The Wizard
Thomas Rouxville
~~~
Kindle Edition
Copyright © 2019 Thomas Rouxville
First published in 2019 by Jonmac Limited.
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters and places, incidents are used entirely fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
Table of Contents
Free Map of Galbar and Free Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
The Apprentice – Book 3 in the Chronicles of Suvaria Series – Chapter 1
About The Author
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Chapter 1
Thane fell asleep in the cave. He hadn't meant to, but every event of the last two days had taken a toll on him. His mind and body were too feeble to journey, and it didn't help that his shoulder even further drained him of energy. The cave was so peaceful, quiet, and dark, and as Thane drifted into a calm slumber, he forgot that he was on a slab of rock, feeling as if he were on a comfortable bed. He slept soundly and did not awake until the next morning, when the sun's rays hit the cavern, illuminating just a sliver of it.
Yawning, Thane opened his eyes, and sat up, disoriented for a moment. When searing pain shot through his shoulder, he was quickly reminded of where he was and what condition he was in. There was no way of knowing whether any guards had come this way, for Thane had been in such a deep sleep. They could have walked through hours ago, or they could be a few yards away at that very second. But Thane could not afford to rest any longer, his mind was re-energized, and his body as well as it could be considering the injury. Thane would not sit around and hide anymore.
There was a plague to be stopped, a Kingdom to save. Thane wouldn't give Adaranth the satisfaction of keeping him cornered like this, hiding like a coward. Adaranth was the true coward, and Thane would get his revenge eventually. Not yet though, for the plague was a much more pressing matter. The responsibility Thane felt for it, would not go away. Yes, it was Adaranth's fault, but Thane still couldn't help but think of the fact that it was he himself who killed Sluforn. If not for that act, the plague would still be contained-
“Shut up,” Thane said to himself. “Don't keep dwelling on it. Regardless of what role you played in it, it's been done, and now you must stop it.” Thane didn't usually talk to himself, in fact, he thought it a bit mad when he noticed others who did it. But as he spoke, he realized just how therapeutic it was. It was like talking to a friend. Mercenaries didn't have very many friends in the world.
Thane stood up, grabbing the cane he had fashioned the previous day. In his many adventures, though he didn't make many friends, he did hear of many powerful individuals. One in particular, was called Abigast. The man had first crossed Thane's mind yesterday, but it was just a fleeting thought. Rumors were abundant throughout Galbar, about anything and everything. Thane had heard so many crazy stories that he could no longer keep track. When he had first Abigast's story, a few years earlier, he shrugged it off. Rumor had it that there was a wizard in the village of Maplefrost, the most powerful in the world, Abigast. Thane was used to exaggerations though, so when he heard the words “most powerful,” he understood them to mean, “average.” Of course, even an average wizard was still impressive. All wizards were powerful, and it was good that they were so few in number, otherwise Thane would fear that they'd all band together and overtake the Kingdom, possibly the entire world. Fortunately, they were a rare group of people and hearing about Abigast, Thane had paid no heed.
But it was different now. Sluforn had said to find a wizard. Abigast was the only wizard Thane even knew the name of. Whether he was equal in power to Sluforn, Thane had no idea. He could only hope that the rumors were true, that luck would find him.
A couple of years had passed since Thane had first heard of Abigast, and whether the man still resided in Maplefrost, Thane again had no idea. For all he knew, Abigast didn't even exist. Yet, this was the only lead Thane had to go on, so he began his journey.
It would be four days before he reached Maplefrost, and it was an arduous journey, but there were many villages along the way. As Thane ventured through the forest, he thought about the guards and whether they could ambush him again. Everything was so quiet here that every slight noise Thane heard, he jumped, startled. He hoped no one was around, witnessing the fall of the mighty mercenary. Luckily, getting through the forest was simple enough. Thane didn't run into any other soul, he was completely alone. He moved slowly, for his shoulder weighed him down, and part of him wondered if he could have made it to Maplefrost more quickly if not for his stupid shoulder. When he finally emerged out of the forest, now far north from Slyfort, he took in his surroundings.
There was a city nearby, Northwood. It was the Slyfort for those who couldn't afford to live in Slyfort. Smaller, more compact, with fewer people. Thane had stayed there a few times, had even thought about living there once, but as he approached it now, he realized something was wrong. The city was abnormally quiet. It was always more quiet than Slyfort, but now it was nearly silent, almost as quiet as the forest. Thane approached the city cautiously, wondering what had happened. When he finally reached the city gate, his heart nearly stopped.
The two men who should have been guarding the city gate were slumped over, pale, with greenish splotches of warts covering their skin. Their stomachs were bloated, arms and legs were swollen, and their eyes were bloodshot. Both men were still awake, still alive, but it seemed just barely so. Thane felt sick, nauseous.
“Get out of here,” one of the men croaked.
And Thane did, turning away to run. The plague had announced itself, and already, it had affected an entire city. What horrors had it caused? How many were dead? Those men outside the gate would surely die, there appeared to be no chance of recovery. The people inside the gates, they must have appeared the same way. Would the entire city be killed? Thane didn't want to think about it, but the grotesque sight of those bloated bodies would not leave his mind. The image would forever be burned in his memories. Despite all of the pain he had inflicted himself, he'd never seen such awful sights. He'd never seen such hopelessness.
Everything now appeared to be much darker. As Thane continued past Northwood, making his way to Maplefrost, he began to notice other signs of the plague. He did not encounter wildlife, which was strange, considering that around here, animals usually roamed freely. He was used to seeing deer and elk traversing the plains, grazing on grass and leaves, but today, the landscape was desolate; only the sun seemed to illuminate it, bringing a sliver of brightness. But for Thane, there wasn't any real light. The plague was here, and it was brutal, merciless, a horrific product of Sluforn's death. Was Adaranth guilty yet? Did he regret ignoring Thane's words? Or did he still sit on a throne, above his suffering citizens, being a cowardly fool?
Suddenly, Thane came across the first animal. It lay on the grass, on its side, and as Thane approached it, he realized that it too, was infected. A viscous yellowish liquid dripped from it, a thick pus.
Thane fought the urge to vomit, smelling an incredibly revolting odor. This poor elk was in worst condition than the men Thane had seen at the gate of Northwood. It feebly craned its neck upwards, taking a look at Thane. He could see the suffering in its eyes, the tremendous amount of pain. He wanted to put the animal out of its misery, but he dared not venture too close. He could not afford the risk of contracting the plague. So he continued onwards, nodding sadly at the elk, watching as it dropped its back to the ground.
Thane moved forward, and within minutes, he passed more sick animals. The countryside was littered with their bloated bodies. Already, a swarm of flies and vultures circled overhead, ready to tear apart carcasses. When one vulture swooped downwards, landing on top of a deer, Thane turned away. It was still alive, but the vulture pecked away at its flesh, and he could hear terrible yelps. “No,” he whispered. “This isn't real. It can't be.” But there was no point in trying to convince himself. It was very real, and Thane had to stop it before it got worse. He prayed that Maplefrost was intact, uninfected, but glancing at the area around him, he feared the worst.
The journey had to continue, no matter how horrible. Thane ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt, wrapping it around his mouth to fashion a bandanna. He had to protect himself against the plague as much as possible. If it was an airborne disease, there was no way he'd avoid it, but as of the moment, he felt fine. As fine as he could with a severely injured shoulder and the image of the plague etched into his mind. Thane grabbed another piece of cloth, wrapping it gingerly around his shoulder; it couldn't be exposed to anything that might have contracted the plague, otherwise the wound would immediately be infected, and Thane would be condemned to death. Glancing at the gash, at least it looked slightly less dangerous than it had earlier. It was painful, but it didn't appear to be infected, which was a good sign. Thane could only hope that it continued to heal. He could not risk obtaining medicine or a doctor with the way things were right now.
He continued walking, his cane beginning to wear down. He'd have to find a new one soon or do without. The sun started to set, painting the sky red; it reminded Thane of blood. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of. He did not want to think about death, of suffering, of the plague. But not matter where he turned, there were reminders staring him in the face. There was no escaping, not unless Thane stopped this plague.
When the sun finally set, leaving the sky dark, Thane began to shiver. It wasn't particularly cold, but there was a chill in the air, and an eerie feeling crept its way into Thane's heart. He could see a figure stumbling in the distance, the first person he had seen since Northwood. It was only a silhouette, but Thane could see even from standing so far, that the person was infected. Their movements were disjointed, awkward, like a puppet on a string. Thane could hear a faint groaning as if the person was in pain. He ventured off the road, deciding to stick to the grass and brush, avoiding anyone. He stopped, waiting for the figure to disappear, but instead of disappearing, the figure collapsed in the middle of the road, wailing in agony. Once again, Thane fought the urge to put this person out of its misery, but just like the elk, Thane could not get too close. He listened for a while, listening to the moans of pain, and when he couldn't take it anymore, he moved on, guilt burning in his chest.
The next village was in just the condition Thane feared. A caravan traveled on the road, right outside the gates, none of them visibly infected, but as Thane cautiously approached, someone flashed a sword, pointing it at his throat. “Infected?”
“No,” Thane said, his voice muffled through the cloth.
“Ya should stay away then, it's chaos in der.” A man pulled his hood down, revealing clear skin. He lowered his sword and reached over a basket, picking up a fruit. “We picked dis in the orchard yesterday, befer' all dis madness. It's not infected.”
Thane hadn't realized how hungry he was, he took the apple from the man's outstretched hand, taking a giant bite. “Thank you,” he said through a mouthful of fruit.
“What city did ya come from?”
“I was in the forest yesterday,” Thane replied. “This morning I passed Northwood, and I saw the effects of the plague.”
The man turned to a woman standing next to him. They exchanged sad looks. “So it's not just here,” the woman sighed.
“I didn't see anything in the forest,” Thane said. “When did this all start happening?”
“When I wake up this mornin', I watch me apprentice fall on the floor and start writhin' round and gettin' all bloaty and such-”
“He started screaming,” the woman said. “Warts just started popping up all over his face, until I couldn't even recognize him. He was dead in a few hours.” She wiped a tear away. “We got the kids, packed everything up, and now we're trying to find somewhere safe. I guess Northwood isn't an option anymore.”
Thane nodded solemnly. “I'm sorry,” he said, and he meant it. He didn't remember ever giving such a genuine apology to someone before. The words tasted bitter against his lips, and yet sweet at the same time. “Good luck,” he added. He wanted to tell them that he was going to stop all of this, but if they went telling others, placing hope in people, it would hurt all the more if Thane let them down. He had to be confident, but not cocky. So instead of saying anything at all, he continued onwards towards Maplefrost, leaving the family behind. He hoped they stayed safe.
“Goodbye,” they called, waving at him. Thane looked at them and memorized their faces, hoping he'd see those faces again someday, hoping that they would not succumb to the plague.
Thane slept that night on the side of the road, curling up in the grass. He shivered and shook throughout the night, nightmares of the sights he had seen, manifesting themselves in his sleep, invading his dreams. When he couldn't take it anymore, he stood up and continued forward, running on only a few mere hours of sleep. It was pitch dark and silent, not even the crickets were out tonight. Thane wondered if even they had been infected. Perhaps every creature was infected, perhaps every living creature would die. That thought made him move more quickly, almost jogging. He cursed his shoulder for taking away so much energy. The more time that passed, the more the plague would spread. Thane was racing against time, and he felt as if he was losing.
He watched as the sun came up again and another town entered his view. It was like a ghost town, utterly silent. Thane didn't see or hear anyone, it was like all of the town's inhabitants had just vanished. But he knew better. The same smell that had wafted from the elk yesterday was permeating the air around this village. Disease was rampant, ripe. Thane's stomach rumbled with hunger, how much time had passed since the apple? He temporarily lifted the dressing from his shoulder to take a look at the wound. It was still not infected, and it seemed as if it had further healed, but it would need medical attention at some point. Thane could not keep letting it go unchecked, sooner or later, disaster would strike.
The thought of going into the village was tempting. If Thane did so, he could get food, real rest, a doctor to help heal the shoulder. But he still simply could not take that risk. He'd already risked his health by interacting with the caravan the previous day, and the guards outside Northwood, and the infected elk. Illnesses spread quickly, it didn't take much to become infected. Thane had already taken enough risks. He pushed past the town, and continued towards Maplefrost, with a heavy mind and heavier heart.
The last half of the journey was uneventful. For two more days, Thane wandered towards Maplefrost, passing infected village after infected village, growing more and more scared and restless. He saw people on the road, bloated and covered in the grotesque warts, the most visible signs of the plague. He heard groans of pain and sobs of those who watched their loved ones perish. He thought that Maplefrost would be the same until he finally came across a town seemingly unaffected by the plague.
It was only a few miles from Maplefrost, and when Thane stopped at the gate, a guard waved a sword at him. “No one is allowed to enter or leave. We cannot risk bringing the
plague to Windfell.”
Thane nodded. “No one is infected?” He asked.
“No, we are safe as long as the quarantine is in effect.”
“Is Maplefrost safe?” Thane asked.
“Yes, Maplefrost is a haven just as Windfell is.”
“May I go there?”
The guard shook his head. “You may try, but their rules are the same as ours.”
“Thank you, guard.” Thane had to get into Maplefrost. He was closer than ever, and his journey could not end yet, not until this dreadful plague was stopped.
Chapter 2
Maplefrost was just up the road, nestled in between a snow-covered hill and a small wooded area of maple trees. Its name was certainly apt. A sign was placed a few yards in front of the gate, warning visitors to keep their distance. Another few feet and a sign warned visitors that drastic measures would be taken if they entered.
Thane kept walking toward the gate anyway, ignoring the sign. A team of around ten guards or so were posted at the gate, the most security Thane had seen at any village thus far. They all wore protective clothing, covered head to toe. Thane could not even see their eyes.
“Do you know how to read, traveler?” One of them snidely said. “I apologize for bothering you, but I'm looking for someone.”
The guard laughed. “There's a lot of people in Maplefrost, I don't know all of 'em.”
“Do you know Abigast?”
“Abi who? Sorry, it doesn't matter anyway, no one is allowed inside, mate.”
“Abigast the wizard, I need to see him,” Thane pleaded.
“You heard the man,” another guard said. “Get out of here! Gotta keep the plague out!”
“I'm not infected,” Thane said.
The Wizard Page 1