by Luka Petrov
“Oh dear! I didn’t mean to open up wounds here,” the strange man replied to my revelation. “This one is on me. Hike halfway up the mountain until you reach a cave toward the east. You can’t miss it. There are scarves and tapestries hanging on the entry way of the cave.”
As I lifted my head to thank him for his generosity, he was gone.
Cecily came in like a battling ram, “Guys, let’s get moving. We can mourn Agnes after we save Walter from the Demon Lord. Let’s get this thin-skinned archmage.”
“He doesn’t have any skin,” Yves corrected.
On that note, we made our way halfway up the mountain side. Just as the strange man described, there from the entry way hung cloth scarves and tapestries. The scent of incense filled my nostrils as I opened the cloth door to the cave’s entryway.
Entering the cave, I saw a man in deep prayer, an elf, glowing with an inner light. The cleric chanted, “Divine magic, magic of divinity, power flows from the gods, and manifests in miraculous events. Pour yourselves onto this wounded mage and make him whole once again. And so it is. The elven cleric opened his pale eyes, his hair long, red, and flowing down his back, a headband worn around his head, and clothed in a purple robe. With his hand on his heart, the cleric said, “Mishakaliva has healed you.”
I stood on my tiptoes to see who the patient was, who was being healed. As the image met my eyes, I became elated with joy. It was our archmage. It was Archmage McAllister!
“Archmage McAllister!” I shouted, not being able to control myself. “We found you!”
The archmage lifted his eyes to see who shouted his name. A smile came across his face. “You’re the dear boy who saved me!” he shouted, careful not to disrupt the healing that was underway. “You guys have been looking for me?”
“We have,” Yves answered. She was always one to not be out done. “Ed, show him the book and staff,” she nudged.
“Oh right,” I replied. “I believe these things once belonged to you,” I said as I pulled out the magic spell book and Magi Staff from my Bag of Holding.
“The Magi Staff and the book that has no name! How did you get these?” the archmage asked.
“Ed got the magic spell book from the dwarves dwelling by the Enchanted Swamp and we got the Magi Staff from Calden Castle. We had a little run in with Lord Almer,” explained Yves.
“I never thought I would see these items again! Let alone be freed from the Abyss. You guys are definitely a force to be reckoned with,” he said, still amazed at the items that he saw.
The archmage paused and then said, “Huh! It seems like you are the chosen one. Those items would only be granted to the one who would walk among us who could save us from the destruction of the Demon Lord. I guess, Ed, that’s you. If you were able to read the glyphs in the dwarves dwelling and solve the puzzle of the Magi Staff, you are the one our world has been waiting for.”
“But, Archmage, we are going to need your help,” I debated.
“You don’t need my help, you have everything you need,” replied the archmage as he lied back down, relegating us with the items.
“I don’t think you understand; I need you. I need someone to help me with these spells. I have learned them and even mastered them, but I still need your help. I know that I cannot defeat the Demon Lord, even with lost spells and a Magi Staff. Will you help me?”
“I have no choice, but to help, since you asked. You saved me from the lower-pitted fiend. I would not be here if it were not for you. Of course I will,” McAllister replied. He turned to the cleric, “Thank you kind soul for healing me when I had no flesh to cover my innards. I owe you a debt. Am I ready for battle?”
The cleric in a solemn state nodded his head and replied, “It was an honor to replenish and heal an archmage. You owe me nothing.”
Archmage McAllister got up from his bed and put on his black robe with gold embroidery. This ensemble reminded me of Hamon. This archmage had already reminded me once of Hamon, but twice now?
I had to ask, “Do you know of a mage named Hamon?”
McAllister looked at me and replied, “Of course. He’s my brother.”
“Your brother? I was his apprentice at Draererth. I had to leave him while he fought the Demon Lord. Did he make it?” I asked with anticipation that Hamon was still alive and had contacted his brother.
“Ed, I haven’t heard from Hamon in decades. We had a falling out and hadn’t spoken ever since. I would be the last person he’d contact,” McAllister replied. The archmage paused and then asked, “You really think that stubborn old wizard would die? He’s far too ornery to do something like that.”
Bloody hell, another ambiguous answer. I just wanted to know if he was alive. McAllister must have saw my dejected response because he said, “My dear boy. Time will tell. You are clearly supposed to do this without him. Be assured, everything is happening as it should be. On that note, we have a Demon Lord to slay.”
We hastily made our way down the Gilmore, hiking at a rapid pace. Only this time, I did not need to worry about Aragon the Wise. The druid took care of him when he saved us. Making our way to Gilmore, we would begin to execute our plan.
We set up camp still in the Enchanted Forest, outside the walls of Gilmore. Yves and I had been inside the city limits, but it was much too dangerous now. Rather, we set up rags as makeshift tents. We needed to plan our attack, but for now we needed some semblance of rest.
The day's sun had lowered down amongst the sky but not enough to be hidden by the sky for the moon to come out. The heat that was all around us was a reminder for that. Instead, it just had fallen down to some degree as we continued to talk about minor details here and there, the cool night air offered a retreat from the scorching sun. The heat felt more tolerable as we were still outside by the forest and city walls and it beat down against our exposed skin. However, I knew that there was only more to come. The irritation of heat was nothing compared to what we had planned.
As I clutched my staff tighter in my hand, I saw both of the girls’ gaze drop towards the staff in my hand. One perfectly made to amplify the power of a mage by a tremendous degree, I knew that this would draw their gaze to me but neither of them made a lunge for it. Paranoia? I now feared that either Cecily or Yves would be consumed by jealous power that they might steal my staff. I was not concerned about Archmage McAllister, he respected the authority that the staff and book allowed me as their owner. I felt bad. Yves nor Cecily would never know the touch or power of it, but they could only guess as they watched me wield it before they lifted their stare. Before it was on the staff now it was on me. I stiffened in response, but I knew to meet the gaze back.
I needed to practice. I needed to perfect these spells with the staff. It relieved me to know that Archmage McAllister was now on our team. I was also grateful that I patched things up with Cecily, and she was back where she belonged, with us.
Cecily was curious and she had every right to be but that was also amplified by her natural cat-like disposition, a curious kitten. She was not with us during our previous journey, so we had to make sure she knew what happened and what we had lost. Even if that meant that we had to accommodate for her. I looked over to Yves wondering if this was the right decision to make. To tell her what happened meant that there would be a ticking time bomb in our midst, and we wouldn’t know what to do if it happened to explode.
She had a grim expression on her face that was only unseen because of the thick, black hair that blocked everyone to see it. One thing was to note that she usually wore somber expressions on her face. A rare change up but not that one I was excited to see because I knew that smiles suited her down here rather than the blankness that now clung to her features as if they had found a home that was not meant for them. I could see that Yves agreed to some degree and I knew that with her help we would be able to subdue Cecily if she threw a fit.
Hopefully.
“Are you sure you want to know?” I asked once more time to make the confirmation wi
th her. As there was hesitation stitched into my own voice along with wariness, to know anymore would prove to be deadly for lack of better words. But I had no choice to ask as I tested the water between us with just a touch. My mouth felt dry and when I swallowed down the spit that had pooled in my mouth from the thought of her alone. However, while I enjoyed it there was that much worse. A thought that paralyzed me was who was I worried for: myself or her? Though this would be left unanswered for a very long time.
However, across from me, I was met with a steady gaze that held no room for any of the pleasantries that they heard. Cecily approached me as Yves took a step back silently, a move that hardly was noticed during the whole movement. The two were always like fire and water when together. There was still tension that rode between the two but nothing that I couldn’t deal with if I had to. I gave them both a frown for now. But I focused my attention on that steady gaze that waited to meet mine many times over. This person didn’t want frills and pleasantries.
They wanted the full truth. Even if it hurt.
“If I’m going to help you, you need to tell me what happened… both of you, say it now,” Cecily said with a firmness in her tone that took away her childish tendencies that came with her age. A childish side that I wished that remained rather than serious one that had come out of Cecily, the mage of explosions. But I knew that if she was a childish as her age depicted her to be then I knew I wasn’t going to ask for her help. If she was any more childish than she was then that would make her an innocent.
Mostly because innocents don’t need to be harmed or suffer the same ordeal.
The sour taste in my mouth persisted even if she didn’t want to tell she knew she owed the people that asked this much. Even if there would be a war to come between the demons and the humans, even if the earth itself beckoned for her to me. I knew better than to question it, but I allowed the use of consent since I wanted this group to feel at home with one another.
“I’ll tell you but let’s head back to the inn. This place is not exactly a private space since we were able to find you easily.”
The small group of three nodded amongst one another. Neither pushed the other way because they realized they had better get to their temporary base or only trouble awaited them if they lingered any longer in the outside. We were on high alert, even if my magic could save us there are times when there was not enough time at all.
“Hey, McAllister,” I shouted.
“Yes, dear boy?”
“We don’t feel comfortable here, especially discussing our tactics. There is an inn on the edge of town that seems to not recognize me. It’s a little seedy, but it’s been our home base since we were rescued by the druid from the bounty hunters,” I explained.
“Well, let’s go then!”
I was reminded of the conversation that I needed to have with Cecily. I needed to explain to her how Agnes died and how it was my fault. But I kept that thought out of my head and pressed my lips together as we walked together towards the inn that had our private room. That is where we intended to have the conversation while we avoided the sun. How was I going to explain to my friend of the madness that had taken place before they would steer clear before loyalty woven into them? Through the walk, no one said anything, though there was the occasional sigh of amazement at sights that they hadn’t seen the nice parts of the village of Gilmore. Yves was more accustomed to the hell and brimstone we had only a few nights ago, and Cecily never made it within the village walls.
This did not last long. Soon the three of us ducked into the inn and greeted the person at the desk before we headed to the room. The young girls would sleep together, that’s the rule. We were able to get a separate room for Archmage McAllister. We entered the room that we rented, and it was the perfect place for discussion or even rest. All to which I was far too willing to take for he wanted to rest from the conversation. My sociability bar was low as is, to begin with, but no one decided to make a claim towards her.
None of this mattered though, everyone took seats that would be the most comfortable. But the mind was fogged easily by the desire for sleep. Not that it would ever be admitted. Too much pride I had to show the girls weakness. My Strength was a running joke, but I had gotten stronger. After all, to sleep during such an important time would be considered a weakness.
And before long I began to speak about what happened while we were separated from Cecily. About the people who are gone from the world that we loved and were no longer here. About the funeral that we had for Agnes thought it was private and intimate. I spoke of the loss and my new resolution and each word was spoken with a heavy amount of guilt and regret.
These words could hardly be ignored as they were said. Each word formed as a small lump in my throat, but I knew how to swallow it down so that I could continue to keep talking to them. To tell them that they had my security for as long as they needed. But that was the weakest thing I had said currently. They just heard from me when even my closest friend had died in front of me and Walter had taken my place of being captured.
Was I strong at all?
Clearly not. Not until I had the plan in my head formed. Cecily broke through my thoughts. “They have Walter...And they killed Agnes.” Cecily said with tempered anger that was not like her as she would usually be spewing left and right without regard for anyone in the room. She was usually filled with explosions that could not be contained. This was rare form for her. But right now she had to process loss when she had no idea how. It was a hard thing to swallow and she bit at her lip.
Hard enough to draw blood, however, that’s not why she did it even as it dripped down from her lips to chin. But it was not to antagonize those around her. Know, she had known that time would and make changes to the new. Because she wanted to control herself and draw herself back to reality without the heavy emotions weighed down on her. I could see it clearly on Cecily’s face as if it was my own because I had gone through the same emotions as she held.
We suffered greatly.
“We would have found you, really, Cecily. We didn’t know where you were-” Yves murmured out in shame as there had been very few people in her life. Between us as if to act as an unsaid apology but it sounded nothing short of half-baked. The words were tangled with one another, they tripped ever so slightly as they were grated off the cement floor but before they could be finished a voice stopped them.
“It’s fine.” The two words came from Cecily herself but the ache in them could not be missed. The loss could do that without even trying and that’s the worst of it. They had to suffer, and this would not be the end no matter how much they wanted to do that. No matter how she tried to hide because she just wished to spend a consistent amount of time with someone. And they were taken from her, the friends she had made.
Yves looked between the two of us several times and she probably saw the regret in my eyes that could never be taken away. Because I had seen death presented before me, solely for me, as an example. As well as the sacrifice of a friend who took my spot. I made a mental note to thank Walter, he had been gone for too long. Not until I treated it by going on the path that had been set before me. I just wished that it was enough to pay as retribution. I was far too willing to offer myself.
“What now? Since you’ve gathered us, and you are going to teach us spells. Surely there is more.” Yves asked nonchalantly as she did a quick change of the topic as there was a heavy atmosphere that had begun to blanket over us. Though she was almost too late because I could taste the sadness that had lured me to this god. And perhaps that left me grateful to Yves even if I wanted to sink into the depths of the water within my mind. Unseen by anyone. For now, I would remain afloat even when I didn’t want to anymore.
But the words rang in my head. Right. I would have to teach these two the spells I had in mind for them that would play into their strengths. After all, if they used it well then this would increase the amount of power they would have together. I bubbled at this thought that had pr
oven time and time again that if I taught them these spells, we would all survive. I just had to make sure that this was worth it, but I knew it was. I was no longer a selfish mage who I’ve only sought to improve myself. I was here to protect my friends. Not harm them.
And I wouldn’t have to be stuck in this curse no more.
“I found another book,” I explained to the two girls that had their ears towards me. Ready to listen to a moment's call but this was something I was not used to. “This was not just any book. But a codex that had several interesting things that could be worth something to us.”
In my thoughts, I could not ignore the stare that the two exchanged with one another at the mention of the book though I said nothing about that. A brief look of confusion as well as minor understanding. Was it the will of their dominance with this that had caused the many males and only one woman listens so wholeheartedly. I knew that they were scared of another book that came into my possession. And since this was held by the one, we passed I wonder more and more. My lips twisted to indecision and mysteries that I had learned from being around these two.
“Explain?” Yves asked this time as she tried to pull me back towards the conversation at hand since I was keen on showing little. A frown now on my face and I didn’t bother to hide how it tugged at the corners of the mouth. The worry that thumped within me as I had to remind myself that no matter how much I told them that they would be safe. As long as I can teach everyone around us a lesson that was all that mattered.
“It tells the location of the Demon Lord.” I professed to them and that was more than enough to slam up from their seats. Their hands slammed against my flesh as I craved for the pain that was meant solely for me. The table that looked like it could break without ease. But the fact she was there this whole time. As if some had tried this message instead and had not succeeded. I continued, “You see, Bradan helped Yves and I find it after we ran from the bounty hunters. We were looking for a way to get to Lord Abraxas’ tower that’s hidden in another realm. We would have no way of getting to it without this ancient book. The portal is located right outside the walls of Gilmore. That was one of the reasons I wanted us to move from our camp site.”