Daniel's Early Days: A Young Wizard's Story

Ch. 29 Fire Spell-Before Daniel became a powerful Mage, he was just a boy. Follow Daniel from the beginning as he receives his powers, embarks on many adventures, and learns what true power really is.

Daniel couldn’t believe his eyes. He watched as the ink appeared to sink into the paper and slowly reappeared completely rearranged. The entire spell changed into English right before his eyes.

“I can read it,” he told Pearl.

“Do not read it aloud,” she warned.

“Why not?”

“Because that will invoke the spell, and you should wait for your parents.”

“What’s the fun in that?” he asked mischievously.

“Well, unless you think catching on fire is fun, I would wait.” She said it in an offhand, almost casual way while she seemingly preened her metal wings. At that, Daniel scoffed. He also wanted to tell her that he didn’t think that metal wings needed grooming, but because of the steely tone of her voice he kept his mouth shut.

Still, when he turned back to the book, he opted to silently scan the words. Most of the spell was a description; adjectives about flames and fire’s power. The words had a unique rhythm, but no rhyme. It spoke of fire like it was a living thing; something to be feared and respected, not played with. The spell finished with a very obvious summoning of fire, and the words sent a chill through him, followed by feverish warmth.

Daniel’s eye was drawn back to the fire ball at the bottom of the page. A bit of flame flickered queerly and leapt off the page, landing on the back of his hand. In panic, he dropped the book and was about to use his other hand to brush it away when he realized that it didn’t hurt. The dancing flame didn’t burn; in fact it didn’t even feel hot. It was more of a tingly warm sensation, ant not at all unpleasant.

Daniel glanced at Pearl. She had her head tilted to the side like a curious bird as she inched closer to the rogue flame. Her beak like snout appeared to sniff at it, and Daniel wondered if she could actually smell anything in her metal shell. Apparently, she decided to test the flame further, and she pressed in close to the fiery glow.

The glow spread to her nose, which reflected its warm colors. Abruptly, she snapped back like she had been bitten, and Daniel could see that she wasn’t just reflecting the flame; her metal was absorbing the heat. Her snout was glowing hotly, and she shook her head back and forth in agitation.

A rumbling growl reverberated in Daniel’s head, taking him by surprise and alarming him simultaneously. He was used to Pearl’s voice, but he had yet to hear her growl. It was a little bit terrifying, but more than that, Daniel was concerned for her. A biting pain washed through him abruptly and was over just as quick. The tiny flame on his hand flared up in a brief blinding light before it was quickly extinguished.

“Are you alright?” he asked in concern.

“Fine,” she growled, her anger still piqued. “It is hot,” she mused. “Not for you, apparently,” she added giving him an unreadable look with her metal eyes.

“Did it burn you? I mean, can you…feel pain?” he asked gently. He didn’t want to offend her, but he was far too curious not to ask.

“In a way,” she answered slowly. “I recognized the pain in the same way I might sense danger, but the senses of this tin can are subdued at best,” she sniffed. “It may be that I am just used to the heightened senses of a dragon, but I am guessing that these senses are more…superficial than anything.”

“It didn’t burn me,” Daniel noted in awe. Examining his hand only told him what he already knew: the flame did not mar or burn him in anyway. In the heat of the moment, so to speak, the book had tumbled off his lap and into the flower beds of his mother’s garden.

Carefully, Daniel slipped off the garden wall, making sure he settled his feet in the dirt without trampling anything. Somehow, the book landed right side up, nestled amongst some kind of flowering shrub that grew along this side of the wall.

Reverently, Daniel scooped it up and reexamined the cover. The liquid blue flame was still resting atop the melting candle, but everything was still again. Frantically, Daniel flipped through the pages trying to locate the fire spell. He knew he found it when he saw the fire symbol at the bottom of the page, but now the flames were static. But, what was worse was the words were once again in Latin.

“Ugh,” Daniel groaned disappointedly. Pearl swooped down onto his shoulder to get a better look.

“What is it?”

“It’s in Latin, again!”

“You have to concentrate,” she explained in a slightly exasperated tone, like he should have realized that by now. “You have to feel the magic, and allow it to wash over you. If it is meant to be, the magic will come alive and the spell will present itself to you.”