Charles king lonely hope part 1
Chapter 7

We walked further down the road like Marvin said, moving in and out of strangers blocking the path. I changed my mind this is the busiest street I have ever seen. We came to a halt at traffic lights, and I could see Winchester Road across the street. Throw one apple into that street and you will hit ten people. No cars can go down that street not because it’s so busy but because of the bollards blocking them. Market stalls ran down the middle of the road. Red lights came on the cars stopped and the green man signalled we could cross, and my mum grabbed my wrist quickly and let go instantly and left a blue ring on it.

“So, you don’t get away from me” She walked off and my wrist followed her and pulled me along. Did she just link us? I’m not a child, I can stay close to her. No less than 10 seconds later we tried to push through a crowd, and I lost sight of Mum. Then my arm yanked and hurled me through the crowd.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I said to people who had to stop because I stumbled past them. Mum was by a maroon-red shop. Madison Lincoln and Dad were there, Madison and Lincoln had red rings around their wrists.

“You got away from me” Mum raised her eyebrows; she knew I didn’t like the ring around my wrist.

“Not for long” I joked.

“Dad and Lincoln need to go in here,” Mum said.

“It’s a fire mage shop” with a surprising amount of excitement in his voice. Mum had taken Madison’s hand and replaced the red ring with a blue one.

“See you in a minute,” Dad said kissed Mum and left into the shop with Lincoln. I looked into the shop and stepped after the heat from the shop slapped me in the face.

“Hot in there isn’t it,” Mum said knowingly.

“Why is it so hot?” I asked.

“a load of excited fire mages in one area, it’s always like that.”

“Are all the magic shops like this?” Madison asked. She took the words right out of my mouth. Mum thought about it for a moment.

“Ice shops are freezing obviously. Water ones aren’t too bad, but you can slip on the floor, earth shops can sometimes have little stones or uneven flooring, they can sometimes make them accidentally or move the floor underneath. An electric?... handy place to go if you need fully charged batteries or anything like that. Wind...in weather like this greatest place to walk past for a fabulous cold breeze, what’s left? OH light?... Ironically it is dark inside of it, I think it’s because when they get excited, they light up a little, so it’s easy for them to see, and finally.”

Mum looked at me and smiled long and fully, “I’ve never seen a dark shop, I don’t even know if they exist.”

“What will we do?” I asked, and if I was honest, I didn’t think about it, why would there be a dark shop? no one apart from me is a dark mage, it would be a silly business idea to start one,

“I have made some arrangements and so has Alex.” Mum pointed behind me. I turned and saw my aunty standing there panting.

“I finally got here.”

“Did you run here? why didn’t you do that transmission thing?” I said.

“It’s a long story sweetie” she said catching her breath. And handed Mum a letter, “You two must be warm?” She turned to Madison and me.

“I am actually,” Madison said, I thought I was hot from the sun, but the heat from the shop was crazy too.

“Yeah, I’m boiling.” Alex laughed and then put her hands on top of mine and Madison’s head and oh my god the ice-cold feeling that drifted down was incredible. I forgot where I was for a moment.

“Oh my god! Are you Isabella King?” screeched a young blonde-haired girl she must be 20, I think.

" I am yes,” Mum said smiling putting Alex’s letter in her black bag that hung over her shoulder.

“Can I have a photo?” she asked jumping nervously on the spot, she asked a gaggle of girls behind her to use her phone for a photo and hopped and skipped over to Mum and posed next to her. Alex tugged both me and Madison to the side with her hand still cooling our heads.

“Thank you, thank you” The girl went back to her mates and asked to see the photo and instantly one of her friends asked for a photo too. Mum politely accepted. I suddenly felt hot around the left side of my face which was surprising since Aunty Alex was cooling me down, but I turned to see a shoulder-length dark-haired girl in the gaggle of girls staring at me. She then came closer, wearing a black tight skirt and black shirt with a few buttons open and sunglasses on her head.

“Are you that dark mage?” She sounded like she had a sore throat, I nodded my head. “Told you it was him” She spun around to the gaggle. “So, are you evil or what?” I felt Alex’s grip around my head tightens.

“of course, he’s not your air-headed idiot” Madison snapped, she might be twelve, her birthday is a week before mine, and Lincoln a week before hers, it’s a very busy month for our family.

“All dark mages are evil don’t you know” the sunglasses lady spoke, trying to talk down to Madison.

“Oh please, they are so strong people like you call them evil because you don’t understand, keep talking and test him, let’s see how far you get” I have never felt closer to my sister She might be my little sister, but she is smarter and more mature than for what anyone gives her credit. sunglasses looked surprised to be spoken to and subtly threatened her.

“Do you know who I am?” sunglasses glared at Madison and tried to stand taller and look down at Madison. Aunty Alex went to move forward but Madison stopped her with a sinister grim.

“I don’t care, I am Madison King, my brother” she pointed at me, “the dark King, but his Real name is Charles King remember that and what you should be worried about, is my mother Isabella King and my aunty is Alexandra hill” my aunty was a teacher of kings born and Loki’s troupe, a very famous but small guild they refuse to let anyone in who doesn’t meet certain requirements. Sunglasses look like she knows exactly who my aunty and mum are.

“Isabella King’s son is the dark mage, that’s hilarious” Sunglasses chuckled and looked at her mates for backup, she didn’t get it they looked away.

“he is my son” Mum looked about ready to kill, she stepped forward closer to her, and shook the hands of her friend who asked for a photo, “it was nice to meet, but I think it’s time for you and your friends to go, I can’t hold my daughter or sister-in-law back to long” I looked at my sister and aunty and didn’t know what she meant until I looked down and saw ropes of water tying the ankles of the two of them to the floor. “One more word about my son, and everyone will pay.” Sunglasses friends pulled her by the arms, said nervous “byes,” walked into the crowds by the markets, and disappeared.

“Just sending a message,” Mum said calmly and winked. I don’t know what they mean by message and who was supposed to be getting the message but that was formidable. I love the women in my life.

Dad and Lincoln came out a few minutes later, arms full of bags. “Everything alright?”

Mum nodded happily, “We’re good” Dad frowned he looked like he didn’t believe her for a second. but he didn’t argue, and we left and merged back into the crowd and past more brightly coloured shops, electric yellow for the electric shop duh, Kevin must have gone in there with his dad. Lincoln showed me some of the items he got. a sword hilt for training, many fire spell books, fire mage clothing, fireproof so they don’t burn. The crowd around us started to slow down and began to stare at us again. I don’t know if it is Mum and Dad or me. For better or for worse I decided to ignore them and act like I didn’t even notice them. my wrist tugged around the mark Mum had left on me and waited and walked into a group that had stood still and watched us, they disappeared towards a market that sold toffee animals, they wandered around the store until someone bought one, I saw a rabbit, cat, a, and a small dog before it was out of sight, and we came to the front of a shop called. “Alvin’s Animals” is a completely black shop with patches of paint worn down and bars down the windows.

Dad ran up the steps and pushed open the double doors. I followed and was greeted by a zoo. A pen with piglets snorting out ice cubes. Parrots beatboxing, elephants the size of puppies, a large fish tank in the middle of the shop that had sharks the size of goldfish chasing around wind-up boats.

“HELLO!” yelled a jolly voice from somewhere in the shop, and then the man from which the voice came appeared. In baggy jeans and a coloured shirt tucked into it. Wirey grey hair on the side of his head, nothing on top.

“Hey Alvin,” Dad said holding his hand out, “it’s been a while”.

“Far too long, far too long,” Alvin said in a shockingly posh voice. After taking Dad’s hand. “Here for Jackson’s dog food?”

“I am yeah,” Dad said. Lincoln wandered over to the sharks. Madison was leaning over to pet the elephants.

“An incredible dog, he is” Alvin eyed me then squinted, “Speaking of dogs can I borrow him” Did he just call me a dog? I snapped my neck to look at dad who lips pursed holding back a laugh.

“What for?” Dad asked, he coughed first and hit his chest, so he didn’t giggle in Alvin’s face.

“I have a... special dog, he doesn’t respond well to anyone”.

“So, you want to throw Charles at it?” Dad sounded judgy, then he looked at me and then back to Alvin, “Sounds good let’s do it”.

“No!” I said stepping back. Giving my dad a look that screamed why?

“It’s not like he’s in the cage I just need you to stand on the other side” Alvin said reassuringly.

“Did you know that’s what he meant?” I demanded of Dad.

“Yeah, I’ve been in the back before,” he said griming like an evil idiot.

“Why?” I asked.

Dad shrugged his shoulders and said “Funny”. He then told Mum, who had scooped up the elephant now, what was happening, she didn’t look too pleased, but she didn’t object. I looked at Alvin and he gave me a goofy grin and I laughed and smiled. He seemed nice, and I couldn’t sense anything mean about him. Dad came back and we followed Alvin the shop, past snakes that hiccupped and shoot themselves across their cage, spiders glowing like a flashlight in their dark cages, and rabbits that farted out brown bubbles, I got close to one when it popped and I nearly hurled on the devil creature, where did that smell come from? and what died inside of that rabbit. We went through a door and down a tiny corridor and spiral steps, I could hear Mum, Lincoln and Madison behind.

“Those rabbits stink!” Madison proclaimed. She is right though.

“This is where I keep the more dangerous of my animals or ones that I haven’t figured out what they are like yet,” Alvin said very nonchalantly, the walls of the spiral stair broke, and I was stood in front of a cage with of a 20-foot python. Green scales smoothly moving in a circle that travelled upwards and, resting atop was a massive head with bright red eyes glaring down on me. Artificial sunlight I think we are underground shone in the cage and the remains of medium-sized animals littered its cage, my back pressed against a stone wall.

“Best not to linger here Charles” Alvin called out, ” Sebastian is friendly but doesn’t like to be stared at, I got him two weeks ago, I get these more dangerous animals to look after and figure out their abilities before they are released back into the wild “.

“You called that thing Sebastian?” I said I’m still shocked by that. “You figure out abilities?”

“of course, I did,” Alvin said appalled I even asked, “he looks like a Sebastian” I turned around at the giant snake glaring at me, “Not all animals have abilities and not all humans have magic, it is some kind of, anyway I’m given these animals to figure out their abilities and if they are too dangerous to go into the wild or not, your dad here has to capture or take some more dangerous animals out there”.

“HOLY HELL” Madison shouted “Look at the size of that thing. Mum pulled her and Lincoln to meet up with us.

“That’s not a Sebastian! And why is he called that? Isn’t that like, a normal name?” I said I figured that Dad has had to hunt animals down before, I’ve heard some stories before, but the normal names have confused me.

“Oh, I give all my animals normal names” he gave the last part air quotes, “makes them seem less dangerous and I think it’s funny come I’ll show you more”.

We walked and followed Alvin down the basement of strange animals with strange names, Madison and I stayed close to the wall, Lincoln thought he was being tough until a crab the same size as him called “Russell” tried to grab him, now he is by the wall with us, it didn’t seem to bother mum and dad as they fended off the animals with a flick of their hand and laughed at us. THEIR KIDS! For not wanting to go near the cages. We met Mathew the leopard with a temper and hotter breath it melted almost everything in there! Ben the albino gorilla with toxic poo once again melted nearly everything in its cage! And finally, Stuart the turtle, it didn’t move I don’t know why it’s dangerous.

“Finally, here we are,” Alvin said, stopping at a cage “Every mage I have asked to come to see this dog has got a negative reaction” I looked inside the cage, there was a large dog kennel in the middle, water bowl to the side of it. “For example, Nicholas if you would” Alvin called Dad over. And pointed to the front of the cage door. Dad walked over and stood there. Slowly a fluffy dog like a dark cloud made its way out of the wooden kennel. I bet hugging that dog must be like heaven, so fluffy! A low growl emitted from the cage slowly getting louder and meaner. The dog crept closer to the front of the cage and the fur dropped off it revealing red eyes fixed on Dad, ears pricked up. teeth showing fangs sharp enough to tear skin and its whole body now, bare! only leathery tan skin. What I’m looking at now is a hellhound.

Madison grabbed mine and Lincoln’s arms and watched our father walk to us puffing his cheeks out.

“That was something,” Dad said.

“Are you ready Charles?” Alvin asked. I looked at the dog walking back to its kennel. Fur growing back as it went, its earlier fur still on the floor. Madison pulled me back by the arm.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, “it’s in a cage”. I smiled and hoped that reassured her.

“Good man,” Alvin said and pointed to the front of the cage where Dad stood before, I walked over and got a good smell of the cage, A mixture of metal and dog fur. I stood there and looked at the kennel and the dog came out again. A giant ball of dark fluff appeared, and pointy ears poked out of the fluff. It then made its way over to me, no growl. No fur dropping off too. I turned to look at Alvin, he had the biggest smile on his face. Suddenly this dog lay down next to the door of the cage, I could reach out and touch it, the temptation was there, I mean come on! It’s so fluffy! I knelt to get a better look at it. I didn’t move or speak, I was so happy at this moment in time, if what Alvin was talking about before was true this god likes me because of my dark magic. Mum knelt next to me.

“What do you want to name him?” she said softly.

I looked at Mum, “what?”

“Alvin said you can have the dog” I looked at Mum then at the dog and smiled widely.

“Why would he give him to me?”

“because” Alvin answered, standing behind Mum with Dad, Madison and Lincoln. “You might be the only person this weekend this dog will be loyal to, you can’t have him now, I have spoken to your parents, and you will have to come back with your family a few times a week and we get... whatever you decide to call him, used to all of you”.

“I’ll think of a name next time,” I said, truthfully, I couldn’t think of a single name right now.

“that’s perfectly fine” Alvin,

“We will come back next week,” Dad said. We all left shortly after that, I clung to the wall to avoid the other animals and avoided eye contact with the giant snake Sebastian, and back into the shop, people were standing by the shop door waiting patiently.

Mum’s phone went off, and she checked it quickly, “Alex texted she found our next stop and sent directions.”

I looked around quickly, I could have sworn she was with us before, I wasn’t the only one who thought that,

“I thought she was with us,” Madison said.

“She left before he entered to replace something for us”. That was the last thing Alvin had said bye to everyone before seeing his new customers and we left the shop and went back into the nosey Winchester Road. Only a matter of minutes before I heard Dark Mage mutter again but this time, I was between Mum and Dad while Lincoln and Madison were walking in front talking about the giant snake. Mum followed the directions on her phone and came to a side street dark, and cramped, and a slight hint of wee lingered in the air.

“Where are we? Lincoln asked,

“Coney Road,” Mum said, ” and there she is” Mum pointed at Aunty Alex who was waving at us to come over, no one hesitated the thought of getting somewhere that didn’t smell like we wee a win.

“In here,” Alex said as we got close and saw a run-down shop, stripes of dirty paint falling off it, bars inside the shop windows obscuring views, Alex opened the doors into the shop. I was happy to be in from the bad toilet smell outside, but inside...

I stepped inside with Lincoln. Both of us looked a little confused as to why we were there, muddy floor, dirty walls, and dust so thick on the tables I couldn’t tell what colour they were originally. Directly in front of the shop door was a counter, just the same as all the other tables in here covered with dust but this one had a till register on it.

“Hello there,” said a firm voice. I looked around and saw a unnaturally tall man stepping through a door in the corner, he was bigger than Marvin! “Sorry about the mess it has been a long time since I have been here”. Finally, getting a good look at the tall guy, he looked around Dad’s ages a few wrinkles on his face but well travelled with a tan on his face and long arms, thin ashy grey hair, and thin lips to match his slim figure too. He had on blue jeans and a dark blue polo top.

“Not a problem,” Dad said, he stepped forward and shook the tall guys hand, oh my god look at the size of his hands, one of them would cover half a football by themselves! “Thank you for coming back, how were your travels?”

“Very well thank you, I learnt a lot, I had to come back things have changed in the world,” he said his voice firm but surprisingly smooth with each word, he then looked at me and smiled.

“This is for you, young man” he held his massive hand out the one that didn’t envelope Dad’s hand and he opened it up and there was an old-looking sword hilt, tree green at the boot and jet black at the top. “This was once the sword of a dark mage a long, long time ago I found it and restored it as best I could, it should fare you well for your school studies, please take it” I looked at Mum first and she nodded for me to do so. stepped forward, hovered my hand over his large hand and picked up the hilt, the big guy stepped back instantly, but nothing happened. I looked at Mum and then Dad with the look of What do I do?

“Charles,” Lincoln said, “put some magic into it” Well don’t I look silly, I tried to feel whatever dark magic felt like inside me and then pushed It through my arm into the sword, cold feeling drifted down my arm and suddenly jerked back as a black blade appeared out of the hilt.

“that’s amazing” Madison leaned closer to the blade to get a better look, “it’s got like black flames on” I leaned in closer to the blade, I didn’t feel like pulling it upwards since Madison was still looking at it.

“It’s an old blade,” the tall guy said, “you’ll need a new one at some point”.

“This is incredible right now though!” I said honestly, I’m so happy, the thought of getting my old sword hadn’t crossed my mind, everything has happened so quickly today I haven’t had time to think.

“What happens when he needs a new one?” Mum asked. Lincoln had begun poking the blade now.

“I have some leads on where to get the materials to make new ones, while I was away, I learned to make these weapons, I’m going to transform this shop, and whenever young Charles needs anything, dark magic related come see me”.

“I appreciate that,” Dad said and shook his hand again.

“Yeah, thank you, mister....?

“Doulton, Axil Doulton, it’s a pleasure to meet you”.

I focused on taking all of the magic out of my hand and the blade retreated into the hilt. Then I reached my empty hand out to shake Axil’s hand. He took and closed the giant hand over my baby hand. Axil got me a bag for my new sword hilt and promised next time we came he would have more dark magic stuff for me, he didn’t charge me for the hilt and that the shop would be clean and look completely different.

We left and Aunty Alex explained that Axil was in her year in school and was obsessed with Dark magic and Dark mages not in an evil way but more with how they lived and why they were hunted down. He wasn’t very popular because of that but he was good friends with Aunty Alex and my other aunty Molly who died during a battle in France before I was born.