Witch out of Water

by Aiden James

  “You can call me Wilhelm,” he said, cracking a wry smile. “And, if you make it a priority to listen closely to the advice I give to you after dinner, I just might let you call me ‘Willie.’”

  He laughed, and we joined him.

  “Well... do you want to see what I’ve prepared for your dinner, or not?”

  “Hey, I’m game,” I said.

  “Me, too.” Daciana chuckled while shooting a loving glance my way.

  The lids flew off, floating away to God knows where, leaving a hearty, steaming serving of some kind of fish fillets. The aroma became almost irresistible, and I could hardly wait to dig in. I could tell it was even worse for Daci, since she had missed out on the steak dinner items I had hoped to bring her before all hell broke loose in Denmark.

  “These are the finest ‘shabacka’ fillets available. which is a species of fish similar in flavor to your Chilean sea bass,” Wilhelm advised. “This particular fish species thrives within the confines of a nearby river you both shall encounter tomorrow, and these little guys are enjoyed best when seared to perfection. I added spices you are familiar with in America, and laid it on a delicious bed of locally grown wild rice. Unlike tonight, however, most of what we will prepare for you—whenever we can do so—will be cuisine you are fully familiar with.”

  I found it slightly ironic he spoke of these fish in such affectionate terms, as despite their ‘perch’ size, it appeared that the heads—which had been left on—were filled with piranha-like teeth.

  “Would either of you care for a beverage to go with your dinner?” he asked, drawing my attention back to him. A small table had appeared next to ours, with several bottles of chilled wine on ice. “Yes, Bas... I see the smile inside your head. Room temperature is traditional for wine consumption, and most common. But again, we are accommodating to what you prefer. Daci is not so hard to please!”

  He chuckled again, and I felt my cheeks grow warm from embarrassment.

  Am I really that much of a pain in the ass to deal with?

  “No, you’re fine, my love.” Daciana reached across the table to caress the back of my right hand, while alternating her gaze between me and our host. “I see the selection of Chardonnay, Riesling, and... yes, let’s go with the Pinot Noir.”

  “Very nice!” he agreed

  She nodded approvingly, mouthing to me that this would be something I’d enjoy best with this evening’s entrée. Wilhelm poured us each a glass, and admittedly, I’m not much of a wine connoisseur. It turned out to be a great choice, with just enough sweetness to make it enjoyable.

  Rather than watch over us while we dined, our host set out to convert our immediate area of the cave into a tropical version of Daciana’s ‘armoire apartment’. Kind of a Tahitian feel, despite the cave’s coolness, with bamboo and straw partitions separating the bedroom area from a kitchen and bathroom. The only thing missing was anything akin to a living room. Or, more precisely, there was no TV.

  I began to scheme a way to create one of our own, but that thought was in its infancy when Wilhelm returned to our table—which was now sort of a dining area within this makeshift living quarters.

  “Yes, no television, I’m afraid,” he advised, commenting on my latest private musing. “But, what were you planning to watch here on ‘Dragon’s Paradise’? It’s not likely your beloved Nickelodeon will reach you here. Besides, you two will need your rest tonight to ensure you are fully alert and ready for tomorrow’s activities. In the meantime, how about a small dessert to top off your meal? Wizard Gabon told me how Daciana has a thing for key lime pie!”

  Daciana’s face lit up as he produced a pair of dessert plates, each with a modest slice of pie. After setting her plate before her, he hesitated before setting a plate before me.

  It took me a moment to realize I was frowning.

  “What, this isn’t exotic enough for you, Sebastian?” He eyed me impishly. “Perhaps you were expecting something like baklava instead, hmmm?”

  “Actually, this will be great... but, yeah, I was a little surprised,” I admitted. “Now that I’ve had a moment to think about it, key lime pie is perfect.”

  I offered a glowing smile that hopefully didn’t look near as forced as it felt. Thankfully, the smile became genuine upon taking a bite.

  “Wow, this is excellent!” I beamed. The taste carried with it the hint of something strangely comforting... but also familiar. Just not familiar enough for me to immediately pinpoint what it was.

  “I agree—this is perhaps the best key lime pie I’ve ever had!” Daciana enthused, savoring each bite. In that simple innocence, she seemed especially lovely. Adorable, to steal her descriptor for me.

  “Excellent, indeed!” said Wilhelm, pulling up a third chair, seemingly out of thin air and pulling it up to the table where he sat down. “Now... we can get down to business. And, what just happened is something to keep in mind tomorrow—particularly for you, Bas.”

  “How so?” I asked, as the dessert’s euphoria seemed to flow through my veins... or maybe it was the wine? Or the whole damn meal? All I knew was a familiar warmth in my face and the inability to keep from smiling made me think of mellowness afforded by stronger alcohol intake, or an afternoon binging on THC. “Why me in particular?

  “Because Dacia has experience in trusting Sorin’s directions. She’s already used to following his instructions with the ‘blind faith’ that he knows what he’s doing, which gives her a leg up on you, Bas,” he explained. “When we reached out to you a little over a week ago, it carried numerous risks, and at first you reacted as we would expect.... You were curious, but not yet ready to yield your will to our bidding.”

  He paused to wait for me to acknowledge what he was getting at—which should’ve been obvious. Maybe it was the growing buzz, but the first thing that came to me was the realization the notes sent my way might not have come solely from Sorin.... From Wilhelm too?

  “You never wondered why the notes always said ‘we’ and not ‘I’ when referring to whom sent them to you? Did you think Wizard Gabon carries a pet mouse in his pocket?” Wilhelm laughed heartily. “That is the ‘joke’ you Americans sometimes use, eh? Of course, it was me sending the notes! Although, it was always with Sorin’s approval, or under his direction... but that careful and precise script is my penmanship!”

  “But that’s not the point you’re seeking to make, is it?” said Daciana. “It’s more about trusting you now, right?”

  “Yes,” he acknowledged. “The biggest point is this: Trust is key for the contest ‘journey’ you two are about to embark on. As a warlock on the verge of being anointed to the Magician rank, I can personally attest to how challenging the obstacles will be, located between here and where Sorin’s castle sits. But following your instincts, along with the guidance I can periodically provide, I foresee your triumph in the end.”

  “You make it sound like this contest can be dangerous in a fatal kind of way,” I observed. “What kind of obstacles are ‘we’ talking about?”

  Yeah, couldn’t resist that teeny barb... but, hey, it’s all in good clean fun, right?

  He chuckled again, but this time I glimpsed his anxiety about what we were about to embark upon.

  “Come... despite the dimness beyond the cave, we should still be able to clarify a few things,” he said, rising from his chair. Daciana and I followed him to the ledge’s outer lip. The last vestiges of twilight were nearly gone, but the second sun’s orange and red afterglow lingered just above the distant horizon. “Do you see the mountain with the fiery glow in the distance?”

  He pointed to what appeared to be an active volcano—something I hadn’t even noticed when gazing in the same direction under full daylight.

  We nodded.

  “The volcano is an ancient one that’s been active for the past few decades,” he said. “Across a chasm to the right of Muntele Diavolului—which is the Romanian name for this particular volcano—sits Sorin’s castle. Just out of range of Devil Mountain�
��s explosive eruptions, the castle is your intended destination.”

  He waited for us to acknowledge this point before going on, and I resolved to hold my questions—including mental ones—until he had finished detailing what we could expect tomorrow.

  “As you know, Sorin is on his way home, and at present, he is traveling somewhere in this region.” Wilhelm pointed to the area to the right of the cave entrance, roughly a few miles away. “He will arrive at the castle in the next seven to ten days.”

  “So, if we get an early enough start tomorrow, we can probably catch him,” I said, exchanging hopeful looks with Daciana. “Provided we leave right when dawn arrives. Right?”

  “Hmmm... not bad, Sebastian,” said Wilhelm. “That is a solid deduction based on what I’ve shared thus far. However, the conclusion is incorrect.”

  “Really? How so?” I replied, staying in the mellowness of the buzz that was still building.

  “Because, the goal is to reach the castle before Sorin does,” he advised. “You can’t see them from up here—especially at night, but there are two distinct pathways to reach the castle. One is the path Sorin presently navigates. He is moving at a hurried clip, and if you follow using the same path, you’ll likely never even see him—much less catch up.”

  “Then, how can we possibly reach the castle before he does?” Daciana asked worriedly.

  “Now you’re talking!” Wilhelm chuckled warmly, ignoring the bewildered look on my face that barely concealed the buzzing confusion within. “If you follow the other path, which lies within the less-traveled jungle to the left of us, you will almost certainly pass him and find yourself waiting within the castle when he arrives sometime next week.”

  Well, that revelation instantly renewed my hopes of coming out on top.... But you know what they say about things that ‘sound too good to be true,’ right?

  Of course.

  “Yes, Bas... there is a catch,” said Wilhelm, pausing to regard both of us seriously. “While the path taken by Sorin is relatively free of obstacles—either mere nuisance-wise or deadly, the same cannot be said for the path running parallel to his. Perilous obstacles—be it the physical terrain, swift-flowing waterways, or ferocious beasts such as saber-tooth cats, dragons, or even giants resembling human kind—flourish in abundance.”

  Just frigging great! Despite the fog hindering my thoughts, if dealing with Orpheus Bagley and our Radu and Matei cousins from overseas wasn’t enough, all of that could be mere child’s play in comparison to what awaited us tomorrow!

  “Well... there is one caveat, and it is an important one,” said Wilhelm, patting me on the shoulder. “Throughout your journey, points of ‘recovery’ will pop up, sheltering you from the menacing creatures and giving you enough time to be fully restored to full health and mental readiness before moving on. And, even though you will be more than twelve hours behind Sorin’s progress when you awaken in the morning, if you keep your heads and trust the process, he and I both foresee your success.”

  And if not? I wondered silently.

  Keeping my head wouldn’t be as difficult as trusting the process. However, regardless, there was only one way for us to proceed, since returning to Denmark meant an automatic prison sentence—perhaps in a world as hostile as this one could be.

  “Precisely, my love,” said Daciana. She crept closer to me, and I placed my arm around her waist to draw her near.

  “See?” said Wilhelm. “That’s exactly the correct attitude and approach, Bas! Protect and cherish Daci—always! Set your mind and heart on conquering the obstacles you’ll encounter—regardless of what they are—and you will succeed! And, always remember... I’ll keep close tabs on you at all times. Together, we will be victorious!”

  “It sounds like you have something at risk too,” I said.

  “My certification as a master magician hangs in the balance, since the EEC’s requirements for this position are almost as stringent as they are for wizard appointments,” he explained. “So, yes, I certainly have ‘skin in the game’, as your corporate CEOs are wont to crow about these days. Only, this is real skin with genuine risks rather than figurative.”

  “Okay, I guess that settles it. I assume we are to leave right at the crack of dawn?” I sought to confirm.

  “Yes... everything will be ready for your departure soon after you awaken,” he said. “So, once you get a good night’s sleep, it shouldn’t take long to get rolling tomorrow.”

  He snapped his fingers, and a large hourglass appeared near the dining table. He moved over to it and turned it over, and we watched a thin stream of sand through the crystal enclosure begin filling the device’s empty base.

  “Once the sand runs out, it will be time to ‘rise and shine’, kids,” he advised. “So, why not retire to your bedroom?”

  He pointed to the bamboo and straw partitioned section I noticed earlier. It now opened, revealing a pair of crudely appointed twin feather beds. Granted, the beds didn’t look uncomfortable... but they certainly weren’t what Daciana and I expected to enjoy during our first night together.

  “We know the two of you are not exactly virgins, as your century-long histories are filled with past carnal encounters with mortals,” he said, grinning knowingly. “However, this is a ‘special’ situation where the two of you are joined on a soul level, and where you both instinctively recognized this fact the very moment your eyes first met. Fortunately for us, you have yet to experience the physical union that’s been promised on the horizon since that moment.... We would like for you to wait to fulfill the union, and instead, utilize that energy and sexual tension to help propel you through the journey that starts in the morning. Agreed?”

  We both paused to look at each other, where the fever between us beckoned to make that union happen sooner than later. Yet, we both understood what was at stake, ensuring our compliance with Wilhelm’s and Sorin’s wishes. Not to mention, the debilitating euphoria from earlier suddenly returned and intensified—and not just for me. I could see confusion and a fast approaching giddiness threatening to take over Daciana’s mind and dampen her desires as well.

  Wilhelm nodded in complicity.

  “Sorry, Sebastian and Daciana.... Yes, we added a little something to keep you satisfied and preoccupied, and it also contains a slight natural sedative, too,” he said. “Too much is riding on tomorrow and the coming days to take any chances. You might think of this contest as a game, kids, and not all that unlike the ones you were playing in Bas’s bedroom this very afternoon. The biggest difference is in what’s on the line for us all.... Our collective fate will literally be decided in the coming days—including Wizard Gabon’s destiny, since he has wagered much on your success.”

  I wanted to ask more questions—many more, actually—but I suddenly couldn’t think of anything other than succumbing to the urge to lie down. Even if for a little while, and then think about all of this once again. I looked disparagingly at the beds, as did Daciana. When we looked back toward our host, he had disappeared. All that remained was our ‘apartment’ and the hourglass in full operation sitting next to the table.

  Meanwhile, the feeling of exhaustion intensified, and again, I could tell it was the same for my beloved. Barely allowing ourselves time to get oriented with our accommodations, we quickly prepared for bed. I feared falling asleep where I stood, or collapsing in that very spot. But after reluctantly choosing our separate beds, the two of us settled into one of the two beds, holding each other close.

  That’s the last thing I remember before falling asleep.

  *****

  I awoke sometime after what must’ve been midnight in this foreign world.

  Daciana slept soundly, and after listening to her soft breaths and the beating of her heart positioned close to my head, I arose to take care of my personal business. But, with so much going on inside my mind, and the cessation of the euphoric state from earlier, I couldn’t fall back asleep. Restless, and fearful I might wake my beloved, I quietly slipped ou
t of bed and gathered my backpack from a corner of the bedroom. I then retrieved my journal from inside.

  Using a flashlight function from my iPad, and nearly draining the device’s battery strength, I sat down on the cave floor at the foot of the bed and began to write. It had been a few days since my last journal entry, and I worked furiously to make up for lost time, allowing the imagery and events aided by my enhanced recollection skills as a warlock to propel me through damn near forty-thousand words, until abruptly stopping when Daciana awakened.

  “I’m down here,” I whispered, when I heard her utter a slight gasp upon finding I had vacated the bed. “I couldn’t sleep... but I found something to give me enough peace and resolve to make it through today.”

  “You’re writing?” She peered over my shoulder from the foot of the bed.

  “Yep... and now I’m all caught up,” I said, closing the journal.

  “Look,” she said, pointing through the doorway toward the kitchen area and the vast expanse of Paradusil Dragonului beyond the cave’s opening. “Dawn has arrived.”

  Indeed, the darkened forest took on the dim outlines of trees that continued to become clearly defined. Even the mountains in the distance regained their majestic beauty from the previous afternoon, illuminated by the early morning arrival of at least one of this world’s two suns, shining brightly from somewhere behind our current location. Almost immediately, songbirds began their serenade, which carried a distinctly different ‘playlist’ than the concert we were treated to upon our arrival yesterday.

  Yesterday... it seems so final. As if we’ve somehow been cut off from it all.

  Of course, I knew better. We never escape our past... but sometimes we’re lucky enough to reinvent our present and future.

  “It looks like there’s something sitting on the table, Bas,” she said, rising from the bed to investigate. Watching her saunter toward the table aroused me, although I hadn’t forgotten Wilhelm von Herrmann’s advice from the night before, quietly vowing to utilize every ounce of energy and desire within me to enable our success during the day’s ‘contest’ to come.