Red Wizard of Atlantis

by Ravek Hunter

  To Qel’s relief, the Elven men did not move. The female elf fell to her knees in front of Qel, who held tightly to the little girl and only then realized the child was unconscious. The woman made no attempt to pull the child away but put her arms out and patiently waited for Qel to hand the little girl to her. He tenderly lifted the child and put her in her mother’s arms. The two male Elves standing over them watched with looks of grave concern on their sharp features. With the child in her arms, the woman began to gently shake and speak to the little girl in their own language. At first, she did not move, and Qel feared that the trauma had been too much for her to bear. Then she stirred and opened her large blue eyes, and her mother began to cry with relief. Dropping to their knees beside her, the two male Elves group hugged the woman and the child, paying no attention to Qel or Havacian, who slowly moved a few paces away and silently watched what appeared to be a happy family reunion.

  Soon after, the older male elf calmly walked over and bowed. “Thank you for protecting this child. We were fearful that we would not be able to retrieve her from the monster that abducted her. My name is AelrindelRokalyn, you may call me Aelrindel if it is easier, and the child’s mother is my sister, VnaeStrindricina, and that is her husband, TridiStrindricinia—Vnae and Tridi, if you please. Did you see which way the Ogre ran?”

  “We never saw an Ogre,” Qel replied, “but there was something big in the forest that must have been running with all the noise it made. I believe it was heading east.”

  A dark look came over the elf’s face. “Three Ogres entered our village during the night and abducted two of our children. We killed one Ogre and recovered one child safe and unharmed not far outside the village. Another ran east with a goat, pursued by warriors from the village, and the third came in this direction with my sister’s child.”

  Havacian spoke up, “Why would the Ogre go to all the trouble of abducting the child only to throw her in the river?”

  “I believe the Ogre knew we were almost upon him.” Aelrindel glanced at the little girl, now calm again, and nodded reassurances to her parents. “Most likely he threw the child into the river to create a distraction and get away.”

  “I’m glad we were here to help,” said Qel. “Will the child be OK?”

  “She will be fine,” Aelrindel assured them. “If you had not been here to retrieve her from the water, I doubt we would have found her alive, if at all. The Sylvan Forest has a way of quickly reclaiming its own.”

  The female elf, Vnae, walked up to them, holding her now sleeping little girl. “Thank you for saving my child from drowning in the river. It is a service that will not be forgotten.”

  Before Qel could respond, Vnae turned to her brother. “You’re wasting time,” she told him harshly. “Take Tridi and go after them. I expect it to be dead before it can escape the forest.”

  Aelrindel looked at her skeptically. “We have the child back. What is the use of running down the Ogre?”

  Vnae’s pale complexion deepened visibly to her neckline, but when she spoke, her tone was calm and matter-of-fact despite her visible anger. “If you don’t make examples of them, then others of their kind will do this again in our village or another. Next time those they abduct may not be so lucky. How would you like that on your conscience AelrindelRokalyn?”

  The tall elf took the sharp rebuke stoically, and he responded with a simple nod. Qel wondered which of the siblings was the elder. He imagined one of his sisters speaking to him that way and guessed that Vnae was probably older, although it was difficult to tell with Elves.

  Vnae, apparently satisfied that her instructions would be followed, turned away and walked back toward her husband standing near the water’s edge. Aelrindel quietly watched her back for a moment, then turned to face Qel and Havacian. “She is right. The Ogres know that they are not supposed to leave the mountains, and they have to know that we will not tolerate invasions into our homes.”

  Aelrindel looked back to where Vnae stood in conversation with her husband and spoke loudly enough for them to hear. “Take the child back home, Vnae. Your husband and I will find the Ogre. Come quickly, Tridi. Time is running short.”

  Tridi brought his wife’s horse and helped her mount with the sleepy child held securely in her arms. Vnae circled her horse back in the direction from which they had come, made a deferential nod to her husband, and disappeared into the forest. No one spoke a word when she departed, and then Aelrindel turned his attention back to Qel and Havacian. “You are wizards from Atlantis fresh out of the Tower.” It was more a statement than a question.

  “How do you know we are not masters of our craft on important business for the Tower?” Havacian stood next to Qel bearing a rigid, indignant posture. Qel almost laughed.

  The elf looked at him flatly. “You are far too young, and you fumble your spells like children. Besides, where do you think all the apprentices go when they are released on Discovery? Here, Avalon.”

  Havacian’s retort was almost juvenile and made Qel want to jab him in the ribs with his elbow. “We stopped you with our wind barrier, didn’t we?”

  Aelrindel laughed. “Boy, in the time it took for you to see us, decide what spell to cast, piss yourself, and then cast it, you would have been dead if we were trying to kill you.”

  Qel was embarrassed and also irritated by this arrogant elf. They may have been “fumbling their spells like children,” but they had saved the life of the Elves’ little girl. It seemed to him that some gratitude might be in order. Rather than allow Havacian to continue the downward spiral the conversation was taking, Qel decided to stop the metaphorical bleeding of their ego. “It is true that we are recent graduates of the Imperial Order of Wizards and we are on Discovery. It is also very true that we still have much to learn. What is your point?”

  “Only this,” Aelrindel’s tone softened. “You want adventure? Ride with us. We might need a spellcaster even if there is barely a wizard between you.” The elf shrugged and turned to walk toward his waiting mount.

  Qel looked over at his friend uncertainly. “What do you think, Havacian? Are we ready for this?”

  “It is only one Ogre,” Havacian reasoned hesitantly, “and the Elves seem competent enough without us. Why not? Avalon City will still be there when we are done.”

  “I agree,” Qel said. “And what better guides could we ask for to explore the Sylvan Forest?”

  Both Tridi and Aelrindel were sitting on their horses a few paces away, casually waiting for them when Qel shouted over, “We’ll go.”

  “I thought you would.” Aelrindel’s tone held no humor. “Now why don’t the two of you mount up so we can get underway? I’m sure the Ogre doesn’t have the decency to wait for us to work things out.”

  Once they entered the forest, it didn’t take long for the Elves to pick up the Ogre’s trail. It was even apparent to Qel which way it fled with all the broken branches and trampled vegetation left in the lumbering beast’s wake. Aelrindel rode a few steps ahead and turned in his saddle to face them. “Ogres are not graceful and will leave a trail that we can easily follow, at least as long as we are in the forest and grasslands. The problem is that they can run as fast as a horse can trot and keep it up for far longer. I doubt we will catch him in the forest. He is headed east toward the Azure Mountains, where their kind live. He will feel safe among the rocks and will need to rest. We will likely find him in a cave or a crack in the earth if we find him at all. The danger is that there may be others nearby willing to come to his aid once he is cornered.”

  Qel suddenly wondered if perhaps they were in over their heads. This Ogre hunt sounded far more dangerous than he initially anticipated, especially if they were going into its territory to track it down. We wanted adventure, he mused. Now we have it.

  “How long will it take us to travel to the mountains?” Qel was surprised he had not thought to ask earlier.

  “Once it gets dark, we will make camp, since it will be too hazardous for our horses to con
tinue. We should arrive at the edge of the Ogres’ territory by midafternoon a night and a day after that,” Aelrindel called over his shoulder.

  The small party followed in the wake of the Ogre for several more leagues before the light began to fade and the roots and potholes scattered along the way became challenging to navigate safely. Aelrindel led them a short distance farther and then announced his intent to set up camp in a small clearing. Qel was embarrassed when he realized that they had not come prepared to camp, but the Elves proved to be helpful and gave them a crash course on gathering materials for shelter, starting a small fire, and scavenging for edible roots and berries in the forest.

  They worked quickly in the failing light, and by the time darkness blanketed the forest, Tridi had several grouse and woodcocks roasting over the fire next to a stew of wild vegetables and greens. Qel half expect the forest to light up with a community of Fairies, but to his disappointment, it remained dark, and the chirps of wood frogs and crickets were their only company.

  “What is the name of your village, Aelrindel?” Havacian placed a folded blanket on the ground next to the campfire where they were all gathered and sat down.

  “It is not my home village. I am here to visit my sister and her family. Anyhow, the village you speak of is called Braetling.”

  “Are you from another nearby village, then?”

  Tridi, who had spoken so little since they met, barked a laugh. “My brother Aelrindel is a pretentious elf from Avalon City. He has graced our home with his visit. Perhaps some of his highborn culture will rub off on us country Elves!”

  Aelrindel pushed Tridi’s shoulder playfully, and they both laughed. Perhaps the Elves had some humor in them after all. Qel turned to Tridi. “How often must you defend your village from incursions by the Ogres?”

  Tridi sighed and traced the end of a stick through the dirt. “The Ogres know they are supposed to stay in the Azure Mountain Range. That is their territory, and no elf will violate it without just cause. Once in a while, though, a young Ogre will enter puberty, and its hormones will get the best of him. Sometimes they will come out of the mountains to pick a fight or steal livestock. It’s mostly harmless, and we can usually run them back into the mountains without any bloodshed, except for a few arrows in their bum.” Tridi smiled briefly before turning serious again. “But this invasion into our village and the abductions were a new extreme, even for Ogres. If we had not recovered both children unharmed, half of Avalon would be in the Azures killing Ogres.”

  Qel had to ask, although he knew he might not like the answer, “Why would they want the children in the first place?”

  Tridi looked at Aelrindel, then cast his gaze to the ground. Aelrindel answered for him. “They are easy to carry, and their meat is still soft with fat.”

  Qel felt sick. “You mean they would eat them?”

  Tridi nodded. “Sadly, yes. That is why we have to track down this Ogre and make an example of him. Hopefully, their elders will see reason.”

  Aelrindel shifted to lie on his side, supported by his elbow. “We will make them see reason if we must.”

  Qel didn’t like the sound of that. “What about these elders you speak of?”

  “Ogres roam independently or with a mate. They are not traditionally tribal and do not live in groups; however, the oldest and wisest among them are called the elders, and they set the rules by which all Ogres must live.” Tridi cast his stick into the fire. “There have even been cases of very intelligent Ogres with the ability to cast spells like a wizard or priest. How they could ever learn such a thing, we do not know, but like every secluded culture, the Ogres are probably far more complex than even the wisest among us realize.”

  Qel glanced over at Havacian. His friend’s full attention was on the conversation, and he was naturally fascinated with the whole idea of a society of Ogres. They learned very little about Ogres during their studies at the Enclave, and it was generally assumed, as Tridi stated, that Ogres were solitary and dim-witted creatures. Havacian spent the next hour asking questions about the Ogres until Tridi suggested they get some rest since they were planning to leave at dawn. Qel was dozing during much of the conversation and looked forward to getting a few hours of sleep. Not even worry over Ogres could keep him awake, so tired was he from the events of the day, and he drifted off to the soothing sounds of the night deep within the Sylvan Forest.

  ~~~

  Aelrindel woke everyone before dawn. Qel washed his face in a nearby stream and joined Havacian for a hasty breakfast of nut butter and hard flatbread Qel’s mother packed for them. Then they mounted up as soon as it was light enough to safely ride through the forest without risking injury to the horses. They were still about a day and a half from the mountains, twenty leagues or so, and needed to take advantage of every minute of daylight if they hoped not to lose too much ground on the Ogre.

  “I feel surprisingly rested today,” Qel commented to Havacian, who was riding next to him once again. It was a welcome change when the trees and underbrush occasionally thinned enough to afford them the opportunity to ride side by side and speak to one another.

  Havacian nodded his agreement. “We are used to the sounds of the ever-busy Enclave in the center of one of the busiest cities on the planet. I suppose the tranquility of the forest allowed us to rest peacefully for the first time in a decade.”

  Qel chuckled at that. Havacian was probably more right than he knew.

  “Have you thought about how we might deal with this Ogre if it comes down to it?” Havacian’s tone had shifted. He sounded more serious – and fearful.

  “I expect the Elves to take the lead.” Qel, too, was nervous about the idea of confronting an Ogre. Or Ogres. And he hoped that Aelrindel was not expecting to rely on their magic abilities to carry them through. “In the meantime, I’m going to continue to practice my lessons, just as I promised the Battle Wizard. I have a feeling our adventure will present far more peril than either of us expected before it’s over.”

  The going was smooth the entire day, with good weather and a cool breeze that filtered through the leaves and branches with a hypnotic rustling that made Qel drowsy. Bright sunlight illuminated the dense deciduous forest with intense rays of sunlight that cascaded down through the canopy above them, showing the clear path the Ogre carelessly plodded. Aelrindel informed them that he was all but certain that the Ogre would make it into the Azure Mountains before they could catch up with it—even if only by a few hours.

  By nightfall, they successfully covered nearly fifteen leagues and made camp in a clearing nearby a slow-moving creek. Given the prior evening’s instructions, Qel and Havacian were more capable of erecting their shelters and gathering the roots and greens for stew with little assistance from the Elves. Tridi found six forest grouse to add to the stew, and again they ate well. Qel was impressed with how swiftly Tridi returned with the game he hunted each night. It was almost as if he just walked into the forest, picked them up, and brought them back. He assumed the elf must be a very competent woodsman. From a young age, Qel read about the Elves’ close relationship with nature, and he nearly laughed out loud at the thought of the animals merely sacrificing themselves for the elf’s dinner.

  No different than the previous night, Havacian was full of questions about Ogres and the Elves. Fortunately, both Tridi and Aelrindel were very accommodating and even appeared to enjoy the conversation. Qel was so tired from the long ride and mentally exhausted from continually working through his lessons that he decided to lie by the campfire watching the flames while letting the low murmur of voices lull him to sleep.

  Qel slept that night undisturbed and woke before dawn to ride the next few leagues to the first rocky slopes of the Azure Mountains. The forest thinned out considerably as the ground became harder and scattered with rocks and boulders bigger than houses jutting through the softer earth. By the time they stopped at the edge of the low mountain range, the forest receded into scattered copses and thickets where the vegetati
ons roots could find purchase. It was summertime, and although it was always freezing this far north, the snow and ice retreated to higher elevations. Qel was used to seeing the impressive Atlas Mountains, whose soaring spires were visible from the City of Atlantis and covered in white powder throughout the entire year. Still, the Azure Mountains were no less impressive, if not for their size, then for their grace. Snow covered the long, smooth, dome-shaped ridges here as well, with vast swaths of green alpine trees and grassy plains that ran through the valleys and saddles between them. The flora were interrupted by bare rock shelves and rocky escarpments that were quilted with colorful lichen and dotted with shrub vegetation above the tree line. Qel wondered how they would ever find the Ogre they trailed with all the caves, cracks, and crevasses that were abundant at every elevation. Surely it would be like finding a moonstone dropped in the ocean.

  “Are there many Ogres up there?” Havacian gestured to the rolling peaks spread out before them.

  “It’s hard to say since they are never observed in groups. We don’t know if they have a religion, form family bonds, or even mate for life. They are certainly intelligent, some more than others, but they lead a brutish existence that is more akin to animals’ than anything approaching what we would consider civilized behavior. Considering that they are a creature of the Tuatha De and therefore unnatural, we are not attuned to their behavior.” Tridi scrunched his elegant nose in obvious distaste of the creatures.

  “They are a creation of the Tuatha De?” Qel was surprised. That was never part of what he had read about them.

  “Yes.” Tridi smiled. “You must have been dozing when Havacian and I were discussing it last night.

  That bit of information was a bit distressing to him. The histories were clear about the folly of the Tuatha De and their experiments over three millennia ago. They used powerful magic to alter and create hundreds of species—from Giants and Orks to Dragons and other monstrosities—to utilize their unique abilities in their mines, construction, and transportation. Centuries later, the Tuatha De’s own accounts speak of how the results of their dubious judgment finally spiraled out of control when the more intelligent creatures became malcontent and violent, fighting among one another in competition for food and dominance. Soon after, the violence spilled over to the general population, and the beasts went on a rampage, killing thousands of Tuatha De who were not of the Blood because they were vulnerable and an easy food source for the powerful creatures. That was the catalyst that caused the masters of the Tuatha De, the so-called Blood, to eventually banish all of the creatures they had created to the lands of Fomoire and forbid any further creations.