Beginning of a Hero (Legends of Windemere)

by Charles E Yallowitz

  The woman lets out a delicate laugh that resembles singing. Several birds start chirping along with her laughter and Kellia can swear that the withered trees turn greener. She had heard stories of elven casters who grew old enough to gain the power to effect nature with simple gestures. It is common knowledge that most elven casters die young of unnatural causes, but there are always some who manage to live to old age. Kellia timidly watches the elf with a renewed sense of respect and awe.

  “I have been told about you two from Selenia in the same message that asked me to repair her damaged wards. I also know about Nimby, Fritz Warrenberg, and Fizzle. I do hope I can meet Fizzle because it has been decades since I spoke with a drite,” the woman kindly replies. She pats Kellia on the leg as if sensing her timidity. “Now, Luke is someone who I have kept my eye on ever since he was born. I should not get into that story for it is complicated and has yet to play out its beginning much less its conclusion. I am merely here to do what I have been asked to do and then go on my way.”

  Aedyn and Kellia remain silent as the woman sings for the rest of the ride back to the academy. As soon as they reach the open entrance, Aedyn turns to help Kellia off the horse. He turns back to help the woman down, but she is nowhere to be seen. Only the sparkling remains of a spell can be seen for a brief instant around the saddle.

  16

  Fizzle stops at the edge of the Caster Swamp, letting Luke get off his back. A puff of rainbow smoke covers the drite as he reverts back to his natural form. He perches on Luke’s shoulder, curiously sniffing at the foul air. He stays quiet while Luke carefully scans the area for signs of recent travelers and hiding monsters. The yellow moss and gnarled underbrush is thicker than he expected, so he can’t be sure if there are any tracks. His nerves on edge, Luke jumps in surprise when a bullfrog splashes into a nearby pool.

  “I never liked swamps. The smell of stagnant water always makes me queasy,” Luke says, leaning against a great oak that is covered in swamp vines. “Although, I have to admit it is weird standing between a forest and a swamp. I’ve never seen the two terrains mixed like this before. Bullfrogs among elms and acorns in swamp water are rather strange to me. So, do you have any ideas where we should go?”

  “Fizzle not sure,” the drite whispers as he hops off Luke’s shoulder. He climbs up the thick oak and hangs from a low branch.

  “Where do you think I should go, Selenia?” Luke asks without turning around.

  Fizzle doesn’t notice the sound of hooves behind him until Selenia and Daniel come into view. Both are dressed for battle and their horses are covered in polished armor. Daniel is whistling and innocently looking out at the swamp, pretending not to notice that Luke is only ten feet away. Selenia swiftly dismounts and approaches the unarmored forest tracker. Her face is a mix of anger, frustration, and a hint of concern.

  “Good ears, kid. Now go back to the academy,” Selenia sternly demands, stopping just outside of Luke’s reach. She smiles as she notices the young warrior is subtly on edge. “This Lich is my problem and I do not want to write Ilan about the death of his son. You have done more than enough for all of us and you shouldn’t push your luck any more. Nobody will be there to save you and you don’t have any tricks that can help you against this type of creature. Let the adults with experience settle this.”

  Luke turns away from Selenia and makes eye contact with Daniel. A simple nod is the only response from the Gaian noble, so Luke shifts his attention back to Selenia. She turns to see Daniel grab the reins of her horse and quietly approach them. She has her hand on the hilt of her longsword and cautiously looks from Daniel to Luke. They can see that her breathing is getting slower as she mentally prepares for a fight. Fizzle jumps onto Luke’s shoulder again, keeping a steady watch on the swamp in front of them. A puff of smoke escapes his nostrils as Luke takes his time thinking about what he can say in his defense.

  After a few minutes Luke finally announces, “This is my fight and not yours.”

  “And what makes you think that?” Selenia coldly asks, her eyes narrowing. “This Lich and I have business that is older than you are. Go back to the academy or I will drag you back.”

  “The boy might have a point here,” Daniel mentions, ignoring the waves of anger ebbing off Selenia. “You told me that Fizzle overhead the Lich being nervous about Luke being here, which is proof that this is his fight. Besides, shielding him from the Lich could have serious backlash for you, Selenia. If you send him back then the Lich might go after the academy again. The students can’t withstand another assault, so soon after the last one. We can let the boy come with us and avoid this pointless confrontation.”

  “Don’t you dare take his side, Skyblade,” Selenia says, grabbing her saddle and flipping onto the back of her horse. She snatches the reins from Daniel without wasting any time looking at him. “The Lich is not an opponent for someone who was killing goblins and zombies less than a month ago. Just give me one good reason why I shouldn’t stop you from doing this, Luke, and I will let you handle it.”

  Luke reaches up to scratch Fizzle on the top of his head while he carefully thinks about what he should say. He looks out at the swamp for a few minutes while Selenia and Daniel patiently wait for him to speak. An eerie, green light begins to grow on the darkening horizon as the twisted trees of the swamp stretch their shadows away from the forest. The distant light pulls at Luke’s heart and mind as he watches it pulse through the trees. Even the crickets have gone silent while the green light steadily grows in intensity. Looking at the others, Luke can’t be sure if they notice the palpable change in the atmosphere.

  “You said it yourself, Selenia. Your time with the Lich is over and I’m the one who has to deal with him now,” Luke calmly explains, his attention drawn back to the green light. “I have to face the thing that wants me dead. Only the gods know if I will die here or if I can surprise everyone and defeat the Lich. It was Zaria who sent me here to face this monster, so the gods must have some plan for me to survive this. Besides, I have Fizzle to back me up if things get really bad. Now, will you let me go ahead alone or will we continue talking until that green light covers us?”

  “Green light? That’s a bait spell cast by the Lich, you idiot! You’re losing the fight already and you haven’t even met him,” Selenia argues, her stern expression cracking to reveal her concern for the younger half-elf. “Zaria might have sent you only to defeat the Lich’s assassin. She might not have intended for you to face the Lich, but turn back and let me handle this. I have Daniel and my thunderclap longsword to help me. As powerful as Fizzle is, he is barely able to stay in the air after he changed into that roc and then changing into a horse. He has no magic left to cast spells.”

  “I think he still has a spell or two left in him,” Luke claims as he starts to enter the swamp. “Show her, Fizzle.”

  Selenia attempts to urge her horse forward only to discover that Daniel is still holding the reins of her horse. The decoys she had blindly grabbed from him are loosely tied to the side of his saddle. A snarl escapes from her clenched teeth before Fizzle gently lands on the head of her horse. She suddenly realizes that Fizzle has been whispering a spell while they were talking. Her rage steals her voice as a glimmer of light rises from the ground below the horses. Daniel waves to Luke as they start to vanish into the growing portal of rainbow light. In a matter of minutes, they are gone and Luke is alone, standing up to his ankles in swamp water.

  “You realize that woman will be very angry upon you return. It might be smarter for you to die at the hands of the Lich,” says a subtle, male voice behind Luke.

  The half-elf whirls around to come face-to-face with a tall man dressed in black platemail. An ethereal aura ripples around the platemail and the white dragon on his chest plate writhes as if it is alive. The black-haired man tenderly pats the hilt of his longsword as the weapon throbs with ancient magic. It takes Luke a few seconds to notice that the man is not alone. A raven is perched on his shoulder and an ebony unicorn c
almly munches on swamp grass behind its master. Both of these animals gaze at Luke with an air of superiority. The green light from the swamp quickly flows into the man’s pale green eyes when a single note escapes his lips.

  “Don’t you gods have anything better to do than waste my time?” Luke impatiently asks, trying to pass the man. “I really want to face this Lich and get back to the academy. My boots are getting water-logged and I think a leech is sucking on my ankle.”

  “Then, I must apologize for the intrusion,” Gabriel politely responds, letting Luke step around him. “I just felt an urge to meet one of the more entertaining mortals whose destiny I have forged. I have been watching your adventure and I must admit that I am pleased with what you have done. I assure you that my interest in you is merely pride in my creation and nothing more.”

  “Thanks. I think,” Luke says, turning to stare directly into Gabriel’s eyes until he cannot take the god’s gaze anymore. “Since you’re the one pulling my strings, I guess you already know what will happen. You come here to give me a powerful weapon or armor that can make sure I win?”

  “Destiny is not so straightforward,” Gabriel explains with an amused smile on his face. “I can put you on the path and prepare the obstacles to get you to the end of your path as a stronger person. Yet, I am unable to control how you will respond to these obstacles or if they are too strong for you. For example, the Hellfire Elf was a difficult creature for you to defeat. I had my doubts about your survivability and even more doubts when you initially lost. Then, you succeeded without me knowing if it would happen. You see, there must always been a balance of predetermined destiny and unexpected chaos for a true destiny to work. You will come to understand that if you live long enough.”

  Luke crosses his arms and eyes the god suspiciously. “So, you aren’t going to help me.”

  “There is a rule among the gods. We are not to get physically involved in the affairs of mortals. Those who get involved in the life of mortals are sealed for eternity and forgotten,” Gabriel answers, his voice soft and melodic, but mysteriously edged with disdain. “Most times we may only guide mortals with vague, cryptic messages when we appear to mortals. To simply hand over a weapon to someone who has not earned such a reward is breaking that rule. This is why true quests are both rare and difficult. As the god of destiny, I can bend the rule every now and again to speak with mortals in a less cryptic way than my peers. In your case, I am simply interested in seeing you outside of a scrying portal.”

  The unicorn begins to wander into the Visindor side of the river as Luke tries again to meet Gabriel’s chilling gaze. This time it is Gabriel who looks away, but Luke gets the sense that he broke eye contact out of boredom.

  “Guess I’m too young and simple to fully understand what you’re talking about, sir,” Luke admits before leaping to the nearest island of solid ground among the murky pools of water. “I am honored that one of your power was compelled to meet me. I guess I should settle this business. Thanks for the visit and enjoy the show.”

  Gabriel is still watching Luke leap across the swamp as Zaria materializes next to him. She watches with concern in her eyes as the young warrior disappears into the distance. Gabriel looks down at the shorter deity, laughing at the thought of a goddess worrying about a mere mortal. With a snap of his fingers, he calls his unicorn to him and pulls himself onto its bare back. He pulls on the reins and the beast rears back, causing swamp water to splash onto Zaria’s white dress.

  “You are a bastard, Gabriel. Putting doubt into his mind and confusing him at a time like this,” Zaria angrily says as her dress magically cleans itself. “I can have you sealed for this transgression and I doubt any of the others would defend you at your trial. Don’t you have any fear about him failing and our plans being pushed back again?”

  “Foolish goddess, I could have you destroyed before you ever attempt to seal me away,” Gabriel callously declares. He leans down so that his face is a few inches above Zaria, his black hair falling on her ivory skin. “From what the other gods are saying, I am the only one who has any faith in that child. I know he will succeed in ways that you could not even fathom.”

  “If he survives the Lich,” Zaria defiantly scoffs.

  “The Lich is serving its purpose better than I ever dreamed!” Gabriel exclaims. He sneers at the expression of shock and disgust on Zaria’s enchanting face. “Don’t look so surprised about me being involved in the Lich’s destiny. I cannot play favorites and must create the evil along with the good. Unlike you, Pure One, I must play an eternal chess match with myself.”

  “Such is your curse. I will shed no tears for you, Gabriel,” Zaria declares as she begins to vanish in a star of light.

  Gabriel looks out into the swamp and lets a cruel grin cross his face. “I will be watching, my pawns. Make this show worth my time.”

  *****

  Kira takes a deep, shuddering breath before she clumsily sneaks out of the teachers’ dormitory. The second floor window opens to a slanted eave, which she gingerly slides down until she can peek over the edge. The heavy backpack clunks against her side when a gust of wind nearly tosses her to the ground. For a second, she considers going back into the building to use the stairs. Unfortunately, she would certainly get caught by the throng of teachers resting in the first floor lounge. Kira grits her teeth and stares at the small tree that is only a foot higher than the eave she’s crouched on. Silently counting to three, the black-haired girl finally makes the leap toward the tree. Her hands grasp at the trunk only to miss and she bounces butt first off a thick branch. She yelps as she flips backwards, falling to the ground with a thud.

  “Graceful as a troll on a tightrope,” laughs a voice from behind Kira.

  “At least I’m doing something to help, your highness,” Kira snaps while she stumbles to her feet and rubs her sore rear. “You seem content to sit around and wait for this disaster to be over. Shouldn’t you be in hiding?”

  “Selenia said I could wander around the grounds. The academy received extra warding thanks to an elven caster. Nice woman, but kind of creepy with how she knows more about you than you expect,” Kellia says, leaning against the side of the building. “So, where are you off to? Got a hot date in the forest with one of your gentlemen callers?”

  Kira glares at her while tightening the backpack’s straps. “I am going to help Luke since everyone here is happy to sit back and wait for him to get killed.”

  “You and the forest tracker are an item?” Kellia asks in mild surprise. “I didn’t see that union coming. You’re more galas and boutiques than river bathing and trudging through the mud.”

  “Shows just how little you know about me. Out of my way,” Kira angrily demands.

  She tries to shoulder past Kellia only to get an iron grip latched onto her arm. Kira is spun around to face the stronger girl, but she instinctively ducks the expected punch. She drops the backpack to nimbly roll to the side where a rose bush is waiting to stab her with its thorns. A series of yelps and whimpers erupt from the bush as Kira frantically thrashes to get out. Her black hair is covered in thorns and petals by the time she stands up. She cautiously pulls the thorns out of her brown skin while Kellia laughs at her, never having swung at her.

  “I’m still going,” Kira stubbornly swears. “Thorns, blood, and embarrassment can’t stop me from helping my boyfriend.”

  “I can see that, but I still find it a strange match,” Kellia admits.

  “We understand each other. Both of us have so much to live up to that it’s nice to be with someone who accepts us for who we really are,” Kira explains, picking up her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. “Come on, Kellia. You’ve had to deal with the same expectations that Luke and I have. Of everyone in this academy, you should understand us the most. So, please let me go without any trouble.”

  “Not once did I say that I would stop you,” Kellia points out with a crooked smile. “In fact, I think you should stop by wherever you’re hiding t
hat chain, sickle, mace thingy you were wielding during the battle. No telling what you’ll run into if you follow him, so best to go armed.”

  Kira suspiciously eyes the muscular girl, slightly embarrassed that she forgot her weapon. “Why are you here if you aren’t trying to stop me? The only reason you would be here is if you had business with me.”

  “I’ve heard rumors that you have a communication orb hidden somewhere in the academy. You’ve been using it to occasionally contact your father. That is how you were able to receive your weapon so quickly,” Kellia says in a hushed voice. “I need to use the orb to send a private message to my father. It is very important that I do this immediately. I would appreciate it if you let me know if the rumor is true. If so then I really need to use it.”

  “Where did you hear this and why should I help you?” Kira cautiously asks.

  “Paranoia does not become you, Lady Grasdon,” Kellia retorts.

  “I’m having fun being on the receiving end of pleading from you instead of me begging you not to hit me again,” Kira claims, a wide grin on her face. “That happened far too many times in our classes. You know, Kellia, you were always so angry and quick to hit me. I’d like to know why you tended to pick me for your aggression.”

  “I did not always pick on you.”

  “You did too.”

  “Did not.”

  “Just tell me what made me your favorite target.”

  “You’re imagining things.”

  “A weekly trip to the infirmary is not imagining things.”

  “It was an accident.”

  “Tell me why.”

  “No.”

  “Tell me.”

  Kellia growls and grits her teeth in childish frustration. “Because you reminded me of the life I hated! You are such a pretty little thing who never wanted to get her hands dirty. You whined, complained, and cried your way through our classes. It made you stand out and made me really hate you.”