Medium Swap: Altrverse Void Silver #2 Complete
And with this the Marvin part of my medium swap series is officially done. Now to finish up Jackies. After which I'll be eagering waiting for issue three of both of them.
We start where the last one ended. Before the exam and the failure of it. As Moria watches her son walk into the doors.
Though worry not about repeating songs. For there’s more to what went on than what Moria saw.
And many more anxieties than what our favorite magician dared to show to his mother who was becoming increasingly unsure of the path her son dared tread.
Though we won’t get to the performances just yet. Rest assured that when they come.
Nearly all will be. Simply magnificent.
He can’t let it show that his mind is racing with self-doubt like a hamster on a wheel. As he is ushered away from his mother in the office lounge.
For he could tell by her response of being told to stay put that she’s already regretting the last two years. The last thing he wants is to be pulled out of here if he voices his worries.
So he instead offers her a smile of false confidence as she waves him off.
“Good luck or— break a leg? What do they say here?” his mother says after his retreating form
He makes it to the now-open wooden door in far too short strides, where he is greeted by one of the grey-robed figures. Whose words are filled with aggravation as the figure mocks his mother’s words.
“Hurry along now. You’re the last one here.”
Great he only just got there and he’s already making a bad first impression, and it’s not even his fault.
As the doors close behind him and his mentor his heart thuds loudly in his chest. His hands are sweaty, and he tries desperately to count to ten. A calming method his mother taught him.
His mentor is fair more perceptive than he would like him to be, clocking his unease almost instantly.
“NONE of that. You’re READY.”
How is that supposed to be helpful?! His mentor couldn’t reassure a unicorn like that!
In a matter of moments, they approach another door with curtains on each side, with two what looked like bellhops on each side. Beckoning them behind the curtain, holding it open for them.
He thought only hotels had bellhops? How awesome!
“Right this way,” says one of the bellhops
The sight that awaits him behind the curtain takes his breath away. A massive theater, like the one that is a part of those massive musical and or play productions.
With rows upon rows of seats, even lining the walls! Including a separate seating area for two that looked more fancy than the rest.
On the bottom rows is where it seems all the other exam takers are seated. With children round his age in green robes, turns to look at him, seeming just as awed and nervous at him.
As he sits down in one of the seats, the woman on the stage in the tan robe begins to speak.
“Good Morning! I am the SPEAKER of the magic circle. The test for admission is exceedingly simple. You will transfer THESE cards to THAT table. Through WHATEVER magic comes to mind.”
“Let us now receive our first candidate with no further delay.”
When exam day approaches, best prepare or you’ll make a fool of yourself and everyone there. Then you will be forced to wait another year if you dare show your face after being such a disgrace.
It’s not often in her many years of hosting the examination that she sees a candidate so unfit to be here, like the boy who comes on stage first. Who looks no more than eight or nine.
“H-hi.” the young boy with freckles stammers as he climbs onto the stage
His mentor or guardian must of bribed the higher-ups to allow him to take the exam a whole year or two sooner. Oh well, not much she can do about that now.
Mind as well give the boy a fair shot.
She let’s the young lad approach the table, who stares at the cards with utter confusion. Like he never heard of moving cards with magic before.
“That’ll be all thank you.” she says while actively trying to mask the irritation in her voice.
She proceeds to walk up to the boy and ushers him off stage with a hand on his back.
“You have ALL completed your INDEPENDENT study. While you have only studied THEORY, you are up to speed on BASICS. This is a test of your CREATIVITY. Inability to accomplish this one task means failure. “
“You may continue your studies and try again next year.”
She’ll be sure to talk to his mentor or guardian about this. Poor boy just embarrassed himself in front of everyone who may in the future, take him under their wing.
Thankfully, the next candidate does stellar, making up for the lackluster start.
A blond-haired, slightly older-looking boy who completes the task by raising his hand into the air. A star sigil glowing blue surrounds his hand, before a gust of wind blows from his hand. Blowing the cards from one table to the other rather haphazardly, but it’ll do in a pinch.
The whole auditorium erupts in applause, though she can’t help but notice the two figures whispering from above.
What are those twins up to now?
The first candidate was nothing but a disappointment. The act being one they would expect from a mundane, not one that supposedly held magic in their veins.
Innerwordly they hope that the boy won’t try again the upcoming year. So they wouldn’t need to see the disgrace again.
But it isn’t worth their energy to stop such a thing.
So they’ll just let it be up to the boy and whoever “delights” in mentoring the child to decide on his fate.
Now, the next candidate is one who may be worthy to join their ranks. Moving the cards by controlling the winds, without breaking a sweat.
Semi-respectable at least.
“ELEMENTAL Magic,” says the twin, whose favorite thing during the exams is to pinpoint the exact magic the candidates decide to use.
“Inelegant, but it got the job done. He’ll get in.” the siblefuling responds as they wait for the other canditate to take the stage.
Hopefully, all the other candidates will be even more enlightening.
Is there any surprise that our favorite magician’s best friend does magic nearly as magnificent as him?
At least after the first candidate, the bar of failure is now clear as day. With even the potential to retake if his fate goes on rocky shores.
But he has no intention of failing, so thoroughly as the first or at all if he can so help it.
He doesn’t have long to think on this, before the next contestant takes the stage. A ginger-haired girl whose temper is hopefully not as bad as they say.
Gingers, as he well knows, can have a scary temper.
Temperament aside, what the girl does next is more than impressive.
He watches as she approaches the cards with baited breath,and makes a glowing blue magic s sign with a finger. That surrounds the stack.
For a moment, nothing occurs; the girl’s impatience is noticeable by how she grips the red tablecloth and stares at the cards. As if willing them to obey her command.
Then to his utter amazement, the cards grow arms and legs. Standing up all on their own, before marching off the table and onto the other. Cheers and clapping echoes throughout the room in response. Everyone seemingly in agreement that what they just saw was nothing less than magnificent.
A dark skinned boy takes the stage next. Who, though neither of them are aware quite yet will be crucial to each other as time passes.
The Twins POV ——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Good. Good. The candidates are only getting more impressive as each goes by. Instead of remaining passable yet subpar at best.
Maybe these upcoming students might just be useful. Maybe.
“INGENIOUS,” says one of the twins, whose thoughts are echoed by their sibling.
“School of TRANSMUTATION. We’ll keep an eye on this promising young one.”
They both go silent once again, as the next contender approaches the card, holding his hands out in front of him, palms facing the deck. The boy focuses for a moment before he and the cards disappear.
The cards appear on the table after a split second, just as the ordained Speaker notices and proclaims in amazement.
“THERE they are — Where’s?”
They have to crane their necks to locate the boy, noticing him amongst the full-fledged members of the circle. Giving the other mentors quite a shock.
Though they are merely slightly impressed.
“School of CONJURATION. Though rather showy at that.” says one of the twins followed swiftly by thier sibling.
“And without upsetting the deck of cards!”
This year’s candidates are impressive indeed.
The guile of the young is both admirable and fretful for having such a loose tongue.
The next candidate that took the stage reminded them vaguely of the girl from the Adams family. With her unsettling yet confident demeanor, affecting everyone in the audience.
All eyes can’t help but stay glued to her as she climbs up the couple of steps to the stage, and turns to face everyone in the audience. Even daring to lock eyes with them, something even the mentors usually avoid.
“Lords and Ladies. Fellow Candidates,” she begins, unnaturally respectful for someone of her status.
“My future instructors and MENTORS,” she says, turning from the audience and facing them in the stands.
“Awfully BOLD of her,” says one of the twins, who immediately gets shushed by their sibling. Annoyed at their disrespect for daring to comment on a candidate before their performance.
The young girl proceeds to turn away from them and face the crowd once more. With the air of confidence befiting someone twice her age.
“Do not trouble yourselves with HOW I shall transport these cards from one table to another. It’s ALREADY DONE.”
To their amazement, the cards appear perfectly stacked on the other table. Without the girl so much as needing to face the deck.
Cheers and clapping echoes throughout the theater once again, as they take in the young girl’s performance.
“ENCHANTMENT — the FINEST I’ve seen from a student so young,” says one of the twins
“Are you rather certain that’s NOT still the effect, sister?” says her brother with a hint of jealousy
Their back and forth is short-lived as they realize that the foretold prodigy is up next.
He is still captivated with the young girl’s performance, his mind racing with questions of how and exclamations of wow. When his mentor leans over his seat and whispers into his ear.
His heart sinks at his mentor’s words. He was hoping he would have a bit more time to mentally prepare. Having thought that since he arrived last, that he would go last. But clearly, this place doesn’t work like that.
As he approaches the stage, he tries his best to give off the air of confidence, like the successful candidates before him. But his mind is racing like a hamster in a hamster wheel.
How could he possibly hope to compare to other magnificent feats done by the others before him? Maybe he should just go home.
But he has come way too far to turn back now.
So he climbs the couple of steps to the stage, squinting his eyes as the spotlight engulfs him. Though it does nothing to blind him from how all the members of the circle who are present are focused on him.
Despite the fact that all but his mentor’s face is covered by a hood, and for most of them, various sorts of masks, he could swear that their eyes were piercing through his very soul.
His mentor’s encouraging thumbs-up does little to alleviate his nerves, but still, he gives his fake confidence grin before stepping in between the two tables. Before closing his eyes.
Focus. Breathe. Think and move the cards. Uh...somehow. The cards are on the table...AND the other. NOW get them there. GET THEM THERE.
He senses magical energy all around him. Green swirls the color of his magical hue surrounding him.
His focus is broken as a shout breaks through.
Woe to the child whose abilities are unlike any that have ever been seen. Fear can make adults do such strange things.
Impossible. By all accounts, this should be impossible.
His apprentice is just a boy, only recently just turned ten. Yet his magic, without any sigil or incantation no less, was powerful. Too powerful.
The murmurs around him from other mentors only confirm it.
He should have warned him about what magic he absolutely can’t use, in a setting such as this. Thankfully the Speaker stopped the lad when she did. If he manages to use some other magic his second try maybe the others will overlook it.
“STEADY boy.” he says regardless that the lad can’t hear him.
He can already sense the lad's future or at least what his future is suppossed to be, becoming more and more unsteady.
He snaps his eyes open as the Speaker shouts at him to stop. The magic he was conjuring dissipates in the air, just as he notices the frantic shift in atmosphere. What was once curious eyes peering behind the hooded souls, now is a mixture of intrigue and dangerous fear.
“Just a moment young man. Stop there.” the Speaker calls out as she approaches, “Young man, I urge you ...er what’s your name?”
“Marvin er...GOOD START!” she begins placing her hand on his shoulder “But...think SMALLER, do you see? Focus on JUST the cards, and try to - think of any other way of magic, ANY other way — to move them.”
He definitely didn’t see what she meant, but he got the sinking feeling that if he didn’t figure it out that he would for sure fail the exam.
The Speaker seems to notice his unease as she puts her hand off his shoulder, and speaks with a tone of comfort.
“TRY AGAIN. BELIEVE that you can do this — I do.”
He fears no amount of belief will be enough as he closes his eyes and tries again.
Magic swirls around him. Coming out of his very being. The cards float in the air. Bright blinding flash of light. They fly to the other table. Gasps echo from the crowd.
Oh what to do when a mere child’s power is so great, that it could rip the multiverse in two.
They should have known better than to trust an Archivist Soothsayer’s words. Especially with it being Ramesses, the bane of the magic circle.
For the boy, he had prophecised to do great things, to be a valuable asset to the circle and to them. The boy they bent foundational rules for seems to be nothing more than a threat to them all.
A threat they let waltz through the doors and take an exam meant to be an entrance way to their school of magic. Without any resistance.
The boy may be just a child, but the magic that comes out of him, without any preparation, is powerful and endless.
And bright, so much so that their appointed Speaker has to avert her eyes, as the boy’s magic hurls the cards to the other table.
“Good LORD,” says the sister
“We MUST handle this sister,” says her brother, to which she immediately responds with
“Yes Brother...DEAL with him before he grows any STRONGER.”
There are only two paths for that boy to take now. His choice will decide if they have to take more direct action.
Though it isn’t looking promising for the boy, for he runs out of the theater before the Speaker could even finish a sentence. Prompting Ramesses and the Speaker to run after the distraught boy.
Best follow suit to see what fate the boy will choose.
There are only two paths for that boy to take now.
She tried her best to steer Marvin in the proper direction, nudging him away from the raw forbidden magic that seemed to surround him. But clearly, he didn’t understand despite her efforts.
If only he had backtracked and used some other magic the second time around. Maybe the circle would just chalk it up to a one-time occurrence. But now...
“You did great! Unfortunately y-” before she can finish her sentence, the boy flees the theater, his mentor following after.
Fuck. There is only one thing left to do now.
She runs after the boy, trailing Ramesses a few steps behind.
She must protect him from the twins. Hopefully, she and Ramesses will get the boy to save himself.
Now time for the part you’ve seen before. This time through the eyes of our favorite magician, whose will is stronger than a mountain. To his detriment.
He failed. He failed. He failed.
Despite him doing his best. Like his mom always tells him to, he still failed.
His magic sent the cards flying to the table. Exactly as he was supposed to. Yet the moment he opened his eyes, there were no cheers, nor applause like there was for the other contestants. Instead, the room was eerily silent.
His mentor gives him a look of horror and remorse. The Speaker opens her mouth to speak. But he doesn’t need to hear a word to know that despite doing as the exam demands, he still failed.
His mentor was wrong; he wasn’t ready.
He fled the theater, not even realizing his mentor and the Speaker were trailing after him.
This leads to his current state, arms wrapped around his mom as she probes him on what led to his failure.
“WHAT?! Why? What happened?!”
“I don’t KNOW! I DID it...and then..and then.”
Before he works up the courage to explain, the voice of the Speaker calls out to him. Which leads him to turn around and realize it isn’t just him and his mom in the lobby.
The Speaker and his mentor had followed him out, and he didn’t even realize it.
And behind them both is a young girl having a considerably better day than he, getting congratulated by her male guardian. He can’t help but feel jealous at her happiness, but not for long for the Speaker’s words brings his attention back to the present.
“Young Marvin! Marvin...you rushed off so abruptly, I hadn’t the chance to finish! I wished to say — we regret that we can’t offer you a post in MAGICAL INSTRUCTION. Nevertheless, you have a great NATURAL gift, and that we cannot ignore.”
Natural gift, she says? Well, a lot of good that did him.
“There’s more to our Magic Circle than our ACADEMY, our work also depends on a robust corps of ARCHIVISTS. Scholars, Researchers, even SCIENTEST — Non Magic Practitioners, VITAL to our institution.”
“It is my honor as SPEAKER of the Magic Circle to extend you this invitation join us and study magic THEORY — though not practice — as an apprentice Archivist to attain the rank of ASSOCIATE of the INNER CIRCLE. A rather CONVETED position, my boy.”
Sounds like the Magic Circle’s version of a fourth-place trophy. Well, he doesn’t need their pity.
“It’s a good offer, lad Archivist, don’t just —” his mentor begins whispering in his ear, but he doesn’t care what he has to say not anymore.
“No. With all due respect, Madam Speaker. I won’t join the Magic Circle and NOT do magic. I have a regular school for that. Let’s go home mom.”
With that he storms off not even taking time to notice that the Speaker has been joined by two gray-robbed figures who begin speaking as he walks away.
“No, choice then. We’ll HANDLE this.”
“WAIT! wait. Give the child time to reconsider.”
Not like he cares if they or anyone else disapproves anyway.
Even when him and his mom goes to enter the car, the annoyance of the circle doesn’t end. For before he could enter the vehicle his mentor calls out having followed him to the parking lot.
“We should take a moment boy.”
“Of COURSE you’d want me to stay, Ramesses. This was all YOUR idea.”
And with he enters the car and his mom drives off.
The stubbornness of youth can lead to such fright as you try to keep them from the night.
That lad has no idea what he has brought upon himself and his mother by digging his feet into the sand. The circle, especially the twins, always react harshly when fear gets in the mix.
Many a person has disappeared cause the circle viewed them as a threat.
And the lad, being ten, would hardly make a difference to the twins. Their heart are as cold as ice when it comes to outsiders and practically anyone else besides themselves.
Besides genuine care for the lad and his mother, he also must fear for himself. For he’s the reason that the circle even let the boy take the exam at all, and so in the twins' minds, he likely poses a similar level of threat.
Not even being a member of the circle would save him then. He wouldn’t dare to fathom what more they would do to him for such a slip.
So as he watches the car leave, his heart sinks for the fates of them all. The lad's destiny shatters the further down the road the car goes.
The Speaker soon joins him and urges him to go after him. For it isn’t yet too late to save the boy, the mother, and him. Since the Speaker convinced the twins to give the boy a couple of days to reconsider before they take action.
Which isn’t long but might yet be enough.
So he begins the three-mile trek, thinking of the ways he might be able to convince him.
Though he’d hate to do it, it might be necessary to let the threat level be known to the lad. He’s sure the boy would do anything for his mom and vice versa.
By noon, he arrives at the lad’s home and knocks on the door.
Gods, he hopes this works.
Nothing makes a sour mood better than a cup of tea in any weather.
They got home a little past noon and changed into more casual attire the moment they arrived. But not even a change of attire could help lighten his mood.
Two years wasted. Two years of fun. Two years of what should have been childhood bliss. Spent learning, reading books, and on odd field trips.
Sure, he enjoyed it at the time. After all, Unicorns being real was an amazing realization. But now it all feels stupid. For what Ramesses had promised would come from it was nothing but a lie.
A lie he fell for so easily. Maybe he’s just a kid.
He spends the next eternity. Two hours. Just sulking in a chair at a dining room table.
Though, of course, his mother wouldn’t just let him stay in such a mood. She’s too much of a good mom for that.
“Cup of tea, dear?” she says in a sympathetic, concerned tone.
A lie, one of the most see-through ones he ever told. Ironically enough, in the future, he’ll prefer a cup of tea over coffee any day.
“Oh, come on now. There’s nothing like a nice cup of tea. To make you feel better. Even if you just HOLD it and don’t take a sip.” she says as she begins to fill up a kettle of water.
Guess they’re having tea.
Once she puts the kettle on the stove, she walks over with her “I know how to make you feel better look” and puts her hands on his shoulders.
“Not even a TINY sip. It’s magic and I don’t even need to be in some Tony Club to do it.”
He laughs at her joke, of course. How does she always know the right words to say to make him feel better?
Then they hear a frantic knock at the door, interrupting their mirth.
He watches curiously as she opens the door, then his good mood evaporates as he sees whose on the other side.
“Oh it’s YOU. MAYBE SOME OTHER DAY yes, Ramesses?”
If only all people abided by the courtesy of vampires, then human interactions might not be so vile.
He knew Ramesses wasn’t exactly the most ‘normal’ sort of person. But it’s hard to believe that an adult could be so rude.
For instead of going away when his mother asked him to, he proceeded to barge in like the world was ending.
“No Time! Boy, I need to TALK with you.” Ramesses says, making a beeline for the table where he sits.
“SSSh, this is IMPORTANT,” Ramesses says before sitting down across from him. “MARVIN, there’s a REASON why they —”
“Come on, I don’t want to —”
Why can’t this man just leave him alone?
“They’re AFARID of you. You have an INNATE power they’ve never seen before, beyond these halls, and they need to keep their eye on you. You SHOULD LET THEM.”
Afraid of him? But he wouldn’t hurt anyone! He doesn’t even want to hurt anyone!
“You moved those cards with the technique that came naturally to you — and that was EVOCATION magic. No SIGILS. No INCANATIONS. Drawing on your OWN power from an unknown and unlimited LIMITLESS source. The FORBIDDEN school of magic.”
Why didn’t Ramesses warn him that there was forbidden magic!
He shares a look with his mother; she seems just as perplexed and concerned as he is. Great so Ramesses is sounding just as confusing to both of them.
“They want to keep you close. MONITOR you. Keep you on THEIR side. Figure out HOW you do it if they can. For your own sake AND your mother’s sake, you must COOPERATE. “
H-his mother’s? Surely his mentor isn’t implying. No, the Circle wouldn’t. Would they?
“You must go back and accept their invitation — say you’ve changed your mind.”
“What about DOING MAGIC?”
“You said it was his 'IMMUTABLE DESTINY'!”
“Not as far as the Magic is concerned, that’s RIGHT OUT. They will REFUSE to teach you.”
So his studying was for nothing after all.
“That’s why you’ll TEACH YOURSELF.”
Oh, how mysterious can magic be, able to hide whole buildings from you and me.
The following day he leaves the house early in the morning. Well, if you count nine am as early, which it was for him but nothing he wasn’t use to thanks to school.
When he leaves, he does so with one destination in mind. The Magic Circle, with the mind of enrolling in the path of Archivist.
Sure he wasn’t to thrilled about that. But maybe it has the potential to be more interesting than a normal school could wish to be. At least he would still be learning about magic even if he can’t do it publicly.
Besides from how determined Ramesses was to convince him and his mom, it didn’t seem like saying no was an option.
He’s really tired of having his choices made for him. Hopefully, when he’s older he’ll be able to make all the choices he wants.
Though before he worries about his future, it would probably be best to worry about the present.
Specifically in terms of finding the circle itself. He could have sworn it was right here down this street.
“Where..? It was right here...The BLACK TOWER was right here..” he says, beginning to get frantic.
For in it’s place is a burger joint, surrounded by typical London architecture.
Having no idea what else to do, he gives up his search and heads to his normal school. Making it on the steps right as the bell rings.
Then a louder bell rings out, causing him to whirl around, only to see the Magic Circle headquarters right across the street.
“Wait...where’d THAT come from?”
He isn’t able to marvel at the building’s sudden appearance for long before another voice calls out to him.
“The BELL RANG, young man,” says the darker-complexioned principal behind him
“Oh..B-but the Black Tower sir, it’s HERE...”
“What Tower? Speak SENSE child!”
But he has stopped listening to his old principal, instead he begins heading to the Tower only he can see.
“Gotta go!” he shouts out with a wave
“Now see here!” cries the principal after his fleeting form.
But he no longer cares about what he has to say.
The first day of enrollment can be confusing for both the young and the old.
Within moments, he arrives at the other school. Academy? Magic Circle’s doorstep, and enters the lobby.
“Er..” he begins as he approaches the table
Before he could compose himself, the woman behind the counter interrupted, sounding slightly irritated. Despite not actively working on anything important.
“Do you have an appointment?”
Why didn’t Ramesses prepare him for this?
“Admission is granted ONLY by appointment or with a valid chit of entry.”
“B-but I...I’m expected, I think? I believe the Speaker will WANT to see me? I never learned her name..”
Well Well looks like the Soothesayer can do something right after all. They initially were so sure that they would need to get blood on their hands.
Yet the moment they walk out onto the balcony, masks off no less. They see the lad in the lobby at the counter.
“Is that MARVIN? Well..” says the brother
“The prodigal has returned,” says his sister
They put on their full face masks as they head down the balcony stairs, where they join the lad in the lobby. Motoining him to follow as they lead him down the hall.
“Apologies, WHERE are our manners?” says the brother
“We have you at a disadvantage,” says his sister
“We know your name. But you don’t know ours,” says the brother
“This is my brother, Nico,” says his sister
“And this is my sister Nicola,” says the brother
How interesting, the moment they said their names, the lad got more nervous instead of less.
“Oh, MUCH better,” says Nico.
“It’s a RELIEF to see you, young man,” says Nicola
They motion him towards the door, but are interrupted by the most grating sound. The Speaker’s voice coming from the trumpet-shaped announcer.
“Is that young master MARVIN?!”
“WAIT RIGHT THERE!” and with that, a smoke-like substance pours out of the announcer and forms into the Speaker herself.
“I’M SO PLEASED you’ve returned! Er..don’t mind them. Please Please do come with me.”
Oh what a unique worry it’s for to fret if a school will still appear, come beginning of the year.
She should of known better than to not wait in the lobby for the chance the lad could show. Though Ramesses isn’t the most reliable of sorts, he tends to be very convincing when the cards are down.
And there is little more urgent it could get than the tensions surrounding the lad.
Thankfully, she overheard the twins and the lad when she did, from the other end of the announcer. Gods knows what the twins were planning to do once they got the lad behind the door.
As it is, the lad appears unharmed and only slightly unnerved when she forms out of the smoke.
Oh, if only she could teach him how to do it. From his reaction to her appearance, she can tell that he thought her little trick to be magnificent. But alas, no magic for an Apprentice Archivist.
She proceeds to give the lad a tour of all the places he would need to know when he begins his learning. Though his disappointment with his given track is undeniable, as she shows him that she sees the lad's eyes light up at the scale and architecture that make up the academy part of the circle.
No doubt, unable to deny the sheer magnificence of this place. Even the most grumpy and put-offish students she’s seen tend to admire this place.
The lad's eyes even seem to light up as she tells him of what to expect when his studies begin. Clearly, even an unmagic track is more exciting than a regular school.
She ends the tour by leading him back out to the entrance, not wanting to risk the lad having another run-in with the twins.
“—And all books and teaching materials will be provided to you! Oh I AM glad you’ve decided to join us.”
“And I’ll be able to find the building?”
“My yes when you need us, there we shall be. The term begins on the sixteenth. Until then!”
And with he gets on his way, giving the Speaker a wave of farewell as he departs.
Woah the Speaker made the Circle sound cooler then Ramesses ever did. Why didn’t the circle send her to convince him instead?
Though to be fair, he would have likely given her just as hard a time, and she didn’t mention teaching himself magic like Ramesses did. Which was one of the reasons he even agreed to give it another shot.
As he begins the walk to his home, he hears his old principal swing open his old school doors and begins shouting at him.
“Here! LOOK here! Where did you GO?!”
“Where it was...I’m going there from now on.”
But he’s already turning away.
“Talk to my mom, she’ll sort it out. BYE!”
First day of school nerves aplenty, with magic that activates without even thinking.
Apparently, magic school starts just as early as regular school, for only two hours after sunrise. He is woken up by his mother, bubbling with excitement for this special day. Urging him to hurry, or they might be late meeting up with Ramesses.
Why couldn’t he just come over like he has been for the past two years?
Despite his mother’s prompting for timeliness, she went all out for breakfast, fixing his favorite pancake, eggs, and sausages. Exactly the way he likes it.
A bit hypocritical, but he doesn’t call her out on it. For why would he? Today is a special day, and his mother’s cooking, as always, is delicious.
After breakfast, his mother straightens his suit and tie. Usually, he wouldn’t like being fussed over, but the pride in her eyes makes him feel like he’s soaring off the ground. So he doesn’t complain this time.
Then he is ushered to the car, and he proceeds to talk her ear off about all the things he’s excited for. To which she chuckles and encourages him to continue.
Which he does until at last they pull into the parking lot of the Magic Circle, which looks like a burger joint to everyone else. Something he’ll never quite understand.
Ramesses rushes over to greet them while holding up a camera, wanting to memorialize this day.
So he and his mother posed right in front of the Circle’s headquarters, and smiled with his being more apprehensive than his mother.
Though if anyone were to look at the photo later, they would just see a mother and son posing in front of a burger joint.
Then, he went up the steps to begin his first day of school, giving them a nervous wave of farewell.
Oh if only he knew what the future would hold as he stepped across the threshold.
First day of school can be such a bore, but it does help when the subject is unique, of course.
Ramesses follows him into the lobby of the Magic Circle, while his mother stays outside, promising to pick him up at the end of the day.
This is definitely a special day.
The person behind the counter didn’t even sound irritated today. Merely ask for his name, and send him on his way. With Ramesses in tow, who leads him to his classroom of the day, saving him from having to wander the halls aimlessly looking for his class.
He leaves Ramesses at the door and walks into his classroom right as the bell rang.
Just in time. Leave it to his mentor to nearly make him late for his first day.
Though he supposes the professor who motions him to take a seat would be his mentor now. Can one have more than one mentor? Surely he’ll have multiple professors while he’s here. Would the professors count as mentors here? He’d assume so. What makes one a mentor?
He’s so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost doesn’t notice that on his side of the desk are a stack of books, a notebook, scattered paper and a pen.
His mom would be happy about that, she was rather unconvinced when he told her that she needn’t buy any school suppilies.
After basic introductions were said and done, including a short ice breaker where everyone said what they were excited to learn, thier first lesson begins. Starting with a spell used in war.
“Because it is used to create barriers and wield COUNTER - SPELLS we call it the 'magic of the soldier', the professor says after writing Abjuration and it’s related sigils on the board.
Magic of the soldier? Why would the Magic Circle have need for soldiers? What do they fight? The Unicorns?
“Abjuration draws on the spell-caster’s MALIA to manipulate the surrounding IMPETUS — tapping your own life force to bend, let’s say GRAVITY to your will and repel an attacker.”
As he begins jolting down every word the professor says, he subconsciously makes his classmate sitting beside him pen float slightly in mid-air. His magic instantly reacting to what’s being taught.
No one notices, save for the girl beside him. Not even him.
The same girl he tries to befriend as they walk to thier next class.
“Did-did you say QUEE-VUH?”
“Yes — CAIOMHE I’m Irish,” she says, laughing at his pronunciation attempt.
Caoimhe responds with laughter, which he suppose is a good sign.
They spend the rest of the walk chattering amongst themselves, gradually becoming friends.
All the while he could swear that he’s being watch by someone, somewhere.
In a gym for magic folks, there’s more than running and jumping ropes.
Day after day he goes to class, always on the sidelines just watching and learning, never being able or allowed to truly pratcipate. This even occurred in gym class, or at least the circle’s equivalent of gym class.
For after the typical excesses one would expect, running, leaping, the regular stuff, they move to a smaller sparring room where the students can build up their magical strength.
Of course, he wasn’t exactly allowed to participate in the magical excesses. So once it’s time to switch to the smaller room, he’s always sent to change back into formal attire and to gather his books. When he does join back up with the others he’s sent to the bench to study and observe.
His friend Caoimhe frequently struggled when it comes to building up her magicial stregthn, not fully understanding how to make it work the way it should. Leading to lackluster demonstrations though he still found it rather impressive.
Today was no different, but today the gym professor decided to give his friend an especially hard time.
“Try BUILDING UP Impetus and see what you can do with that.”
Try being more helpful instead of such a jerk.
But of course, he couldn’t dare say that, for the trouble he’d be in wasn’t worth it. So he just watches and observes feeling pity for his friend.
“Ugh I can picture the spell working but not how it comes out.” says Caoimhe
Wait if that’s the problem, he can help with that!
So without really thinking about what he’s doing, he comes beside her and tries his hand at “mentoring”.
“It’s just another force of the universe. Look at the ropes and pulleys and use that.”
It is only after he speaks that he notices the professor staring daggers through him.
“AHEM. Aspirants to ASSOCIATES rank are barred from PRATICAL magic, young man.”
“Sorry,” he says nervously before sitting back down.
He’s going to have to be more careful if he wants to teach himself magic without getting caught.
“The ropes and pulleys, what do you MEAN?”
“I don’t really KNOW just...A pulley let’s you lift big heavy thing you couldn’t otherwise manage on your own right? So just imagine...I don’t know...A MAGIC PULLEY doing it.”
That seems to send off a lightbulb behind her eyes, and when she lifts her arm while shouting out
“HUP!” she sends the boy across from her flying to the other end of the room with a yell.
It appears he would be a good mentor, if the circle would only leave him be.
Ceremonies are important as you walk through life. For mundane and magical folks alike.
Only a few months pass until he witnesses the first promotional / mastery achievement ceremony of the batch of students he enrolled alongside. Unsurprisingly to him, the student being rewarded was Caoimhe.
For after his assistance in helping her understand the one spell, she picked up the others in her class quickly. Often going to him instead of her designated mentor, the few times she did have a particular magic-related issue.
So he often congratulated himself for her’s and the others he would later help success.
The day the ceremony takes place is just like any other school day for him at least at first. For no one was made aware the ceremony would take place today, not even Caoimhe.
So he gets out of bed with the same level of excitement he always does. Having to be woken up by his mom turning the light on and off.
Ugh why must every type of school start so early?
By the time he’s dressed and goes downstairs, his mom is leaving for work, shouting over her shoulder that she fixed him a plate of eggs, beans, and toast.
His mom must be the best mom in the world to fix such a meal, when he wakes up early, then him.
The moment he finishes breakfast he heads off to school, his mentor meeting him as he gets off the train.
They spend the time quietly discussing his magical achievements, how just yesterday he made a card do a headstand. His mentor has to nervosly tell him to lower his voice towards the end for his excitement nearly leads him to shouting to where everyone can hear.
It is only when he enters the circle’s doors that the day begins to be extraordinary.
For once in the lobby he is greeted by Caoimhe and other man that he recognizes as her mentor and gym instructor. Who hands them thier robes and leads them to a chamber he’s never seen before. Where another mage in a gray robe waits, holding a book open that he doesn’t recognize.
They’re instructed to kneel as Caoimhe’s mentor takes out a box from one of the many cabinets and opens it to reveal a pair of gauntlets.xteen
“MY pleasure to award Caoimhe the totemic gauntlets of ORE and INGOT...Symbolic of the raw metals and gemstones that stregthen spells in the school of ABJURATION MAGIC she has successfully mastered.”
It was this day that he felt a most particular thing. A mixture of pride and jealously of his dear friend Caoimhe.
Oh, what a fright to mother’s all when children get into things they rather them not.
She was just going outside to tend to the garden, hoping to rid the weeds out from inbetween her precious plants. But her plan was instantly cast astray when she hears a loud racket coming from the shed.
She hadn’t heard from her son in awhile, maybe he’d like to invesigate the noise with-wait..It is then she remembers Ramesses encouraging her boy to teach himself magic outside of the circle.
She begins to near the shed, and her stomach did a flip.
The doors are opened wide, and all her garden tools have been cast onto the yard like they are merely props not expensive, important equipment.
She has to remind herself to count to ten and breathe before storming into the shed, where she sees her son standing by a makeshift desk, lit up with candles that cast a glow onto the wall.
“Marvin, what in the world?!”
Her son spins around and gives her a nervous grin.
Oh this ought to be good.
“Mom! I made myself a workshop! Check this out!”
It is then she notices the spells or at least what she assumes to be spells hanging on the wall. Well alright, her interest is piqued guess she’ll humor him for a moment.
So she hovers over her son’s shoulder as he turns back to face the desk.
Then she notices exactly what he’s hovering over and she has to remind herself to mind her temper.
“That your Grandfather’s DRUNKEN MEDAL young man, I do hope you’re not going to-”
With a wave of her son’s hand, the medal transforms into an egg nestled on a purple cushion.
Her son smashes the egg, sending yolk and egg shells everywhere.
“MARVIN!” she says in utter surprise and mortified
When her son lifts his hand, she sees that where the egg was is some sort of fancy container, looking like it came straight out of a museum exhibit.
“Using an object's own Mana —or a living creature’s Malia —TRANSMUTATION changes it, albeit temporarily.”
Bullies are all the same in regular school and magical school alike.
Young Teenaged Marvin POV
It had been four or five years since he joined the Magic Circle as an apprentice Archivist. In that time he had come to realize that there are some similars between regular school and this magic based one.
Same sort of lectures that leave students bored, and same sort of bullies who look for the quickest way to hurt. For thier own amusement.
Though this time he also had magic on his side, so he wasn’t just a punching bag with no teeth to bite.
The most recent bullying incident happened soon after he turned fourteen, in a classroom no less. The cause? Trying to help.
The professor stood infront of the rows of desks, leturing on a particular magicial subject that most of the students found dull. One even faling asleep.
“The Spell ends when the caster changes the object back or simply loses concentration.”
The blond young man beside him was more vocal about his complaints than the others, which is what prompted him to try to help.
“Bloody pointless— ‘oh the magic of the ENTERTAINER!’ Entertain my ass.”
He found it quite interesting himself, unforunately he could never use magic so publicly. So perhaps the young man beside him only found it a bore cause he couldn’t understand?
He sure seemed to be strugging with that microscrope.
“I know, Rory this one CAN be tricky to WRAP your mind around. But it’s actually rather EASY. Think of the Mana as the Microscrope like SOUL y’know..Then the object can just CHANGE FORM around —”
“Don’t need the advice thanks. I didn’t fail MY Entrance Exam OR run crying to my MAM about it.”
Before he could deck him the Professor looked right at them, clearly the young man was louder then he wanted to be.
“Mister Cameron you seem SELF-ASSURED. Perhaps you’d care to try your hand at a demonstration.”
No matter he didn’t need closeness to get back at him.
All he had to do was cover his mouth and whisper an incantation right as Rory was at the front of the class..
With that one symbol uttered Rory’s outfit changed from formal school wear to a baby sailor’s outfit with a diaper and all.
His scream was music to his ears, he didn’t even at that moment cared that the young man pointed the cartoony sized lolipop at him and said “You” with as much malice as he could.
For the laughter of his peers as Rory stormed out of the room casted aside any worry of doom.
Though it did resurface with a vengeance once he walked into the halls and joined up with his friend Sunday, who he without regret told him what went on.
“For real Sunday! I thought he was...”
“Going to Kill you!” Rory says having chosen that unconvient time to show up.
After such a bold proclamiation the young lad threw fire straght at, so of course he summoned a shield in response why wouldn’t he?
Unforunately for both of them really a gray-robed adult notices the confrontation.
Though he doesn’t notice the adult until Sunday whispers in his ear.
“EASY, the profs can’t know you do magic.”
The moment the shield dissapates he is rewarded with a punch to the face.
Boy is this going to be fun to explain.
The bad and good are rewarded and punished all the same. Oh how unfair is life’s game.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Unfortunately even the Magic Circle’s love of secrecy didn’t stop them from telling his mom that he “acted out” in the halls. What’s odd is that they only mentioned the fight, not what happened in the halls prior.
Did the Professor really not notice his little prank? It wasn’t exactly subtle. Rory made it well known to all in the room who had changed his attire.
Even now, sitting in the passenger seat of his mom’s car, he knows that was a beyond reckless stunt. How in the Universe did he get away with it?
Was it a harmless incanation enough that the Circle decided to let it slide or did the Professor thought it was a fair response and told no one? The former would be the best option but the latter sure was funnier.
Lucky for him his mom only prenteded to be mad at him in the lobby, but took him out to thier favorite ice cream place in London.
It is only when he already has his ice cream in hand and a spoonful in his mouth, that he dares to tell her what went on in that classroom. Where he was only trying to help but was verbally attacked for his efforts.
His mom’s expression is hilarious to behold, stuck between muffled laughter and barely contained anger. When she composes herself, after mumbling curses directed at the boy, she scolds him for being reckless and tells him that he’ll be helping her pull weeds during his three-day suspension.
But he could tell her heart wasn’t in. Likely thinking similar as him, why must there be bullies everywhere?
Three days later he’s back in school with no clue what happened to Rory, only that he wasn’t anywhere to be seen and wouldn’t be for another week.
A month after the incident, he was surprised to be dragged out with others in green robes to bear witness to Rory’s promotion ceremony. Which for once occurs outside, in the dead of night.
Though why he’s being rewarded after everything irks him to the core. But he keeps silent only showing his discontent by not raising the hood of his robe, unlike the others beside him.
“Ahem, nevertheless displaying SUITABLE mastery of elemental magic....Having completed satisfactory DISCIPLINARY measures, I am...HONOURED to present CARLETON with the PILIGRIMS BROOM.”
He only hopes the next one rewarded actually deserves it.
In every Universe people with disabilities physical or not can do amazing things. So can we stop pretending they’re less than the rest of us?
It had been five years since he joined the Magic Circle Academy at the age of ten. Throughout that time he studied more than just means to teach himself magic, for he took quiet an interest in learning about people who did magic differently.
From what he could tell, the Circle viewed disability less harshly then the regular folks even in the olden times. Which is rather peculiar, seeing as he hasn’t seen more people with disablities throughout his years of learning. Though maybe there are more then he thinks and they’re just invisible?
Regardless he loves sharing knowledge of that sort, almost as much as he loves helping his peers overcome their magic hurdles. Plus such information is often a good way of masking that he does magic actively.
Which is especially useful in the rare instances where it’s the twins, Nico and Nicola teaching the class. As is the case today.
“More than any other art, the school of DIVINATION requires healthy bodies and healthy minds. To win the SCRYING BALL of the SCHOLAR, you must master your PHYSICAL senses — that you may become more finely attuned to your EXTRASENSORY perception. Practice your skills of OBSERVATION hone your attention to DETAIL — learn to LISTEN for subtle tonal vibrations and nature’s hidden melodies.”
Of course since is was blatantly obvious that this lesson was geared towards thier pupil who was sitting right beside him, his other peers are for the most part bored out of thier minds, one even falling asleep.
While he on the other hand can’t help but to add to the conversation, since the Twin’s remark on healthy bodies and minds seems to be completely overlooking a crucial detail.
So he raises his hand and waits until the Twin’s undivided attention falls on him before speaking, “But the great fourteenth-century seer Madame Helen was deaf as well as blind wasn’t she? I think...the uh...relatively OBJECTIVE information from our senses BINDS us to the ordinary. Turning WITHIN is what really let’s us SEE.”
Gods why is it that even with the Twin’s face fully covered does it feel like thier gaze is piercing through him?
“Yes.” says Nicola at the same time her brother Nico says “Well put.”
“But one must WALK before one runs.” says Nicola
Why is it even when they’re praising him, does it seem ike they’re just waiting for him to slip up?
He leaves the classroom as soon as the bell rings longing to get away from the Twins unnerving presence. Quickly followed after by the Twins own pupil.
“HEY! MARVIN! Can I hear that thing you said again about turning within? I didn’t get to write it all down.”
“C’mon your the best at all that WITCHY stuff. I proably learned it from you. Anyway, they won’t let me actually DO any of it — it’s all in the books.”
“But the way you TALK about things — you sound like someone who KNOWS. And I want to see what you can do.”
Now that he’s more than willing to do.
What’s a better place to learn than a museum full with beauitful works?
He has scheduled to meet the twins’ pupil that coming weekend at the British Museum, the perfect place to teach the lesson she desires and be discreet. Plus he has come to fancy the place as of late for the artwork it contains.
Just don’t give him started on the history of how the Brits recieved most of the pieces in thier collection. Though received isn’t quite the right word for it. More like conveniently made it into thier grasps.
Anywho, he spends the rest of the week eagerly waiting for the weekend to come, causing his mom to make a few jokes on chasing the clock mindlessly but he didn’t mind, for they tease each other in good fun constantly.
When the weekend finally arrived he meets the Twin’s pupil outside of the British museum’s doors at the thirteenth hour of the day. Of course when they entered the establishment, they didn’t immedately go to the place for his planned lesson. For where’s the fun in that?
Instead they made thier way slowly to the art section, making sure to visit the section on the witch trials first.
How peculiar in a place where magic from what he could tell always existed, that there would be an significant amount of time where mages were persecuted for it. Maybe that’s why abjuration magic first came into existance, to protect themselves from the blood-hungry mundanes?
His friend seems to be getting considerably uncomfortable the longer they stay in this section, so he leads her to the Egyptain artifacts and after spending considerable time there, they at last make it to the art section.
Where he stops infront of one the art pieces depicting a barn beside a small pond.
“Okay got a good look at this painting?”
In the spilt second she looked away, he changed the color scheme of the painting from the dull hues to vibrant colors with purple and red hues.
“HA, HA, BRILLANT! TRANSMUTATION right? I can do that.”
“And MUTILATE a work of ART? No, the painting has not changed.”
“Enchantment only works on the ENCHANTEE. This is ILLUSION, tapping the PAINTING’S own MANA. TRICKSTER’S magic. It only LOOKS this way...But it looks this way to EVERYONE.”
Proving his point is a man who stand to the side of the painting with his girlfriend.
“Some, Landscape! Chap needs his eyes examined!”
At least the pupil appreciates it.
If the mentor is an apprentice who is really teaching who?
The Twin’s pupil caught onto his teaching faster than anyone before, and within a week he and a group of gray robes were called into an infrequent room. One that looked like a place for worship, upto the unique window panes.
Though why he was surrounded by Gray robes instead of some of the girl’s peers is something he couldn’t quite grasp. Surely the girl had plenty of friends, despite the orginal impression he had of her, she really is one of his favorite classmates.
Perhaps they’re all the people who contributed to her training? It would make sense, he suppose. Though he rarely sees any professors with gray robes.
All he does know is that he feels like a fish out of water sitting in the front role surrounded by gray robbed.
Though his awkwardness is almost entirely squashed by pride at watching the twin’s pupil recieve thier promotional reward.
Who is currently kneeling by the twins holding a mirror delicately.
“Thus it brings me great and my sister great pleasure to present our pupil with ILLUSION’S silver mirror. We congratutate you most heartly on this success.”
“THANK you. I couldn’t have done it without...my teachers.”
Though of course is life couldn’t just remain as simple as being the most magnificent tutor in all of the Magic Circle.
Oh how interesting it can be to see how a relationship that twist and mend in a place as tranquil as an library.
By the age of sixteeen he has just nearly mastered all forms of magic. Being the most powerful mage in all of the Magic Circle’s history in theory.
But even with that said, he always seeks to learn more and more determined to master it all when everything is said and done.
If only he could use it more openly. Then his potential would be recognized by everyone, not just those he had secretely taught, and his mom of course. Though he figures she kinda have to be by default being his mom and all.
There’s also admittedly his mentor but that man seems to always forcus on what his potential will be, not what it’s currently. Which can be quite irratingly.
Fuck his mind is wandering again. Focus Marvin Focus he came to the library for a reason.
He turns his attention back to the book and his notes on Alchemy and becomes so focused that he doesn’t notice Caoimhe approaching until she called her name. For this particular magic is giving him more trouble then the others.
“Bloody hell.” he says in frustraction as the metal in his hands refuses to change.
“Hey Marvin whatcha gettin’ up to.” says Caoimhe breaking his concentraction
Before he could say a word of welcome the head librarian shushes Caoimhe forcing her to apologize before taking her place beside them.
“Reading up on ALCHEMY trying it out on a Slug of Pewter.”
“Oh just TRYING the HARDEST school? We’re not even allowed to practice outside of the lab. And you’re only sixteen and not even MEANT to be doing magic. Why DEFY the circle? Just pass your written tests, get your ARCHIVIST crest, and you’re in a cushy job for life.”
Why does no one seem to understand?
“How can they ask me to DO that? Just read dusty old books FOREVER? They’re guidebooks to a GREATER WORLD! I can’t read them and do NOTHING!”
And that’s not even accounting for his mentor’s prophecy for his own destiny.
The librarian seems to agree shushing them both furiously. So he takes a breath before continuing lowering his volume immesively.
“I HAVE to do magic Caoimhe don’t you see? I HAVE to. I have it in ME. Th-the MAGIC. It’s EASY — everything is easy for me. The thing you people have to LEARN? I already KNOW them.”
If he was more perceptive at the time he would of notice the irration in his friend’s voice but alas teenage him was a fool in those matters.
“I don’t how else to explain it. The MAGIC is inside of me.” he says slapping his chest for emphasis, “I just have to GET IT OUT. How do you think I’m BETTER at it than EVERYONE.”
A fucking nonthinking fool.
“Why can’t you see? I HAVE to do magic. It’s my DESTINY.”
Before Caoimhe could finish they’re once again shushed by the dark complexion libarian, and in walks Caoimhe friend determined to take her away.
“CAOIMHE.” calls the friend
“Your BOYFRIEND’S waiting.”
“He’s NOT my — forget it.”
He watches her walk away with her friend, his childish anger fading as she walks away. But he’s far to prideful and hurt at the time to apologize.
So he turns his attention back to the slug and taps his finger against it causing it to glow golden.
What’s more fun to see a Superhero on purpose or one made by circumstance?
Whenever he’s dealing with emotions that feels like a hurrican in his chest, he goes to a scroll to the nearby lighthouse. The waves often helping to soothe his temper
But this day it seems ineffective at best, even with his childhood scarf wrapped around his neck. At worse the unsteady waves is making his magic flare even more, lighting up on his finger tips.
The marks on his arms, the sigils put on his arm by Ramesses when he’s young even start glowing in his greenish magic hue.
“I can Generate the primal forces of nature itself in my own hand.” he shoots his hand up into the sky causing lightening to flash. “I can pluck the very strings that knit the universe together but...HOW DO I STOP BEING AN IDIOT!”
The next lightening flash he sent up to the sky, causes a rockslide that drops big boulders heading for a boat below.
She could of swore that the weather was suppossed to be allow for a smooth sailing experience. But an hour into the tour the water becomes choppy and boulders began to fall.
“A BIT CHOPPY FOLKS! For your safety we’ll have to cut this trip short!”
Please don’t put up a fuss about this..r
Before any of her batch of tourist could voice a complaint rocks begin falling onto thier little ship, causing cries of fear across the ship.
To make things stranger a young man proceeds to jump onto the boat, from the lighthouse above. Yet lands without a scratch.
No one is going to believe her about this one.
Fuck he lost control. Now he has put other people’s lives in danger! He has to fix this before it gets worse!
He takes a running jump off the hiiltop and jumps down on the ship below. Immedately being surrounded by the panicked passengers.
“EVERYBODY STAY CALM! I’M GOING TO TELEPORT US!”
“HELP US!” cries the tour guide “PLEASE!” cries another passenger hanging on for dear life.
“I can’t CONCENTRATE!” he yells while pushing them away more roughly than he proably should of.
“Okay Marvin keep it SIMPLE. Maybe....Maybe a SHEILD!”
With that he summons a sheild, and the boulders bounded off, but the weight is still overwhelming. His arms shakes at the effort of holding it up.
“C-can’t hold it..elemental forces..to break it up.”
He hurls magic at the boulders causing them to shatter.
“And...And keep the pieces off us with ab-abjuration MAGNETIC FEILD!””
The boulder pieces falll ito the water, all except one that is hurling right through him.
“There’s still a chunk falling!” shouts one of the passengers
“Oh BLAST...forget it TRANSMUTATION.”
With a burst of magic taking the form of a shield the boulder gradually turns into a pound of chalk.
Once the danger is passed he flees but unforunately still manages to appear in the newspaper the next day.
