Avis Blackthorn and the Magical Multicolour Jumper (The Wizard Magic School Series, Book 2) (28 page)

Red and blue flounders shot into the air. Instantly, Simon and Florence’s spells shot at the tee-pee’s — expecting them to blow over and into the oncoming charging Swillows. I waited. But the tee-pees stayed where they were! Bummer!

I jumped out of the way as the Swillows charged into us, knocking Simon down. From the ground I aimed my left hand at Jarrold, my right at Harry. “
Pasanthedine
!” I called. I didn't wait to see what happened as a blast of black smoke shot past my chest and lit the grass on fire.

Graham had our red flounder the other side of the pitch, but faced opposition from a wall of Swillows. Joanna yelled to him to throw it to me. I made my run into the space ahead, but Jasper spotted it.

I put a hand behind my back: “
Dancidious
,” I said — I felt three spells rebound away as the red flounder came sailing through the air, twenty feet from the bolt hole.

Their keeper jumped from the wooden plinth and lunged for the flounder. Not before I grabbed it as she clawed the air, missed, and toppled off balance into a tee-pee. I had an open goal. I lifted the flounder up ready to slam it home, a swell of happiness coursing through me — before… a wall of Swillows burst out of nowhere! Five of them suddenly blocking my path, it was too late to stop! I crashed headlong into them, dropping the flounder with a thud.

By the time I looked up, I was upside down and they had scored. I zapped back to the bench before I could blink.

That wasn't fair! Surely, that wasn't allowed! I stood up off the bench waving my hands at her, but Underwood wasn't looking.

Partington was staring disbelieving at what had just happened — you cannot use tele-magical-portation. I was the first one back to the bench, what a kick in the teeth! I waved my arms at Underwood as the crowed jeered and booed me.
Oh shut up!
I thought, sitting down with a glum thud.
Cheats
.

We lost the game. The blue flounder pinged around between both teams, until Jarrold, who must have got out of my spell earlier, exchanged neat passes with Jasper and Kelly before bamboozling Hunter and placing it in the bolt-hole, a blue column of light lit the sky. That was 2-0 to them.

Minutes later the announcer called out: “ONE MORE CONDOR REMAINS…” they were moments away from a Libero-Manus, with Jasper and four Swillow’s still on the pitch — but they never found Robin. Because he was invisible and hiding in a tent. Too scared to try and do anything to savour the game. They won 4-0, and we hadn't even scored a point yet.

Depression was starting to settle in to our bench, but we had to remain focused. We were two games down. If we lost the next game, we were out. And thrashed as well.

We made our way down to the pitch, the Habitat had changed to a Venetian waterway — tall buildings with alleyways and bridges, gondolas and fruit stalls.

As the whistle sounded, I charged ahead. I was going to get their flounder first. Double tapping the shoes as I kicked off the bridge, I jumped into the air as golden light lit the stone beneath me. Kelly the Swillow was running down the road towards me, not seeing me, I took the opportunity and spelled her into the air. This time repeating the spell until she flashed back to her bench.

Up ahead I saw the blue flounder fly over a building, I climbed a ladder up a tall building — just below I heard voices. Harry and Jarrold were standing in a darkened alleyway, trying to disguise the blue flounder, they didn't think I could see them.

“
Reptlylidiulis
,” I whispered, aiming my hand just in front of them. A huge snaking reptile rose out of the river and snapping its jaws. In a flash they jumped for their life, dropping the flounder and legging it. I took my chance. I jumped off the building aiming a hand at the ground. “
Pasanthedine
!” the wind took the shock of the fall.

Then raising both hands at Jarrold and Harry’s shocked faces said: “Sevhurton,
Pasanthedine
!” they froze instantly, then shot upside down into the air. Hanging like amusing frozen art sculptures.

I picked up the blue flounder and creeped forwards, the bolt-hole was no less than thirty feet away. Ahead of me was a rather fat girl blocking the bolt hole. I tapped the shoes and ran at her. Spotting me, she aimed everything she had, but I was ready this time.

“
Dancidious, dancidious, dancidious, dancidious!
”
I repeated over and over as spell after spell rained upon me, before being deflected away. Dennis popped up out of nowhere to my right, over a bridge. I saw him out of the corner of my eye.

“Spell her!” I called blocking another tirade. A gust of wind finally caught her ankle and she shot up. The glorious sight of blue light erupting from their bolt-hole caused the crowd to go silent. But there was no time to celebrate, we had to find the other one.

The game was scrappy.

With two minutes to go and 1-0 up, Robin bumped into me in a dark alleyway. “Ahh!” he called, turning to spell me.

“It’s me you prat!” I called holding up my arms.

“Oh thank god!” he called putting his down. “Look, I’ve found this but I can’t work it…” Robin held out an Ornament — it was a delicate, small looking vase with yellow dots.

“You know how to use Ornaments Robin?” I said, and he gave me a small look. He was afraid of using it after what happened last time. He didn’t want to risk our winning score.

“You do it,” he said. I gave him a look, took it and smashed in on the ground. Robin stared at me wide eyed expecting the ground to give way again.

We both blinked — I could
see
. I could see through all the buildings like they were ghosts. The Swillows lit up red, our form lit up yellow. Our teammates could
see
too, because they were all suddenly charging towards the same place, where three Swillows had a pulsing red flounder.

“After you…” I said to Robin, who smiled, then charged ahead. We ambushed them completely, they were so surprised to see eight Condors sniff them out that they screamed. The three girls shot back to their benches and we slammed the flounder home winning the match 2-0.

The eye sight wore off, but buoyed by our victory — a new found confidence now coursed through us. Jasper was complaining loudly to Underwood as he left the pitch that we cheated. He had a cheek!

The next match was a must win. The Habitat changed again with a flurry, the crowd around us was singing: “
Your still gonna get thrashed
,” but they didn't sound so sure.

The venetian waterways changed to a dense, dark forest. Thick, old oak trees, dark covered forest floor and sparkling green leaves — sun poked through the black cloud illuminating the pitch. Graham clapped me on the back with an encouraging, “Come on! Let’s do this!”

“Come on guys!” creid Jake. “We ‘ave practiced on this habitat enough times in the forest!”

I went over to the left side of the pitch, swapping with Robin. This time, curiously, no Swillows followed. I could see them huddled together in the middle, through the thick set trees. What were they planning? Underwood took the whistle to her lips, and blew. A rush of adrenaline flooded through me.

Robin instantly began scanning around the forest floor like a mole, with Simon and Dawn guarding him. Hunter shouting Jake forwards, he and Gret were already sprinting through the woods towards the Swillows bolt hole. But I couldn't see any sign of the Swillows! The blue ball hung above their bolt-hole as the crowd started to look around for them. It worried me, where had they gone? I looked through the deep, dark forest stepping softly upon snapping twigs.

“Florence, look!” said Jess pointing up at the Swillow’s bolt-hole — the blue flounder had gone. But who had taken it? This was impossible, they must be cheating!

Joanna barked at Hunter not to release the red flounder until we had worked out what the Swillows were doing. I broke into a jog, keeping my gaze peering through the darkness. The sounds of the crowd disappearing, degraded to all but a dull whisper in amongst the thick undergrowth.

A fluid black shape darted ahead of me. I stopped still and looked back, there was no sign of my entrance, no light behind me or ahead. My heart beat fast in this impenetrable darkness. Where were the others?

A low chuckling noise rippled out just ahead of me. I stepped back, snapping a twig.

“Who’s there?” I called, voice trembling. It chuckled again heartily, then a flash of black shot past my vision. It was like trying to look through black ink… “Show yourself!” I called.

“If you so wish,” it said slowly. Then, without any warning, an enormous BANG thudded through my body. I felt my nose crack as my head flew backwards. I hit the floor hard. My vision swam, small stars popping in front of my eyes, as my face burned with pain.

Standing nonchalantly against a tree, was Jasper, chewing on a small green stick. “Charbuckle, it’s good for your teeth. You will find it growing abundantly in a forest like this.”

I rubbed my throbbing face and stood. Blood was boiling in my veins at the sight of him. Suddenly the crowd roared, Jasper lifted his head slightly. “Sounds like we just scored…” he smiled.

“Are you cheating?” I said. “Using invisibility isn't allowed!”

“It is if you know the right Returious spell!” he scoffed. “Which I do,” he added.

Slyly, I turned my palm towards him, and whispered as softly as I could. “
Pasanthedine.”

“Oh pathetic!” he said batting it away lazily, as if it were a fly. His eyes flashed. I felt my feet leave the floor, before flying back through the air. CRUNCH! I hit a tree hard and slid down.

“That’s how your so good at Riptide…” he said suddenly, staring at my feet, a dawning realisation on his face. “I knew you were a
cheat
!” he said, but he was smiling. “At least that leaves me safe in the knowledge that you are not a
natural
like some of them said you were. We are not equals, not with shoes like that. It explains so much…”

He moved around me, as the tree roots dug into my back. My head ached and I was sure I had dislodged some bone or muscle. “I can read you like a book. You thought, in that tiny mind of yours that by becoming brilliant at Riptide you could what? Lure Tina back into your life?” he looked down pitifully at me. “You really think you stood a chance with her?” he laughed.

“Get lost!” I spat, salty blood leaking from the corner of my mouth.

“Oh look the red flounder…” said Jasper, as bright red light appeared next to him out of nowhere. “Don’t worry Avis, I’ll score this and then I think we should…
level the playing field
.” He smiled again malevolently. “Catch you later… loser.”

With that he disappeared, footsteps crunching away — I wanted him to come back. I wanted to show him how much I hated him. I heard another almighty roar, before the words: “
Jasper! Jasper! Jasper!
” began to ring around the crowd.

Picking myself up I limped away before a white light lit the floor, almost blinding me with surprise. The trees and the forest vanished. The crowd were now visible. The woodland floor had given way, the trees gone.

Now a huge swath of long thick grass with stone mounds and tufts lay across the uneven habitat.

“OH, AND SOMEONE’S FOUND A HABITAT CHANGER!” cried the announcer. “AND IT’S CHANGING… TO ER… A
MOUNTAINSIDE
!” The crowed made a sarcastic
ooing
noise. Jasper was grinning at me as he dropped a spent Ornament.

“What happened to you?” said Robin. “Looks like you’ve cracked your head open. Blood,” he said looking queasy. I wiped the blood from my mouth and felt my head, a wet, blood red hand met me back. “Tell Underwood and you can go off, you need to go the Healer’s room,” said Robin.

“Bloody Jasper!” I said. “Do you know a spell will disguise this to her?” I said pointing at Underwood.

Robin didn’t bother arguing. “Yes,” he said reluctantly. “
Pergoaterferace
,” my head tingled and Underwoods face instantly looked the other way.

Dawn ran over. “Guys, come on, the flounders are on the way out. Huddle.”

We joined the rest of the team in a huddle as Joanna spoke. “This is our last chance to get back at these guys! They are two-nil up, if they score another, they’ve won then they’ll go for Libero-Manus.”

“So what’s the plan?” said Hunter.

“Erm… well, I don’t know. They seem to have countered every tactic we have!”

“Guys they’ve cheated I know they have,” I said — but then the workings of a glorious idea had just occurred to me. “I have an idea… Robin, how quickly do you think you can replicate your spectacles and make them invisible?” he looked at me as if I’d asked him to marry me.

“I can’t, they're not… they're…” he struggled for an answer.

“Desperate times…” I called. “And you’re the cleverest guy I know.”

He looked down at the floor thinking about it as Underwood gave us the ten second wave. “A few minutes?” he said finally.

“We haven't got minutes!” said Graham.

Ellen smarted. “No, we’ve got seconds…”

“It can work! I promise.” I said. “Jake, Gret and Joanna, you go on the offensive, distract attention. Dawn, Graham and Simon protect Robin as he does his work. I’ll deliver them all to you. But in the mean time let’s make sure they don’t score.”

“What do they even do?” said Simon.

“You’ll see…”

Underwood told us to take our places. It was the only idea I could think of, was it a stroke of genius or madness? I knew that Robin could make a copy of his spectacles and the powers that go with them, they wouldn't last long — copies of things often fade and vanish after, sometimes minutes, but that’s all we needed.

The whistle blew again. The Swillows looked confident and hungry. Five charged upfield with the blue ball, I aimed both hands and shot as many spells as I could to disperse them. Robin, with the others hiding over him, was in the corner, hidden by a shield of chameleon spells.

Jake collected the ball from Hunter, and exchanged neat passes with Gret and Joanna through a tide of Swillows. Until Joanna was spelled into the air. But they continued to chase Jake and Gret into the corner of the pitch.

Jess and Florence were now in a tangle with the three offensive players Jasper, Kelly and Harry who were duelling for possession for the blue flounder. I double tapped my shoes and shot across the pitch towards Robin. Aiming my arms towards Jasper I shot six Pasanthedine’s, one hitting Kelly in the face and launching her into the air.

“Robin!” I called as I reached the shield. “How many?”

“Four!” he called, hands working furiously beneath him.

“They’re amazing!” said Dawn, already wearing a pair. “I can see what spells they are about to throw at me!”

“Thats the idea,” I said, scooping up the spectacles.

Robin looked up at me. “Tap them twice and they’ll turn invisible.

“Dennis!” I called racing towards him. “Put these on, tap them twice!” Dennis took them and promptly began running around the pitch after Swillows.

“Hunter!” I called throwing him a pair. He dropped them. But, gave me a thumbs up as he put them on. I duly delivered them to all remaining players and called at Robin to rejoin the game now we didn't need any more.

I put my pair on and tapped them twice, colour and light illuminated the pitch. For a moment I could only watch. Green fizzing electrical light was forming in the centre of Jasper’s chest, then, it shot out of his outstretched right arm towards Gret, who flew into the air. As Jake fought off three Swillows, I spotted a gap. Double tapping the shoes I shot forwards. The pain in my body was excruciating, but I had to ignore it. The Swillows were duelling with us, all in their own half, leaving a gap through the middle.

“Jake!” I called. He spotted me and threw the red flounder high into the sky, directly into my path. I was one on one with the Swillow keeper. “
Avertere! Goaternut
!” I said hand over my head, as I disappeared from view. The Swillow keeper gorped around, the spell brewing in her suddenly came pouring out like a volcano. Green wind shooting all over the place. She couldn't see me, she was panicking.

“
Dancidous
!” I repeated over and over, as I jumped up the plinth, past her and placed the flounder neatly in the bolt-hole. Blue light exploded into the sky, Swillows looking around shocked as I burst back to the middle of the pitch.

Three minutes remained.

“Robin, you lot… all of us, over there!” I pointed at the red flounder and they took note. Robin, Dennis and Dawn charged across in a blaze of green, red and white flashes.

Suddenly, to my left Henry from the Swillow’s appeared out of nowhere and made a dive for me. I double tapped the shoes and span out of the way, holding up my left hand I muttered. “
Pasanthedine
…” Henry was engulfed by wind, launching high into the air.

Up ahead, Dawn, Dennis and Jess wrestled the flounder from Jarrold as Jake made a bee-line for the bolt hole, but he hadn't spotted the keeper who had a nasty red spell brewing in her arm that was about to explode out at him. I aimed my right hand and steadied it, she was in my sights.

“
Sevehurton
!” I cried. A blast of ice flew out of my arm in a spurt of blue. The aim couldn't have been better, it sailed true as an arrow. Her red spell was inches up her arm, ready to burst out at Jake who was in mid air. And then… sweet glory. The ice spell hit the Swillow keeper right in the chest and she froze into a solid blue block. Jake slammed the ball into the bolt-hole and wheeled away.

“AND ITS TWO-
ALL
!” cried the announcer to muted applause. “NOW ITS ALL TO PLAY FOR!”

“You IDIOT!” Jasper screamed at Jarrold.