“What's that on your shoulder?” Someone pointed at Thane's injury, and he almost swore, realizing the wound was bleeding through the dressing. He must have strained it too much somehow. Quickly, Thane put a hand on it, covering the injury.
“What are you hiding?”
“I was injured a few days ago, it's not the plague though. That doesn't make you bleed,” Thane said.
“Are you daft? Of course, it makes you bleed!”
This was news to Thane. Had it somehow evolved? “I'm not infected, I promise,” he said calmly, though his voice shook. He had to convince himself that it was just his shoulder, not the plague, but he was suddenly less confident. “Please just let me in. I have very important business with Abigast.”
“We can't risk it,” yet another guard stated. “I'm sorry sir, but our town's safety is more important than whatever business you have.”
“Abigast can stop the plague,” Thane blurted, finally saying it aloud for the first time. He knew they wouldn't believe him, of course they wouldn't, and that was smart of them, but Thane had to get in the town.
“I've never even heard of Abigast,” the guard who had first spoken said. “You said he's a wizard?”
“Yes, I've heard he's the most powerful wizard in the land.”
“How could a wizard possibly stop all of this?” The guard gestured around. “Galbar's falling to pieces, mate. Nothing short of a miracle could save it.”
“Look at me,” Thane breathed. “I don't have the warts, I'm not bloated or swollen, my eyes are normal. I'm fine.”
“You're bleeding though.”
“Like I said, it's an injury,” Thane said through gritted teeth. “I was in the forest, back by Slyfort and Northwood, my shoulder was snagged on a branch before the plague even started.” It was at least mostly the truth, minus the guards who had actually inflicted the wound.
“But it don't matter if you convince us, mate. We're not the ones enforcing the quarantine. The orders come from Prince Adaranth himself.”
Thane's stomach dropped. “I passed many towns, only Windfell had a quarantine in force.”
“The orders came this morning.”
If Thane had arrived just a day earlier, he wouldn't be in this situation, but he knew there had to be a way around it. Money. Money always talked. “I'll give you each as much gold as you want. I'm a very wealthy man.”
“Where's your gold?” Someone asked, eying him suspiciously.
“It's stashed away at home, as soon as I find Abigast and end the plague, I'll go and get it and bring it back to you. No one will ever have to know, please just let me in.”
“You're a good liar, mate.” The guard laughed again. “Thane.”
“You know me?”
“You're the most famous mercenary in Galbar. Of course I know you.”
“Then you know I can kill you,” Thane hissed. He didn't want to kill any of these guards. He wanted to avoid causing any more death when the plague had already done that so well. All he wanted was peace, but maybe, just maybe, putting on a good show would get him into Maplefrost.
“I'll kill every one of you if you don't let me in.” He talked in his most steely, cold, voice. His lying was not as convincing as it had once been because he had changed so much in this little amount of time. Guilt was chipping away at him, but lying to these men was better than murdering them.
“You're bluffing,” the guard said, though it was obvious he was unsure.
Thane stared him in the eyes. “I could rip that sword from your hands and slice your-”
“Let him in,” another guard interjected, nervously shaking.
“That goes against orders!”
“I don't care, let the mercenary in. I'm not avoiding the plague in order to let him kill me by chopping me into pieces or something.”
The rest of the guards nodded, mumbling their agreement.
“If anyone gets infected, I'll kill you,” the first guard whispered.
“I'll kill you first,” Thane lied, and with that, he walked through the gate, entering Maplefrost for the first time.
Many people milled about the town square, a surprising amount. Thane had expected that most would stay indoors, trying to shield themselves from possible infection, but it seemed that the citizens of Maplefrost were unworried, unaffected by the horrors all around them just outside that gate. Now, where to find Abigast?
Thane began to ask around, going from person to person, asking for the whereabouts of the wizard. For a long time, no one even acknowledged the existence of Abigast. “Never heard of him,” a woman said. Thane began to grow weary. What if in the two years Thane had heard about him, Abigast had since passed away? Or left? Anything was possible, any scenario as likely as the other. Thane didn't know what to do.
Just as Thane contemplated going to an inn and calling it a night, someone tapped on his shoulder, of course it was the injured one.
Thane leaped around, his shoulder searing in pain. Fresh blood seeped from the wound.
“Oh my goodness, I'm sorry sir. I had no idea.”
“It's fine,” Thane said, nursing the wound. “What is it?”
He was talking to a woman, maybe a few years younger than him, late twenties, with brown eyes and walnut hair. “I'm Rue, Abigast's apprentice.”
Thane's eyes widened. Finally, someone who knew of the wizard.
“I've seen you poking about for an hour now. I figured it was about time I just talk to you.”
“You know Abigast and you didn't tell me earlier? I have urgent business with him!”
Rue's eyebrows creased. “If you had any business with him, I would know. All of his appointments are conducted through me.”
“I don't have an appointment-”
“Then what do you want?” Rue asked. “You're very suspicious looking. I'm sorry for touching your wound, Abigast can heal it if you'd like, but after that, I think you'd better leave. I don't like suspicious characters hanging out in places they don't belong.”
“You know of the plague, right?” Thane asked.
“Of course, I've heard of nothing else for days now. You're not from Maplefrost are you? I knew I had a reason to be suspicious. You got through the guards. What did you do, bribe them? Murder them?”
“I convinced them I needed to be here,” Thane said, leaving out the fact that he had scared them into letting him in. “Anyway, I'm here because I know how to stop the plague.”
Rue studied him even more curiously as if he were some kind of specimen to observe.
“What does Abigast have to do with stopping the plague?”
Thane sighed. He didn't have time to give her details, not that he had details anyway. Truthfully, he had no idea how to stop the plague, after all, Sluforn had simply said to find a powerful wizard.
After that was anyone's guess. But Thane had to convince this woman. He had a feeling that convincing her the way he had the guards, would not work. So he tried to use charm. It had worked on some women before.
When Thane flashed a smile, Rue looked at him strangely. No, charm would not work either. Rue was not a woman to woo, she was a woman to fear. Despite the strange look she gave him, Thane could see danger in her eyes.
“I heard the plague needed a powerful wizard in order to stop it.”
Rue shrugged. “Sounds reasonable. But how? There are all kinds of spells, incantations, potions. What would stop it?”
Thane changed the subject. “Is Abigast powerful enough?”
“Of course he is!” Rue exclaimed. “He's the most powerful wizard I've ever met. And I've met a few.”
“You think he's powerful enough to stop this plague?”
“See for yourself,” Rue said. She gestured for Thane to follow her. He walked next to her, as she led him towards Abigast's house.
“I hope you're telling me the truth,” she said. “I'm still very very suspicious.”
“I promise you, Abigast is the key to ending this plague.”
; “You didn't give me details. When I asked how you changed the subject.”
“I didn't think you noticed,” Thane said.
Rue stopped walking for a moment and stared straight at him. “I notice everything.”
“Do you want details now?”
“Tell Abigast your details. If you even have any.”
Thane gulped. Rue did not trust him. But she must have believed him at least partly, otherwise, she wouldn't be leading him straight to Abigast. At least, Thane hoped.
“What happened to your shoulder?” Rue asked. “Injury.”
“Obviously. I mean how did it happen?”
“I was in the forest a few days ago. Got it snagged on a branch.” It was the same thing he had told the travelers on the road days earlier. As close to the truth as he could get without revealing he had eliminated the entire Prince's Guard. Rue and Abigast would surely find out eventually, Thane knew they would demand more answers from him, but for now, he wanted things to go as smoothly as possible.
“How did a branch manage to make such a nasty thing?”
“I didn't look where I was going.”
Rue laughed. “You'd better start looking then. Next time it might be worse.”
“There won't be a next time,” Thane said, just as he tripped over a crack in the ground. “You're clumsy,” Rue laughed again.
The Thane from a few days ago would not recognize the Thane today. He had changed so quickly. Guilt and sadness were as much of a plague as the physical disease. He'd already lost some of the skills that had made him so strong before. He'd been reduced to fear, self-doubt, and anger. Emotion made him weak. And yet, Thane did not miss killing. He hoped he wouldn't have to kill again. He hoped that the days of being a mercenary were behind him for good.
“You're clumsy, and you don't talk very much,” Rue observed. “And you're very observant.”
“I have to be, don't want any unsavory people around Abigast. There aren't many wizards around, I've got to protect the one I can.”
“Do you trust me?” Thane asked.
Rue shook her head. “Not at all. But I'm going against my better judgment to let you meet Abigast. The plague is serious, and if you are at all telling the truth, I'd feel awful if I chased you away and let this Kingdom fall apart without so much as giving you a chance.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” Thane said honestly.
“Don't let me regret it.” Rue stopped walking again, this time to point at a door. “Welcome to Abigast's house.”
Chapter 3
Rue opened the door, beckoning Thane to enter first. He stepped inside, immediately noticing how interesting the house was. Interesting was the only way to describe it. Decorations from every region of Galbar were strewn about, as well as items that Thane didn't recognize. Clutter was everywhere, and Thane suspected that Abigast liked hoarding. There were all kinds of objects, dazzling and shiny, and some dull. Thane wanted to reach out and touch many of the unique objects, but Rue gave him a look as if to say, “don't you dare.”
So Thane ventured through the house, on the narrow walkway shoved in between two mountains of junk. Finally, Rue stopped him in a giant, dome-shaped room. There was little clutter to be seen here, it was almost bare, save for some stars that hung from the ceiling and a book shelf where a few books lay scattered across the floor nearby.
A man, not quite as ancient as Sluforn, but still very old, stood in the center of the room, waving his arms about. He had a long beard, mostly gray, save for a few strands of random browns. His skin was wizened, but his eyes were young and playful. A mischievous look in them darted about, flitting around the room as beams of magic shot from the man's fingers.
“Abigast, we have a guest,” Rue said. “My name is Thane, sir, I'm here to-”
Abigast didn't acknowledge the pair, clearly focused on whatever magic he was performing. Thane watched enthralled as the beams danced across the room, colorful and bright. Abigast began to slowly walk around the room, his robe dragging across the floor. He whispered strange words in a language Thane had never heard. The wizard must have been reciting a spell or incantation. It was mesmerizing just to hear him speak.
Sluforn was nothing like this. Sluforn had obviously tried to blend in with regular people, living in a nondescript home, using his magic to garden, and of course, to suspend and paralyze Thane. Abigast seemed far more enthusiastic about magic, weaving things together that Thane could not see. Wisps of smoke began to emerge from Abigast's fingertips, and Thane wondered what the wizard was doing.
“He's very passionate about his work,” Rue whispered.
Thane had almost forgotten she was standing right next to him.
“He certainly cast a spell on you,” Rue said, rolling her eyes. “He likes people to think he's better than he really is. It doesn't work on me anymore, I'm used to seeing magic.”
“Abigast is very powerful,” Thane said, “I can see it.”
“Indeed,” Rue laughed.
Finally, the wizard stopped his activities to acknowledge his apprentice and Thane. The beams and smoke vanished, leaving Abigast in an empty room. He strolled over to Thane and shook his hand. “I had a feeling I'd have a guest today.”
“Really? Are you a seer as well as a wizard?” Thane asked excitedly.
“Oh no, definitely not,” Abigast chuckled.
“He always says that,” Rue said. “He always thinks he'll have company.”
“I do get company from time to time, Rue. What brings you here today, Mr...?”
“My name is Thane. What kind of magic was that? What were you doing?”
“Abigast, get rid of that spell. He's acting like you're some kind of god or something.”
“Am I not?”
Rue rolled her eyes again. “You're too conceited for your own good.”
“Fine.” Abigast waved his hand.
Thane didn't feel any different, but something had obviously changed. “So what were you doing?” He asked again, albeit slightly less enthusiastically.
“Preparing dinner for the three of us,” Abigast smiled.
“Oh. How nice.”
Both Rue and Abigast burst into laughter.
Thane followed them to sit down at a table that hadn't been there just a moment ago. Rue brought plates of food over, again, from seemingly out of nowhere. Thane didn't even wait for anyone to say anything, he dug into his food and ate ravenously. “It is really nice that you can just conjure food out of nowhere like this,” Thane said through mouthfuls of food. Momentarily he was again struck by how much he had changed. Just a few days ago, he would have been appalled if someone talked with their mouth full.
“Yes, it's quite a nice skill,” Abigast said, “but there are rules. The laws of magic.” Thane looked up at him.
“I can't actually create food from nothing. I can't create anything out of nothing. The food has to be grown and cultivated, and I then can manipulate it. For example, the butter on that corn was taken from milk. I skipped the churning part and was simply able to create the butter.”
“Abigast can also make cheese and separate cream, it's really quite impressive, even if he can't just make food from nothing. Think about it, having milk, and then being able to have any milk product without doing any work.”
Thane nodded. “Yes, it is impressive. I'm sure it would be nice if all of us could just have butter whenever we wanted without churning it.” He smiled, although he wasn't actually all that excited anymore. He wondered just how powerful Abigast truly was. Would the laws of magic prevent him from stopping the plague?
“Are you enjoying your food?” Abigast asked.
“Definitely,” Thane said. “It's delicious.” It was a meal of chicken, corn, peas, and bread. The best meal Thane had had in a long time. Well, a few days at least. It felt like so much more time had passed though. It felt like months had gone by.
“There's a garden behind the house, Rue waters the plants, and then we harvest them. Harvesti
ng is easy when you've got magic. I just levitate everything and plop it all into a basket. Saves so much effort. Honestly, it's a miracle I'm not more overweight since I don't ever have to lift a finger if I don't want to!”
“You're both skilled gardeners,” Thane said. “These vegetables are wonderful.”
Rue beamed. “I put a lot of work into them. For an apprentice, I don't actually get to do much in the way of magic. I'm always stuck tending gardens and sweeping the floor, and whatnot. It's really quite boring. Sometimes I wonder if I should just leave this old man to do his own work.”
“Now, Rue. Would you really leave feeble ancient me all alone?”
“In a heartbeat,” Rue joked.
“How cruel,” Abigast said sarcastically.
“Oh Thane, your shoulder. I'm sorry, I didn't notice that earlier. Let me heal it!” Abigast touched Thane's shoulder lightly, removing the covering. He held his palm over it, recited some spell, and suddenly, the wound was gone.
Thane gasped, staring at the place where the gash had just been moments earlier. There was no pain, not even the slightest hint that an injury had taken place. “Thank you so much,” he said.
Abigast smiled. “I'd like to know the story of how you got that wound. It was a very serious injury.”
Thane ignored him, pretending not to hear. He knew that he had to tell the truth. He had to tell Abigast and Rue about everything that had happened. They ate in silence for a few more minutes, Thane eating a second and then a third helping. Abigast didn't pester him again until they were finished eating.
“May I know a little more about you?” Abigast finally asked. And that was when all of the truth came out.
Chapter 4
Thane sighed and cleared his throat. He looked down at his empty plate for a moment, swishing the fork around and clanking it lightly. Abigast and Rue were staring intently at him, obviously waiting for him to speak. When Thane glanced Rue's way, he noticed a look of suspicion. She trusted him, but only hesitantly. He needed her to trust him more, he had to say all of the truth.
The Wizard Page 2
