by Luka Petrov
During this time, I would need to be safe in the king’s chambers. I would need to find a way out of the village. Perhaps the king would move me and my family over to a different village, so I was free to work on the lost spells. We would have to go into hiding, but I could not work at any of the magical academies since Lord Abraxas was targeting them and slowing taking them over. I would need to find a place where I had access to a book, could practice the spells, but would be far away from Gilmore and any of the magical academies.
Just then, we heard a rustling at the window on the back wall of the jail cell. A familiar voice came through the barred window in a whisper, “Ed? Ed? Ed are you in here?” the voice said. Scared out of my mind, I did not want to respond to the voice. I put my index finger up to my lips to signal to the others to remain silent. The voice spoke again through the barred window, “Ed? Is that you in there?” I glanced up to look at the window, scared of what I would find. Scared Balfomeir, that wretched hunchback, would come back for us to end our lives himself. To be frank, if he ended mine currently, he would save me an eternality of servitude, so I would consider it a favor.
I can’t let myself go there. I have a plan I must set into motion. Instead, I want to see Balfomeir. I need to know when he is approaching, so I am ready. I will need everyone on my team ready as well. We must all be ready for the battle of our lives. Only then, could I put my actual plan in motion and have dear Walter take my place as the eternal servant. He would be a far better servant than me anyway.
Walter was much more charming, charismatic, and engaging than I was. He could tell the Demon Lord jokes, carry out the Demon Lord’s plans, and be an all-around better servant than I would be. I am arrogant and stuck up at times. It is just who I am. I know of my thoughts and all. I am not here to make friends. I am here to learn magic and to defeat the Demon Lord. I can make friends during the next life. I plan on fulfilling my destiny and saving this universe and restoring it back to its spiritual equilibrium.
When I glanced up at the window, I saw a familiar face being lit up by a lantern as the figure attempted to peak into the jail cell. “Dad?” I shouted. Excitement overtook my body as I rushed over to get a glimpse of my dad. I had longed to see a familiar face from my past, and this could not have happened at a better time.
“Son!” my dad shouted through the bars on the window, extending an arm so I could take it in an embrace.
“Dad! How did you find me?” I asked.
“The entire village knows you are here. We heard Abraxas shout that he wanted Edward MacAra in two days. I also know what King Harold has in store, and it is not good,” my dad explained, dejected by the news.
“What is it? What will happen to me?” I asked.
“The King is planning on surrendering you tonight. He did not see the reason in drawing it out, and risk you get away in the next day and a half, so he sent Balfomeir and his soldiers here to escort you to the castle. They are on their way now,” my dad explained.
“When I am surrendered, what will happen to my friends?” I asked.
“The village executioner is on his way as well. It appears that your friends will be beheaded so they will not spread the news that the King turned over an innocent boy to save himself.”
“I knew it! What did I tell you?” Cecily shouted from the other end of the jail cell.
“I looked at my dad, that’s Cecily, she prides herself in being right,” I explained. Then I looked at the ground as tears formed in my eyes. “So, you came to say goodbye,” I said. “Where’s mom? Did she come to?”
“No, I didn’t come to say goodbye. I came to get you out of here. Your mom doesn’t know that I’m here, the less she knows, the better. She knows I went out to take care of some business. I have a feeling that she has an idea of what I’m doing, but the less she knows the better since I’m breaking the law by helping a prisoner. Now, get yourself together, because you are going to have to run fast once I get you out of here,” my dad explained.
“You’ve come here to save me?” I asked, feeling the love of a man who adored his King and who would never betray him.
“Of course, I would, you are my only son. I would do anything for you. Now once I spook the horse over there, it will pull the bars off out of this window quicker than you can bat your lashes. Once that happens, I will need you to run into the enchanted forest with all of your strength. You understand?” my dad said as he pointed to the horse that had a rope tied to the horn of its saddle that connected to the bars on the window. The sun had just gone down, so we could escape into the shadows and not been seen.
“And what will happen to you?” I asked.
“If we can get this all done in time, I’ll retrieve the horse back to the army’s stables. If not, then I will surrender myself once Balfomeir gets here. I’ll be fine either way. King Harold will have a hard time punishing me since I served his father and I would bet that he would understand if I saved my only son. I might be wishfully thinking here, but that’s what I choose to believe.” My dad looked briefly toward the village square, and continued, “We don’t have much time. Are you guys ready to get through the window once this bar is off?” My dad asked as he pointed to one of the bars, removing it would allow us to escape one at a time and squeeze through while the others hoisted them up. The final person would have to run and jump, and we would grab them and pull them through.
“Aye,” I replied. I turned to my cohort, “Who’s going first? Who’s going to last?” I asked.
“Cecily will go first. Followed by Agnes. Then, Walter and me. Ed, you’ll be the last to go, you are the fittest out of all of us,” Yves reasoned. She was definitely the smartest out of the group. “You would have the best chance to run and leap up to the window and you will have Walter and Cecily to pull you over the ledge. In the beginning, you lacked strength and endurance, but you have come a long way, Ed.”
“Sounds like a good of a plan as any, let’s do it!” I shouted.
Walter and I stood next to the window with our hands out. Each runner would run as fast as they could toward the wall and leap for the window, then Walter and I would lend our hands to their feet, so they were able to push off for leverage and squeeze through the space with the missing bar.
My dad peaked through the window once more to ensure that we were in place. “All right, ready?” he asked. I silently nodded my head to confirm that we were ready to go. I heard him walk toward the horse and slap the back end of it. The horse let out a screaming neigh. Then I heard the galloping hooves of the horse as it attempted to get away from the scare it had. Shortly after the rope became taut, the bar flung, and the horse continued on galloping.
Since the horse removed the bar, now it was our turn. Cecily ran first and Walter and I provided leverage for her feet so she could shimmy through the window. My dad was on the other end and grabbed her hands to ensure she would get through the window quickly. Then Agnes and Walter went in the same manner. Yves took Walter’s spot at the wall as he went through. Yves was the smallest of all of us, and the lightest, so it was easy for me to leverage her feet, and she had plenty of arms on the other end to pull her through. Then finally, it was my turn. I looked at the wall, envisioning where to place my feet as I would grab for the window ledge and hoist myself up, while the others would grab my arms through the barred window and allow me to pull myself through.
I ran as quick as I could and placed my foot onto one of the bricks in the wall while I grabbed for the window ledge in between the bars. My arms were met by Walter’s and Cecily’s and they were able to reach and grab the back of my elbows. I could then readjust my footing to leverage myself higher. I felt myself try with every fiber in my body to get higher and through the window, but soon my arms gave out, and I fell to the ground.
“Ed, we have little time,” my dad said while he monitored the village square. “I can see them coming they are almost here. I will need you to focus and do it again. Do it for your mom. I do not need her in this wo
rld knowing you are serving the Demon Lord for all of eternity.”
I got back up and dusted myself off. I had to do this. I knew that my strength was not geared toward blacksmithing, but surely, I had some physical fortitude to get through this window. Aware that Balfomeir was close, I realized that I had no other choice. I had to get this together and get through the window.
Envisioning once again where the placement of my feet would go once, I ran to the wall, I figured that I had to aim higher this time to ensure proper leverage. I had to run faster as well, so my momentum would create inertia to propel my body higher to the window so Cecily and Walter could grab my arms. As I was envisioning all of this, I realized my dad would be in a worse position than I would be. “Dad!” I shouted.
“Yes, son,” my dad shouted through the wall.
“I need you to run now. Run back home. You did your job. I can’t escape knowing that you sacrificed yourself for me,” I shouted as loud as I could.
“Son, if I leave you here make me one promise,” my dad shouted back.
“What is that?” I asked.
“Promise me you will get through this window first and foremost. Run as fast as you possibly can. And do not return until it is safe. I never want to hear that my son became the eternal servant of the Demon Lord.”
“Dad, you have my promise.” As the words left my lips, I heard running footsteps on the back side of the jail cell. I was going to head to the castle to meet with King Harold. However, my dad made me promise him I would flee to the Enchanted Forest. That would mean I would be on the run for the foreseeable future. This way. I could easily meet with King Harold and he can order Walter to surrender himself and I can begin learning more magic. That way, I’m not on the run for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, my dad made me promised him, and I would honor my word, reluctantly.
“He left, Ed,” Cecily shouted through the wall. “Let’s get you out of here.”
I ran as fast I could once again, this time I mustered the ability to run a little faster. Placing my feet on the bricks of the wall as I ran into it, I propelled myself higher than before. Cecily and Walter quickly grabbed the back of my upper arm, higher than before. With their added leverage to pull me up, I shimmied through the window while Walter and Cecily guided my body. Getting my legs through the windowsill, I jumped down, and we did as I promised, ran as fast as we could up the incline and into the Enchanted Forest.
While we were safe just inside of the Enchanted Forest, cloaked by the trees and shrubs, I took a moment to look back at the jail cell we had just left. I saw Balfomeir with sword drawn examining the cell and noticing the bar was missing on the door. The executioner wore his black hood and stood by the entrance, waiting. The soldiers search around the cell, looking for our traces. One seemed to see the hoof marks from the horse in the ground. I hope they would not trace this incident back to my dad. Hopefully, no one saw him.
For now, I had held my promise and thanks to my dad, I and my friends were safe. I took a moment to see if I could see my dad. I admired what he risked his own life to save mine. I was not sure I was at that place yet. I had only reincarnated into this life because I would be a hero. I would have an eidetic memory which would provide an advantage over the lost souls I intended to save.
I would be better and more powerful than any of them. However, I did not plan that I would risk my life for any of them. My goal was to be so overpowered that defeating the Demon Lord would be easy and naturally the risk would be minimal. Why did I not decide the Heaven option when the figure in the afterlife gave that to me as an option?
At the rate I am going, the Demon Lord will take over Gilmore and continue on, seizing village kingdom after village kingdom until the entire realm is under his control.
Then as he killed the beings who live in this universe, not one of them would choose to reincarnate here and the universe would go further into the energy deficit and all the souls that still remained would be scrapped, including mine.
From just inside the Enchanted Forest, bells echoed throughout the village. “What is that?” Agnes asked.
“That is the alarm bells to alert the village that there is a fugitive on the run. I guess in this case, five fugitives,” explained. We walked in the Enchanted Forest, not sure where we would set up camp for the night. We stuck to the edge of the Enchanted Forest, not wanting to enter it yet. The Enchanted Forest was expansive, with cavernous depths to it. The small amount I was in there was only the tip of the iceberg. The Enchanted Forest contained mystery and wonder throughout it, and we did not have a map. We would be left in there to wander, and wander for what, the next several years?
Before I knew what happened, a hand come around my face covering my mouth. A figure I saw in the corner of my eye also took each member of the group. I took my heel and as hard as I could I landed my foot into the shin of the man who had captured me.” Ouch!” I heard from the figure who was behind me. He let go, and I turned around to find out who it was. They were guards of Gilmore, patrolling the outside area of the Enchanted Forest." We’ve been looking for you ever since we heard the bells that the fugitive was on the loose. We knew it would be a group of teenagers. I never thought it would be so easy to find you guys. Too bad there’s no bounty on ya.”
The bells have been rung, and the guards of Gilmore are chasing after Edward and the group with weapons drawn. The enclose on the magic users and grab them from behind.
“You would do us all a favor, if you let us go and pretend like you never saw us,” I said to the guard two still held Cecily, Agnes, Ives, and Walter.
“Funny! We are not letting you go.” The guard turned to another guard and said, “This kid has got jokes! Maybe we should just keep him around for coming comedic relief.”
“Left them and go!” I shouted. I needed them to release Walter for my plan to work. I could escape leaving them up with the guards, but I needed collateral to give to the Demon Lord. Without Walter, my plan would not work. I had to save these guys.
I cast a chain of lightning, hitting three of the guards effortlessly.
Edward got the initiative, choosing to strike one of the guards with a chain lightning bolt, hitting three of them for 8 points of damage.
The other guards who held each member of my party let each of them go. All five of us dodge and ran around the guards as they attempted to catch us. They failed their check and all five of us ran as fast as we could, deep inside of the Enchanted Forest. We fled further and further into the forest, never looking back at Gilmore or the guards.
The rest of the group rolled a dexterity save, rolling a success, dodging and weaving around the guards, escaping into the enchanted forest.
The guards attempted to seize us yet again by making a Dexterity check instead of attacking.
The Guards roll a contested dexterity rolls. Failing the contested dexterity rolls, Edward and the group manages to flee.
Everyone in the group gains 50xp.
Chapter Three
“Hamon?” I asked to a figure amid clouds. The figure had his back toward me, and all I could make out was a black robe with gold embroidery, long gray hair, and a black, tasseled hat. I had hoped and wished that I would see my mentor once I again, but I was uncertain if my eyes were playing tricks on me. I did not believe in a higher power, after all, I was a wizard. Yet, I still prayed to all the gods that Hamon had somehow made it out alive during the battle in the corridor at Draererth.
“Yes, Ed. It’s me, Hamon. Who else would you expect?” Hamon asked.
“So, you did make it out alive?” I clarified. Still confused that I would be seeing him.
“Alive or not, the spirit still lives on. Flesh dies. That is how I can speak to you in your dreams and your dreams alone,” he replied as he nodded. I was so grateful that he was standing in front of me. “You must find a book in near the Enchanted Swamp. You are close. This book will prepare you for the next level of your quest. This book is also what the Demon Lord seeks. You mus
t find it before he does. The Demon Lord craves magical spells, and he is close to taking over the entire universe. Finding this book will make him one step closer. You do not have much time. Even though the Demon Lord is vastly powerful, he lacks in magical abilities. His purpose is the find all the magic spell books in the universe. From there, he can begin to increase his magical powers and ensure no one will learn the magic he has control over.”
“Will you come with me?” I asked. Before I could finish my sentence, Hamon had faded into the light, and everywhere was dark.
I screamed to get Hamon to come back to me, “Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Hamon! Come back! I need your help!” The thought of losing Hamon was too much for me to bear, and I sobbed. The surrounding clouds became thicker and everything was turning white. What was happening?
I came crashing back down into myself as I jumped, startled, yet still asleep. Seeing Hamon, if only in my dreams, made me miss him more. I hoped he survived Lord Abraxas and I would see him again soon. I awoke to Agnes shaking me, confused as I had no recollection of what had just happened.
“Are you all right?” Agnes asked. “You were screaming in your sleep. You must have been dreaming about something dreadful.”
Not remembering where I was, I had to quickly remind myself. Still confused and taking in my surroundings everything had come back to me.
“I must have been dreaming. Strange, it felt so real,” I said while I rubbed my head, it hurt a little. I continued to place everything together. “Hamon! I saw Hamon. It must have been in my dream, but I thought it was real.”
“He’s alive?” Agnes asked excitement filled her voice.
“I’m not sure. He said he could only speak to me in my dreams. That or his spirit is alive and talks to me in my dream. I’m not quite sure. In any case, he told me I have to find a book. This book will teach me more magic. Oh, and he also mentioned that Lord Abraxas is looking for the same book,” I explained.