Title: Smoke and Magic
Author: yamanana
Disclaimer: Yeah I don't own the Smoke Trilogy I really wish that I did… Yeah hears to hoping that Tanya Huff is going to write another book! Hurrah let's hope for a Quartet! Anyway me don't own.
AN: So here is my first story that I am going to delve into the Tony Universe! It is unbeta-ed, so if anyone here reading this wants to take up another challenge PM me! I am hoping this to be a multi-chapter story that is going to be mostly Tony/Lee! Hee hee… yeah so here's to the seven people who actually read this stuff! Thank you and please review!
~yamanana
Chapter 1: Life's a bitch… and just strange sometimes…
Tony Foster was anything but strait, but at times there were things that made him seriously reconsider. The small man holding his Chihuahua in his arms was one of those reasons. Especially that the bitch-fest was coming after breaking up with Lee Nicholas. Lee Nicholas. The same guy that he had a crush on since his first day working on the set of The Darkest Night. Break up. "And we have been getting reports from your neighbors that your room smells oddly of cough syrup. We don't want any reports of you doing or making drugs in there! We are a respectable complex here and don't think for a moment-"
"I understand. You know what Jim can we talk about this later? Right now is not the greatest time."
"What you get dumped by the gorgeous hunk of meat boyfriend of yours?" No don't look down. Shit. Stop tearing up! Goddammit!
"Oh man did he really break up with you?!"
"Yeah, I just need some time to myself now."
"Oh darlin' if you ever need ANYONE to talk to you know that I am just down the hall!"
"Yeah thanks." At least one thing came out from his absolutely horrid day it was the fact that he got out from the spew of verbal lashing. Quietly closing the door behind him Tony walked to his fold up sofa bed and promptly collapsed. Life sucked sometimes. "Well I guess that this is better than having to fight off hoards of invading demons."
No this was not better than demons, haunted houses, or invading wizards. This was officially the worst day of his life. As if to laugh at his torment the Darkest Night theme song rang from somewhere beneath him. "Shit, what is it?" Here's to hoping I don't sound like a sob.
"Hiya Tony! I was wondering when you think that we can get together for my lessons?"
"Brianna?"
"Of course stupid! Who else would ever want you to teach them something?"
"So I take it that you are back from the Virgin Islands?"
"Yep, and I am ready for my next lesson!" Of all the things or people that could have called him it had to be is mini protégé. His boss's daughter had proven not only to be open to the metaphysical but she proved that she did have a bit of talent on her own. Tony was teaching her very basic things seeing that she was only a child and had rather small reserves of energy herself. He was lucky enough to get her out of his hair when he heard that she and her sister were off in the Virgin Islands for an extended month spring vacation trip with their mother. Maybe not so lucky considering how his month of reprieve had just ended. "Tony?! You aren't listening to me are you?! Stupid head! Anyway I'll call you later when I have some free time for my next lesson!"
Yep, definitely the worst day in my entire life.
Knock knock. Wishing that the person at the door would just go away Tony continued to stare up at the ceiling, which was now a very nice light green color. Knock knock. To get up or to not to get up that is the question and the answer is magic. The spy hole spell was one of the spells that he had taught Brianna when she first came to see him about lessons. Good thing was that she got the spell down rather quickly. Bad thing it took some time for Tony to get the right amount of energy down. That day made him plenty glad that he was gay.
Pulling on the right amount of energy Tony lifted his left hand to his right eye and formed an o shape with his pointer and thumb and with a few strange words later a man in a suit was visible through the door. Yeah men in suits never meant anything good. Tony got off of the couch and opened the door to see the man was still waiting patiently on the other side of the door. "Hello?"
"Yes are you by any chance Anthony Foster?"
"Maybe, it depends on who is asking. Are you with the police?"
The man was wearing a very well tailored grey pinstripe suit and was carrying a smallish brown briefcase. His shoes were shiny and looked new. Although his face was not something that one would be able to recognize from the street. The man in the grey suit was very ordinary looking. He was balding slightly and had blue-ish grey eyes. But after the question about the police his ordinary face broke into a widen smile. He went from a nobody to a man that had a very inviting expression on his face. Not that Tony went after middle-aged salary men. I have Lee… had Lee. "No, no! I am not with the police. My organization is far from that. But before I begin to explain anything I really must know if you are indeed Anthony Foster?"
The grin left the face but there was something so compelling about the guy Tony gave in. "Yeah I'm Tony Foster. Why were you looking for me?"
"I was sent by my organization to have you join us."
"Woah, hold on there. What organization? Why do you want me?"
"Would you mind if we brought this inside your apartment?"
"Is this something that can't be said out here?"
The man in grey leaned in and behind a hand said, "Would you like all of your neighbors to know that you are a wizard?"
Bingo. There it was another issue delving into the metaphysical. "Okay you can come in on one condition, do you have a demon gate inscribed on your stomach?"
"Uh, no."
"Okay." The man safely stepped through the wards though they flashed slightly, a color that Tony hadn't encountered before, but he let it go considering that the last time he let someone associated with the metaphysical in is wards were totally destroyed. Things were looking up in his opinion.
Tony led the man to his makeshift table sans folding chairs at the moment. Luckily Tony had just finished doing his laundry and cleaning his apartment the day before so the mess was down to a minimum. "So who are you, what are you here for? Oh and how in hell's name do you know that I am a wizard?"
"Anthony Foster-."
"Call me Tony."
"Okay Tony, my name is Andrew Heideger and I am also a wizard much like yourself." So there are more wizards! I guess it makes sense, Leah was asking who my teacher was so she might have run into a few in her four thousand years.
"I was sent by my organization to seek you out so that you may receive some formal training in regards to the use of your powers."
"Really that's it? You are here to teach me?"
"In all actuality I won't be the one to teach you how to use your powers, I am but a recruiter, but that is what our organization was created for. We are here to make it easy for those new to their power to gain control before anything really… um how do I put it… explosive happen. Though your case is a bit different from the norm."
"What you mean that there is actually a school full of you, um us? And different?"
"Yes, and do you mind if I take a seat? There was a horrible amount of traffic on the Trans Highway today. There is only so much patience that one can have."
"Uh yeah, hold on." Tony went to grab some of the folding chairs that he had stored away in the closet.
"Oh no need! I'll make my own!" Andrew pulled out a ring from his pocket and put it on his thumb. Tony couldn't see much of the detail but there was a large emerald ring on it. It looked real. Then he turned to the spot that he was standing on and swirled his hand around three times. The emerald on the ring began to glow as his hand went rigid. Tony felt a shiver build on his arm and he felt his wards begin to warm up a bit. But before anything could happen a small comfy armchair appeared out of thin air.
"Ah that is much better. I hope you don't mind. My lower lumbar has been giving me problems and all of this humidity has been only making it worse."
Tony was still a little surprised at the amount of magic that had been done in his home. He had looked up conjuring things and Arra had gone into a lot of detail of exactly what it took to even create a match. A lot of long and difficult words and contortions were needed along with ever so precise calculations of what you were going to be creating. That was not even taking into account the amount of energy it would take to create said object. After Tony saw exactly how much studying it would take conjuring took a back seat on the magic coaster. But creating a nice comfy chair would be kind of nice, especially for lower lumbar problems. What kind of wizard had back problems?
"So what did you mean by different?"
"Well I guess that best way to put it is that most of the time we find those able to use their power when they are rather young. You are a very rare case since you just became visible to use very recently and well you aren't very young."
"What are you talking about I'm only twenty four."
"Let me put it this way, you aren't still in your primaries. Most of our candidates are simply put… boys. That is way it makes you a bit of an interesting case."
"I still don't see what is the problem. Why can't I learn with the others? I mean it would be like me going back for a GED or something like that. I once saw this old man in the newspapers who was recognized for finishing his degree after like sixty years."
"In a way you are correct but there are some things that you have to learn over time and by your age most of our candidates are finishing our program." "Wait how many years does it take?"
"For most twelve to thirteen years, some even longer."
"I really don't think that I have that much time to spend on learning magic. Actually I have been doing a fine job on my own…"
Andrew's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. "What?! You have been learning magic on your own?"
"Yeah… That is actually a really long story…"
"Okay apparently there is a lot that you are going to have to explain but I think we should finish this conversation with my superiors."
"Where exactly is your organization located?"
"We have several bases around the world but the closest one is located in California."
"And you want me to meet with your superiors in California… I don't even think that I have a passport…"
Andrew stood up and looked at his watch, "You won't have to worry about travel arrangements; the Organization can deal with that. All you have to do is show up."
"Where?" Andrew reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blank business card that had a holographic sheen to it.
"In two weeks the magic will activate and all you have to do is follow the directions that show up on the card."
"And why do you have this?"
"Have you ever heard of an organization that teaches wizards?"
"No."
"Well there you go."
"Okay you said two weeks?"
"Yes, be ready about three in the afternoon, that's when the card should activate." He pointed to his chair and the green emerald ring lit up. Tony felt his skin tingle before the chair disappeared.
"You shouldn't be gone for too long, a week at most. You can pack lightly. The organization has a nice place in LA."
"LA?"
"Yep."
"You know you never answered my first question." A confused look settled on Andrew's face.
"Eh… what was it again?"
"What is the name of your organization?"
"Oh! It's called Temp Inc."
"What kind of name is that?"
"It is actually short of the Templar. You know as the Knights of the Templar. We figured that when we applied for a business license for a front most of the media wouldn't take to kindly to that name all considering the crazies that call themselves the Knights of the Templar."
"Wait so you mean that the Knights of the Templar are real? I thought that they were some hokey American legend. And they are actually wizards?! Wait then why are they called knights?"
"Woah! Slow down chief. But yeah we are real. We gained a lot of fame when some members of royalty were on to what we are about and we had to come up with some cock and bull story to get them off of our backs. Unfortunately the story stuck and five hundred years later this is what we got." The business man/ wizard looked down at his watch.
"Well Tony it has been a real nice time talking to you but I must be going soon. My ride is waiting on me and I have to get back to the LA branch tonight."
He promptly turned around and headed for the door. "Oh and Tony those are some pretty interesting wards that you have, I had thought that maybe someone that you knew put them there but seeing as you are the one saying that you are practicing I take it you are the one who set them up?"
"Yeah."
"Well good work for a beginner, but I would recommend if you want a more malleable and reliable source I would use aspirin or if you can get your hands on some penicillin that would work even better. Just grind up the tablets and combine it with water or an energy drink and draw the wards again."
"Uh yeah… I'll look into it." With that Andrew stepped out of the door and was walking down the hall.
