Wielders of Magic, Book 1: A Spell Binding Tale

Tiranous and Edowain walked side by side through the barracks, men all around them training in combat and receiving suits of armor to wear. The Monk Woman couldn't believe how many followers Tiranous had gathered, all she could do was stare and wonder why so many people hated magic users.

It was true, they were a proud bunch, and they did think themselves better than mortals, but still . . . Should they all be slaughtered by it? Should they all be killed because of their magical gift?

"Having doubts my darling?" Tiranous asked, looking over his shoulder at her with wide, blue eyes. He was more handsome than she remembered at first. All she could do was slowly shake her head, hoping he didn't know what she was thinking.

He had a way of finding out though; she knew that as a fact.

"Why do you call me that?" Edowain said without thinking.

"Call you what?" Tiranous stopped and stared at her, a few of the warriors turning to stare at them.

"M-My darling." She replied, her gaze on her boots.

"Because, that is what you are." He brought a hand up and stroked her cheek, a smile crossing his mouth at her discomfort. "Are you saying you are not?" His hand grabbed a lock of her hair and pulled, making her cry out and look up at him with a small amount of fear.

"No, that is not what I was saying exactly . . ."

"Good." He let her golden hair go and took a few steps back. "Come on, we have to prepare the rest of the army. We will send packs out in a few days, to seek out your husband and his little friends."

"Alright." Edowain sighed and followed, holding the side of her head where he pulled on her hair, wondering if she had made the right choice in following him.

Had she?

"Oh no." Lilith groaned, sitting in the tall branches of a tree and looking out into an on coming plain. "He is sending out packs to hunt us."

"What?" Rentham shouted and snatched the spy glass from her. "There is more than fifty there! How many people did he recruit?"

"I never knew he had that many followers. We can't compete with that!" Lilith growled and started to climb out of the tree.

"This is terrible." Drusilla groaned, hitting her head slightly against the tree trunk. All the rest of them were talking hurriedly, a loss of hope driving their words. "There is no hope for us-"

"Stop it!" Jackson shouted above them all, making their heads turn towards him. "Rentham and I have formed a plan on what to do about this; we can't just give up."

"That is right!" The fallen king joined in, jumping from the tree. "I have heard of three magic users that can help us defeat his army. They are the most powerful, most skilled, and oldest of any magic user in the world. They can destroy them all, but they need a few people to get them motivated."

"Who are these three and why are they not doing anything about it now?" Rey snapped back.

"Because they do not believe they can make a change. I do, I believe that all three of them united can make this world accept us again." Rentham said in return, looking into their eyes and silencing them with his violet orbs. "One wields dark magic, and he is known as the Darkness. The second is a witch who is neutral to both sides of dark and light magic, and her name is Kekinda the Wise. The third is the Bringer of Light, the Pure Hearted, who wields nothing but pure magic. He has no definite name I remember, he just simply goes as the Bringer of Light."

"Where are these people located?" Drusilla asked as she put her strange, layered pink hair into a long, tight braid. No doubt they would have to fight the pack coming their way, and it there was more than fifty, it would be long and terrible.

Rentham sucked in his breath than slowly let it out in a reply. "I don't know exactly, but they do exist. That I can promise you."

Lilith climbed back into the tree and looked out into the plains. "Guys, they disappeared! They are in the forest I bet you!"

"Ready your weapons and hold your ground!" Rentham shouted.

Jackson started to concentrate, summoning a "webbing" spell that would trap his victims in a web-like structure, holding them in place. He would do this to most of the on coming Witch Hunters, and than his companions would not have a large wave to hit them square in the face.

Drusilla set herself aflame and stood her ground, clenching her teeth as the first witch hunter came into view. Her magical fire rolled down her smooth, milky white arms and into her hands, forming balls of fire that she would throw at her opponents.

Rey drew his dagger and cast a spell onto the blade, making it as large as a bastard sword. He watched in dark glee as green fire spread down the magical blade and across himself. He would have some fun killing the enemy with this spell; he had never done this one before, and was eager to try it out.

Lilith and Jaden drew their swords, magical concentration capturing their souls and setting their sights on the witch hunters. He had given the worrier woman a few lessons a day ago, teaching her what she needed to expect from a Master Blade magic user. Her sword did seem to agree with that magic as well, and it turned out she had the blood to wield Titanium blades . . .

Just like her mother had.

The first witch hunter came through the trees with a battle cry, jumping at Jaden first. The Steel Blade Master jumped at him as well and whipped his twin Katanas across the mans chest, making him fall to the ground. His magical swords had cut through the witch hunters armor, and deep into his chest.

Jaden had no mercy and cut the mans head from his shoulders, soon after running into the pack to fight another.

Drusilla spread her hands out wide, flames licking her finger tips as her first opponent ran at her. She waited until the last second to bring her hand up, dodging the blade and slapping the mans face, making his helmet fly off his shoulders and set his hair ablaze. She than punched his stomach and watched in satisfaction as her magical flames destroyed him from the inside out.

Rey was in a heated battle with one of the witch hunters, swords clashing and green fire flying in all directions. The dark warlock soon had his enemy on his knees, swords locked together.

"You magic user scum can not win this!" The witch hunter hissed through his jagged helmet. "You will be whipped from the earth before I am finished with you!"

"Well, sir, I see you are making promises to people who don't give a hair off of your sorry ass." Rey smiled, his sword beginning to cut through the blade of the mans and down towards his face. "I hope everyone isn't as stupid as you." He gave one more final shove of his blade and cut through the swordsman's, driving his fiery blade into the mans neck and making his throat gurgle with blood.

He looked up into the field and laughed, running to the next challenger who was not afraid of his burning eyes and magical sword.

Rentham ran at two witch hunters at once, a war cry escaping his lips as he slashed both across the chest. They fell dazed as Jackson backed him up, erasing their minds with a memory spell and throwing the memories into the near by trees. They would be alive, but they wouldn't know anything. Their minds were a clean slate.

Jaden cried out as one rather large witch hunter drove his blade down with full force on his slim right Katana, hoping it would not shatter through his strength spell. He growled as his arms began to give way, letting the mans wide blade come closer and closer to his face. He could see his reflection in it, and a spark of fear passed through his mind.

What if he died here and now . . .

Shoving the thought into the back of his mind, he dropped his left sword and placed his hand under his right one, roaring with pain as he forced his arms to push the man back.

The witch hunter stumbled back for a split second, which gave Jaden enough time to grab his other magical steel blade and slice the mans head from his shoulders.

He stopped for a moment, resting against a tree as the battle raged on, no one noticing him for a moment. His arms burned with pain, and no doubt he had torn a few muscles as he had forced the man off of him.

"Drusilla!" He shouted, holding his right arm especially. The Red Witch looked across the battle field, hearing his small cry as she shoved her fire down a witch hunters mouth.

"Yes what is it?" She shouted back, kicking another in the throat and stabbing him with his own sword. She than turned and blasted one of her fire balls in a witch hunters face, making him shriek and stumble back.

"Need a healing spell! NOW!"

Drusilla bounded across the forest floor to him, grabbing one of the enemies swords from a fallen body and slashing an on coming witch hunter across the chest. He fell back long enough for Jaden to stab him through the back of the head, but it was sloppy and caused him to cry out in more pain as his arm wrenched beneath his Katana handle.

"I got ya'!" Drusilla said, a small smile crossing her face as she called a book over to her. She quickly flipped through it as Jaden tried his hardest to defend. Every slash was a pain, every stab was shriek, but he persevered to protect his healer.

"Have you found it yet?" He groaned, cutting a rather small witch hunter through the throat and slapping another in the side of his head with the flat of his blade.

"Got it!" She looked up, her fire going out as her eyes flashed blue for a moment.

Jaden paused, feeling the tingling repair of magic singe his torn muscles together. He was stronger now, and he felt better than he had in years. "Wow! I feel GREAT!" He turned around and slashed three men at once in one graceful sweep, making them stumble back. Drusilla watched in amazement as his strange fighting style shown through his quiet and secret demeanor, taking down each opponent with lethal, beautiful skill and dance.

"W-Whoa." She gasped.

"Didn't expect that much awesomeness did you!?" Jaden laughed, stabbing a witch hunter in the face as he did so.

"Whatever!" Drusilla replied, a smile crossing her face and her fire rekindling. "Get back to work!" She ran off into the battle field, destroying more of the terrible men with her magical flames.

Lilith bounded across the battle field, taking down some in one blow of her large sword. She had trained with it since she was little, and her mother had shown her some of the tricks of the trade, but over all she had forgotten until Jaden had shown her yesterday. Her skill was amazingly fast, and enhanced! It was easy now, to take down her enemies in two blows; some times even one!

She was starting to realize that magic might not of been as horrific as she had thought . . .

Over all, they thought the battle was going well, but the companions had started to tire and their fighting skill was getting a little sloppy as the hours progressed.

Yes, it had been hours, and more just kept coming. They wouldn't stop; more and more packs came after the first was defeated, and soon they realized they didn't have a chance.

Not today at least.

"We have to retreat!" Jackson shouted at Rentham, punching a witch hunter in the face with a strength spell cast on his fist. The mans scull was crushed beneath his touch, and he pulled his hand back with disgust, shaking the blood from it. "We can not hold out! There is hundreds against six! SIX!"

Rentham looked out as the next wave started to come, his eyes looking disappointed and helpless.

"We have no chance against them!" Lilith cried. "We have destroyed two packs already, a third would kill us all!"

"She is right." Drusilla added, gasping as her magic started to sap her usually abundant strength.

"Please, we can't stay here anyway!" Jaden said, coming up beside him. "Come on!"

Rentham looked at the next group of witch hunters and sighed. "Alright. Lets go."

The companions all sighed in slight relief, taking to their heals and darting out of the area. They jumped over bodies as the pack behind them gained on them, swords drawn, battle cries striking small amounts of fear into them every second.

Running was never their intention. They expected to hold their ground until everything was dead at their feet; but sometimes in battle you have to run, to fight another day.

Today was that day unfortunately.

"Rey!" Jackson said, coming up beside his brother as their ran. "You have to teleport them out of here. I don't care where you put them but you have to get Drusilla away."

"What about you?" Rey asked, Jackson stopping and turning towards the pack which was only a quarter of a mile away. "I am not leaving you behind."

"You have no choice. Save them, I will hold the pack off until than." Jackson sighed, looking Rey in the eye. "Tell our sister good bye for me and . . ."

"What!?" Rey snapped, trying to hold back tears. "What were you going to say? This is idiotic! I can not leave you behind! That is not happening! Brother mine, please!"

"Rey!" Jackson grabbed his brother by the shoulders. "I have to do this. I know a spell that will take them out in one shot, but I have to get close, and there is no going back. Save the others, take them away to find the three magic users, save our race! Make the world except us again!"

"Jackson please . . ." Rey's voice trailed off into a sob. He covered his eyes with a hand, trying desperately to control his emotions.

"You have to do this. Take them away, leave me be. I know what I am doing." Jackson paused a moment before wrapping Rey in a tight hug. "Tell . . . tell Drusilla I love her alright?"

"Goodbye." Rey sobbed, backing away with tears in his eyes. "I would of staid with you until the end, dear brother."

"And you did." Jackson smiled and than turned to the quickly approaching pack of witch hunters. "GO NOW!"

Rey turned and darted towards the confused companions, all stopped and wondering what Jackson was doing.

"What is he doing? Where is he going?" Drusilla said, obviously frightened. Rey didn't answer, only started to chant in front of them.

"Jackson!" The Red Witch shouted, trying to run towards him. Rentham soon picked up on the attitude of the dark warlock and grabbed her, holding her back as Reys spell started to take affect.

"JACKSON!" Drusilla screamed, the fallen king pulling her away from the sight of Jackson, watching in horror as he set himself on fire.

"I heard once that there was a self destruction spell a magic user could cast upon himself. It is very complex, but it has a very wide blast that can disintegrate the mightiest of foes." Jackson said to her, the two of them sitting around the fire after Grevich was killed. "But I alone have mastered it."

"You are not going to use it right?" Drusilla asked in fear.

"No, not today. But if it protects you, than yes, I would use it without another thought." He smiled and looked into her pink eyes, watching as he stared in horror. "But be thankful that is not this day. I would not like being blown apart anyway."

"N-No . . ." Drusilla gasped in fear as she was being carried through the dimension door Rey had cast. "JACKSON NO!"

He turned and looked her in the eye one last time, a smile crossing his flaming face as the witch hunters closed in on him. Suddenly the fire enveloped him and he was blown to pieces, a giant wave of power disintegrating the hunters around him. She screamed as the door was suddenly shut behind them, a forest appearing in front of her horrified eyes.

"NOOOO!" Drusilla shrieked, grabbing Rey by the collar as he stifled his emotion. "Open the door back up damn it! REOPEN THE DOOR!"

"Oh name of the gods!" Lilith gasped and fell to her knees; the realization her brother had just exploded sinking in.

"I can not open the door." Rey replied, tears streaming down his face. "Besides, you would not like to see what was left."

"No!" Drusilla fell to her knees, her voice a ragged cry that was long and drawn out, echoing through the night in their unknown location. "Jackson why couldn't you just of come with us . . ."

"It will be alright." Jaden said, running to her and wrapping his arms around her. "I know what that is like, to see someone you love dearly to die right . . . right in front of you."

"Jackson." Drusilla moaned, burying her head in the assassins chest as he tried his hardest to comfort her. "I never got to say goodbye . . ."

"I know." Jaden bit his lip, trying hard not to cry as well; images of his mother flashing before his mind. He hadn't been able to say goodbye either.

"Rey." Lilith called, her voice as normal as possible. Apparently it hadn't quite sunk deep enough to have an emotional response. Her brother, her only brother now, went to her, both wondering how they would get through this.

The Spellbinder family was a very tightly nit one. After their father had left, all they had was each other, and the death of one was like part of them being ripped out of their soul, leaving nothing but a jagged, gaping hole that nothing else could fill but each other.

It was a terrible, yet amazing bond; and though most families think they have such a love for each other, theirs was even more passionate.

Blow two was placed upon their hearts. First it was their mother, now it was Jackson.

How many more would they lose to the gaping, jagged claws of eternity? How many more would die at the hand of witch hunters?

How many more would suffer in a world so terrible as this?

"We are suffering no longer." Rentham shouted. "I swear upon the gods we will change this world! We will defeat all those who appose us, all of them who deem us unworthy to live! I swear upon my own life and my fallen wife that I will have my revenge! JACKSON DID NOT DIE IN VEIN!" No, he did not, dear reader.

No he did not.