Under the Shadow of Darkness: Book 1 of the Apprentice Series Read Free Page A

the wizard on the head. The wizard collapsed to the ground in a heap. The other ghouls fell upon them, mouths open, teeth glistening, ready to bite, ready for blood.
    Bel knew his new master told him to stay inside but surely he would forgive him for coming to their aid. He was a graduate of the finest wizardry school in all the land after all. He wasn’t a First Year. He knew how to do some things. He could help them. Bel grabbed his staff in his hand firmly, placed his hand on the doorknob, turned it and stepped outside into the darkness.
    Ghouls were trying to pull Muolithnon’s fallen body away so Nes’egrinon slammed the tip of his staff into the ground, sending out a tremor, an earthquake, toppling many of the ghouls, then stepped off the front stoop and joined them. Bel shook and fell but quickly scrambled to his feet and ran to Muolithnon’s collapsed frame.
    Kerlith held his stone in front of him while the elder mage lifted his long staff high, both shining forth blinding light and power. The ghouls circled them crying out with increasing ferocity, “Mage blood! Give us some mage blood! Just a drop. Just a little. It is all we ask!” but they cowered from the bright mage-light.
    Kerlith pushed a flash of light into his stone to get their attention then announced, “You will have no blood this evening! Mage or otherwise! Now return to your home and rest. ”
    Somehow, when the young apprentice said “rest” in the mage-language the ghouls calmed. Some reluctantly turned their backs and began walking back toward the forest. Others slouched and looked down at the ground as if they were reminded of who they were and where they belonged.
    Nes’egrinon suddenly noticed Bel in the fray and looked on in horror as Bel held out his staff at a pack of ghouls and hissed, “”
    The group began to hop and dance ecstatically, crying out, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
    The old mage moved quickly to Bel’s side and caught him as he fell back unconscious. He laid Bel’s body next to Muolithnon’s then held his staff high and pushed hard. A bright light erupted from his staff and pierced the darkness. The ghouls sheltered their eyes as the gray mage exclaimed, “ Be gone! Be gone before I become angry!”
    The ghouls paused, looking up at the old wizard, feeling the shine of his power, then slowly, one by one, wandered back into the woods. After the last of the ghouls left, the old mage lowered his staff, allowed its light to extinguish and said, “Kerlith, come. Carry your master inside.”
    Kerlith bent down, threw his master’s arm over his neck and dragged him into the hovel. The old mage reached down and wrapped Bel’s pant legs in his hands and dragged him by his feet, Bel’s head bouncing and bobbing on stones, steps, the porch edge and threshold. Then Nes’egrinon closed the door.
    The gray bearded mage laid his staff on Bel’s crumpled body and said, “” The staff sunk into Bel’s clothing and pinned him to the floor. The old wizard placed his foot upon Bel’s check and pushed, rolling his head over. He crinkled his face and called for the poison to flow out from his body in the old language. Bel coughed lightly as a black liquid slowly leaked from his mouth. Nes’egrinon walked away mumbling, “Fool boy. Why did I take on another? Why?”
    Kerlith said, “Good master? Where shall I place my teacher?”
    Nes’egrinon pointed back at his bed without turning around. “There. In my bed. Lay him on my bed.” The old man poured himself a cup of water from a pitcher and added a pinch of dust from a jar. He addressed Kerlith as he drank, “Is this what they teach you now in that school?” pointing at Bel’s body.
    “No. I don’t know. I don’t know why he didn’t stay inside.” Kerlith wiped the blood from his master’s forehead then added, “I don’t know why he didn’t listen. I would have.”
    Nes’egrinon walked across the small one room