The Road to Magic (Book 1 of the Way of the Demon Series) by Alexey Glushanovsky
Authors: Alexey Glushanovsky
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middle of a circle which was in turn drawn in a pentagram with coloured candles burning at the corners. A short, puny fellow in a grey tunic with a hood was leaping around squealing gleefully: ‘It worked! It worked!’
Chapter Four
Did you call a demon?
Still prancing around the pentagram, the minor wizard turned to a seventeen-year-old girl standing against the wall in a white dress-cum-tunic, who was watching the proceedings with an expression of intense concentration on her face.
‘Ata, I’ve done it! I’ve called forth a demon! Kreghist won’t be able to harm you now!’
And with these words the wizard flung himself at the girl. Now Oleg understood why he seemed so puny. The lad was not more than fifteen years old. The girl didn’t protest, but didn’t show any enthusiasm, either. She couldn’t take her eyes off Oleg.
And he was truly fed up of standing around like a pillar so he headed towards the exit, but suddenly he felt some sort of opposition. The flames of the candles standing at the corners of the pentagram flickered in alarm.
The wizard tore himself away from the girl whom he was undoubtedly trying to impress, and turned back to Oleg. Striking a pose he clearly thought to be grandiose, but for Oleg seemed extremely ungainly, he pronounced in a sing-song voice: ‘Halt, wily demon. Your urges are hampered by my art. Chasing another’s soul, you have fallen into the seal of my might and are henceforth obliged to obey me. Bow now before my will and the power of my might, and hearken, as a slave hearkens to its master, humbly and meekly!’
After pouring all this out in one breath, the lad stood stock-still, expecting some reaction, obviously believing this nonsense to be a spell.
Oleg burst out laughing. He suddenly wanted to mock this hapless student of wizardry and his girlfriend, venturing to summon a demon. So he tried to make his laughter sound as evil as possible. And he succeeded. Heliona was right when she spoke of the broad spectrum of a demon’s vocal chords. Even Oleg himself gave an imperceptible shudder when he heard the echo of his chortle bouncing off the walls of the hall, and a cold wave ran down his spine. Not to mention the teenagers! Judging from the state of things, it looked as though he had unwittingly managed to add a fairly large dose of infrasound into his laughter.
Pleased with the impression he had made, Oleg spoke, trying to maintain that same bombastically evil tone: ‘Pitiful fool. You are playing with forces whose might you cannot comprehend. Fall to your knees and pray for a swift death. If you are convincing enough, then, perchance, you may obtain that honour.’
And with those words Oleg walked over to the edge of the circle and froze, as though he were unable to step over it. He did indeed feel some sort of opposition, but he was sure he could easily go through the barrier if he really wanted to get out.
The wizard grew pale. Then, looking at the girl, he began to rummage purposefully through a book he had taken from the small table near him.
Oleg waited, lazily leaning against the invisible wall which had formed around the circle drawn on the floor. It groaned and bent under him, and the flames of the candles fluttered and flickered in alarm, threatening to go out. This drew an admiring, terrified whisper from the wizard: ‘Such power! If only I could tame him, he would rip Kreghist to shreds!’
Continuing to play the role of an evil demon, Oleg whispered: ‘I’ll rip someone to shreds alright! But not Kreghist!’ And he stared evilly at the wizard, so that no-one was in any doubt as to just who he would tear up.
The lad gasped, looked up from his book and asked in amazement: ‘What, you heard me?’
Instead of replying, Oleg showed his fangs, trying to extend them as far as possible. That caused a stir. The girl against the wall turned white and recoiled towards the door, the lad rustled his book all the faster.
Suddenly, with a
Chapter Four
Did you call a demon?
Still prancing around the pentagram, the minor wizard turned to a seventeen-year-old girl standing against the wall in a white dress-cum-tunic, who was watching the proceedings with an expression of intense concentration on her face.
‘Ata, I’ve done it! I’ve called forth a demon! Kreghist won’t be able to harm you now!’
And with these words the wizard flung himself at the girl. Now Oleg understood why he seemed so puny. The lad was not more than fifteen years old. The girl didn’t protest, but didn’t show any enthusiasm, either. She couldn’t take her eyes off Oleg.
And he was truly fed up of standing around like a pillar so he headed towards the exit, but suddenly he felt some sort of opposition. The flames of the candles standing at the corners of the pentagram flickered in alarm.
The wizard tore himself away from the girl whom he was undoubtedly trying to impress, and turned back to Oleg. Striking a pose he clearly thought to be grandiose, but for Oleg seemed extremely ungainly, he pronounced in a sing-song voice: ‘Halt, wily demon. Your urges are hampered by my art. Chasing another’s soul, you have fallen into the seal of my might and are henceforth obliged to obey me. Bow now before my will and the power of my might, and hearken, as a slave hearkens to its master, humbly and meekly!’
After pouring all this out in one breath, the lad stood stock-still, expecting some reaction, obviously believing this nonsense to be a spell.
Oleg burst out laughing. He suddenly wanted to mock this hapless student of wizardry and his girlfriend, venturing to summon a demon. So he tried to make his laughter sound as evil as possible. And he succeeded. Heliona was right when she spoke of the broad spectrum of a demon’s vocal chords. Even Oleg himself gave an imperceptible shudder when he heard the echo of his chortle bouncing off the walls of the hall, and a cold wave ran down his spine. Not to mention the teenagers! Judging from the state of things, it looked as though he had unwittingly managed to add a fairly large dose of infrasound into his laughter.
Pleased with the impression he had made, Oleg spoke, trying to maintain that same bombastically evil tone: ‘Pitiful fool. You are playing with forces whose might you cannot comprehend. Fall to your knees and pray for a swift death. If you are convincing enough, then, perchance, you may obtain that honour.’
And with those words Oleg walked over to the edge of the circle and froze, as though he were unable to step over it. He did indeed feel some sort of opposition, but he was sure he could easily go through the barrier if he really wanted to get out.
The wizard grew pale. Then, looking at the girl, he began to rummage purposefully through a book he had taken from the small table near him.
Oleg waited, lazily leaning against the invisible wall which had formed around the circle drawn on the floor. It groaned and bent under him, and the flames of the candles fluttered and flickered in alarm, threatening to go out. This drew an admiring, terrified whisper from the wizard: ‘Such power! If only I could tame him, he would rip Kreghist to shreds!’
Continuing to play the role of an evil demon, Oleg whispered: ‘I’ll rip someone to shreds alright! But not Kreghist!’ And he stared evilly at the wizard, so that no-one was in any doubt as to just who he would tear up.
The lad gasped, looked up from his book and asked in amazement: ‘What, you heard me?’
Instead of replying, Oleg showed his fangs, trying to extend them as far as possible. That caused a stir. The girl against the wall turned white and recoiled towards the door, the lad rustled his book all the faster.
Suddenly, with a
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