. But everyone who lived at the Citadel took one look at computers and said, “Humph, it’s useful for those who don’t already have magic protecting them. Anyone of us can do what these things can do by just thinking about it. What use have we for these little toys?” 

   As a result, they still were embroidered clothes or jewels, and that’s mainly just for show. Any mage worth their salt knows the only reliable magic is the one you can perform by yourself. So any magic artifacts we keep on us just uses spells meant to disorient or confuse, not hurt or kill. We can do the hurting and killing on our own.

    Or, at least, most of us can. 

****

   We’ve come to our first village outside of Portland. I know there was a name for it on a sign somewhere, but I don’t remember what it said. I think it was something like Dog’s End or Hog’s Breath. It’s not a very large village, but it’s the only one for miles, and the towns people all know it and as a result are charging us way too much money for everything we might have wanted to buy. 

   We can’t afford to stay at the inn, and none of us think it looks safe, so we’re camping somewhere out of town. We’d worry about getting rained on, but I brought a copy of a spell that creates a water impervious shield for a ten-foot radius around the user. It doesn’t do anything for privacy, so we often try to sleep off the road if we can. 

   We were walking away from town when we saw some travelers walking towards us. I was going to ignore them, but then I felt a spell go off. Specifically, it was the shield-masters talking shield spell, supposedly the most widely used among assassins, but in reality it’s mostly used by people trying to prank people who don’t have any magic to defend themselves. I’ve been on the receiving end of far too many of these spells. Deciding I didn’t have the energy to argue with a wannabe spell master, I opened my Big Book of Enchantments to the cancel spell and cast it. I must have been fast, for the spell collapsed in a way that suggested the caster hadn’t had time to finish casting it. I looked around for the person responsible, but didn’t see anything, although it felt like someone was using an invisibility spell not far away from where we were. Maybe I should have been scared, but I was tired of people attacking me because they think I can’t fight back.

    “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to fall for that? If you were as sneaky as you think you are, you wouldn’t attack people in a public road in broad daylight. Go back to your mother. I’m sure she’s worried about her sweet little boy missing his Din-Din.”

    I turned to make sure Michael and Zac were alright, then saw that one of the traveler’s had a sword out. “Are you really planning on fighting us?” I asked, wondering why it was I had to deal with so many idiots at once. 

    The idiot with a sword jumped and shielding it. “The sword wasn’t for you, miss, it was for the assassin who just tried to ensnare and kill us.”

  “Do you really think that was an assassin?” I said, putting my forehead in my hands.

   “Yes it was.” A shrill voice piped up. “The Enchantress of the Citadel sent it after me and Julia.”

    I turned to see what looked like a young girl and her older sister. “Did she? Did you tell her that yes, the pants she was wearing did make her butt look big?” I smiled, but I’m not sure I was joking.

   The older of the two, I assume it was Julia, turned to me and said, “I don’t know what got into that woman’s head, but she sent an assassin after us, so far we’ve managed to avoid him, I don’t know if we’ve just gotten lucky or if assassins are normally this incompetent. I really hope I don’t have to learn.”

     I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m one of the few people in the world who know just how mean the enchantress can be when she doesn’t get her way.

   “So are you on the run until he gives up in disgust?” I asked. I figured that if I knew what was going on, I might be able to help.

    “No,” said the idiot with a sword on his back, “I’m taking them to the capital city, where my mother can sort out this mess for them.” 

     “You’re going to the capital city?” I said. “Do you mind if we tag along?”

    “What for?” He asked.

    “Firstly, Michael here was kicked out of his home a while ago for reasons that sound very suspicious to me. I strongly suspect that a curse was involved, and I know the capital city has the largest library of magical tomes in the kingdom of Altra. Secondly, I just ran away from home a month ago and would like to find a place where I could live without worrying about being shipped back to my parents. Thirdly, I’ve never been to the capital City, and I would very much like to see it for myself.”

  “You ran away from home?” He asked me. 

  “If you’d spent you’re entire life in the Citadel of Magic, you’d have run away from home too.” I replied.

    He looked at Zac and said, “And what about you, are you on an errand for your parents?”

   “Nah,” He said, “I’ve been on my own for about four years at this point. I just go wherever they won’t throw me out.”

    “You don’t have a family?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

    “Is it any of your business?” Zachary replied.

    He shrugged and said. “Well, alright then. If we’re going to be travelling together, we may as well introduce ourselves. My name is Johnathan, and this is Rachel and Julia.”

    “I’m Jessica.” I said. “And this is Zachary and Michael.”

    “Can we get going?” Julia said, “It looks like it’s getting dark, and I want to be in the village before it gets too late.”

     “Why don’t we just sleep outside? I have a spell that’ll keep the rain off.” I said.

     “Does it do anything for privacy?”

    “No, but It’s much cheaper than an inn.” I said. “I don’t think there’ll be much of an opportunity to make money until we get to the city.” 

   Julia, Rachel, and Johnathan exchanged glances. “True enough.” Johnathan said. “Fine, then, let’s find a place to camp.” 

The Big Book of Enchantments, Chapter 2, Johnathan's story

    I was the crown prince not that long ago. Heir to a grand and magnificent kingdom. A kingdom as old and vast as time itself. In every library in every province there are books dedicated to our grand and magnificent history. I was to rule over that. I would have been a kind, just and fair ruler. I would be the kind of ruler everyone says is amazing, without actually describing what about me was amazing. That was the future planned for me at birth. And I threw it all away.

    I left home not long ago with nothing but the clothes on my back, a sword from the armory, and what money I had in my dresser drawer. I’ve been wandering aimlessly for about three months now. I keep waiting for the moment mother sends out an officer to find me and bring me home, but that hasn’t happened. I’m beginning to think it never will.

   Who am I kidding? Just because I was first in line for the throne doesn’t mean that I would have been an even remotely decent ruler, even if I’m the tallest in my family. Everything requires so much administration that my father barely has any role to play in our leadership anymore. Or so I’ve been told at least. My mother likes to say that our role is to hold the kingdom together in a way that politicians could never do on their own. If that’s the case, couldn’t they hire an actor to play king? It would be a lot more convincing than seeing me kissing babies.

     “HELP!”

     Oh goodness, what now. There seems to be a young woman in distress. Well, I wouldn’t be a trained knight if I couldn’t save a damsel. “Don’t worry my lady, I’ll save you!” I cry out, before lifting my sword and charging in. Then I feel it, a strong net of magic surrounding me. And not just that, there’s a soft hum in the air. I know this hum. Every heir to the throne is trained to sense it from the time their old enough to lift a sword.  There’s an assassin nearby.

   “Come at me, foul fiend, and face me honorably in a fight to the death.”

   A voice speaks without sound. Clearly, this assassin is highly skilled. “Do you think that’s wise, young fool?”

   In truth, I don’t, but my fighting master always told me “In the heat of battle, never show fear.” I take a fighting stance and say as loudly as possible “Wisdom has nothing to do with true bravery.” Not the best fighting words, I really should have practiced this more before I had my first fight to the death.

   “What are you doing, idiot, you’ll just get us both killed. If you don’t have any fighting skills, then get out of the way.”

     I turn to the young woman and yell, “If you would kindly shut up, I’m trying to save you from almost certain death. This assassin is truly ferocious, if you were to fight him without help, he would kill you instantly, before cutting up your corpse to send back to your family piece at a time.”

    “What are you talking about? You’re the idiot trying to fight with a sword. Nobody with any sense fights using swords anymore. Did you grab the family heirloom on your way off to have your first adventure?”

    “Hah”

    A bolt from the heavens, or rather something that feels an awful lot like a bolt from the heavens, strikes some where close to us. I’m about to yell at someone for nearly roasting all of us, before realizing that the strange net surrounding us as vanished. I can’t tell for sure, but I think the assassin is gone. I doubt he or she is dead, no assassin worth their salt doesn’t prepare for the worst, but for now we seem to be safe.

    I turn to the young woman to thank her and see a young girl by her side. She seems to be about seven or eight, if I had to guess I’d say eight, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. Her clothes look expensive, or at least they look too expensive for anyone who isn’t very wealthy to buy for their children. She’s holding a stick up into the air, or maybe it’s a wand. All of the wands we have at the castle are handmade by the best craftsmen in the land, and I’ve never used one that wasn’t ornately built. But this wand, if it is a wand, is little more that a stick that’s been sanded smooth. It doesn’t seem to have been built to hold spells in it for more than a few seconds. But then again, the reason why every member of the royal family is taught swordplay is to make our opponents underestimate us, so we can get them with a spell we have prepared in advanced. My father taught me that the only way we could win was to make sure our opponents never knew how strong we actually were. Maybe this wand, if it is a wand, works by that same principle.

    “Good morning young lady,” I say, bowing to the little girl, “Do we have you to thank for saving us from that dastardly, devilish assassin.” 

    “Yep,” she says, cheerfully, “I kept trying to attack him, but he wouldn’t stay still. But when you started arguing with Julia, he just froze in place, so I could take him out with a spell instantly.” She shook her head somewhat sadly, “He’s been following us for days, but every time he’s tried to kill me, we’ve taken him out in less than a minute. I don’t think whoever’s paying for his services was willing to get the best, if you know what I mean.” She says with a wink.

     I know I do. People in the court are a lot more subtle with the things they say about politicians, even my father and mother. My father doesn’t do a whole lot, but he could still make life unpleasant if some one makes him too angry, or so my mother says.

    “I don’t think he’s a low-class assassin. Low class assassins can’t afford high level spells like that. Then again, it’s hard to find someone highly skilled who doesn’t have morals. Luckily for us all.”

    “So what exactly was your plan there?” The young woman asks.

     I turn to look at her. She looks about fifteen I’d say, with most of her head shaved except for a small patch at the top of her head. Her clothes don’t look as expensive, but they’re too well maintained for her to be a simple member of the populace. Looking at her, I have to assume that she’s related to the little girl, for they have the same hair color and eyes, and nearly the same face shape. The young woman doesn’t seem to like smiling, though.

    “Before revealing my amazing and incredible fighting secrets to you, I’d very much like to know your name.”

    “Why, so you can harass me?”

     “Oh, my, no, it’s so when I get threatening letter telling me I’ll be killed, I’ll know exactly who they’re from.” I try to smile so that she knows I’m joking. She doesn’t seem to find it funny.

     “I’m Rachel,” The little girl says, “And this is my cousin Julia.”

    Julia turns to Rachel and says “Rachel, don’t tell strangers your name. Don’t you remember that the reason we’re fleeing from Brooks Hallow is that Mildred Stonebridge paid for someone to kill you?”

    Stonebridge? Why does that name sound so familiar? I think for a minute, and then I remember, it was my mother’s last name before she married my father.

    “Would this Mildred Stonebridge be related to Regina Laurence Stuart by chance?” I ask.

    Julia turns to me and says, “How would I know, until a few months ago, I didn’t even know she existed. She came to visit my aunt Cecilia about six months ago and all she did was try and suck up to my aunt as hard as she could. It’s too bad she has no skills anyone would want at this point. When she left, we all just kind of forgot about her you know? She’s just not a memorable person.”

    I try and think back to what I’ve heard of my mother’s relatives. I know she was born in the citadel of magic, and I know she had three sisters, one older and two younger than her. I don’t recall her saying all that much about them, only that the only one of the girls who stayed in the citadel was her older sister, and that was only because she had to.

   “Does this Mildred Stonebridge originate from the citadel of magic by chance?” I ask.

    Julia squints. “I don’t remember. I think so though. I remember her going on and on about her origins, but my aunt said it wasn’t anything worth bragging about.”

   “If this is Mildred Stonebridge of the Citadel of Magic, then you might be in luck. My mother’s maiden name was Stonebridge. If you were to talk to her, we could get this cleared up and your cousin could go back home.”

   “And what if this isn’t Mildred Stonebridge of the Citadel of Magic? Will we be stuck wandering forever looking for somewhere that assassin won’t come after us?”

    “Of course not. My mother has friends in very high places. I’m sure she could pull some strings to make sure you and your cousin will be able to go home safely.”

   Julia looks at Rachel, “What do you think, Rachel?”

   Rachel shrugs, “I don’t think he’s lying Julia. If he’s right, then we’ll be able to go home without anyone getting hurt.”

   “I guess it’s worth a shot then.” Julia says.

                                                                           ****

   I didn’t think I’d be heading home so soon. I know it’ll be at least a week before we get to the capital city, but I’m already feeling very nervous.

   It’s about an hour before we reach a dirt path. “I think if we follow this path, we’ll reach the main road eventually.”

    “What, do you have some amazing sense of direction or something?” Julia asks.

     No, I say, pulling out one of the maps I bought when I first left home, “I’ve been wondering around for a few months now. I’ve learned a few tricks to navigate. This looks like a human maintained path. It should connect up with the main path eventually. All roads lead to the capital after all.”

    “Your mother lives in the capital city?” Rachel asks.

    “My entire family does.” I reply.

    Rachel looks at me for a moment, then asks, “You wouldn’t happen to be Crown prince Johnathan, would you?”

    I startle, then say, “What makes you say that?”

    “You’re from the capital, and you’re wandering around the countryside with a sword strapped to your back. Mama says that nobody outside of the royal family uses swords anymore. I’ve also heard that the crown prince disappeared a few months back, and you said you’ve been wandering around the countryside for a few months.”

    I think for a bit. I’m going to have to tell them eventually. “Yes, I am the Crown prince.” I say. Perhaps it would have been better to say that I was the crown prince.

   Julia glares at me, “Then why aren’t you back home learning how to be a king?”

   “I was… uh… exiled from the court.”

    Julia raises an eyebrow, “Why didn’t I hear about it then?”

    “I don’t think you would have been important enough to know.” I say, as haughtily as I can.

    “My Aunt runs the Corden Magitronics Corporation. If it happens, she knows it.”

     I have to think. What would happen that would cause me to get exiled that someone as important as the head of Corden Magitronics wouldn’t know about it.

    “My parents tried to keep it quiet. I was deeply embarrassing. If anyone knew about it, it could result in the monarchy being abolished.”

    “Then why are you heading back?”

    “Well, I’m a good citizen of course, and a prince must work hard to make sure all injustices are corrected promptly, no matter how far away from his throne they are.”

    “You do realize neither of us believes a word you’re saying, right?” Rachel chimes in.

    I sigh. I don’t know what to say.

   “Just tell us the truth.” Julia says. “I won’t trust you until you do.”

   “Alright, I, well, I couldn’t…” I trail off.

   “What?” Julia says, angrily.

   “I couldn’t take it anymore.” I burst out.

    Julia looks at me and folds her arms. “Couldn’t take what? The lavish meals, the pretty girls, the endless and interesting conversations with head statesmen?”

    “No. I mean, those parts were, nice enough, I guess. It was everything else that was too much.”

   I pause. I’m not used to talking about this. Not even mother and father know about this.

  “When I was younger, I thought being a king would be fun. You know how it’s like in stories. Kings can say whatever they want, and nobody can complain. But as I got older, more and more people wanted things from me. First my parents, then my father’s court, then the servants, then every single visitor we had. And I started seeing just how little power we have anymore.”

   I stop to catch my breath. Looking at Rachel and Julia, they don’t seem surprised.

  “I tried to keep everyone happy, I really did. But right before I left, everyone just started yelling at me. I’m not even sure what they were angry about anymore. When I finally got some time to myself, all I could think was ‘We don’t even really run the country anymore. My father even says he could get an actor to replace him, and he doesn’t think anyone would know. Why am I even here?’ I left that night.”

  “You didn’t think anyone would miss you?” Julia burst out.

  “Look, I know my mother and father are probably worried sick. I’m also certain that there’s a lot of jostling for position in my absence. I don’t care. I can’t take it anymore. If anyone gets up in my grill, I’ll abdicate.”

   I have to take a breath. It’s hard to talk about this. I’m the heir to the throne. I shouldn’t be so weak.

  “Look, I don’t care if you don’t want to be king. More than a few people I know wish that we didn’t have a king anymore. What I don’t like is you running out on your responsibilities like that.” Julia looks at me and takes a deep breath, “When I was seven, my mother sent me on a train to Brooks Hallow. I remember her telling me before I left that I needed to work for my aunt to pay off her debts. Or something. I don’t really remember. I just know that when I got there, I discovered that she lied, and my aunt didn’t want me at all. To top it off, it was a one-way ticket. I’ve spent the past eight years at my aunts praying I don’t get kicked out.”

    “Why didn’t you get sent back to your mother?” I ask.

    “I don’t know if they couldn’t find her or if she didn’t want me. No one answers if I ask. I think at this point if I do have to go back to living with her, I’ll get legally emancipated.” She looks at me. “Look, my aunt may be mean, but she knows she doesn’t like kids. When Rachel was born, she got a nanny to look after her and I, so neither of us sees her all that often. When I lived with my mother, we were always on the edge. That wouldn’t have been so bad if she’d liked me, but she hated me even more than my aunt does. I still have nightmares about the places we used to live.”

    I don’t really know what to say, so I say, “I’m sorry.”

   We all pause for a minute. “Look, this was all very enlightening, but we need to get going. I don’t think this would be a good night to sleep outside.” I pull up my map to look at it, “Looks like we’ll reach a village if we follow this road.”

   “How can you tell? I don’t see any signs.” Rachel says.

   I show her my map, where the road is glowing. “The royal family learns a lot about old magic. One of the spells we use most often is a spell to tell where you are on a map.” I fold up the map and put it under my arm, “Shall we get going?” I ask.

    “Yes let’s” Rachel says, “I’m tired of sleeping outside.”