The Witch of the Western Gate: Dragon's Gift by P. K. Brent
Authors: P. K. Brent
Tags: Fantasy
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could pull the barges along the towpath once more. It was a fascinating sight to see all the boats, cargo, and people from yesteryear going about their lives. Blue almost wished they could see her so that she could talk to them, but that is not how the Witness Spell worked. She could only witness past events, not influence them in any way.
There was her great-great-grandfather, Cullen McChesney. Blue recognized him from his portrait. There was a crow on his shoulders, a sleek creature with glossy feathers.
"LeRoy," she gasped. "I had no idea!" Maybe this is what LeRoy meant when he said she might learn something. So often she had ignored the old crow's stories, figuring they were just fantasy. It was indeed LeRoy, 150 years ago! He looked exactly the same. Cullen McChesney was walking with another man and they were avidly discussing.... Blue drew closer so she could hear.
"I tell you Cullen I saw them, plain as day, all webbed and winged flying around, breathing steam. It was unbelievable."
Cullen shook his head somberly. Blue knew the feeling. It was always bad news when mundane people saw magic or magical creatures.
"It could be a vision," replied Cullen. "An inspiration conjured up by your creative mind in order to inspire you."
"But I saw them, Cullen, plain as I see you in front of me."
"Well, either you did or you didn't Birdsill. If you did, it does you no good to talk about them. People will think you're crazy. You'll drive away your investors and ruin your reputation. If you didn't see them, then you are ignoring a creative inspiration that took the form of a vision, and you are missing an opportunity to follow that vision and invent something truly grand."
"The steam, Cullen. I saw steam coming out their noses and mouths! The water they spit out with such force. You are right. They did inspire me! I have so many ideas in my head now for harnessing the power of water and steam. Perhaps it was a vision, but a very realistic one." Cullen reached over and patted Birdsill Holly on his shoulder to reassure him, as they walked toward the Holly Factory.
"Wow! I guess my great-great grandpa really was friends with Birdsill Holly, the great inventor."
"Told you," replied LeRoy.
"I saw you there too, LeRoy. I guess you really were in a position to know all about it," replied Blue.
"First hand," replied LeRoy.
"Maybe I should take your stories more seriously."
"Definitely."
"Since Cullen McChesney got rid of the first dragon infestation with tracking and banishing spells, you can too," suggested LeRoy. "Afterall, you are the resident McChesney. And the sooner that abomination is out of my house the better."
“I’m good at tracking spells.”
“You’re good at Escarpment witch tracking spells. Those won’t work on a dragon, or any other magical creature. You need to use druid spells.”
"I don't get trained in McChesney magic until I'm 18," replied Blue. "Cormac says it's too dangerous."
"Well, your father is away as usual," replied LeRoy. "He left you alone to deal with this problem. You should take some initiative. Cormac couldn't blame you. How hard could simple tracking and banishing spells be? The faster this problem is resolved and that dragon downstairs is gone, the better off we'll all be."
"I do know a few banishings from the Escarpment Witch Grimoire but I doubt they would banish dragons."
"The Escarpment Witch spells won't work," declared LeRoy. "I've read them all. Lucky for you, I know where Cormac hides the McChesney Grimoires. The McChesney spells are strong enough, obviously, since Cullen McChesney used them successfully one hundred and fifty years ago." LeRoy fluttered up the forbidden spiral stairs that led to Cormac's private ritual room and tapped on the door. Blue looked across the room to the spiral staircase going up to the third floor. Cormac did not want anyone entering his private ritual room. Blue had never been in there. No one was to enter it. Cormac had made that clear. Yet
There was her great-great-grandfather, Cullen McChesney. Blue recognized him from his portrait. There was a crow on his shoulders, a sleek creature with glossy feathers.
"LeRoy," she gasped. "I had no idea!" Maybe this is what LeRoy meant when he said she might learn something. So often she had ignored the old crow's stories, figuring they were just fantasy. It was indeed LeRoy, 150 years ago! He looked exactly the same. Cullen McChesney was walking with another man and they were avidly discussing.... Blue drew closer so she could hear.
"I tell you Cullen I saw them, plain as day, all webbed and winged flying around, breathing steam. It was unbelievable."
Cullen shook his head somberly. Blue knew the feeling. It was always bad news when mundane people saw magic or magical creatures.
"It could be a vision," replied Cullen. "An inspiration conjured up by your creative mind in order to inspire you."
"But I saw them, Cullen, plain as I see you in front of me."
"Well, either you did or you didn't Birdsill. If you did, it does you no good to talk about them. People will think you're crazy. You'll drive away your investors and ruin your reputation. If you didn't see them, then you are ignoring a creative inspiration that took the form of a vision, and you are missing an opportunity to follow that vision and invent something truly grand."
"The steam, Cullen. I saw steam coming out their noses and mouths! The water they spit out with such force. You are right. They did inspire me! I have so many ideas in my head now for harnessing the power of water and steam. Perhaps it was a vision, but a very realistic one." Cullen reached over and patted Birdsill Holly on his shoulder to reassure him, as they walked toward the Holly Factory.
"Wow! I guess my great-great grandpa really was friends with Birdsill Holly, the great inventor."
"Told you," replied LeRoy.
"I saw you there too, LeRoy. I guess you really were in a position to know all about it," replied Blue.
"First hand," replied LeRoy.
"Maybe I should take your stories more seriously."
"Definitely."
"Since Cullen McChesney got rid of the first dragon infestation with tracking and banishing spells, you can too," suggested LeRoy. "Afterall, you are the resident McChesney. And the sooner that abomination is out of my house the better."
“I’m good at tracking spells.”
“You’re good at Escarpment witch tracking spells. Those won’t work on a dragon, or any other magical creature. You need to use druid spells.”
"I don't get trained in McChesney magic until I'm 18," replied Blue. "Cormac says it's too dangerous."
"Well, your father is away as usual," replied LeRoy. "He left you alone to deal with this problem. You should take some initiative. Cormac couldn't blame you. How hard could simple tracking and banishing spells be? The faster this problem is resolved and that dragon downstairs is gone, the better off we'll all be."
"I do know a few banishings from the Escarpment Witch Grimoire but I doubt they would banish dragons."
"The Escarpment Witch spells won't work," declared LeRoy. "I've read them all. Lucky for you, I know where Cormac hides the McChesney Grimoires. The McChesney spells are strong enough, obviously, since Cullen McChesney used them successfully one hundred and fifty years ago." LeRoy fluttered up the forbidden spiral stairs that led to Cormac's private ritual room and tapped on the door. Blue looked across the room to the spiral staircase going up to the third floor. Cormac did not want anyone entering his private ritual room. Blue had never been in there. No one was to enter it. Cormac had made that clear. Yet
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