The Unrivaled's Witch

by Laura Marie

  “So you remember all about him?” Rebecca asked turning to Andrea.

  “No, not all, just patches of stuff we did together, where we played as children. I even remember a bit of Arthur now.”

  “Lucky me.” Arthur drawled and earned himself a glare from his sister.

  After they finished eating, Arthur said he needed to take a call in his library and went off. He was gracious enough to tell them to only stack the dishes in the sink and his housekeeper would take care of the rest. But his friends insisted on clearing the place.

  While they worked together Darcy and Andrea told Rebecca about the vision they had seen in the woods.

  “So, that is how you are connected to all this. You were a Bailiff of the council!” Rebecca said turning to Tobias in surprise.

  “I still am. Bailiffs, like their Masters, the Unrivaled, are reborn into their craft. Serving the Unrivaled requires ancient knowledge which cannot be acquired in a single lifetime.”

  “And I have a feeling you have a treasure chest of that knowledge.” Rebecca said wiping the dishes that Darcy was rinsing and handing them over to Zack and Andrea. Darcy smiled into the sink. She knew exactly where all this was going. Poor Dr. Bailiff was about to be bewitched.

  “Why do I have a feeling you are asking this with some ulterior motive?” he said narrowing his eyes at Rebecca.

  “Because I am. Since you have been around for a long time, I thought you might be able to clarify a few points for me.”

  “I have a code of discretion to follow which means I cannot tell you any of the guarded secrets of the council or those concerning its members.” Tobias said carefully watching Rebecca.

  “I merely want to know why the Dark Lord chose Darcy, Andrea, Zack and Weylin as his soldiers?” Rebecca’s voice shook a little when she said Weylin’s name but she controlled herself for the sake of her friends.

  “Oh, that’s simple. Because they were extremely gifted witches and wizards.” Tobias said in apparent relief.

  “And where did he find them?”

  “He collected young wizards during his famous raids. He would raid villages for acquiring magical knowledge, ancient artifacts, or simply food and money. During these attacks if he found any gifted young people around he would recruit them as his soldiers.

  “But why did he choose these four in particular to do his most important job, capturing and killing Rebecca and Arturo, the guardians of the Book of The Unrivaled?” Rebecca insisted.

  “Digor knew That Arthur could neither be killed nor captured unless it’s done by another Unrivaled. He, himself, is a rogue Unrivaled. He broke up with the council but that does not make him any less powerful. So, he conducted an ancient ritual, a dark piece of magic, that a true Unrivaled loyal to the council would never have done. You see, being an Unrivaled is not only about having power. It’s about restraining yourself from using it destructively.”

  “What magic did he perform?” Zack asked skeptically. The group had finished with the dishes and was settled around Arthur’s living room.

  “He created soul ties with his best four soldiers. So, they were completely under his control and had something of him inside them. That made them more powerful and capable of capturing Arturo.”

  “Did they? Finally capture him? Or was it Digor who had to do it personally?” Andrea asked.

  “They did. But not by magic by ruse.”

  “How do you know all this? You were dead by then.”

  “Yes, I was. But I have read and heard the story many times after that.It's quite a legend in fact.”

  “And Arthur must have shown it to him too.” Rebecca said pinning Tobias with a stare and Tobias simply looked away.

  “How did they know where to find you Tobias?” Rebecca asked still looking at him intently.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. How did Darcy and Andrea find you, when they killed you?”

  “It's an ancient technique.”

  “What kind of technique?” Rebecca was relentless. Tobias looked around for a way out but all three of his companions were looking at him in such a way he knew there was going to be no escape.

  “One of Digor’s soldiers was my mate. She could track me because of that connection?”

  “Who was this person?” Zack asked skeptically.

  “Listen guys, all this happened over a thousand years back. It has no import in the present day.”

  “Arthur tells me a different story. He says our connection, the way we feel for each other has not changed even a bit through centuries.”

  “That’s his personal viewpoint.” Tobias said getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute.

  “Who was it Tobias? These are desperate times, we need to have as much information as we can.”

  “Yes Tobias, who was it?” Arthur asked walking into the room at that moment and enjoying his friend’s predicament thoroughly. He took a place next to Rebecca and leaned back throwing one hand over the back of the sofa behind Rebecca. Rebecca leaned back against him as if that was the most natural thing to do as she watched Tobias.

  “Ok, it was Darcy.”

  Chapter 27

  The group listened in stunned silence as Tobias told his story.

  “We were married for six months when the Dark Lord attacked the little town where we lived. I was away on council business. Darcy was an accomplished witch. She fought the dark lord to the end. But her magic was no match for his. He…” till now Tobias had not dared to look at Darcy. Now he looked at her with pain and misery.

  “You fought well but he took you.” He said defeatedly

  “Did he…”

  “No, whatever his other shortcomings might be, Digor never disrespects women. But he did mess with your memory. You did not know who I was when you killed me. You were under the influence of his command.”

  For a whole minute no one said anything.

  “Darcy, it all happened a long time back.” Tobias said in a kind tone.

  “I felt what she felt, in the vision. She was angry at you. There was so much anger!”

  “I told you. She was under the influence of the dark lord’s magic.”

  “No it was not just that. I think deep down she knew who you were. But she was still angry. And that is how I feel even now when I look at you. I want to scratch your face and gouge your eyes. I don’t understand it.” Darcy said looking straight at Tobias.

  “How could she find you, using the bond of the mates, if Digor had meddled with her memory?” Rebecca asked.

  “He meddled with her memory of me not her memory of her magic. She would not have known how but she would still have always known where I was.”

  “Did the bond break when…”Rebecca was asking.

  “No..” Tobias cried suddenly furious at Rebecca. “I will not answer that question.” He said pointing a finger at her. Arthur straightened in his place suddenly and looked keenly at Tobias.

  “Bailiff Tobias, you will answer every question you are asked. And do not point a finger again at Rebecca or I will have to harm you.”

  “Aye Master,” Tobias muttered. “I am sorry Rebecca. No, the bond does not break with the death of either person.”

  “Well then it is still there between the two of you, this bond?” Rebecca asked and Tobias nodded.

  “So, you must have known about her existence before you actually came here.”

  “Yes, I did.” Tobias answered glaring at Rebecca and Arthur.

  “How long?”

  “What?”

  “For how long have you known about the whereabouts of your mate?”

  “For seventeen years. Since my initiation as a Bailiff to the council.”

  “And you never came looking for her before?” Rebecca questioned.

  “No, I have always protected her identity but I did not want to interfere or influence.”

  “Very noble of you Bailiff Tobias.” Rebecca said and when Tobias was certain she was going to ask him m
ore sharp questions she merely turned her back on him and faced Arthur.

  “It’s amazing they share that kind of bond.” She said with mock gusto.

  “They were married for six months.” Arthur replied quietly, knowing exactly where this was going and bracing himself to face it.

  “You told me that Arturo never touched Rebecca. Not even later when they were betrothed. After they died, Arturo was reborn several times in the last thousand years. But Rebecca came back only now.”

  “You are right.” Arthur said still looking at Rebecca with a stoic calm but this time there was admiration and respect in his look.

  “I wonder how they ever managed to keep intact the bond of the mates through thousands of years when they never actually mated.” She said looking at Arthur with a challenge.

  “God she is good! No wonder you chose this woman!” Tobias said looking at Rebecca with amazement. Arthur continued to stare back at her then he rose slowly and stood to his full height. Rebecca stood too and kept looking back at him with a challenge.

  “Tobias, build a fire outside.” Arthur ordered without taking his eyes off Rebecca.

  “Arthur, no…I don’t think she ….” Tobias stuttered also coming to his feet.

  “It’s time Tobias. It's time she knows.” Arthur said in a low growl then slowly turning away from the group, he strode off and went up the stairs two at a time.

  The sun had already set behind the mountains at the rear of Arthur’s house as the group filed out into the yard.

  When Arthur stepped out into the yard, there was a fire burning on the hillside just beyond his fence, Tobias was busy feeding the fire chanting while the others stood around looking. Arthur wore a cloak and a cowl over his jeans and T-Shirt and as he strode into the yard, then out of it towards them, the hem of the cloak billowed in the wind behind him giving him a foreboding look.

  Rebecca, Zack, Andrea and Darcy, took one look at him and they stepped back a few steps and stood to a side huddled together. Tobias continued chanting throwing into the fire some dried herbs he had pulled out from his bag before coming out.

  Arthur stood right in front of the fire, chanting, as he looked through the flames at Rebecca who stood on the other side. Their eyes met and Rebecca and a strange thrill coursed through her entire being. She felt as if this was not the man she knew by the day. He seemed taller, stronger, even bigger than his usual self. He turned to the fire then an threw out his hands, his fingers curled over the fire and it blazed up like an inferno, taller and brighter.

  “Careful Master, you don’t have your amulet.” Tobias said to him sternly. He was the only one who dared to stay near Arthur and speak to him in his new ferocious form.

  “I still have all my powers Tobias. As for the amulet I am going to get it back.”

  At that moment the sky cleared and the moon passed out from behind the clouds. The group looked up and saw the full moon, blood red in color and twice its usual size hung above them.

  “Its the blood moon.” Tobias whispered and Arthur smiled up at it mysteriously.

  Then he threw up his hands towards the skies and blue streaks of lightning coursed down from the sky and into his outstretched claws. Arthur redirected the bolt into the fire and a stone archway, around six feet tall, appeared in the fire.

  Tobias suddenly became more alert and his chanting intensified, he moved behind Arthur in tight semi-circles, throwing dried twigs and herbs from a leather pouch, into the fire. The heady aroma that Rebecca was so attracted to, wafted out of the fire along with thin spirals of grey. There was a sudden gasp from the group when suddenly Tobias stepped into the fire and disappeared through the archway.

  Rebecca ran towards the fire like a person possessed and tried to throw herself into the blazing flames.

  “Arthur noooo… ,” she wailed. “I don’t want to know anything, anything about the past, or who we were. Don’t do this, Arthur! Her screams tore through the night as Tobias caught hold of her and Zack was upon her from behind holding her back from hurling herself at the fire.

  “Rebecca, he is just gone in to clear the way for us. Have faith in him sweetheart, he is going to be right back.” Tobias was saying desperately. Rebecca looked at him with a hollow gaze and he nodded at her with reassurance.

  Suddenly Arthur reappeared in the archway and smiled at her forlornly. The fire licked at him all around as he stood looking out at them. Zack and Tobias were having a hard time holding Rebecca back. Then the fire began to recede, the flames began to become smaller and smaller till they reduced down around his feet and then disappeared altogether.

  Arthur stretched out his hand towards Rebecca from the archway and beckoned to her. There was a sad compassionate look in his eyes. Rebecca put her hand into his as Tobias and Zack flanked her on both sides. Arthur pulled her up towards him and enveloped her into a tight hug and whispered into her ear.

  “Whatever you witness here tonight Rebecca, always remember that you are the most important thing in my life and I love you more than anything else in the world!”

  Chapter 28

  Tobias and the others followed Arthur and Rebecca through the gateway.

  “What place is this?” Andrea said from the rear.

  “Shhh…,” Darcy admonished. “Someone might hear us.”

  “Where are we?” Zack whispered with impatience.

  “Its more of when than where Aberdeen.” Tobias murmured.

  “What do you mean?” Andrea asked.

  “Quiet…you guys are gonna get us caught.” Darcy snapped.

  “We are right where we were earlier, may be on the other side of it, but it’s the same mountain. However, we have just come a thousand years back in time. And whatever you say or do, no one is going to either see or hear you. For them you are simply not here at all.” Tobias explained.

  Once again, the clouds drifted away in the sky and a big red blood moon appeared from behind them. Arthur and his friends, even if they were invisible, were well hidden behind a thicket of bushes from where they could clearly see and hear what was happening.

  Surrounded on all sides by the forest and the mountains was a small old stone amphitheater, well hidden in the middle of a clearing in the woods. A group of people sat on the left of the amphitheater. Their rings, bracelets, amulets and the collars around their necks indicating that they were the Bailiffs. There were around two dozen on them.

  On the right sat a group of more foreboding looking men, wearing amber colored cloaks and cowls. These wore a single amulet around their necks. They were no doubt the Unrivaled. A blazing fire burnt in the pit in front of them.

  Suddenly a man came forward from the bushes pulling a horse by its reins alongside him. On the horse, a man was leaned sideways as if he was about to fall. He looked bloodied and injured.

  “That is Dorian Deodrith, pulling the horse. He is one of the Bailiffs. Though how I know this, I have no clue” Darcy called out.

  “Arturo was betrothed to his Daughter.” Rebecca said softly.

  “And that man on the horse is Arthur. It’s his favorite horse. It's Thunderbolt.” Andrea said and her voice cracked with emotion.

  As the group watched, Dorian unceremoniously, pulled Arthur down from the horse. Arthur fell flat to the ground with a thud. He was weak with his injuries but he still managed to scramble to his feet and pulled out an old fat tattered looking book from his saddle bag. He held the book tightly against his chest and limped forward to where the council sat. The fire blazed and in the light of it they could all see how tired and injured the young man was. Dorian pushed the boy forward like a common criminal. Arthur turned back to him and glowered then turned back to the council and continued towards them.

  “Who do you present to the council today Bailiff Dorian?”

  “Arturo James, the grandson of the Great Arthur, former Master of the council.”

  “And why are you here Arturo?” Harold turned to Arturo.

  “I bring you this, Master Harold, the
Book of The Unrivaled.” Arturo said stepping forward and presenting the book to Harold.

  “So, the Great Arthur did finish writing the Ledger!” Harold was saying.

  “Yes, and he told me that in case he died before he brought it to you, I should complete that task for him.”

  “We hear he died mysteriously” Another of the Masters said to Arturo.

  “Aye, Master. His body was left in the forest behind our fields.”

  “And what kind of funeral did you give him?” Asked another Unrivaled sternly.

  “Grandfather always wanted to be burnt and not buried when he died. My parents did not know the craft and did not understand the importance of his request. But I knew it was important for an Unrivaled that he be burnt after he died, so I saw to it that he got the proper funeral and the exact words from the book were said during the rite.” Harold looked at the boy impressed.

  “I see you are wearing your grandfather’s amulet.” Harold said sternly eying Arturo.

  “Arturo’s hand went up to the base of his throat and he pulled the amulet off and presented it to Harold as well.

  “How long have you been wearing it?” Harold asked taking it.

  “Grandfather had confessed to me and my sister Andrea that Digor, the Dark Prince, was after his powers. He had hidden his amulet along with the Ledger buried in our barn. Right after the funeral I set out to bring the ledger to you. I wore the amulet around my neck to keep it from being lost. The road to here was long but I also had a few attacks. I have been traveling for just over a year now.”

  “The boy survived wearing the Great Arthur’s amulet?” An Unrivaled sitting next to Harold hissed at the Grandmaster. Harold turned to him with a warning glance and he fell quiet.

  “Grandmaster Harold, my grandfather always spoke very highly of you.” Arturo was saying. “He was always proud to be a part of the council. Right after I left home, Digor burnt down my home, ravaged my fields, destroyed my village and killed my family. I have nowhere else to go. I beg you to give me a place with the council. I can be a Bailiff and serve the Masters.” Arthur proposed and there was a ripple of laughter among the council members.