Red Magic | Who Is Taking the Reds? The Battle for Magica Begins! (Ch. 1–2)

0:00 Little Fox.

0:05 The ancient fortress stood on a craggy wind-swept

0:08 ridge on the western slope of Mount Mystery.

0:11 Miles of dense, shadowy [music] forest guarded by fearsome

0:14 creatures separated it from the rest of Magica.

0:17 Most people had forgotten the fortress was even there.

0:20 But to those who remembered, it [music] was a reminder of the old times

0:24 when Magica was not the peaceful place it was now.

0:29 A gaunt man with glittering amber eyes stood

0:32 at a high window staring [music] down at the forest.

0:35 He heard a grunt and turned to see that a troll had entered.

0:39 "What is it?" the man demanded.

0:43 The troll grunted again.

0:45 A puff of magic energy rose above him showing

0:48 a rough image of ugly troll teeth tearing into food.

0:52 Hungry.

0:53 The trolls were hungry.

0:56 "You'll have to wait a little longer." the man said.

0:59 "But soon you'll have all the food you want." He

1:03 stepped over to the contraption in the center of the room.

1:06 He'd finished building it moments ago.

1:09 It was a mishmash of many things.

1:11 Dragon bones and scales, leather-bound books,

1:14 stones gathered [music] from the cave of the unknown and more.

1:18 At the very top of the pile was an ancient human skull bleached white by time.

1:23 The man rubbed his hands together and placed them over the skull's eye sockets.

1:28 The machine shuddered to life and belched out an image.

1:32 A map of all of Magica.

1:34 Tiny red dots glowed here and there.

1:37 Hundreds of them.

1:38 The man [music] smiled.

1:40 The secret eye worked just as the ancient writings had predicted.

1:44 This would make [music] things much easier.

1:49 It was time to go and take what was rightfully his.

1:55 Zan, you're next.

1:57 Zan.

1:58 Zan!

1:59 Zan!

2:01 Zan blinked and looked at the teacher.

2:03 "Sorry, Professor Liblow." he said.

2:06 "Could you repeat that?" Several of Zan's classmates laughed.

2:10 "It's your turn to perform today's exercise." Professor Liblow said patiently.

2:16 "Please move your assigned objects according to my instructions." "Oh,

2:21 okay." Zan stood up.

2:23 Everyone was watching him.

2:25 He had no idea what instructions the teacher

2:28 had given or what his assigned objects were.

2:31 He'd been too busy daydreaming.

2:33 He looked at the table at the front of the room.

2:35 All sorts of things were sitting there.

2:38 Fruit, rocks, shoes, and more.

2:41 Which items was he supposed to move?

2:43 Books.

2:44 A voice hissed behind him too softly for the teacher to hear.

2:48 You're supposed to stack them by size.

2:51 It was Perda, his next-door neighbor and friend.

2:54 He shot her a grateful look.

2:56 Then he glanced at the books.

2:59 Transporting stuff was easy.

3:01 But it wasn't easy to do it

3:02 with the control and precision that the teacher wanted.

3:05 Especially for someone like Zan.

3:07 He was good at bigger magic like zapping himself

3:10 to a new place or creating clothing or food out of nothing.

3:15 This smaller, more detailed type of magic was not easy.

3:19 It required a quiet mind and Zan's mind was rarely quiet.

3:23 He rubbed his thumb against his other fingers.

3:25 [music] There was a crackling sound as sparks began to jump from his hand.

3:30 Zan pointed it at the largest book and everything

3:32 [music] on the table flew into the air and exploded.

3:36 The other students giggled and Zan smiled sheepishly.

3:40 "Oops." he said.

3:42 "Sorry about that." Professor Liblow rubbed his hands together.

3:46 "Restore." he said.

3:48 The items reappeared.

3:50 "Try again, please, Zan.

3:52 And try to focus this time.

3:55 We don't want you accidentally transporting the entire school

3:59 to the peak of Mount Mystery." That made everyone laugh, including Zan.

4:05 Then he tried again.

4:06 This time he did his best to focus.

4:09 "Come to me." he murmured.

4:11 Now only the largest book rose.

4:14 It flew through the air and landed gently on his desk.

4:17 One by one, he brought the other books to him.

4:20 Finally, a slim volume titled Dragon Taming

4:23 [music] Tips landed neatly atop the pile.

4:27 Most of the class clapped.

4:28 Zan gave a playful bow.

4:30 Pretty slow.

4:32 A boy said loudly.

4:33 And you had to use a focusing phrase.

4:36 I thought reds were supposed to be better at magic than the rest of us.

4:40 "Enough, Jev." the teacher said sternly.

4:43 "If you think you can do better, you may go next." Zan sat down.

4:49 "Thanks for saving me." he whispered to his friend.

4:53 Perda leaned forward.

4:54 "No problem, but you really should pay attention." she whispered.

4:58 Even reds can't just fake their way through every class they don't like.

5:02 Zan didn't answer.

5:04 Physical objects was one of his least favorite classes.

5:07 It was boring.

5:09 Even [music] more boring than food and drink creation.

5:12 When would he ever need to move things [music] around like that anyway?

5:15 He wasn't planning on becoming a physical builder or anything of the sort.

5:19 No way.

5:20 He was going to be an explorer [music] like his parents.

5:23 That's why he spent most of his time

5:25 in school daydreaming about exciting adventures.

5:27 I'm finished.

5:29 Jev announced as he lined up one last shoe on his desk.

5:33 He shot Zan a smug look.

5:35 Much faster than the red.

5:37 Zan frowned.

5:38 Jev always had to make him look bad.

5:41 Just then, a pretty girl named Gliss pointed [music] to the door.

5:45 Gliss was the only other red in the class besides Zan.

5:48 An echo crow!

5:50 she cried.

5:51 A large purple-feathered crow flapped into the room.

5:57 Message, message.

5:58 it squawked.

6:00 Urgent message from the king and queen.

6:02 Several kids gasped [music] and Zan sat up straight in his chair.

6:06 He couldn't remember anyone from Magica's capital, First [music] City,

6:10 sending a message to boring old Swamp Bottom before.

6:13 Especially not the king and queen.

6:15 "Hush." Professor Liblow told the class.

6:18 Then he nodded to the crow.

6:20 "Go on, please." Urgent, danger.

6:23 the crow squawked.

6:24 [music] Danger for all reds.

6:33 Danger for all reds.

6:35 Gliss cried, echoing the crow's warning.

6:37 What does it mean?

6:39 "Hush." Professor Liblow said again.

6:42 "Let it finish its message." Echo crows didn't talk on their own.

6:46 They could only repeat what a person told them.

6:49 The crow flapped its wings.

6:51 Urgent danger.

6:52 it said again.

6:53 Reds are disappearing all over Magica.

6:56 NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THEY WENT or what has become of them.

6:59 All reds, please take precautions.

7:01 Urgent, urgent.

7:03 The echo crow clacked its beak.

7:06 Then it flew out of the room.

7:08 Everyone started talking at once.

7:11 Well, almost everyone.

7:13 Zan didn't say a word.

7:15 The crow's message had made him think about his parents.

7:18 Nobody knew where they were either or what had become of them.

7:21 But that was different.

7:22 For one thing, they weren't reds.

7:25 For another, they had disappeared [music] four long years ago.

7:29 Perda poked him.

7:30 Did you hear that?

7:32 she said.

7:33 What do you think IT MEANS?

7:35 SILENCE!

7:37 PROFESSOR Liblow cried.

7:39 His voice boomed with the help of a swelling spell.

7:42 The class quieted down at once.

7:45 Gliss raised her hand.

7:46 I need to go home.

7:48 she said, her voice cracking.

7:50 Both of my parents are reds.

7:52 I should tell them about this warning.

7:55 Me, too.

7:56 Zan said.

7:57 My grandfather, Boz, is a red.

8:00 What's the big deal?

8:01 Jev's voice was loud enough for Zan to hear but not the teacher.

8:05 All those snooty reds are probably sneaking off somewhere together.

8:09 Maybe they're trying to come up with even more

8:11 ways to act superior to the rest of us.

8:14 Be quiet, [music] Jev.

8:16 Perda glared at him.

8:18 You're just jealous.

8:20 Gliss hadn't heard Jev.

8:22 She stood up.

8:23 I just remembered something.

8:25 she said.

8:26 Last night, I overheard my parents whispering.

8:29 "You overheard them?" Professor Liblow gave her a suspicious look.

8:34 "How?" Gliss blushed.

8:37 Okay, I admit it.

8:38 I used a spy fly.

8:40 I know we're not supposed to use them to spy on people.

8:43 But my parents wouldn't tell me why they looked so worried lately.

8:47 I had to find out what's going on.

8:50 Wow.

8:51 Thought Zan.

8:52 If Gliss had used a spy fly, she must have been very concerned.

8:56 So, what did you hear?

8:58 he asked.

8:59 It was about my uncle.

9:01 Gliss said.

9:01 He lives in New Mist.

9:03 You mean the town near Mount Mystery?

9:06 Zan said.

9:07 My parents haven't heard from Uncle Garen in 3 days.

9:10 Gliss said.

9:12 He's a red, too.

9:14 Oh, dear.

9:15 Professor Liblow shook his head.

9:17 "This sounds rather serious.

9:20 Perhaps you'd better go home.

9:21 It's almost time to go anyway.

9:23 Class dismissed." The students started gathering their things

9:27 and chattering about what had just happened.

9:29 Zan grabbed his bag and hurried out of the room with Perda.

9:35 I should find out what Boz knows about this.

9:37 Zan said.

9:39 He's a retired magic master, remember?

9:42 Maybe some of his friends in the capital know what's going on.

9:46 Perda gave him a look.

9:47 You sound almost excited.

9:49 she said.

9:50 Aren't you scared?

9:51 You and Boz are both reds.

9:54 Before Zan could respond, Jev came into the hall with some friends.

9:58 Rushing home to hide under your bed, Red?

10:01 Jev jeered.

10:03 Zan didn't answer.

10:05 Jev had never forgiven him for an incident on Zan's

10:08 first day at the Swamp Bottom School almost 4 years earlier.

10:12 But even if that had never happened, they still wouldn't be friends.

10:16 Jev seemed to hate all Reds.

10:18 Well, not all Reds.

10:20 Just then, Glyth hurried out of the classroom

10:23 and Jev's voice instantly changed from sneering to sympathetic.

10:27 Hey Glyth, sorry your uncle is missing.

10:30 Want me to walk you home?

10:32 Thanks, that's sweet, but I'm in too much of a hurry to walk.

10:36 Glyth rubbed her hands together and muttered the word zap.

10:38 [music] A second later, she disappeared.

10:42 Jev frowned and then zapped himself away, too.

10:45 Zan was glad to see him go.

10:47 Come on, he told Perda.

10:49 I'll walk you home in case you're afraid of disappearing without a trace.

10:54 I'm not the one who should be afraid.

10:57 She retorted.

10:58 The crow said the warning was only for Reds.

11:01 Okay.

11:02 Zan said.

11:03 Then you can walk me home.

11:05 She smiled.

11:06 It's a deal.

11:07 Let's go.

11:08 They headed for home.

11:12 It was a bright, clear day with a light breeze that blew Perda's soft,

11:15 caramel colored hair around her face.

11:18 Was it magic or did she seem to get prettier every day?

11:22 Zan tried not to notice that.

11:24 It made him feel confused [music] and nervous,

11:26 a lot more nervous than he'd felt on hearing the Echo Crow's message.

11:30 When they reached Perda's house, she sighed.

11:33 Looks like mom's been redecorating again.

11:37 The house had been square and blue that morning when the kids left for school.

11:41 Now it was a multi-colored blob.

11:44 Hey, she lives in Swamp Bottom, remember?

11:47 Zan joked.

11:48 She has to do something to lessen the boredom.

11:51 Perda rolled her eyes.

11:53 See you tomorrow.

11:54 She said.

11:55 Bye.

11:57 Zan headed next door.

12:00 [music] His grandfather wasn't very interested in redecorating,

12:02 so their house looked the same as always.

12:07 [music]

12:07 In other words, it was just as boring as everything else in Swamp Bottom.

12:11 For a second, Zan wondered how his mother might redecorate the place.

12:15 She'd always been good at that sort of thing.

12:18 She'd love to surprise him by turning his bedroom

12:20 into a spooky cave or a mysterious jungle.

12:23 He snapped out of those thoughts when

12:24 he heard a rustling sound directly overhead.

12:27 Glancing up, he barely had time to take

12:29 in a dragon's snarly face hissing down at him.

12:33 Zan jumped back just in time.

12:35 A bolt of flame sizzled down, incinerating the ground where he just stood.