THE WORLD OF MAGES
By Sarah Vanterpool
While I walked to work, I saw my best friend in the whole world, Cristina.
“Hi, Criste!” I said, using the name only I called her by.
“Good morning, Riley!” she said, greeting me with our secret handshake. We strolled along happily, not needing many words to stay connected. On the way, a purple banner caught Criste’s eye—a sign of a mage, a person who can manipulate the threads which make up our world. Mages can make things float, heal people, talk to animals, create beams of light, and do countless other things. I know Criste’s dream is to become one.
“When I was little, I used to hope I was a natural mage,” she said softly. “But now, I am saving up to go to college and become one. If people respected me like they do mages... I would be so happy.”
Finally, we arrived at the bakery where I worked. “See you later, ok!” shouted Criste. I nodded, momentarily distracted as there was more movement in the bakery than normal. Looking back on it, that made me miss her worried expression.
In the bakery, chaos reigned. All over the yellow walls of the kitchen were splats of dough, and the simple white tiled floors were dusted with flour. The bakery was moving at a very swift pace. I could hardly box all the cakes, small and large. There were a lot of orders that day, so we had to hurry. The speed of the kitchen was so quick I was done early, and I was gifted a warped cupcake that was not acceptable to present but tasted just fine.
I had never been where Criste works, so I decided to drop by and say hello instead of waiting for her like normal. The address she gave me brought me to the poorest part of town, where the yellow road turns dark and the bricks of the buildings are run down and smudged with black. Everything was crumbling.
On the way, a small child was sitting hunched over on the road. Concerned, I walked over to him. “Are you okay?” I asked.
When he looked up, his expression was so sad, it could have made even the most selfobsessed person feel bad. “I ain’t had no food for so long," he said. "Me mum said she’d be back with food, but I ain’t seen er in days. No one will help a little nobody like me.”
I looked at the cupcake in my hand. It was for Cristie, but I thought the kid needed it more. I held it out to him. He gasped. “Really? For me!” He devoured it and smiled back at me as I went on my way.
A small shack had Cristie’s work address, so I knocked on the door. “Hello?” I called, pushing the door open with a creak. A shiver ran down my spine. “Anyone there?” I said, taking a slow, cautious step forward, followed by a second. I could see rotting old wood and dirt on the floor next to a bit of shiny metal. Wait. Shiny metal, new-looking metal. In an old shack. The strangeness made me blow away the dirt and find two silver hinges connected to a trap door. I flipped open the trap door and slid carefully down a ladder. The tunnel below was made of smooth gray stone and had harsh white lights every couple of feet. Sleek and clean, the tunnel was clearly new construction. I wanted to know the full story here more than ever.
The tunnel leveled out and went forward. I started to go down the tunnel but paused when my footsteps echoed loudly. I started walking slowly again, and as I progressed, the sleek tunnel turned into a mining site. The walls turned to dirt and pickaxe marks were everywhere, and nooks and crannies started to appear.
I was so focused on the walls that I didn't notice the large stone steps for a few seconds. When I finally looked up, I gasped. At the top of the stairs was a large platform with a fancy glass case. In the case was a red gem that seemed to pulse and glow. I stared for a minute at the gem, awestruck by its beauty. I heard footsteps, so I lunged to a nook and hid there, but I could still see the gem. I then heard voices.
“We need to confirm the gem is real before that girl comes to do the spell,” said a rough male voice. “Even though she has promised the boss that she will bind him to the powers, I don’t trust her.”
“Yes, but I wish it wasn’t us,” said a second voice, just as rough as the first but female.
“It's an honor!” insisted the first.
“No! It’s a duty!” said the second.
Two people came into view, arguing. As soon as they saw the gem, both went silent. There was a hulking bald man, six feet tall and dangerous-looking, next to a shorthaired woman who was so skinny you could see every bone on her wrist. Both wore black uniforms. The man guarded the steps as the woman climbed to the gem’s case and circled it, inspecting every inch.
“It’s real,” she said. “Let's get out of here. I don’t like the aura this thing gives off.”
They left, and I climbed up the steps. The gem still seemed to pulse. “Take me,” it whispered. It felt powerful, like it could give me anything or utterly destroy me. My mind spun as I processed the strong feelings of authority and power coming from it.
“Help me,” it said. I reached out to touch the glass and my fingers went right through. I recoiled in shock before touching it again gently. I reached in and grabbed the gem, and just as I pulled it out, I heard a familiar voice.
“Riley? What are you doing here?!”
It was Criste.
I whirled around, shocked to see her. “Criste!” I yelled. “What is going on here!” Her face showed fear and I could see her thinking hard.
“I’ll explain everything, but we need to leave. Let's go to your house.” She grabbed my arm and tugged me, pulling me all the way back to the ladder with one hand. In the other hand, she held a book that looked so old that it seemed like it could fall apart any minute. We climbed quickly. Once above ground, in the shack, Criste took off and I had to sprint to keep up. She didn’t slow down until we were inside my house in the kitchen. Dad was writing a paper for his work and Mom wasn’t there.
“Hey, Riles,” he said, not looking up from the paper resting on the dark oak table. He sat on one of the four matching chairs. Criste’s sneakers squeaked on the linoleum floor as she took them off, which was normally enough to make her giggle. But today, she did not. The oven smelled yummy as if Dad was baking. I saw that in between the sink and toaster was a sheet of freshly baked cookies. On a normal day, I would stop and eat a few with Dad and Criste, but I rushed upstairs and closed the door to my room once Criste entered because she was so upset.
My room is normally very comforting to me. The walls, light pink with flowers on them, are a perfect distraction. My white dresser, closet, bedframe, and desk perfectly match the purple of my chair and blankets. But now, with my best friend freaking out, I couldn’t relax. Criste checked all the drawers in my white dresser and my closet before sitting tensely on the purple comforter.
“What are you looking for?” I asked.
“Listening devices. The boss is paranoid.”
I stared, wondering. WHY WOULD THERE BE LISTENING DEVICES!?
“I guess I should explain,” she continued, in a panicked voice. “The boss has influence over a lot of people. When I turned fifteen, he wanted my parents' house. I watched through the window as his minion arrived. Dad greeted him. That slimy no-good evil doer calmly told my father he should pack and move as soon as possible to make way for the boss's army. The house was in a convenient location for their organization. Dad shouted and argued but it made no difference. Finally, the man touched his ear like he had an earpiece, and a look of surprise crossed his face. He shouted, ‘Fine! Have your house! But only if she works for us.’ He was pointing right at me through the window. Turns out I'm a natural mage, and he’s forcing me to help the boss with the legend of Sandra, as they had found the first clue. The clue is the very gem you're holding.”
Criste paused for a moment as my head whirled. My friend was actually a mage and not just dreaming of it? The legend of Sandra is here, and I was holding a clue to it?
Recalling the stories my mother told me as a child, I remembered that the legend of Sandra says that a powerful mage named Sandra made two gems. The first gem was the key to reaching the second and could only be retrieved by one of her descendants. When received, it gave powers to its owner. If someone got the second gem, they would get legendary powers. Sandra foretold they would rule the world and everyone would obey them. If her “boss” got the gems, he would be immortal and unstoppable. I looked at the gem I still held. It must have been the first one! How could I have this in my hands? Could I be related to... to Sandra?
Criste continued. “He wanted me to perform a spell that would assure he got the powers. But you showed up and now I will be in so much trouble. I haven’t met him, but he scares me so much. By tomorrow, everyone will be looking for me! He'll take everything, and I mean everything, from my family! We'll be poor and starving in the streets!” She sounded so distraught at the end.
“Criste,” I said slowly, “If you stay hidden here tonight, will we be able to find the second gem tomorrow?” She nodded yes, too upset to talk normally.
“I-it’s a long h-h-hike tho-though. And I d-don’t know the exact location." she said breathing heavily.
That night, Criste stayed over. We cut and dyed her hair, changed her appearance, and faked that she left to my parents. She fell asleep quickly, and I packed for tomorrow. Bottled water, food, sleeping bags, and other necessities were thrown into two bags. The next day, we ate breakfast in my room as Criste drew a rough map.
We snuck out and began our journey. Along the way, there were people searching for her, thinking she had stolen something important, but no one could tell us what it was when we asked. Luckily, no one recognized her.
We went to a patch of forest leading up a hill that was big enough to almost be a mountain. I looked at the tall, long climb ahead of us.
“Are you sure that it’s in the mountains? And it’s somehow protected?” I asked Criste.
“Positive. And it won't be easy, so let's get going,” she said charging ahead. It seemed her mood improved after the disguise worked. She appeared more confident. I ran after her, but that proved to be a mistake. The terrain was steep and heavy with vegetation that rustled mysteriously as if something was in them, but I dismissed it.
By lunch, we were practically crawling since we were so tired. Eventually, I called out to my friend. “Please!” I gasped, “Let's stop for lunch.”
We climbed into a tree, opened the bags, and tore into the food. Partway through our meal, a doe came up to the tree. It stared at me and stirred the leaves of the bush. I realized it caused the rustling from earlier.
Instinctively, I turned and grabbed Criste’s hand, dragging her deeper into the tree where the leaves would hide us. She cried out but I covered her mouth and froze. She froze too.
Nearby, an expensive-looking, off-road vehicle made of strong metal knocked over a row of trees. It stopped unexpectedly. The windows were tinted so we only saw the driver when he popped out. He was a short, fat, greasy-haired man who spoke like he was talking to an easily angered, all-powerful king.
“So sorry, sir. The tire is stuck.” he said.
“Oh. I am sorry, too. That you’ll be fired and lose everything. UNLESS YOU DO YOUR JOB AND GET ME MOVING!” yelled a rude voice. Something sounded familiar about the voice, but I didn’t know what.
This was followed by lots of stuttering and grunts from the driver as he pushed the tire out of the hole. Moments later, they were off again. I turned to Criste. She looked pale white and ghostly.
“Criste? Are you okay?” I asked.
“T-that voice. I-it’s, the boss! He's coming for the second gem!” she cried.
“What! No!” I shouted, whipping my head around to see the truck disappear. In that instant, thoughts spun through my head. Did they know where they were going? Who was the boss? How many people were in the car? Could we find the gem?
Just then, more deer arrived out of the bushes. “Come,” said the doe that talked to me before. “We can take you to the gem. Long ago, someone made us promise to guard it until someone like you came.”
I stared at the deer. Could I really hear them? I felt the red gem pulse once in my bag. Of course! The gem gave me that ability! “Criste,” I said slowly, “I think they want to help us.” I slid down the tree and climbed onto one. Criste did too, but much more hesitantly. As soon as she did, the herd took off, running full speed, faster than they should have been able to move. They leaped over trunks and darted around trees. I felt like I was flying. Criste, however, shrieked the whole way and hung on for dear life.
After what felt like five minutes to me, five hours to Criste, and thirty minutes in real life, the deer stopped suddenly. In front of us was a giant stone gate. It was hidden by plants in such a way that if I wasn’t looking, I would have missed it completely. On an instinct, I took out the gem and pressed it to a groove in the gate.
The gate groaned and rumbled as it rolled out of the way. Criste and I entered and found ourselves in a cave. Suddenly, the gate rolled back and sealed us in. I felt a mix of fear and excitement. Torches lining the wall lit up, one after the other, until the room was flooded with light. The walls were filled with magic drawings. Thick dust was everywhere but we could see another gate. The second gate had no groove and was on the other side of the cave. After a few minutes, the drawings began to glow, and the dust began to move. It gathered and turned in the air, forming the shape of an elderly woman. As soon as we recognized her, Criste and I curtsied and held our heads down.
“Sandra!” I breathed, not daring to look at her form.
“Rise,” she said. “If I am awake, you have the gem. And if you have the gem, you have come for its twin. Riley, you are good. This I know, as I have seen your soul. Over the course of your life, you have been tested repeatedly and passed every time. This is the final test. Pick who should have this gold coin. If you pass, you can get the gem in the next room and keep it.”
I did not ask how she knew my name, how I was tested, or about any of the other things she mentioned. All I focused on was the shiny gold coin that materialized on the ground in front of me. The dust turned into three forms. The first was a noble-looking man in fine clothing. "You owe me money. If you don’t pay, you’ll lose everything,” he shouted angrily.
The second was a young girl dressed in rags. “I am so hungry, but I have no money. Will you help me?” she asked sadly.
The third was a king with a cape and a crown. “Give me your coin, and I will make you the most powerful person in the world.” he declared.
Criste stared at the king, nodding furiously at him, but I shook my head. I stepped forward to the child. She needed it. If I didn’t help her, who would? And if no one helped her, she could die a cold lonely death. Even though I knew it wasn’t real, I still couldn’t stand the thought of such a sad life.
“Take the coin. Take it and get some food,” I said. The child looked at me and smiled, while the other two figures frowned before turning back into dust.
For a moment, nothing happened. Criste sighed, frustrated. “It. Was. The. King!” she shouted. I lifted my head in defiance and opened my mouth to defend my choice. I stopped short as the second gate rolled aside. In the next room, we saw a deep purple, coin-sized gem. It was resting on a four-foot-tall pillar and surrounded by a circle of raised stone that complemented the dome-shaped room. A shaft of light fell on the gem from a small hole in the ceiling covered in leaves.
I took a step forward and then a loud BOOM shook the entire cave. I fell over as a huge hole was blown through the first stone gate. Black-clad soldiers filed into the room. Four held me back and three pinned Criste down. We were both gagged. The rest of the soldiers made two lines that formed a path from the new hole straight to the circle of raised stone.
“No, no, no, NO!” I tried to shout. I was so close. One more minute and I would have had the gem. But it was too late. The boss was here.
A lone figure stepped forward. He wore a steel mask, a black cloak, and big boots. He looked at me and removed his mask. “Hello, daughter,” said my father. “I thought you might be here.”
My eyes widened and I was shocked still as he smiled a smile so sinister a snake would have bolted. How could he! My father, my father who bandaged my knee with such care and got me to love baking. My father, so tender and gentle with my mother, was twisted, evil, cruel, and power-hungry! A small sob escaped my lips. He just grinned and continued to speak.
“I’ll admit it, you were clever to make it this far. I thought you would tell me, your loving father, if you found the gem. I never, ever thought Cristina would be so rash to choose you over me. I mean, now her family will suffer, but she chose it.” Criste’s head hung in despair. In my mind, I begged him to stop, for the animals to come, and for it to not end this way. “Help! Help please!” I screamed in my head, but no one came.
“I could go on about your mistakes, but I think you have something for me.” He reached into my bag and took the red gem. “I win!” he cried, walking toward the pillar. Before he had taken three steps, a red blur flashed by him. He screamed in rage and shock when he realized that a bird had taken the gem.
“Soldiers! Get the gem! Or you will pay!” my father screamed. The soldiers sprang into action, but a wave of animals came through the gate and crashed into them in an instant.
In the chaos, Criste and I wrenched free and removed our gags. We looked around in awe. Animals continued to pour in through the hole and carry enemies away from the cave. We saw birds, lizards, mountain lions, deer, bugs, wolves, and even a turtle. In the center of the hoard of animals stood a familiar form. It was the deer that spoke to me.
I crossed to the deer. “Did you do this?” I shouted over the commotion.
“Of course. I heard your pleas and got all the animals to help. Your father shall NOT rule! It was not Sandra’s wish,” the deer said. I threw my arms around the deer’s neck. I was so grateful that my father didn’t win.
“Thank you!” I sobbed. “I thought I was done for!” Within ten minutes, everyone was gone besides me, the deer, Criste, and the bird. The bird gave me the red gem and I stepped up to the pillar. “Thank you, Sandra, for this chance,” I said, picking up the purple gem. The moment I touched it, the world changed. Everything hummed with an invisible energy that only I could feel. The gems dissipated in my hands as I absorbed their powers. I felt so happy that I stopped my dad’s plan, helped my friend, and saved the world. I turned to Criste. “Let's go home.”
I held her hand and focused on my small town. Before I knew what was happening, we were in front of the house. The next few days were a blur. I took control and undid all the damage my father did, and then set about fixing the world's issues. Hunger and homelessness were solved in two years. Peace took place all over within five years. And I still reign, bringing happiness and prosperity to my kingdom, with my bestie, the head advisor and head mage, Lady Cristina, to this very day.