by Marc Johnson
Over the past few years, I had been worried about her. I was only able to see glimpses of her through a ritual—one that had nearly gotten me killed.
As relieved as I was over all the improvements to the house, I remembered I was bringing the Princess of Alexandria home. When I looked at Krystal and saw her exquisite sword on her hip, the price of which could feed my mother and me for a year, I thought once more that what she considered nice would be far different from what we did.
Krystal placed her hand on my arm. “We’re not going to stand here all day, are we? I’m anxious to meet the woman who raised you.”
So was I.
We walked to the door and I glanced down, seeing the small garden in front of the low brown building. Fresh tomatoes were ripe to be picked. I raised my free hand before I hesitated. Why was I going to knock? This was my home too, wasn’t it? I opened the door and went in before Krystal, wanting my face to be the first thing my mother saw.
The inside of the rectangular longhouse was more cramped than I remembered. If I raised my hand and stood on my toes, I could touch the ceiling. To the left were two small rooms separated by a thin open wall. The beds were in those, and I remembered shivering during winter nights when the wind crept through the cracks in the wood.
To the right of the door was a round table. I put a hand on the smooth, grained wood. This wasn’t our old table. I was sad that the initials I had carved into that table were no longer there.
My mother was beyond the table, standing over the kitchen counter as she hummed and chopped vegetables. A black pot was boiling on the hearth in the corner. The aroma of a home-cooked meal tickled my nose and I grinned.
When my mother realized someone was there, she quickly turned the knife in her hand and brandished it as a weapon. Her dark green eyes narrowed at me. “What do you want?”
I smiled. “Food would be nice.”
“Hellsfire? Hellsfire!” My mother dropped her knife and ran up to me. She smothered me with a hug and kiss. I returned them, trying not to feel embarrassed in front of Krystal. “I was so worried about you,” she said. “I heard what happened in Alexandria.”
“You heard about that?” I whispered.
“Yes, from travelers passing through town. I was so worried about you.”
“What did you hear?” I asked, concerned about what she might think of her son as a wizard, and what stories and rumors people had told of me.
“They said you were a powerful wizard and that you saved Alexandria from those vile creatures in the Wastelands.”
I smiled. It wasn’t as simple as that.
“I was worried when I heard of the monsters you fought, but I knew God would protect you.” My mother pulled back and beamed with pride. “My son, the hero of Alexandria.”
My face turned red from embarrassment, and also because that wasn’t what the people of Alexandria would say. Suddenly, I remembered the princess. “Mother, this is...” I looked at Krystal. I wasn’t sure how to introduce her.
“Princess Krystal of Alexandria,” Krystal said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Niall. Your son saved my life and my kingdom. He is quite the hero.”
My mother pulled away with a sharp intake of air and froze. Her eyes glanced around the house, no doubt thinking the same things I had when I first arrived here. Two heartbeats later, she composed herself and bowed.
“It’s a pleasure, Your Highness. Welcome to my humble home, but please call me Damara.”
Krystal nodded. “And you may call me Krystal.”
My mother moved away from us and cleared more space on the table. “I was just about to eat dinner. Are you two hungry?”
“Famished,” Krystal said.
I pulled two chairs out and went to sit in the wobbly one. I wiggled my hips, but it didn’t move. She had gotten this fixed too.
My mother went back to cooking, but I had to tell her that since my training, I no longer ate meat.
“Lucky for you, I’m making a vegetable stew,” my mother said. “I want to know all that’s happened since you left here.”
I nodded. I told her about my former master, who she thought was the angel that had visited her on the night I was born, and about the training I went through to become a wizard.
“My son, the wizard,” my mother said in a hushed tone as she poured stew into bowls and served us. She cut up a loaf of bread on the counter. “It still amazes me. I knew the Creator had a plan for you.” She brought the bread to us, then joined us. “So you can control this fire you wield?”
“Yes, among other things.”
“It’s amazing to watch,” Krystal said.
I grimaced, remembering that the last time I was here, I almost burned my mother. But I was a different person then. I could control my power now.
My mother reached out and held my hands as if reading my mind. “Show me.”
I let go of her and focused on the low fire underneath the black pot. A stream of it rose into the air until it changed into a dog. It barked without noise, then ran towards me. Before it reached my face, I dispersed it.
“You were right,” my mother said to Krystal. “It is amazing.”
I blushed and took a bite of the vegetable stew.
“I’m proud you used this power to help the princess and others.” My mother reached out and pinched my cheek. “Just like I taught you.”
I sighed. “But I also made a couple of mistakes along the way.” I glanced at Krystal. “And one big mistake I regret more than anything.”
My mother reached out with her hands and grasped mine. She squeezed. “Tell me all about it.”
I told her what I had done after the battle in Alexandria. How I had to venture into the Wastelands to stop Premier. How I brought down the Great Barrier, and he got to me before I could get to him, and more importantly, how I almost killed Krystal because of it. I could barely meet either my mother’s or the princess’s eyes as I sat in silence, the stew in my bowl having gone cold now.
I finally dared to look at their faces. They were the two most important women in my life, and what they thought of me meant a lot to me. I tried to make the right choices in my life, but I kept screwing things up. They didn’t say anything, and I couldn’t read them.
Krystal placed her gloved hand on my thigh and gave me a reassuring squeeze. “It’s all right. I’m here now.”
My mother’s gaze settled on Krystal, and she smiled. “The princess is right. We do the best we can, but sometimes the outcome is...unfortunate.”
“I would have made the same decision,” Krystal said. “I don’t harbor any ill will towards you for what you did. You couldn’t have known Premier had altered Renak’s spell.”
“Thank you.”
We almost forgot about my mother until she coughed and said, “Thank God you’re all right, Krystal.” She focused her attention back on me. “Hellsfire, you actually brought down the Great Barrier?”
I nodded.
“I didn’t think such a thing was possible.” She leaned forward. “Do you have any idea what’s down there?”
“That’s what we intend to find out.”
“But what does it mean for the rest of us? Will there be an attack? Do they know the barrier’s down? What will—” My mother paused. “Forgive me, Krystal. I’m babbling.”
“That’s all right. Hellsfire tends to do the same thing when he’s nervous.”
Both women shared a smile.
My mother poured Krystal more tea. “And you two, along with your friends, are going down to Southern Shala to find a cure for the both of you and to stop this mad wizard?”
I was about to correct her when Krystal said, “Yes.”
“I’m glad.” My mother smiled at us. “You know, you remind me of your father. He didn’t do anything as grand as bring down the Great Barrier or venture into the Wastelands, but he was a hero.”
“Was he a wizard too?” Krystal asked.
“No. He died in the Burning Sands before
Hellsfire was born.”
My mother fell silent and looked away. I expected her to drop the subject right there as she normally did when she talked about my father, but she continued.
“Elden’s younger brother, Hayden, got him killed,” my mother said. “Hayden dragged Elden back to the Burning Sands when he knew Elden had a family on the way.”
I stared at her. I’d never known that. I wanted to ask her more, but didn’t risk it, lest she stop her story.
“Elden and Hayden had always done unsavory work.” She smirked. “Now while I had once found that attractive in Elden, I was able to pull him away from it so that we could start a family. Despite his brother’s pleadings, Hayden stayed.
“When a job went terribly wrong, it was Hayden who begged for Elden’s help. I warned Elden not to go, but he couldn’t let his brother down. He said it would be for the last time. It was, but not in the way he expected.”
My mother reached for some more tea. She took a sip, then continued. “Turns out there was a cult that tried to resurrect a beast in exchange for power. That dagger I gave you, Hellsfire, was instrumental in stopping it. You look more like him with each passing day.” She paused, but never looked at us. My mother allowed herself a wistful smile. “But Elden did what he had to do to save lives. I don’t blame him for that, although I do miss him terribly.”
That smile vanished, and she focused on me. “You’re brave, Hellsfire, but please be careful in Southern Shala. I don’t want to lose you too.”
“I promise I’ll keep an eye on him,” Krystal said.
“Thank you. And please, Princess, take care of yourself.”
We finished our meal, and afterwards my mother said, “It’s still light outside. I was going to go out into my garden and pick some vegetables. Would you care to join me?”
“Mother,” I said. “She’s a princess. She doesn’t want to dig in the dirt.”
“Nonsense,” Krystal said. “I would love to.”
My mother brought a basket and we went outside. We bent down and my mother showed Krystal how to tell which vegetables were ripe and what to do to get rid of the pests.
“I like this,” Krystal said, squatting near my mother. She plucked a tomato and dusted it off before dropping it in the basket. “I never get a chance to do this. There’s always something else to do. I’d like to learn more about gardening.”
“If you’re ever this way again, I’d love to teach you,” my mother said and smiled. “Hellsfire doesn’t have much of a green thumb.”
The ladies chuckled.
“I’m better than I was, Mother,” I said, puffing out my chest. “I had to be to concoct potions.”
“Didn’t you tell me you had trouble with those lessons?” Krystal said. She stuck her tongue in between her teeth and smiled.
I shook my head and grinned. “Women.”
We picked all the vegetables and fruit we could, then went back inside. My mother washed them while Krystal and I cleared the table of our dinner. We chatted a bit more, but I wanted to leave before the sun completely set. There was still something else I had to do.
Krystal hugged my mother and said, “I had a very pleasant time tonight, Damara. Thank you for having me and for a delicious meal.”
“Not at all. I enjoyed your company. Thank you for coming, Krystal, and for bringing my son by for a visit. I pray to God you two find what you’re looking for. Please be safe while you’re down there.”
“I’ll watch him.” She let go of my mother and waited outside.
My mother hugged me and said in a low voice, “I know you’re a man now, but try not to stay out too late.”
I smiled. “I won’t.”
She licked her thumb and wiped my cheek.
“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to squirm away from her. “Wizards don’t have their faces cleaned by their mothers.” From outside, I heard Krystal chuckle.
“I know, but you’ll always be my child, Hellsfire.” Her face became serious, and she whispered into my ear. “You should realize that if you can’t find a way for you two to be together, I want you to let her go. I like her, Hellsfire, I truly do, but she’s a princess and has a responsibility not just to Alexandria but to all of Northern Shala.”
I sighed. “I know, Mother. But it’s going to hurt to leave her. I don’t know what I’ll do without her.”
“I know what you’re going through is painful, but it hurts her also.”
“It does?”
“Yes,” she said. “She hides it better than most because she’s a princess, but she’s still a woman. She’s hurting more than she shows.”
I glanced back at Krystal through the open door. “I’ll...try. That’s all I can promise. I’m not going to give her up without a fight.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
I let go of my mother and said, “I’ll be back later tonight.”
I left her and went to Krystal. She turned around and waved to my mother before we began our walk back into town.
“I really like your mother,” Krystal said, interlocking her arm with mine.
I grinned from ear to ear. “That means a lot to me. She really likes you too. I think she always wanted a daughter, but was stuck with me.”
Krystal laughed. She stopped and turned, placing her hand on my chest. “Thank you for bringing me here. I miss my mother, and I’m glad you shared yours with me.”
I snuggled up against her. “Any time, but thank you for wanting to come. You’re always welcome here.”
“I’ll remember that.”
We strolled back to the inn, not as wizard and princess, but as a man and woman.
As we walked, I thought about my mother. Part of me was sad that she had managed so well without me. She no longer needed me to repair things, fetch water, or gather food. I knew she loved me, but it hurt to think that she got along fine without me to watch out and care for her.
However, a bigger part of me was glad she no longer needed me. Over the past couple of years, I had had too many close encounters with death. It was all because I was a wizard. Venturing into Southern Shala might be a death sentence I couldn’t escape from.
I smiled and hugged the princess even tighter. I was glad not only to have seen my mother, but for Krystal to have met her as well.
----
I knocked and waited in front of Dorian’s door. I was more nervous standing outside than when I went to his shop. How would my oldest friend react to seeing me, especially since I was a wizard now? How would his parents react? I’d never had a chance to say goodbye to him when I left.
Dorian’s face was full of shock when he opened the door. Then his laughter boomed out, and he nearly crushed me in a hug. “I thought it was you Emden said was looking for me. But then I thought the old man had to be imagining things. What would a great and powerful wizard be doing in Sedah?” He had a mock-fearful look on his face, and he shivered. “Unless there are more creatures from the Wastelands here!”
I grinned at that remark. “I’m only in town for a day. I just wanted to see you before I left.” I stared at my old friend and patted his arm muscles, which strained against his tunic. “You look good.”
Dorian had always been bigger and stronger than me, as he was two years older and his shoulders were massive. But I had been a little bit taller and quicker. He always fought with me against Nathan and the other bullies in town. But not even Dorian could be with me all the time. There were times when I had to fight them alone. Those times didn’t go so well for me.
“I see working at Emden’s smithy has made you stronger,” I said.
Dorian laughed. “The old man has me working hard.” He finally let me go and said, “Come in, come in. My mother would have loved to see you, but sadly my parents went to bed.” He lowered his voice. “It’s a shame you didn’t come earlier, you could have had dinner with us.”
I stepped inside his home. He closed the door and offered me the chair with the plush, red cushion.
“Sorry, I was spending time with my mother,” I said. “Otherwise, I would have been here sooner.”
“Bah. Don’t be sorry for that. I know what it’s like, especially since I have a little one.”
“You do?”
“Yes, and I’m married. Didn’t Damara tell you?”
I shook my head, unable to talk with my mouth hanging wide open in surprise. I closed it and cleared my throat. “She would have, but I brought a guest with me.”
“Who?”
“Krystal.”
“That name sounds familiar.” His eyes shone with recognition, but before I could say anything, his wife walked in.
“Who was at the door?” Rose asked, coming through the doorway. She cradled a baby in her arms. Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Hellsfire.” She gave me a tight-lipped smile.
I returned it and said, “Rose. It’s nice to see you again. You look great.”
“Thank you.”
Even though Rose had married my best friend, we could never be friends. Because I didn’t believe in the one god or go to church like most people in town, she thought I was a blasphemer and that my soul was lost. But because of Dorian, we were cordial. At least, now we were. Rose sat down on the couch next to Dorian.
Dorian took the baby from Rose. He looked so at peace when he held him. “This is my son, Morrow. I named him after my grandfather. He’s almost one. Would you like to hold him?”
Rose tensed as I carefully took the baby in my arms. I didn’t breathe, afraid that I would drop him, even though he was so light. Morrow squirmed in my arms and made cute baby noises. I let myself relax. The baby stared up at me with glazed eyes, and we had a contest. I stared back, then stuck my tongue out. I won when Morrow laughed in my arms.
“He’s so cute,” I said. “He has your eyes, Rose. And I’m sure he’ll be as strong as his father.”
“Thank you,” she said.
I made more stupid noises to get Morrow to laugh, but ended up causing Dorian to laugh and Rose to smile. I handed Morrow back to Dorian.
