The Unrivaled's Witch

by Laura Marie

  “I cannot make you Bailiff Arturo. You are not fit for the job.” Harold said and Arthur’s face fell. Once again there was a ripple of laughter amongst the council members.

  “The amulet of an Unrivaled holds the highest degree of magic known to this world. It is like the soul, the essence of an Unrivaled. Once an Unrivaled dies, the amulet disappears from around his neck and comes into the custody of the Grandmaster. He then holds on to it till the Unrivaled is reborn and comes of age so it can be conferred back to him. However, if an unraveled is not wearing the amulet at the time of his death, he loses his right to be reborn an Unrivaled. The man who finds his amulet inherits all his magic and his abilities.”

  “No...,” Arthur cried out as the meaning of what Harold was saying dawned on him.

  “If that person is unfit to carry out that responsibility he is killed inside of a year from acquiring the amulet and the amulet brings itself back to the Grandmaster. However, if you have survived this long with the amulet, it means two things, one, you are fit to be its owner and two, its former owner bears you no ill will.”

  “I don’t want either my grandfather’s powers or his amulet, Grandmaster. You can keep it. I am going to be a strong wizard one day. But I believe in acquiring my powers by practice not by inheritance.”

  “I believe you do not have much of a choice there, young man.” Harold rose from his place and came near Arturo. They were standing inches away from each other.

  “You have been wearing the amulet of an Unrivaled and surviving its magic for over a year now. Your fate has already been sealed. If you had brought me that amulet in your pocket, I would have thanked you and let you go. But you brought it to me around your neck. That makes you an Unrivaled.”

  “What? I am not an Unrivaled. I refuse to be one.” Arturo said confused. Harold smiled at him compassionately, like one smiles at an obstinate child.”

  “The Unrivaled doesn’t choose his fate son, the fate chooses him. I am afraid you have already been chosen. It’s a magical contract between you and your craft, and I am afraid you have already sealed it.”

  Chapter 29

  “Masters of the council of the Unrivaled, I call upon you to witness this day, the first initiation of Arturo James. Do you, in true faith and unanimity, accept this man, henceforth and forever to be brethren of the Unrivaled?”

  “In faith and in unanimity.” The council chorused. Harold then turned to the Bailiffs.

  “Bailiffs of the Council of the Unrivaled, I call upon you to witness this day, the first initiation of Arturo James. Do you, in true faith and unanimity, henceforth and forever, accept to serve him as your master?”

  “In faith and in unanimity.” The Bailiffs cried out.

  “Arturo James, do you, in faith and in integrity, accept to be become, henceforth and forever, brethren of this council?”

  “I do!” Arturo said in a shaking tone and Harold shook his head at the boy, slowly and firmly.

  “In faith and in integrity!” he said once again and his voice shook. The boy was very evidently confused and did not know what to do.

  “Bailiff Tobias,” Harold called out and Tobias came forward with a neatly folded amber cloak in his hands. The amulet of Arturo’s grandfather sat atop the folds. Harold picked up the amulet and hung it around Arturo’s neck.

  “This is the essence of your magic. May you part with it in death and only in death and never before.” He said. Then picking up the cloak he draped it around Arturo’s shoulders.

  “Kneel.” He commanded and Arturo dropped to his knees, his head bowed in front of the Grandmaster.

  “What is a first initiation?” Andrea asked as she looked upon the scene mesmerized and terrified to the core. Tobias explained in a soft whisper.

  “When an Unrivaled is reborn, the council confers him with his amulet on his fifteenth birthday the day the council considers him to be of age. It is done in a small private ceremony at a monthly council meeting. However, when a wizard is named Unrivaled for the first time, it is a grand ceremony. You all are witnessing the last one in known history.”

  In the amphitheater, Tobias brought forward a big wooden bowl.

  “What’s in the bowl?” Darcy asked.

  “The wine of the Valarium.” Tobias said from beside her.

  “Why are you doing all the running around.”

  “It’s an important ritual and it is the prerogative of the Head Bailiff to oversee its procedures.” Tobias replied.

  In the pit, his thousand-year-old self was presenting Harold with the bowl. Harold pulled off his amulet, drew it across the palm of his left hand cutting himself and poured his blood into the bowl. Then he took the bowl from Tobias and held it into the fire with his bare hands. The Unrivaled started approaching one by one, each one pulled off his amulet and slashed his left palm and poured their blood into the bowl. When all had repeated the process, Harold turned with the bowl to the kneeling Arturo and thrust the bowl at him.

  “Drink this day, the blood of your brethren, bind yourself to them with the sacred vow of loyalty.” Arturo took the bowl with shaky hands and put it to his lips. When he had drunk some Harold pulled the bowl away from his mouth.

  “Rise, and add your blood to that of your brethren.”

  Arturo rose pulling of his amulet from his neck. He slashed his palm with one of its corners and as his blood spurted forth he held it above the cauldron and let it fall in.

  Harold slowly put the bowl to his lips and drank from it then passed it on to the other Unrivaled who took a sip each. When they were done, Harold turned to Arturo and raised his hands to the heavens.

  “I declare you hereby in faith and forever an Unrivaled. Bailiff Dorian bring in the maiden.”

  Bailiff Dorian came forward from behind the group of Bailiffs, tears flowed down his eyes and his entire body shook with racking sobs. He held by the shoulder a young girl and led her towards Harold.

  “That is his daughter Rebecca!” Darcy cried out.

  “Why do they need a Maiden?” Andrea asked confused.

  “Why do you think?” Zack said sardonically.

  Rebecca simply turned towards Arthur and looked at him in stunned disbelief as he looked back at her with sorrowful eyes.

  In the pit Arturo was wild with rage.

  “What is the meaning of all this Grandmaster Harold?” he asked glaring at the old man in outrage.

  “The claiming of the maiden is the last step in the process of your initiation. This girl is yours to take tonight. An Unraveled is in possession of unparalleled powers on the night of his initiation. You need to tame those powers and this young woman is going to be the vessel for you to rein them in. Just remember, once you are done just kill her.” Harold said while Dorian stood by sobbing uncontrollably. Arturo turned towards the girl and felt a strange jolt to his system as he saw her look back at him with guileless abandon.

  Arturo roared with fury and grabbed Harold by the lapels of his cloak and shook him hard.

  “Don’t test my patience old man.” Quickly, all the other Unrivaled and the Bailiffs stepped forwards in defense. Harold gestured them back with his hand while he looked at Arturo with challenge while the young man rained his discontent over him.

  “First you and your council failed to protect my grandfather, then you watch from far while I fought every known evil to reach you and to bring you that book, then you make me an Unrivaled against my wish. I accepted it all out of my respect for my grandfather and the regard he had for this council. But this is going too far. I don’t care being elected Unraveled. I don’t care for being a part your ludicrous council. But I will under no circumstance take the virtue of a woman.”

  Fury blazed in Arturo’s eyes as Harold shrugged off his hands from his lapels.

  “Fine. Masters of the council, Master Arturo does not wish to claim his maiden. You all are most welcome to her.”

  There was a deafening clap of thunder as Arturo threw his hands up to the sky. Thunder rumbled
, bolts of lightning tore through the sky, a wild wind surged around them like tornadoes, sheets of rain splashed from above and the ground under them shook like an earthquake. A circle of fire appeared closing Arturo and Rebecca in.

  “I want to see which one of you dimwits dares to cross my shield of guard and touches the girl.”

  “They are literally shaken to the core, the mighty Unrivaled. They had never come across powers such as these.” Tobias said from behind the bush.

  “Your tantrums do not impress me young man. And if you do not want to do your duty then you will face the consequences.” Harold said eying Arturo coolly. Then he simply sent a bolt of thunder towards Dorian and he dropped to the ground dead. The girl cried out and ran to her father’s side thereby stepping out of the shield Arturo had woven around the two of them and unknowingly stepping into harm’s way. Harold smiled back at Arturo slyly. Arturo turned on him with fury. He was about to do something when a middle-aged wizard stepped ahead from among the Unrivaled.

  “Enough Harold. Let me talk to the boy.” He said striding towards the pit.

  “Go right ahead Abdullah. Knock some sense into his thick head. And if he fails to do his duty, the girl goes right where her worthless father has gone.”

  Abdullah nodded then slung a hand over Arturo’s shoulder and turned him away from the group. They were turned away from the pit but they were facing and walking into the direction of the group hidden behind the bushes. Abdullah seemed to be trying to convince Arturo and the young wizard answered back with ire. Suddenly Arthur turned to Rebecca and cupped her face with the palm of his hand.

  “Do you trust me love?” he asked looking into her eyes. Rebecca nodded slowly but firmly.

  “More than anything else.” She affirmed. Arthur smiled at her then got up and stepped out from behind the bushes. Like a shadow he melted into the body of the irate Arturo. Arturo looked at Abdullah quizzically then suddenly he turned back and went to where the girl was still sobbing over her father’s dead body. He pulled her away from the dead man and picked her up as if she was a doll.

  “You win Harold. But this is where I draw the line. I will not kill her.”

  “Then keep her. I only asked because that is the most merciful thing to do. Once an Unrivaled has claimed his maiden, she will never be able to lay down with him again or with any other man for that matter. The magic that seals their mating forbids it. If that happens then her heart will explode and her soul will be thrown forever into darkness.”

  Epilogue

  After Arturo walked into the direction of the woods with the maiden, the Unrivaled dispersed. Tobias insisted that they return to Artur’s backyard as well. The group stepped out of the archway and sat around the last burning cinders of the bonfire they had made earlier. It was in the wee hours of the morning that Arthur stepped back out of the archway. Rebecca got up quickly and threw herself at him.

  “Now I know that you meant when you said you were protecting her from yourself. I am so very sorry Arthur. I always reproached you, held you responsible for her misery. But you were doing exactly what you said, protecting her from yourself. Arturo James, you are the most admirable man I have ever met.”

  Arturo drew his hand lightly through her the silky tresses of her auburn hair and watched it glow in the light of the dying embers. The light reflected itself in the molten gold of her honey-colored eyes. The two stood there wrapped in each other’s arms then Arthur drew her to him and the two started walking towards the house.

  Zack sat, his back against the bark of a tree, near the now dying bonfire, Darcy and Andrea tucked into his arms on either side, fast asleep from exhaustion. Tobias sat further away, his chin resting on his knees, aimlessly poking at the fire with a stick, deep in thought.

  “So, what happened?” Rebecca asked as they stepped into Arthur’s bedroom and he closed the door.

  “They lived out their lives happily.” Arthur responded as Rebecca sat back comfortably on his bed while he first shed his cloak then drew his T-Shirt over his head. Rebecca looked at his bare chest and gasped. She could never get used to the sheer strength and beauty of him. But what shocked her just ten was the ancient brass amulet that hung around his neck on a leather thong.

  “You got back your amulet?” she said astonished.

  “Yeah,” Arturo said as he pulled off his jeans and stood to face her in nothing but his snug briefs. Rebecca eyed the bulge in them as he walked over to her, pushed her over the bed and lied down alongside her.

  “How do you know that?” Rebecca said drawing her fingers through the curls over his chest, but there was no conviction in her tone. Laughter rumbled through Arthur’s chest.

  “I have Arturo’s memories.” He said drawing his thumb over her lips.

  “But, you took his amulet?” she asked in a low voice.

  “After we went into the forest, I took Arturo’s amulet. Without the magic and his newly acquired force, he was in no danger to kill her. He and I share a soul, so as far as the amulet knew, we were the same person.”

  “And, Digor.” Rebecca Asked.

  “I removed the amulet from that time. He was never able to track them without Arturo having the amulet’s power.”

  “But Digor is not going to stop till he gets your powers, is he?” Rebecca asked and her artless simplicity tore at his heart.

  “No, he is not, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I have grounded him enough to keep him down for a while.” Suddenly Rebecca’s face became pensive and Arthur leaned in to kiss her.

  “I really really need a shower. And after that I need you. Now you know just how long I have waited for you.” He said nipping at her earlobe.

  “Ok go get your shower then, I will wait for you.”

  “I have a better idea! Why don’t you join me?” Arthur said burying his face in the crook of her neck. Rebecca giggled, her arms looped around his neck and she rested her head against his shoulder as he picked her up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom.