Jess and Blinx: The Wizard (Chapters 1-3)

Chapter 1:

My parents and I were walking down the street of the outdoor market. Mom was holding my hand and dad was walking beside me. He had an armful of materials mom needed for her job. We passed stands, each with their own strange products. One man was selling eye of newt and hounds tongue, which mom assured me were just funny names. Some were calling out, trying to get people to come see what they were selling.

“Vesper Fang, we got Vesper Fang!”

“Molly Weed, get a dollop! Hot or cold!”

“Mom, Mom! Look!” I yelled, pointing to an ice-cream stand on the other side of the street. I tried to go over to it, but she had too good of a grip and yanked me back.

“Not right now, Jessie. We are about to eat lunch. You can have some after.” She said. We walked out of the market and into a little shop. We had been there before. It was a tiny mom and pop place that Dad loved. We went to our usual table and a waitress came over. She was a Basailur, just like we were, but her fur was darker colored. Thinking back on it, she might have been a hybrid between a Basailur and another race, but I was too young to have noticed or cared. Mom ordered a soup, Dad got a club, and Mom ordered me a grilled cheese sandwich. It was our standard order whenever we came.

I may be talking about a specific visit, but honestly I could be describing countless days where this exact scenario played out. We must have gone to that restaurant a hundred times, eaten that exact meal, all while carrying those same ingredients. We finished our food, and left to get our, well really my, ice-cream.

“Hey! My favorite customer!” The man running the ice-cream stand said when seeing me. He was a friendly elf, a bit on the older side I think, but it can be hard to tell. “What will it be today?” He asked.

“Chocolate.” I said excitedly.

“A woman after my own heart.” He said scooping some ice-cream into a cone.

“What do you say?” Mom said as I took the cone.

“Thank you!” I said and started eating. He smiled and Mom paid. After that we went home so Mom could get back to work. She worked from home as a magic researcher. Her focus was medical potions, but she had her doctorate and M.D, so she was fairly competent in a few fields. My dad was a blacksmith, and he would sell what he made to local shops. If a centaur needed shoes for instance, they would go buy them from the shops my dad supplied.

Once we got home, they each got back to work, and I watched Mom brew her potions. I didn’t like watching Dad work, it gets way too hot in his workshop, even now. I watched as Mom measured out ingredients, crushed them up, mixed them together, and sprinkled them into her big copper brewing pot. Once she finished a dose, she would take some into one of those eye dropper things, and feed it to some mice she kept in an enclosure nearby. Sometimes she would smile and write something down, other times she would frown and go back to the brewing pot and pour it down the sink. I always wondered what she was looking for, but never thought to ask. This time when she did it though, the mouse’s fur changed from dark gray to dark pink! I was only six years old at the time, so I was completely amazed! I stood at the side of the enclosure watching the now vibrantly colored mouse go about its business like nothing was any different.

“Mommy! Can I be pink?” I yelled.

Mom smiled and laughed, and then to my amazement, agreed. “Sure sweetie.” She said. She kneeled down in front of me and started using magic to draw in the air. I didn't know it at the time, but she was using a body modification spell. A few seconds later, my light gray fur was bright pink too. I squealed in excitement and ran to show my dad. My dad’s workshop was in our backyard, so I ran down stairs as fast as I could to show him. I didn’t bother putting on any shoes or flipflops, back then I didn’t care about going bare pawed. I ran along the grass skipping and jumping happily with my new pink fur.

“Daddy, Daddy! Look how pink I am!” I shouted from outside. A second later he poked his head out and saw me, then chuckled.

“Now how did that happen?” He asked.

“Mommy made me pink!” I said.

“She did?” He asked, smiling.

“She drew some lights with her finger, and then poof!”

“Oohhh, I see.” He picked me up.

“How do I look?” I asked.

“You look very-” Dad didn't get to finish what he was saying. A thunderous noise came from inside the house. Suddenly, the windows on the top floor blew out and glass started falling into the backyard. Dad covered me with his metal working apron. I still remember the awful smell of sweat and char on it as he did. Once the glass stopped falling, Dad uncovered me. As soon as he did, he looked as if he had been punched. I didn’t notice it at the time, but my fur wasn’t pink anymore.

“EMILY!” He shouted and ran inside. I didn’t know what to do. I was frozen, confused, and frightened.

“Mommy?”

Chapter 2

“Is it this one?” The man with the nice watch asked, pointing to the turned down card. I flipped it over, revealing the three of clubs, and he sighed.

“Sorry, sir,” I said smiling. “Wanna try two out of three?”

“More like seven out of nine at this point.” The man’s friend, who had been watching him lose for several rounds now, teased.

“It’s not like you could get it.” The man said, agitated.

“How about it sir, wanna prove your friend wrong?” I asked.

“Sure, wouldn’t be the first time.” The man with the nice watch stood up and moved aside for his friend. Once again, I shuffled the cards and moved them around in a hard to keep up with pattern. The man with the watch, who seemed to be a Half-Dwarf, watched the cards as intensely as his friend was. The new player, a Najaro, which are snake-like people with two humanoid arms but the bottom halves are fully snake, pointed at the card he wanted me to flip once I stopped moving them.

“Good job!” I announced once the card turned out to be the red queen; the card he was looking for.

“Ugh!” The half-Dwarf groaned.

“See, it isn’t that hard.” The Najaro laughed at his friend’s misfortune.

“I wanna go again!” The half-Dwarf demanded.

“Sorry boys, but I gotta get going. But feel free to come back tomorrow. I could use the money.” I smirked. His friends laughed as I walked away with the fifty dollars he bet. I turned a corner and pulled out the deck of cards. With a wave of my paw, and a little magic, I dispelled the illusion on the three of clubs, revealing the red queen. “Suckers.” I chuckled. After a successful day at work, I had netted about two-hundred and twelve dollars. “Almost enough.” I said as I counted everything up and added what I had at home. I was saving for a real mages staff, which are pretty expensive. I’ve been making due with a magic stone, but the most I can do with it is some fire magic, my specialty, and one illusion spell that makes one card look like a different card. Magic stones are naturally imbued with magic, and they reabsorb any magic that was lost over time, but that takes all day, and the amount they hold isn’t a lot. Mage’s staffs on the other hand, are purpose made for real spells, not just simple tricks. They have magic gems at the core, which are like better magic stones, so they regain lost magic faster, and hold more mana.

I turned a corner into an alley, and started to head home. A voice behind me called out, “Hey Jess.” I turned around to see an elderly Basailur with reddish orange fur. Jess was the name I have been going by for a few years. Now, the only person who still calls me Jessie is my dad.

“Hey John. Staying safe?” I asked. I stopped walking to talk with him.

“I should be the one asking you that. How much did you make today?” He asked, his voice gruff and strained.

“About two-twelve.” I said.

“A nice take. You’re being careful right?” He asked and sat down by the box he had been sleeping in. He gets a new one every few weeks when they inevitably fall apart.

“I haven’t been caught yet.” I told him.

“That’s good, but not what I asked.”

“Don’t worry about me, John. Did you need anything? I can stop at the store on my way here tomorrow?” I offered.

“Ah, keep your money. You need it more than I do. You must be getting pretty close to that fancy staff by now?”

“I can spare a few dollars.” I said.

“Well, I guess I wouldn’t refuse some soap and maybe a new blanket. But don’t go outta your way on my account! If you have to choose between some doddering old coot like me and that new staff, you better get that staff.” He scratched the tufts of fur sticking out from his chin. If he were a dwarf or a human, he might have been the type to grow a beard.

“I make a list. See you tomorrow.” I waved and started walking away.

“Stay safe.” He said back. This was a weekly thing with John. I’d make a little money, then pick him up some groceries. He would never ask for it himself, so I always make sure to offer.

After a while, I made it back home and went inside. I looked around and saw my dad’s metal working apron still hanging by the door in the same place it was when I left this morning. No surprise there. Dad only worked when he was sober enough these days. He makes enough to keep the house and the car, but that’s about it lately. It’s been this way since Mom died, ten years ago. The investigators said it was an accident caused by a faulty potion. I still remember the lights and sirens of the ambulance, the smoke pouring out from the house, and the smell of burnt fur that clung to Dad for days afterwards. He tried to run into the house to save Mom after the explosion, but the top floor was on fire.

I didn’t bother turning on the lights, for one it wouldn’t magically get our power switched back on, and two, I didn’t need it anyway; I can see in the dark fine. That’s a trait of all Basailur. I went upstairs and into my closet to pull out the money I had been saving. Once again, I counted it up, and added the new total from today’s haul.

“Just one more day like today and I’m set.” I whispered to myself. I put the money away and went over to my desk. On it was a stack of applications I needed to finish for different Magic Academies around the country. I knew a little magic, but only from what Mom had taught me when I was a kid, and what I had picked up along the way. If you want to be a mage, and I do, then you need three things: a magic staff, a degree in wizardry, and money. After I buy a staff, I will have two of those things. I need the staff because I’m a Basailur, and we can’t use magic without one; our affinity may be good, but we don’t have natural connections like some of the other species out there. The staff acts like a conduit for magic, in place of that natural connection. I also need the staff, because a requirement to get into a Magic Academy is to own your own staff or wand, no matter the species.

“Jessie? Are you home?” My dad called from downstairs.

“Yeah Dad!” I yelled.

“I’m going out for a bit. I’ll probably be home late.”

“Are you going to work?” I asked, doubtful.

“No, I’m uh… going to hang out with some friends. There’s food in the pantry if you get hungry.” Dad doesn’t have many friends anymore, so I knew where he was actually going. What little money we did have to space, Dad usually drank. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I was living in absolute poverty. He always made sure I had good clothes and that there was food that didn’t need power to be preserved, like canned goods and boxed stuff, but we weren’t exactly living like kings.

“Okay Dad, I’ll see you later.” I yelled. A second later, I heard the front door open and close. I sighed, and got back to work on the applications.

A few hours passed and I got tired of working on the applications, so I went and got some food. Tonight’s dinner was canned tuna with a side of cereal and a glass of water. After that, I went to bed. I woke up when the sun rose, mostly because I don’t have an alarm clock, and read a book by the window for a little while. It was on magic theory; I got it from the library. When I wasn’t working, I was studying up on magic. I needed to pass all those Magic Academies entrance exams after all. I finished a few chapters, then got ready and left for work.

“I can’t do Tate Street again, the people there are getting weary. I’ll try Garden Park first and see what happens.” I mumbled to myself. I headed to a little park a few blocks away from my house. On the way, I stopped in a store and picked John up the soap and blanket he asked for. I shoved them into my backpack and pulled out my cards and magic stone. One quick spell later, and everything was ready. I set up shop in an area with plenty of foot traffic. “Come one, come all! Try your hand at a game of skill! Find the red queen and win ten dollars!” I would say to get people’s attention. I had a few people try their luck. Most lost, but I let some win to keep the illusion of chance going. After a while, the crowds dispersed and I started to back up to move to a new spot, but I was stopped.

“I’d like to try my hand.” A man said.

“Absolutely sir. Just find the red queen and you win ten dollars.” I said and started my normal shuffle. At the end, I laid out the three cards.

“This one.” He said and pointed at the disguised red queen. I flipped it over, expecting to see a back card, but was shocked to see the spell had broken.

The stupid magic stone must have run out. I thought to myself. “Congratulations sir, you won. Here is your ten dollars.” I said and handed him his money.

“I’d like to go again.” He said.

“I’m sorry sir, but the traffic in this area is slowing down, so I need to be moving on. Plus, I need to get to school soon.” I lied. I just needed to recast that spell once the stone was refilled with mana.

“Okay, I see. Well then, have a good day.” He said and stood up.

“You too sir,” I said and left. Once I was safely out of there, I checked the magic stone. Strangely, it was still at half charge. Did that guy break the spell and con me? I wondered. I recast the spell on the card, and set up in a new spot a few blocks away.

Chapter 3

I set up at a new place three streets over just to be safe, and watched my back to make sure no one was following me. I don’t know whether I messed up, or if that guy actually did dispel my magic, so I wanted to be on the safe side. Once again, I called out to passersby and a few of them took the bait. After a few people lost I let two win in a row, and more started asking to play, now convinced they had a chance. I made about ninety dollars profit in less than an hour. A small crowd had gathered, and I was raking in the money, until one voice called out, asking to have a go at it.

“I’d like to try.” The man from before said. My stomach sank for a second, but I had been doing this long enough to not let it show on my face.

“Of course sir.” I said with a fake smile. He sat in front of the cards and I started shuffling. Remember what I said about profits? That didn’t last long. After seven consecutive losses in a row, all I was left with was twenty dollars. “Lady Luck seems to like you, sir.” I said through gritted smiling teeth.

“It seems so!” The man said and started laughing. “I haven’t had this much fun in years.” The crowd was cheering him on as he won. Each of his victories earned him louder and louder cheers.

“But unfortunately, it seems I am almost out of money. So, I think I will need to end it here.” I said and began packing up my things. I knew if I kept going with him, I would be left with nothing, but I couldn’t just grab my money and run or the crowd may get suspicious and call the police.

“Oh that’s no problem. I need to get to work anyway.” The man stood up, and collected the seventy dollars he had won. “I should go buy a lottery ticket next. Maybe I still have a little luck left.”

“Yes sir, very true.” I said as I finished picking up my things. By now, I was already walking away. When I was far enough away, I turned a corner into an alley. I stayed there a second to calm myself down. I checked the stone, it still had some charge left, so it had to be that guy. I decided to give up for the day and go home. I still had plenty of applications that needed filling out, and entrance exams that I needed to study for. Before I did, I stopped and dropped John’s blanket and soap off for him.

“Good day today too, Jess?” John asked

“Nah, some guy figured out my trick and cost me seventy dollars.” I grumbled.

“Dang, someone was able to figure you out? Never thought I’d see the day.” John said and unfolded the blanket to look at it. “Did he report you?”

“No, but he nearly cleaned me out.”

“Well, at least he was an honest con.” John chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess. It’s not like I have much room to complain anyway.”

“Well, if someone is dumb enough to think that a kid on the street with a deck of cards is playing fair, they— well no, I don’t think I’ll say that.” John said.

“Ha!” I laughed. “I’ll see you around, John.” I said and started home.

“See you later, Jess.” He said and sat down in his box with his new blanket.

When I got home, Dad’s apron was gone. “He must be at work?” I wondered. I looked out into the back yard and saw the door open. I saw Dad moving around, carrying a pair of his tongues and wearing gloves. “Oh good, maybe the electricity will come back on soon.” Without warning, there was a knock at the front door. I went over to the window and peaked at who it was. “OH NO!” I said upon seeing that guy who took all my money. My first thought was to go and get Dad, but then he would know that I have been scamming people on the street. My second thought was to use a lamp as a weapon. I went with the second thought; the electricity probably wasn’t going to come one anyway, so one less lamp wouldn’t matter.

“Young lady, are you in there?” The man called out. “I came to return your money to you.”

“Yeah right. Who gives away free money?” I whispered to myself. Suddenly, seventy dollars was slid through the mail slot. It hit the floor and went everywhere.

“I hope that proves my intentions. I just want to talk.” He said.

“About what?” I asked through the shut door, still clenching the lamp.

“I had a few questions about that magic you used, and where you learned it. If it makes you feel safer, I’m content to talk through the door.”

“Fine.” I said, and started picking up the bills. I didn’t put the lamp down, but I did release the death grip of one of my hands long enough to collect the money.

“Excellent. First, I’d like to know where you learned that impressive spell you used.”

“I read about it in a textbook.” I stuffed the last of the bills into my pockets.

“A magic textbook?”

“No, a history textbook.” I said, sarcastically.

“Yes, dumb question. Um, what I meant to ask was: you seem a bit young to be studying magic. That’s a rather advanced field for someone so young.”

“Yeah, well, so?”

“Well, it is impressive. That’s all I meant. May I ask who taught you to use your mana?”

“I taught myself.”

“Really?” He sounded surprised. “You seem to be rather talented. Are you enrolled at a magic academy somewhere?”

“Not yet.”

“But you plan to be?”

“Why do you care?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been asking all these questions but I haven’t answered any myself. My name is Theodore, and I am a professor at Hollowood Magical University. We are located-”

“I know where it is.” I interrupted. “Why are you here? Are you going to call the police on me?”

“Oh no. Rather, I want to offer you an opportunity to enroll at the school once you graduate. I assume that will only be a few years from now?”

“I don’t go to school.” I said. “And why would you want to give me anything? I scammed you… tried to scam you.”

“You don’t go to school, and yet were able to pick up the basics of magic, despite being so young?” There were a few long  moments of quiet. “Not going to school would present a problem… How about a GED, do you plan on getting one of those?”

“I don’t- maybe… I haven’t thought about it. But you didn’t answer my question.” I stumbled over some of my words.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, you tried to scam me, but it was masterfully done. I was quite impressed actually. And I figured that a kid on the street had a pretty good reason to be scamming people.”

“I’m not a kid!” I snapped.

“Respectfully, wrong.” He said. I rolled my eyes. By now, the lamp was by my side, and my grip was looser. My arms were getting too tired to keep it up like a baseball bat any longer.

“Why do you want to know about my GED plans?”

“Because if you don’t get a diploma, you could still get a GED. That is the minimum requirement to be accepted by our university.”

“And you would just… get me into Hollowood if I had one?” I asked, suspicious. I have been offered plenty of “deals” from creepy older men, but they didn’t usually involve me getting a GED and going to college.

“Well no. I only work there, but I could get you an interview and maybe a scholarship.” He explained.

“And what would you get out of it?” I asked suspicious.

“Other than the knowledge that I helped a talented youth reach new heights… not much. Well, I am scored as a teacher based on how well my students do, and if I recommend a student who does well and graduates, then I get a bonus, but it’s barely enough to mention if I’m being honest.”

So, you’re just doing this out of the kindness of your heart?” I asked, doubtful.

“That pretty much sums it up.” He said.

“Yeah right.” I scoffed.

“Okay, okay. The bonus is a little more than I’m letting on, but the kindness of the heart thing too.” He said. “I’m going to leave my card. When or if you get your GED, call me and I will set up the interview.” A card slid through the mail slot and fell to the ground. “Once again, my name is Theodore. I’m going to go now. I hope you take me up on the offer.” With that, I heard footsteps and moved to the window. I saw him leaving, and watched him until he disappeared around a street corner.

I put the lamp back and picked up the card, then read it. “Theodore Willingham: Professor of Sorcerous Studies. Huh?”