Amanda Moonstone: The Darkbane Sorceress
Sample Chapter
By Dan Wright
Not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system—except by a reviewer to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web—without permission from the author.
By Dan Wright
Not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system—except by a reviewer to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web—without permission from the author.
Chapter 2
Settling In
Amanda closed her eyes, took a deep breath through her nose and concentrated hard. The orange gem around her neck, next to a few other coloured gems, glowed slightly as Amanda opened her palms. Her hands became alight with flame and lit up the room.
The children watching gasped “oooohhhhh” almost at once, each of their little eyes fixed on the sorceress.
Amanda moved her hands, swirling the fire around to create a mini-firework display. Beautiful shapes and images flashed in front of her. She even managed to create images of animals out of the flame – everything from kittens to dragons. The children cheered as Amanda shaped the flame to appear as whatever she wanted. Normally doing this sort of thing indoors was very dangerous, but Amanda had perfect control of the flame. It would not burn anything she did not want it to.
A little far back, Wilfred sat and watched, leaning against the wall and folding his arms, not caring if the dust of the old building would dirty his blue waistcoat. Being a Lord, the tailors wanted to make sure Wilfred looked his best at all times. They had offered Amanda a dress made out of similar materials, but she had insisted on wearing the same green dress that she had always worn. He smiled as Amanda entertained the children with her magic. There was a time when Amanda’s magic had created fear around everyone she knew – but since dethroning Kimera and putting the rightful ruler where he belonged, Amanda was something of a heroine. She was incredibly beloved across the city; but Wilfred did wonder if she was letting this fame go to her head.
Amanda ended her firework show and the children cheered and applauded her. Amanda couldn’t help but do a little bow before them.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “For my next trick, how about we go from fire to ice?”
She activated her ice magic, creating a sparkling set of snow in between her palms. The children gasped in awe again.
Wilfred walked closer, covering his mouth with a not-so-subtle cough. “I think we’d better be making tracks, Amanda.”
“Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport,” Amanda pouted.
“Those deliveries won’t make themselves,” Wilfred reminded her, trying hard not to sound stern.
Amanda sighed hard. Wilfred could be such a jobsworth at times. “Fine,” she grunted. “Sorry, kids. But I have to call it a day.”
The children moaned, disappointed.
“Now, now, children,” said Ms Mills, a pretty woman no older than Amanda, her hair in a bun and her blue eyes shining through her glasses. “Lord and Lady Moonstone are very busy people.”
“Oh please, call me Amanda!” the sorceress replied modestly.
Wilfred often wondered how his father would feel about his giving away his family name and letting Amanda keep hers. It was completely his own choice of course – he just wondered if Amanda appreciated the sacrifice.
“Let’s give them a big hand, shall we?” Ms Mills said. The children were only too pleased and their little hands clapped loudly as Amanda waved them goodbye.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” a little girl said to Amanda as she was led away by Wilfred.
“Me too,” said another. “I want to learn magic just like you.”
“Awww, well aren’t you both sweet,” Amanda said.
“And when I grow up,” said a little boy with a slightly higher pitched voice than most boys his age, “I hope I get to wear a dress as pretty as yours.”
“Well that’s... very nice,” Amanda said, confuzzled.
“We really appreciate your donations and for coming round to see us,” Ms Mills said as the two of them left the orphanage. “The children really love seeing you.”
“Not a problem,” Amanda said. “King Daryl sends his regards.”
“Please wish His Majesty many blessings,” Ms Mills said.
“Come on, Amanda,” Wilfred said, jumping onto the cart. “We better get going.”
“Gee, always a rush with you, Wilfred,” Amanda joked. She jumped onto the cart and sat beside him. Wilfred took the reins and shook them once to get the horses moving. They started walking, pulling the cart behind them.
“Bye, bye,” Ms Mills and the children all shouted at them as they moved into the street, Amanda waving at them as they went on their journey.
The streets of Wrightson were not too busy today as Wilfred and Amanda’s cart made its way through. Everyone that passed them, on seeing it was Amanda, either waved or ran up to the cart to get a better look. One little flower girl even rushed up to give her a flower as a gift. Amanda blushed at all this attention, but she couldn’t deny she was loving every second. As her own way of showing appreciation, she cast her hands to the air and shot up a blast of fire. The flame swirled around and turned into an image of Amanda’s head, which winked and blew a kiss at everyone. The crowd all cheered and applauded Amanda for her show-woman-ship.
Wilfred just rolled his eyes and carried on. Always with the spectacle!
“Excuse me, Lady Moonstone?” An aging man, with little to no hair and speaking with the most pronounced voice Amanda had ever heard, walked up to them.
“Hello, Mr Gieguld,” Amanda said.
“I hope I am not troubling you, My Lady,” Gieguld apologised.
“You don't have to call me My Lady, just Amanda will be fine,” the sorceress replied, brushing a grey streak of her otherwise brown hair over her shoulder.
“I was wondering if you would be interested in attending the opening of our new play tonight,” Mr Gieguld asked. “The Wrightson Players are performing a play that has not been performed in five years.”
“Oh? What’s it about?”
“The title makes reference to a certain – King that used to rule here.”
“King? Oh you mean Kim-”
Gieguld lifted a hand up and coughed loudly. “We actors believe it is bad luck to say his name,” he said. “For now, let's just call it The Celtland Play.”
“Okay,” Amanda nodded. “We’ll be there.”
“Excellent,” Gieguld exclaimed. “I will tell the box office to reserve you the best seats in the house.”
“Sounds great,” Amanda called back as the cart moved away. “See you then.”
The children watching gasped “oooohhhhh” almost at once, each of their little eyes fixed on the sorceress.
Amanda moved her hands, swirling the fire around to create a mini-firework display. Beautiful shapes and images flashed in front of her. She even managed to create images of animals out of the flame – everything from kittens to dragons. The children cheered as Amanda shaped the flame to appear as whatever she wanted. Normally doing this sort of thing indoors was very dangerous, but Amanda had perfect control of the flame. It would not burn anything she did not want it to.
A little far back, Wilfred sat and watched, leaning against the wall and folding his arms, not caring if the dust of the old building would dirty his blue waistcoat. Being a Lord, the tailors wanted to make sure Wilfred looked his best at all times. They had offered Amanda a dress made out of similar materials, but she had insisted on wearing the same green dress that she had always worn. He smiled as Amanda entertained the children with her magic. There was a time when Amanda’s magic had created fear around everyone she knew – but since dethroning Kimera and putting the rightful ruler where he belonged, Amanda was something of a heroine. She was incredibly beloved across the city; but Wilfred did wonder if she was letting this fame go to her head.
Amanda ended her firework show and the children cheered and applauded her. Amanda couldn’t help but do a little bow before them.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling. “For my next trick, how about we go from fire to ice?”
She activated her ice magic, creating a sparkling set of snow in between her palms. The children gasped in awe again.
Wilfred walked closer, covering his mouth with a not-so-subtle cough. “I think we’d better be making tracks, Amanda.”
“Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport,” Amanda pouted.
“Those deliveries won’t make themselves,” Wilfred reminded her, trying hard not to sound stern.
Amanda sighed hard. Wilfred could be such a jobsworth at times. “Fine,” she grunted. “Sorry, kids. But I have to call it a day.”
The children moaned, disappointed.
“Now, now, children,” said Ms Mills, a pretty woman no older than Amanda, her hair in a bun and her blue eyes shining through her glasses. “Lord and Lady Moonstone are very busy people.”
“Oh please, call me Amanda!” the sorceress replied modestly.
Wilfred often wondered how his father would feel about his giving away his family name and letting Amanda keep hers. It was completely his own choice of course – he just wondered if Amanda appreciated the sacrifice.
“Let’s give them a big hand, shall we?” Ms Mills said. The children were only too pleased and their little hands clapped loudly as Amanda waved them goodbye.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” a little girl said to Amanda as she was led away by Wilfred.
“Me too,” said another. “I want to learn magic just like you.”
“Awww, well aren’t you both sweet,” Amanda said.
“And when I grow up,” said a little boy with a slightly higher pitched voice than most boys his age, “I hope I get to wear a dress as pretty as yours.”
“Well that’s... very nice,” Amanda said, confuzzled.
“We really appreciate your donations and for coming round to see us,” Ms Mills said as the two of them left the orphanage. “The children really love seeing you.”
“Not a problem,” Amanda said. “King Daryl sends his regards.”
“Please wish His Majesty many blessings,” Ms Mills said.
“Come on, Amanda,” Wilfred said, jumping onto the cart. “We better get going.”
“Gee, always a rush with you, Wilfred,” Amanda joked. She jumped onto the cart and sat beside him. Wilfred took the reins and shook them once to get the horses moving. They started walking, pulling the cart behind them.
“Bye, bye,” Ms Mills and the children all shouted at them as they moved into the street, Amanda waving at them as they went on their journey.
The streets of Wrightson were not too busy today as Wilfred and Amanda’s cart made its way through. Everyone that passed them, on seeing it was Amanda, either waved or ran up to the cart to get a better look. One little flower girl even rushed up to give her a flower as a gift. Amanda blushed at all this attention, but she couldn’t deny she was loving every second. As her own way of showing appreciation, she cast her hands to the air and shot up a blast of fire. The flame swirled around and turned into an image of Amanda’s head, which winked and blew a kiss at everyone. The crowd all cheered and applauded Amanda for her show-woman-ship.
Wilfred just rolled his eyes and carried on. Always with the spectacle!
“Excuse me, Lady Moonstone?” An aging man, with little to no hair and speaking with the most pronounced voice Amanda had ever heard, walked up to them.
“Hello, Mr Gieguld,” Amanda said.
“I hope I am not troubling you, My Lady,” Gieguld apologised.
“You don't have to call me My Lady, just Amanda will be fine,” the sorceress replied, brushing a grey streak of her otherwise brown hair over her shoulder.
“I was wondering if you would be interested in attending the opening of our new play tonight,” Mr Gieguld asked. “The Wrightson Players are performing a play that has not been performed in five years.”
“Oh? What’s it about?”
“The title makes reference to a certain – King that used to rule here.”
“King? Oh you mean Kim-”
Gieguld lifted a hand up and coughed loudly. “We actors believe it is bad luck to say his name,” he said. “For now, let's just call it The Celtland Play.”
“Okay,” Amanda nodded. “We’ll be there.”
“Excellent,” Gieguld exclaimed. “I will tell the box office to reserve you the best seats in the house.”
“Sounds great,” Amanda called back as the cart moved away. “See you then.”
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