Magician's Secret A gust of wind blows the door open. All faces in the tavern turn to look at the figure standing in the doorway while the storm gathers pace outside. It’s a black night and the moon has decided to stay away tonight. Slowly the drenched figure crosses the threshold out of the rain and into the small, dimly lit, crowded room. The door mysteriously closes behind the stranger, seemingly of its own accord. With everyone still watching, the figure releases a slender hand from beneath their cloak and raises it above their head. The middle finger and thumb are poised and ready for 3...2...1...SNAP. As a bolt of lightning strikes the figure clicks their fingers and is instantly dry. Those still watching closely will have noticed the stranger is wearing a dark purple robe. Murmurs are heard as people resume their conversations, deliberately avoiding the stranger. Still hooded the stranger scans the room and fixes their gaze on a doorway at the far end of the bar. Starting towards the door, the crowd parts to let the stranger through, reforming in their wake. Only one set of beady eyes is still following the stranger’s progress at this point. All others know better. As the stranger approaches the doorway, it opens to reveal an empty room beyond. A round, wooden table sits in the center of the small room with a large black candle on top, creating the only light source. Two chairs have been placed opposite each other at the table. Cautiously, the lone figure enters the room and closes the door behind them, scanning the walls as they go. The room appears to be empty, but the stranger can sense a presence nearby. A small metallic object hurtles through the air towards the stranger. ‘Shield,’ says the stranger in a deep masculine voice, raising their right hand in front of them for protection. The metallic object bounces off an invisible barrier, millimeters from the strangers hand and falls to the ground. The stranger, still hooded, looks down to see a small dagger lying on the floor in front of them. ‘Impressive,’ says a voice from the shadows. ‘I always wanted to test myself against a magician.’ ‘I didn’t ask for a meeting just so you could satisfy your curiosity Duke,’ says the magician, lowering their hand. There is an edge to their voice. ‘No, I suppose you didn’t,’ replies Duke stepping out of a shadow at the far end of the room. ‘Please, sit down,’ he says, gesturing to the chair on his right. The magician slowly walks over and sits down, noting that Duke, though small in stature, has a hidden strength. ‘Do you have the item I requested?’ asks the magician. ‘Patience… We’ve only just met. How about a little chat first?’ replies Duke. ‘I don’t have time for pleasantries. Just give me what I came for and we can both be on our way.’ ‘It doesn’t work like that, I’m afraid. You see, I have what you want and I’m not parting with it until you tell me what I want to know.’ ‘And if I don’t? What will you do then? You can’t kill me. You’ve already tried, remember?’ ‘Maybe not, but I still have some tricks up my sleeve,’ Duke says giving a meaningful look towards the door. ‘You may be a magician, but I’m a hunter. I never do anything without being prepared for all… eventualities.’ ‘Meaning?’ curiosity getting the better of the magician. ‘Meaning, I’m not alone.’ ‘And why should that concern me, thief?’ ‘Because, I have someone with me who is immune to all magicians’ powers. I believe you will have heard of them. I’m sure the subject is familiar to all magicians.’ The magician feels an inkling of panic begin to rise within them, but pushes it away. Carefully considering what to do next the magician says, ‘Okay, what is it you want to know?’ Pleased with himself, Duke lets a grin loose across his face. ‘Let’s start with your name,’ he says. The magician can hear the triumph in the thief’s voice, but is concentrating on retrieving the package and escaping without getting into a fight. Not the easiest thing in the world when you consider there’s someone in the next room who could potentially be deadly. ‘I cannot answer that question,’ replies the magician after some consideration. ‘And why is that? Are you afraid I’m going to tell all your magician buddies about you?’ ‘Wouldn’t you be if you were in my position?’ ‘Ah, I see. So you’re here without their knowledge. That means they don’t know what you’re up to. Am I close?’ says Duke, a twinkle in his eyes. ‘I wouldn’t say that at all,’ says the magician calmly. ‘Then what would you say?’ asks Duke. ‘I would say… I’m here with the best interests of all magicians at heart,’ says the magician cautiously. ‘So… they have no idea what you’re doing, and you’re hoping to keep it that way. Am I close?’ asks Duke, knowing that he is. No magician in their right mind would do what this one is doing, especially when they’re expecting a war to break out at any time. ‘I think you’ve asked enough questions Duke. Just give me what I came for and we can both get on with what we were doing.’ The hooded figure rises from their seat, towering over the seated dwarf. ‘Fine,’ says Duke also rising in a less impressive manner. ‘If you want to play it that way…’ The door behind the magician bursts open and a gladiator steps into the room, sword poised, ready to strike. ‘Brian?’ says the stunned magician. The use of his name stops the gladiator momentarily. ‘Do I know you?’ he asks, confused as to what to do. ‘Who cares if he knows you,’ cries Duke, ‘ATTACK!’ ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ demands the magician, ignoring Duke. ‘Who are you?’ asks Brian, stunned by the magician’s tone. Behind the magician, Duke can be seen flailing about trying to attack, but being held back by an unseen force. ‘It’s me…’ the magician lowers their hood revealing a soft female face contorted in rage. ‘Brianna?’ Brian drops his sword. ‘What are you doing here? Mum’s going to kill you when she finds out.’ ‘Oh, and she won’t kill you for moonlighting as a gladiator?’ ‘What is going on here?’ screams Duke still trying to attack Brianna without success. ‘Sorry Duke, but I’m going to need to sit this one out,’ says Brian turning to his boss. ‘What?’ A stunned Duke stops his attack and sits back down to get his breath back. ‘I can’t threaten my sister,’ explains Brian. ‘I hope you understand.’ ‘What?’ is all Duke can say. ‘Sorry sis. If I’d known it was you, I’d never have taken the job.’ Brian gives his sister an apologetic look. ‘And you might want to get rid of the masculine voice too. It’s kind of starting to creep me out.’ ‘Oh. I forgot,’ says Brianna caressing her throat with her hand. ‘That’s better,’ she says in her normal voice. Duke can be heard mumbling to himself behind the siblings. ‘Sister?’ and ‘Should have known’ are all the siblings make out before walking out the room and leaving the dwarf to collect his thoughts. ‘What are you doing here?’ asks Brian as they sit down at the bar. ‘It’s kind of personal.’ ‘Since when is anything personal from me, Brianna?’ asks Brian. ‘After all… We are twins. You know you can tell me anything.’ ‘I know, but…’ ‘But what?’ asks Brian. ‘Just because I wasn’t born with your powers doesn’t mean I won’t understand what you’re going through.’ ‘I know, but it’s all just so confused and I don’t know what to do anymore.’ ‘Well… Maybe if you talk about it, I might be able to help you,’ says Brian. ‘I know you’re not meant to talk about your powers and what the magicians are doing, but can’t you make this one exception?’ Brianna looks around the tavern for a few minutes as she ponders her brother’s offer. As her eyes scan the room she notices people quickly looking away from her. Chewing her bottom lip, she makes her decision. ‘Privacy,’ she whispers while drawing a circle on the bar with her finger. ‘What did you just do?’ asks Brian. He has noticed that even though the people in the tavern are still talking, he can’t hear anything. ‘I cast a privacy spell,’ explains Brianna. ‘It means that we are now in a bubble where we can speak freely without any danger of being overheard.’ ‘Oh,’ says Brian. ‘I didn’t know you could do that.’ ‘You’re not meant to,’ says Brianna. ‘You’re not meant to know anything about what powers we have. How we can influence things around us. That’s the way it’s been for thousands of years.’ ‘So what’s going on?’ asks Brian. ‘I’m in trouble, Brian,’ starts Brianna. ‘I found out that the magician elders have been keeping a dark secret from everyone. Even from other magicians.’ ‘What kind of secret?’ Brian is enthralled. ‘If I tell you, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone else.’ Brianna gives her brother a stern look. ‘I promise.’ Brian crosses his heart with his fingers. ‘Do you remember when I was about to graduate from university and I almost missed the ceremony?’ she asks her brother while twirling a strand of her long brown hair. ‘Yes. You were gone for ages. No one could find you anywhere.’ ‘That’s because I was hiding in the elders’ chamber waiting for them to leave so I could sneak out.’ ‘What were you doing in there?’ Brian is mortified. ‘I was trying to get away from Eric. You remember Eric? Tall, skinny guy with albino eyes? Anyway, he’d been looking for me all day to ask me to the graduation dinner. When I saw him waiting for me in the hall I quickly ducked into the elders’ chamber until he decided to go looking for me.’ Brianna recounts whilst playing with a peanut on the counter. ‘Then what happened?’ asks Brian. ‘Well, he took so long to leave that I ended up stuck there when the elders came for their morning meeting. I decided to hide in the cupboard and wait until they finished their meeting and left. I didn’t want to hear what was being said, but couldn’t help it when they mentioned my name.’ ‘Why were they talking about you?’ gasps Brian. He’s shocked to find out his sister has even been mentioned by the elders, the magicians government, let alone talked about. ‘At first I couldn’t make out what was being said. I knew it was important though, because they kept referring to some kind of foretelling which was almost upon them.’ ‘What does that mean?’ interrupts Brian. ‘It means some time ago, a wise man predicted what would happen in the future. There have already been some foretelling’s that have come true recently,’ explains Brianna. ‘Really? Like what?’ asks Brian eagerly. ‘Well, there was the flood in Westlake a couple of years ago which wiped out half the village. Then there was the war in Heartshire and the plague in Downland just to mention a few.’ ‘Are you serious?’ Brian asks amazed. ‘Yes. Anyway, while I was hiding in the elders’ chamber they said I would be crucial in the next foretelling. I was stunned. I tried to listen more closely, but my heart was pounding in my ears making it difficult to hear. ‘Gradually, I found out that I was the key to ensuring the foretelling came to pass.’ ‘Which is?’ ‘It’s been foretold that on a night like tonight I will destroy that which is closest to me, starting a world war that will destroy the world as we know it,’ finishes Brianna. ‘What is this thing that is closest to you that you’re meant to destroy?’ ‘I honestly don’t know. I’ve been trying to find out, but I still don’t know. That’s why I’m here tonight. I was hoping Duke could help me. He has a special crystal that can show me what I need to know. It’s very expensive, but worth it if I can stop a war from happening.’ ‘If you’d told me all this before, Brianna, I might have been able to help you.’ ‘I know, Brian, but I couldn’t risk something bad happening to you. If I lost you, I don’t know what I’d do.’ Tears start to form in Brianna’s eyes and she looks away from her twin in shame. ‘I love you, Brianna. I’d do anything for you. You know that. Why couldn’t you trust me?’ Brian places an arm around his sisters shoulders, hugging her close to his muscular torso. ‘I do trust you, Brian. I just couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt because of me.’ ‘I’m sorry,’ sobs Brianna. ‘I didn’t think I had a choice.’ ‘It’s fine now. I’m here to help you.’ Brian takes Brianna’s chin in one hand and wipes away her tears with the other. His calloused fingers lightly scratch her soft cheeks, but she doesn’t notice. ‘Brian? Are you alright?’ she asks her brother. His skin has gone pale and he seems to be having trouble breathing. ‘I…can’t…breathe…’ he chokes out through strangled gasps. ‘What’s wrong? Are you hurt?’ cries Brianna in a panic. All Brian can do is gasp for breath, but it gets harder and harder until his breath stops and he falls to the ground with a resounding crash. The whole tavern is watching and comes to #life with shouts of accusations and threats directed at Brianna. Brianna stares at her brother’s #lifeless body as the patrons descend on her. Acting instinctively and out of pain, rage and disbelief, she lashes out. Within seconds the whole tavern is covered in the blood of the innocent bystanders as well as the guilty attackers as Brianna casts attacking spells without remorse. Once the bloodshed is over, Brianna leans over her dead brother’s body and gently closes his eyes. She then casts one final spell which sends the tavern up in flames. The only survivor of the massacre stands watching the tavern burn from a distance. The dwarf known as Duke takes one last look before walking off into the distance to spread the news about what has occurred in the tavern at Greenroot tonight. As the story spreads and changes with each telling, more and more hatred for magicians spreads through the lands. Soon, effigies are being burned and magicians are targeted by mobs. Not long after, a full world war breaks out between magicians and non-magicians, destroying the world.