SORCERER (The Elemental Magic Series Book 1) (2 page)

It’s never good when that door gets slammed, never! Alec thought to himself. A small shiver ran up his spine.

Even being fifteen and close to being considered adults they both knew better than to get on the wrong side of Karen.

The boys looked at each other each praying to the gods it wasn't his name that was to be yelled.

"I haven't done anything since last week when I split Mrs. Black’s clothes basket into that puddle!" Alec told his best friend Jake trying to reassure himself.

"I haven't either. I don't think?" Jake replied.

They both sat and stared at one another, awaiting the inevitable. 

"Alexander Michael!!!" Karen yelled.

It was yelled in that way that every boy who's ever been in trouble hates to have their first and middle name yelled. She stood at the fence where they could just see her, hands on both hips!

"Oh crap!" Alec mumbled. It came out more as a half sob followed by a sniff.

"I don't know what you've done but you better hurry or you'll get double." Jake suggested in warning to him.

Alec took off at a halfhearted jog, shoulders drooping and dragging his feet in the hope they might slow him down.

I didn't do anything. I know I didn't Alec thought to himself. He was sure he could still feel the wood spoon on his rear end from last week.

As Alec drew near he could see the squinting eyes as though they were looking though to his very soul.

"Front of the commons now," Aunt Karen said in a flat voice.

Alec spared a look back at his friend as he climbed the fence. Jake was coming at a slower pace, just enough not to be implicated in whatever trouble Alec was in.

Wait! She said front of the commons! Alec shook as he walked.

Normally if any of them got in trouble punishment came at the hands, or rather spoon, of his Aunt Karen at the back of the kitchen. Alec had only witnessed one punishment in the commons and that had been when Old Tom had been caught stealing from the manor house where Mr. Phillips managed the small farm community. Old Tom had been whipped half a dozen times that evening then booted out of the community and told never to return!

As thoughts and scenarios, each one worse than the one before, raced through his mind he stumbled toward the back of the kitchen thinking to cut through to the commons. All the while retracing his memories of the past week, he couldn’t think of a single instance that would warrant punishment.

Suddenly Karen reached out and grabbed his shoulder steering him away from the kitchen door and alongside the building toward the front.

Alec caught a glance of Jake. His mouth hung open and his eyes widened even bigger, there was no doubt where they were headed. Alec hung his head still scared but now resigned to the fact that he was dead. As they came to the front door of the commons Alec was ushered in, more of a push really.

Alec looked up. All the tables and benches were exactly how he had left them after cleaning up from lunch. The benches were pushed under the long tables and the table tops still shined with the polish he’d put on a few days ago.

Mr. Phillips was seated down at his normal table with some stranger as Jake's head peeked through the kitchen doorway having cut though the kitchen.

Mr. Phillips and the stranger stood upon seeing Alec and his Aunt Karen coming down the center aisle. Alec's mind was blank. He doubted he could have even tied his shoes right then. Alec and Karen came to a stop in front of Mr. Phillips.

"Thank you Karen." Mr. Phillips said with a slight smile towards Alec. "Would you mind if we spoke to Alec alone first Karen?" He asked.

"I don't think so, James," was Aunt Karen's short clipped reply. Alec looked at his Aunt Karen in surprise. No one ever called Mr. Phillips by his first name, not that he had ever heard.

"Fine but just remember it's his decision." He said with an almost scared sounding voice.

"Have a seat Alec. This is Mr. Potter from Kingston," Mr. Phillips paused as Mr. Potter gave Alec a nod. “I suppose you should read the letter Mr. Potter here has brought first," said Mr. Phillips looking toward Mr. Potter.

With that the stranger, Mr. Potter, reached into his travel bag at his side producing a green envelope with red wax on the back of it and handed it to Alec.

"You can read?" asked Mr. Potter, looking side long at Aunt Karen and back to him.

"Of course he can, same as every child in this community!" Aunt Karen said with an indignant, "Humph".

Alec took the letter and pealed the wax from it. Opening letter he began to read.

Dear

Mr. Alexander Michael Carter

You have been granted admission to the King’s Academy for the next four years of study and apprenticeship in your chosen field. The study is to commence after your 16th year of birth. Should you accept this appointment, you shall present yourself to the academy three days after summer solstice at the beginning of the semester.

Dean of Students

Master James Farsear

Alec's mouth had fallen open upon reading the letter. It was every young man’s dream to go to the academy and they would teach him to be a warrior like his father. He looked up to the three people in front of him.
      
"How, I didn't apply to the academy. That has to cost like thousands of gold pieces. I ...." Alec trailed off.

"It is because of your father’s commission that you are able to go, him having been a ranking captain. Your father Patten, your mother Sophie, Karen, Master James and I all grew up here. Patten, James and I were drafted into the king’s army shortly before you were born. During the battle of The Slide Patten was killed." A distant look came across Mr. Philips’s face and Aunt Karen’s eyes took on a glassy look. "Your father was a natural. So he made his way through the ranks quickly. I didn't even make Sargent. We didn't know that Sophie was taken by the wasting till after the war had ended. You've been Karen's charge ever since,” Mr. Phillips said.

“With both your parents gone, Patten’s commission is held by the realm. It was Patten’s wish for you to go to the academy. So the realm will be paying for your schooling through his commission. I'll need to send a reply back with Mr. Potter tomorrow." Mr. Phillips told him.

"You mean I do get to go to the academy?" Alec said in surprise. His excitement could be seen on his face in the form of a huge grin.

"We'll talk about it after supper Alec. You go play with Jake for now, he's been holding up my kitchen door long enough." Karen said with a smirk on her lips.

With that Alec bolted for the kitchen where Jake was standing, his head spun with the possibility of going to the academy.

Chapter 2

Karen rounded on James. "It's not enough that they take my brother from me but now they want to take Alec too! He's all that I have left of him!" Karen screamed at them.

James raised his hands in surrender. "You know that's not the way of it Karen." James said with a sigh. "Let's get Mr. Potter settled and then we'll talk."

"Fine, but this isn't over!" She said narrowing her eyes.

James turned to lead Mr. Potter to the guest quarters leaving Karen by herself in the commons.

Once out of earshot James turned to Mr. Potter and asked simply, "Trade jobs?"

"Not on your life," was his reply, cracking his first smile since the beginning of the meeting.

"Well Cole, how is Master James? Still got all his hair? What with all those kids running around under his feet. He hasn't turned them all into frogs has he?" James asked with a chuckle.

"Na, I think he actually likes it there. He'll be happy to see Alec again after so long." Cole said to his once comrade in arms.

"Well I still have Karen to deal with first."

"You think she'll actually let the boy go? She seemed pretty attached to him."

"I hope so. She'll see that it's what’s best for the boy." He said with another sigh. 
      

After almost running headlong into Jake, the two boys tore through the kitchen and out the back door.

"I thought you were a dead man Alec!" Jake told him.

"Can you believe it? I get to go to the academy!" Alec said excitedly.

"Yeah you're going to be a knight and everything!" Jake said happy for his friend.

"Jake I'm not a noble, I can't be a knight."

"Oh, yeah! But you still get to train with swords and stuff! Then you get to go off on big adventures!" Jake said as if in a dream and began mimicking a sword fight.

"Sure but you'll have Sarah all to yourself." Alec mocked batting his eyes.

"Yeah she doesn't even know I exist."

Sarah Clark was one of the few kids closest their age and everyone already said she was a beauty. Both boys laughed knowing neither of them ever had a chance.

Karen came out the back door of the kitchen muttering to herself. "They can't take him from me too. They can't!"

She stood there awhile watching the boys walk back towards the big pond. The differences between the two of them were startling. Alec was a lot slimmer but also had an athletic build. He was the exact opposite of his friend Jake who was tall, broad shouldered and muscular, like most would think a soldier should be, even for a 15-year-old boy.

Alec's short shaggy dirty blonde hair and almost pale complexion was stark against his friend’s short dark hair and equally dark tanned skin. Alec just never seemed to get the tan from being outdoors yet the two were almost inseparable. With a sigh Karen went back to her kitchen to start the evening meal. She knew the boy wanted to go to the academy.

James Phillips came back to the kitchen shortly after. He knew he was going to have a fight on his hands. He also knew it would do the boy good to go to the academy what with turning 16 in less than a month and then legally being a man would have the final say in his life. He couldn't stay a kitchen boy his whole life after all. Now all James had to do was convince Karen it was the right thing for him.

James entered the kitchen and took up a position at the far counter furthest from Karen. Past experience had shown him to stay out of the way even as she started placing wood under the oven.

"I know you don't want him to go Karen." He started.

Karen held up her hand as if to say stop.

"True, but I know it's what's best for him. It's just that he's been more of a son to me then a nephew." She said with a sob.

"We all know you've been taking care of him since his mom died. And you've done a damn good job of it too!"

"I have to let him go, don't I?" Karen asked. It wasn't really a question.

"I’m sorry, I know, I miss them too." was the soft reply.

James went over and wrapped his arms around Karen’s shoulders.

James turned to leave as, Sarah, Karen's helper, came back in the back door. "You're a good woman Karen, just remember that." James told her as he left.

"Is it true Karen, is Alec really going to the Academy?" asked Sarah. She had started helping that spring when Alec had started in the fields.

A nod was the only reply she got. The two busied themselves in the kitchen preparing the meat pies that were to be for supper as Karen occasionally reached up to dry her red puffy eyes.

Talk around the tables that evening was about nothing other than Alec going to the Academy. News had spread pretty fast in such a small community. There was plenty of shoulder thumping and good wishes from most of the field hands as well as plenty of embarrassing kisses on the cheek from various mothers of the other kids as they stopped to get their children from Aunt Karen.

As everyone finished and went outside Alec began to pick up the dishes to return them to the kitchen.

"Leave those. Jake will take care of them for you tonight." Karen said as she led him to the room that doubled as the classroom where she taught all the local kids the basics of reading, writing, math and some history with the few books they had.

Alec let himself be led, thankful to be out of chores for at least one night. She sat him at the right of her table and began.

"I know we don't talk about the war around here very much. It was hard on our community what with so many not coming back.”

“When the war started with Sundaria, many were drafted into the King’s army, Patten, James Phillips and so many more. Many of them were lost in the battle of The Slide and after that the wasting disease came through like a plague, it took just as many.” Karen looked him in the eye.

“I don't want you to go out there and be a soldier just to die at the blade of a Sundarian. The school is more than just for soldiers. You can learn a useful trade or if you must, some of that magic stuff they teach there. They’ll teach you a lot better than I ever could. What I'm trying to say is, find out what you want to do! Don't just follow in your father's footsteps.” She grasped his hand in both of hers. “I love you like my own son, the son I never had. Please be careful." She hugged him around the shoulders as her eyes turned glassy. "Now go get ready for bed. The sun will be up early and the hands will be expecting breakfast."

Alec got up and walked towards the door. At the last second he turned towards Karen and said, "I love you too Aunt Karen. Don't you worry I'll learn all I can and I always do things my own way." With that he turned and made his way to his room.