Jostin stood next to Barrick, also in his rune-covered robe, a smug expression on his face. Whatever he intended to show seemed to have gone well. Jostin held a plain grey sack in his hands, and Evora couldn’t help but wonder what was in it.
Evora had her hands clasped in front of her green enchantress’s dress. She knew she had bags under her eyes, and she clenched her jaw when a yawn threatened to break out, horrified at the impression that would give Master Zoran.
“Barrick,” Master Zoran said. “Why don’t you go first?”
Barrick indicated Jostin and Evora should step back. The apprentice then put his hand in his robe and withdrew a shining wooden rod. Evora could see a great amount of effort had gone into the rod; it was covered in symbols from one end to the other. Without meaning to, she started to see where she could improve the design.
“Remember,” Master Zoran said. “The most powerful enchantment with the fewest words to call forth its power.”
Barrick spoke twelve words, and the top half of the rod turned blue. He touched it to the water in the trough, and after the count of two breaths, the water grew opaque and solidified. As they looked on, the water turned to ice. Barrick looked up triumphantly.
“Impressive, Enchanter Barrick,” Master Zoran said.
“That’s not all,” Barrick said.
He raised the rod once more and said twelve different words. The top half of the rod changed color, shifting hue from blue to red. Barrick put the rod against the ice in the trough and, though it took longer this time, after a few moments cracks appeared in the ice as it started to melt. As Barrick’s audience watched, steam rose from the water, even as the last of the ice melted. Finally the water began to bubble as it boiled.
“Well done, Barrick,” Master Zoran said. “You may deactivate the rod now. Very impressive." Barrick blushed as Master Zoran gazed at his other two apprentices. "Who would like to be next?”
“I’ll go,” Jostin said, reaching into his grey sack.
Jostin pulled out a white cloak. Evora could see a multitude of tiny silver runes covering its surface – even she was impressed.
Jostin said ten words and suddenly where the cloak had been there was nothing, even though Evora could see that it must still be there; some weight still dragged on Jostin’s hand.
Jostin whirled, spinning the cloak up and around his body. In an instant, only his head could be seen. Squinting, Evora struggled to see the faintest outlines of glowing symbols and some of the cloak's folds.
“A cloak of shadow,” Master Zoran said. “Very impressive. Excellent coverage, too. Enchanter Jostin: I have never heard of ten words being sufficient to activate an enchantment such as this without it soon depleting. Well done.”
Jostin smiled and threw out his arm. The cloak opened up and spun forward, landing to envelope Barrick’s steaming trough.
With his masterpiece now vanished, Barrick angrily tapped the rod onto his palm, looking as if he wished it were Jostin’s head.
“Enchantress Evora?” Master Zoran said.
Evora reached into the pocket of her dress and took out the small black wand. She’d made it out of obsidian, and the symbols were even smaller than those Barrick and Jostin had used, yet the arrangements were so efficient that Evora hadn’t even had to cover the wand’s entire surface.
She drew in a shaky breath. This was her chance. In emulation of Maya Pallandor, becoming a master was what she'd spent her entire lifetime to do.
Evora pointed the wand at the rod in Barrick’s hand. She spoke the seven words of power. “Asta-luna-dilara-tolia-muliari-agira-lorna.”
The symbols on the wand flared, hot and sudden, but then gone as quickly as they came.
Nothing happened. Barrick looked at his rod curiously.
“Evora, was something supposed to happen?” Master Zoran said slowly.
“Try to use the rod,” Evora said.
Barrick spoke the twelve words to make the rod blue. Nothing happened. Frowning, he changed the inflections, saying them a little differently. Still nothing. He said the twelve words that would turn the rod’s tip red. Still nothing.
“I didn’t know such a thing was possible,” Master Zoran muttered.
Evora turned to where Jostin had thrown the cloak of shadow over the trough. She again spoke the seven words of power and pointed her wand.
The cloak reappeared, draped over the trough. Jostin picked up the white garment angrily, saying the ten words that would activate the cloak.
Nothing happened. It was once again just a piece of material.
“Do you have any idea how long I spent working on that?” Jostin rounded on Evora angrily.
“Enchanter Barrick, Enchanter Jostin, please leave us,” Master Zoran said. “I need to speak with Enchantress Evora alone.”
The two apprentices glared at Evora as they departed.
“How did you do it?” Master Zoran asked.
“I had some help,” Evora said. “I found one of Maya Pallandor’s scrolls.”
“Show me.”
~
Master Zoran looked up from the scroll. “This is all you had to go by?” He shook his head. “Typical of Maya, she only tells half the story.”