A Darker Shade of Sorcery - - (leveled readers .txt) 📗

from a myriad of evil forces. Or, whether you want to return home, everything back the way it was.”

“Will I be able to see my family again?”

“Yes, one month a year we arrange for Venators to visit their home realms, or holiday on others. I like to visit Oonari realm, the beaches are just… oh, sorry.”

Padrake appeared to remember himself. “If you choose to stay, one of our Masters will visit your family and alter their memories so they believe you’ve gone off to a boarding academy. If you choose to leave, we will alter your memory so all this never happened and inject a chip into your arm to nullify your sorcery.”

“What,” she stammered, “you can take it away?”

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“There’s no way to take your sorcery away, but a few centuries ago our allies in a neighbouring realm created a computer chip which will dull your magic, also making sure demons or Dark-Venators can’t sense you either.

“Many believe sorcery chooses them for a reason, that it’s their destiny to destroy the evils that threaten the realms. But we won’t force you. Your life could be in danger on the missions you’ll embark upon. Becoming a Venator is a risk, but our stronghold will train you in all areas so you’re equipped to deal with it all, from liaising with the fae-folk, hunting fire-goblins, or slaying rabid Minotaurs.

“Oh, and one more thing. On your visits home you can tell them nothing of magic, demons or other worlds. You’d be putting them in danger if they knew, but you can help them; you can help all humans. You may not think it now, but all of us at Veneseron will be your family.”

Her family might’ve never felt like a proper family and Brooke had never been close to any of them, but knowing she might only see them for a month a year was hard. Not that she ever wanted to see Adam again anyway, not after what he’d done.

“I’ll give you some space. You’ve got a lot to take in.” Padrake said quietly, departing the room.

She felt numb. Slowly but surely it was dawning on her. Everything she'd ever known was gone. Replaced with this…she didn’t know what this was.

Brooke gazed out of the window, at the vast city gleaming at her in the distance.

What else is there to find out?

She walked to the other window and pulled back the curtain. It was early morning as she gazed upon the same fields she'd been carried across last night, now wrapped in a thin veil of mist. Further on, she could make out the trees of the sinister forest from last night, except now the forest appeared inviting and beautiful instead.

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Then she noticed the two suns in the sky. The twin balls of fire were rising above the forest, their light staining the treetops. They looked like Earth’s sun, just doubled.

As she stared in amazement, a shadow fell over the window. Before her a gargantuan reptilian shape soared, its serrated wings spread wide. She keeled backwards, almost falling over.

The dragon flew through the sky, landing on the outskirts of the forest and bowing its great head. A red and white blur raced out of the trees and mounted the behemoth.

The monster rose again and took off into the sky, soaring towards the Fortress. The dragon was metres away before it arced up and away, over the castle towers.

It was Arantay. She'd just seen Arantay riding on the back of a dragon!

As Arantay and his mount faded from view, Brooke fainted.

*

Evan sat back in the chair, his face in his hands, peering over the top of his fingers at Tarensen, who stared stoically back.

“You know everything you just told me, I wouldn’t have believed a word of it if I hadn’t just seen it for myself.” Evan shook his head.

He was struggling with all Tarensen had said, but a rising excitement was building within him. Evan couldn’t deny he'd secretly wished for something similar to this. Not demons, that was worse than the mind-numbing boredom of his life, worse than bullies. But sorcery, fantastical creatures, whole different realms. He knew an intrinsic part of himself yearned to be a part of this ever since he could remember.

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If the images of those terrible demons weren’t burnt into Evan’s mind, he might’ve struggled more with all he’d seen in this world. Two suns, moving statues, and people wielding bizarre objects, whilst riding stranger beasts.

The Fortress itself was enough to make him gasp in wonderment, but before he could process it all Tarensen had led him directly into the middle castle.

If Evan thought the stronghold looked impressive from the outside, he'd been astounded when he saw the inside. Walls of gleaming stone, shimmering each and every colour, wide sweeping staircases, ceilings so high he couldn’t make them out.

Everything tingled with this (there was no other word to explain it), magical energy.

Tarensen had led Evan all the way to the castle’s top floor and his quarters. Evan started to realise that everything in this place was huge, as if built for giants.

Tarensen's chamber was littered with intriguing objects, ranging from a miniature city contained in a glass jar where the inhabitants were microscopic, to another jar filled with a murky liquid and a slumbering creature that resembled a tiny octopus crossed with a bat.

Tarensen had demanded Evan tell him everything about the demon attack before he told Evan about the world of Veneseron. From the different ranks of training to what Evan was eventually expected to do. Go to different worlds and hunt demons!

Tarensen told Evan it was their job to protect the humans on Earth and other races on other worlds, to stop the dark forces gaining power. Evan couldn’t absorb any of it; little over an hour ago all he had to worry about was Ollie and his gang.

Evan took his hands slowly away from his face, staring at them intently. Did I really conjure fire from these things?

The thought had reverberated through his mind throughout the explanations Tarensen had given.

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Evan noticed Tarensen observing him curiously.

He was normal compared to the others Evan had seen in this new world, but he still didn’t look ordinary. Abnormally pale blue eyes stared out of a brutal face. Evan had first mistaken Tarensen as elderly because of his hair, but up close he realised the hair was an unnatural silver, not the grey of old age. His skin was dark brown and toughened like old leather, swelling with hard cords of muscle. He had incredibly broad shoulders and wore a sleeveless tunic that emphasised his muscled arms. His face was deeply scarred, as if an infant had been given a pen and put it to paper for the first time.

“You are strange, Evan.”

He’s calling me strange? After everything Tarensen had said about demons and Venators, about magic.

“You told me you worked the fire element when the demon attacked you, yet you hardly have an aura at all.”

Evan was at a loss for words in how to respond. It’s strange to me too, dude. It’s flipping bonkers.

“Tell me, have you ever used sorcery before?”

“No, never,” Evan replied, staring transfixed at his hands. “Where did it come from?”

“There are countless theories on the origins of magic,” said Tarensen. “Personally, I prescribe to the notion that sorcery comes from inside the very being of we few that are blessed with it.”

“I don’t think I can face another one of those…monsters.”

Tarensen stared at him long and hard. Evan quailed under the intense gaze.

“You will,” he promised. “When we’re done with you, you’ll be ready.”

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Evan didn’t believe it. “What could I possibly do against one of… them?”

“According to you, you've already performed a powerful spell.”

“But it didn’t kill the demon, just stopped it killing me for a second. If you hadn’t come I’d be dead by now,” Evan disagreed.

“By the time you achieve the rank of Mid-Realmer and are ready for missions, I suspect the fire blast you used will be ten times as powerful. You would obliterate a lesser demon,” Tarensen said.

“But- but what if I can’t?”

“You can,” Tarensen snapped, “what more proof do you need, boy? No other Novice here can conjure such a fire spell.”

Evan fell silent. There was so much he wanted to ask, but was scared he'd anger Tarensen further.

“I expect you’ve seen bizarre things lately, yes?”

Evan nodded. Months ago he’d been sure he’d seen an old man step inside a tree and disappear. Only weeks ago he’d seen leopard spotted bats roosting in his school gym. One bat had been smoking a cigar. None of his classmates could see the bats though and Evan had dismissed both instances as his eyes playing tricks.

“Hmm, so you’ve triggered second sight too. That just makes your weak aura stranger. Stand up,” Tarensen commanded, leaping to his feet himself.

Evan stood anxiously, as Tarensen walked round the desk to face him. He then commenced studying him; lifting up both his arms, testing his reflexes and placing two fingers at the crown of his head. Evan felt an ice cold sensation run through him at Tarensen’s touch. He realised it must’ve been some form of magic. Tarensen took his hand away, scrutinising Evan as if he were a bizarre creature.

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“Very strange,” he said again, shaking his head in bewilderment. “Why can’t I sense a single grain of magic in you?”

Evan shrugged helplessly, wishing he had an answer.

“You’re in inexcusable condition,” Tarensen observed. “We’ll put you in physical training first. Perhaps in time your aura will grow stronger.”

Evan blinked rapidly.

“Unless you can perform magic now?”

“I-I don’t think so, sir.”

“Try.”

Evan looked around the room, wondering what he could possibly do that was magical.

Tarensen pointed to one of the flaming torches on the wall.

“Extinguish that flame,” he commanded.

“Er-how?”

“Envision the flame dying out in your mind. Feel the flow of sorcery inside you, use it. You can command the elements. Command the element of fire.”

Evan stared hard at the flickering flame, his eyes squinting as he focused. Nothing happened.

After two minutes Tarensen bid him stop and Evan relaxed, not knowing whether to feel ashamed or relieved.

Do I want to use magic? Do I want any of this?

“What happens now?”

“You begin physical training,” Tarensen stated briskly, “most begin with sorcery training first, but you clearly aren’t ready yet.”

“I mean, forever, what happens to me?”

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“You’ll be allocated a room in Castle-Coterie. Gettelung will look after you there.

Veneseron is your home now, at least for the next week.”

“Does that mean I have to go back?” Evan asked.

“Perhaps. After a week you will choose whether to stay here or go back to Earth, never remembering your week here,” Tarensen said, unfurling one of the many scrolls on his desk.

So that was it? His last