Dark Beast
Chapter 13
After going through some thinking, Marshall had decided it be best to tell Talia's Aunt, June, about her niece. He explained everything to her about Talia fighting with the resistance and their leader, Skarlagk, and that Gunmar is unaware of her presence at the moment. He even told her about his psychic abilities and his connection to Talia. "As you can see, Mrs. Sturges, I've been contacting Talia in her dreams some time. . .making sure she's okay," Marshall said pouring her some tea. June was in a complete and utter lost listening to his whole story, but in other ways. . . she believed. "So. . .she's alive and well," June asked. Marshall nodded his head for an answer.
June looked down upon the reflection in her tea smiling relieved. . . and for once in her life happy. "Marshall, you have no idea how grateful I am to hear that," she said.
"I'm glad I could help, Miss. Sturges," Marshalls said sitting back at the dining table sipping his tea.
"Now. . .about your powers," June asked. "How long has this been happening?" Marshall stopped drinking and said, "It just started like about a month ago."
June studied him seeing how serious he was about his gifts, she pinched her chin deep in thought for a moment, considering his powers and abilities, she believed he may have potential, so she came to a conclusion. "Marshall. . .can I tell you something," June asked. "Yes," Marshall answered.
"We are dealing with myth, magic, a world of the supernatural. The trolls may have some trace of magic, but there are hardly any sorceror's out there, and I'm probably the only witch in Arcadia," June explained. "What are you saying," Marshall asked, curious on what was on her mind.
June looked at him in the eye and said,"What I'm trying to say is you have potential, and I believe you may have what it takes to be a wizard." Marshall eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped hanging from his mouth. "Wow, that's. . .quite an honor," he said. "If I do this? Will I be able to curse some bad people?" "We don't use our magic upon mortal beings. It's sort of our sacred law to keep our existance secret and protected; like with trollkind," June said. "Oh. . .well, but. . .I could right," Marshall chuckled. June sighed and smiled, "Yes."
Marshall rose from the table excited and said, "Great! When do we start? Right now? Tommorrow? What's the lesson-" June rose from the table, raised her hand in a halt to stop him in his tracks. "Whoa, whoa, easy there kid. A sorcorer and a sorcoress first and major priority is to have patience." Marshall blushed embarassedly and apologized," Sorry." "Your first lesson begans tomorrow after school," June said, bringing out a map on her phone pointing him where she wants them. "Do you recognize this place?" "Yeah," Marshall said. "That's where we'll began your first lesson."
The next day at Arcadia Oaks High, Coach Lawrence has been teaching the whole class of the human body digestive system. As usual he has no knowledge what so ever. "The teeth tear and chew, grinding the food into paste before it's swallowed. Then it travels down the wind pipe. . .I mean, esophagus."
"So the reason you were late and covered in dirt was because you were fighting a 'mud monster," Claire asked Jim. "While there was some gnarly watching you? Talk about creepy," Toby said. "I know he was like studying me," Jim said. "What did this guy look like," Marshall asked. "Big, pale, with round shaped horns, his eyes were dark and yellow, and. . . the strange part about him is. . .he looked empty," Jim explained. "Empty how," Marshall asked curiously. "Like a cold blooded killer type," Jim said. "What are you gonna do," Claire asked. "I don't know. I haven't figured that out yet," Jim said.
After Coach Lawrence had finished his so called knowledge Steve's pompous attitude makes a scene. "Coach? Yeah, thank you. Don't mean to 'butt' in, but I'd like to 'gas' a question," he teased. Everyone started laughing except Jim, Marshall, and Claire. Marshall picked up his erasor, put it in the palm of his left hand, carefully aimed it at his face, concentrated with all his strength, flicked it off with his right index finger, knocked him down from his desk, and crashed on the floor lying there as if he'd been punched in the face.
Everyone stopped laughing and Coach Lawrence tried to find who was responsible for the assault. "Who-who did that?!" Marshall grinned with a smug look on his face and laid back relaxed.
"Why did you go do that?!" Claire exclaimed. She had been lecturing him during their walk after school. "It was the only way to shut him up,"Marshall said. "Steve maybe a jerk but there are other ways than resorting to violence," she said. "Oh, please. Talia told me he's been doing this everyone since kindergarten. She's been keeping him and his stooges in line for years and protecting every defenseless kid for years. I'm just doing her a favor while she's caught up in the Darklands," Marshall said.
When Jim heard him mentionioning his surrogate sister as an excuse. Then that's when he lost his cool, he walked up behind Marshall, grabbed his should to turn him around to face him with an angry look in his eyes, and said, "Marshall. You may have been here with us for weeks, and have been spending some time with her in your dreams, but don't. . .ever use Talia being in the Darklands as an excuse again." "I wasn't-" Then Marshall did realize he was out of line when he said that and apologized, "I'm sorry. It's just. . .you and your friends weren't the only ones that had been dealing with bullies."
Toby walked up and gave him a pat on the back feeling his pain. "We get it, Marshall. We know where you've been," Toby said. Marshall smiled appreciating Toby's condolescences. Then something came in mind, "Oh, yeah. I've just remember. I got to meet up with Talia's aunt," he said as he passed through his friends. "What for," Claire asked. Marshall stopped and turned, "I'm gonna go train to become a wizard." He took off leaving them completely dumbstruck. "Miss Sturges, teaching. . .Marshall. . . .magic? Why can't I do that?!" Toby exclaimed. Jim and Claire looked at Toby then at each other in an awkward silence.
Marshall came to the forest where he was suppose to meet June to began his first lesson of spellcasting. He searched through his surroundings seeing no one here, but rocks, trees, and small river stream. "Miss Sturges," he called out for his teacher, but still nothing.
He only see's the forest and hears nothing but birds chirping and the river stream flowing. . ."Took you long enough." Marshall jumped and turned around finding June standing right behind him. "Where'd you come from," Marshall asked. "I flew," she answered. "Do you have a broom," he asked. "No" She shrank down to size, turned white with feathers, and became a dove. Marshall gasped and stepped back astonished by her transformation. "That. . .is. . .so amazing." June turned herself back into a woman and said, "Thank you, Marshall. Now, shall we began?"
"Tell me, Marshall, what do you know about magic," June asked. Marshall scratched behind his head and tried to think the best answer for his question. "Uh. . .well. . .Magic. . .is a source of power. . . a-aa-and. I really don't know." June laughed amused by his cluelessness and said, " Well, you're right on one thing. Magic is power and knowledge. For starters there are different kinds of magic, the elemental force of nature, tricks and illusions, healing, purification, and spiritual. But there is one type of magic that me and my family would never. . . Dark Magic. A cruel, evil source of power where curses and hexes come from. . .the very reason our kind has been hunted down and killed."
The young apprentice went all wide eye with a blank expressionwhen he listened and understood what she had meant when she had said never allowing to use their magic upon mortal men. She held out her small pouch bag and pulled out. . .unexpectingly. . . a big book and handed it over to him. "What. . .is. . .that," he asked. "Your own textbook of spells," June answered tossing it to him. Marshall caught the heavy hard cover with his own bare hands. "Big book."
He opened the cover and flipped through the pages seeing the language mostly in latin. "Uh, Miss Sturges. . .I can't read this stuff," he said. "Seriously? Didn't they have this in one of your classes," June asked. Marshall shook his head with a shameful expression for an answer. June scratched her head and sighed, "Alright. I'll help yah."