The lights dimmed and several spells flew overhead like a prismatic meteor shower, telling me there were multiple enemies on the other side of the room. I just hoped we could hold out until either they gave up or we found an alternative way out. I didn’t know which was more likely, though neither had good odds.
“We don’t have time to get into that now, but I’ll show you everything they can do if we survive this.” Grandpa assured with a serious tone. “The best option here is an all-out assault. If we all attack at the same time we’ll stand a pretty good chance of taking down at least one. But don’t linger. Fire your shot and get to cover.”
I nodded my understanding but I was struggling with the butterflies in my stomach. This was the first real fight I’d been in and it seemed also the most serious. One wrong move and it could end in a flash. I wondered if the others felt the same.
I looked to Mags who was hunkered down beside me. She was confident in her shining armor and weapons of war. It inspired confidence in me.
Raj was just as ready with a wide smile on his face. He looked as if he’d been waiting his whole life for this exact moment.
I had no idea what Grandpa’s initial plan was but seeing my friend so ready gave me an idea. There were numerous plans I’d either used or thought about using during our game and I was desperate to give them a try. I focused on my target and began collecting the energies required to make it happen. I just hoped it would work as I envisioned.
“Three—two—one!” Grandpa popped from his shelter and launched a series of rapid burst bolts from his fingers. They shot through a cloud of what looked to be black smoke and a figure at its center collapsed.
Mags spun around and pointed her hammer toward our attackers. I don’t know how or why it happened, whether it was luck, or if Grandpa had had something to do with it, but a beam of light fired from the end and cut through the darkness. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear to hit anyone but I was impressed nonetheless. It certainly sent a few of them running which was just as good in my opinion.
Raj struck a small red lighter and a short fuse began to burn away. He threw the firecracker over the obstacle course and almost immediately reached out with his gloved hand. The tiny explosive slowed and drifted between the waist band and flesh of one of the guys. He started dancing around and let out a howl as it exploded in his pants.
Taking a deep breath, I released the energies I’d been gathering.
The Wizard’s Grandson is a first-person middle-grade fiction, following the adventure of Aaron and his friends, Mags and Raj, as they embark on the journey of a lifetime.
