The Sorcerer's Quest Read Online Free Page B

me impatiently, I reached for the
brass knocker on the solid, huge, and faded wooden door. The sound echoed
loudly. Slowly, the door opened on its own. “I am not going in there.”
    “ Suit yourself. Stay outside with the rabbits .”
    “Rabbits?”
    “ Of course. What else would a powerful magician
use to guard his estate ?”
    I shuddered at the thought of being attacked by a
vicious rodent with sharp teeth and claws before stepping into the dark
interior. The door slammed shut behind me and the fireplace lit itself.
    The room was grand, with a high ceiling and dark
colors. Bookshelves lined two of the walls, there were two chairs in front of
the fireplace, and a large painting of a black dragon hung over the fireplace.
On the wall to my left were two doors. On the right was a staircase that led to
a balcony.
    “Where is your friend?” I asked, turning to Merlin.
Then I jumped back with something between a squeak and a feminine shriek,
because it wasn’t Merlin who stood right behind me.
    The man was a head or so taller than me with long,
black hair, a trimmed goatee, and stone gray eyes. He wore a black robe with a
silver crow clasp at the nape. None of this was what made me shout. Instead,
what made my skin try to crawl off and hide under one of the chairs was the
fact that the stranger was not completely corporeal.
    “You’re a…” My voice cracked.
    The man narrowed his eyes. “I am Vactarus Firesword!”
He held out his hands in a grand gesture and a deep blue glow formed above his
palms, which illuminated his face.
    “You’re a…” My voice cracked again.
    “I am the most powerful magician to ever become
stranded on Caldaca.” The blue glow formed into twin orbs.
    “You’re a…” My voice cracked for a third time.
    “I am the master of this castle.” The twin spheres of
light suddenly burst into blue fire.
    “You’re a…”
    “ Ayden !” Merlin admonished.
    “Ghost!” I finally got out.
    The flames died and the magician crossed his arms and
glared at me. “Yes, I’m a ghost. Do you have a problem with that?” His tone
told me in no uncertain terms that there was only one answer that wouldn’t
result in my immediate death.
    “Um… no. I’m a sorcerer, so, you know… I see g-ghosts
all the time,” I lied. Merlin sighed in my mind. “I’m Ayden. If you’re a
magician, where is your hat?”
    “It was stolen by Magnus, the wizard.”
    “He killed you and took your power?!” I asked,
horrified.
    The ghost magician pursed his lips and looked at the
fire. “Well, no. I tripped over one of my rabbits and fell down the stairs.
Magnus took my hat before I learned to control my new ghost powers. Now I can
never leave my home, so I cannot get it back.”
    “Oh, sorry for your loss,” I said. Merlin made a
sound of disapproval. “I mean… that’s not my problem because I’m a sorcerer and
I have no sympathy.”
    “ A sorcerer knows how to choose enemies and
allies. Vactarus is a very powerful magician and although magicians only use
illusionary magic here, he was once a world traveler and has therefore attained
many artifacts you can use as a sorcerer. You are not yet strong enough to
steal from someone like Vactarus, but you have a common enemy .”
    “So I should make an alliance with him?” I asked.
    “Who are you talking to?” Vactarus asked.
    “Merlin. He’s the wolf and he can talk to me.” The
ghost studied Merlin carefully. Merlin sat on his haunches and smirked. I
shuddered.
    “I knew a wizard named Merlin once. He stole a cushy
job I wanted. We dueled and when I won, he was supposed to buy the drinks.
Instead, he ran off and left me with the bill.”
    “ He did not win the duel ,” Merlin argued.
    “I really don’t care,” I told the wolf. Vactarus scowled,
thinking I was talking to him. “I mean… tell me about it later. I’m going to
defeat Magnus and prove myself to be a master sorcerer. If you would be willing
to provide me with something I can use