Winston soared over the village in shock. Alexandros with his deep powerful voice commanded Winston to release him, sending Alexandros dropping from the air. Alexandros landed hard on his feet but he ignored the sudden pain. He saw nothing but flames and wreckage. Winston landed beside Alexandros and was sadden by what he saw. Alexandros gazed at the flames that surrounded BueHoov. Flashes of his own home filled his mind.
Why am I always too late? Why can I not be there to stop this?
He tossed his head back and let out a powerful scream of wrathful rage. His screams echoed in the air; his pale face began to turn bright red, and when he could not breathe anymore he stopped. Another scream filled the air, but this scream was full of mournful agony. It was the screams of the tavern keeper upon finding the slaughtered body of his only son lying on the muddy ground. His cries filled the air; he knelt down, held his son in his arms, and began to cry.
“Please. Bring him back. Please bring him back to me, please!”
But his cries were left unanswered. He just cradled the body of his son and rocked back and forth, his eyes shut tightly.
Alexandros looked at muddy ground filled with the decapitated heads of the slain villagers that were slain and the one thought that then ran through his mind was…were was Elora and Raphael?
He ran to the inn where he left them, but to his horror found the inn was completely destroyed, reduced to nothing but broken wood and stone. Alexandros jumped onto the rubble and began digging frantically praying he would find his companions. Alexandros searched until he heard from behind him that beautiful voice call out his name.
“Belen…”
When he turned around he saw Princess Elora near the rubble. Alexandros pushed his way through the rubble, and when he reached Elora he gave her the tightest embrace. The rain fell onto them as they held onto each other tightly.
“I will never abandon you again, my lady,” Alexandros whispered.
The most calming feeling filled the princess as she held Alexandros. They hugged for what seemed to be an eternity, but in reality it was only seconds.
From behind her appeared Raphael and Bixbin. Raphael approached Alexandros slowly allowing Princess Elora and Alexandros sometime together, when Raphael came forward not only was Bixbin with him but Raphael and Bixbin had captured a goblin warrior.
“We found the foul creature hiding in the brush; it thought it could escape…it is dumber than it looks,” Raphael told Alexandros.
Raphael used his front leg to knock the goblin down to its knees; Alexandros stepped toward the Goblin creature and gave it a swift powerful kick in the face, knocking out several of the goblin’s jagged broken teeth. Alexandros then noticed that Raphael, Princess Elora, Bixbin, and everyone else in the village not looking at the goblin captive, but staring at the Dragon Winston.
“Hello, everyone, my name is Winston,” the Dragon said with a smile.
Raphael, Elora and Bixbin turned to Alexandros with looks of confusion.
“All right…I can explain this,” Alexandros said to the group with a forced smile.
After a small debate he managed to explain that Winston was not an evil beast but a misunderstood soul. Even though the villagers had said Winston was a monster, they were obviously wrong. Alexandros soon convinced Raphael and Elora to be more relaxed with the idea of traveling with a Dragon. The villagers, on the other hand, were not so accepting of Winston. They surrounded Winston, set on killing him. As they were about to charge, Alexandros leaped in front of the Dragon and drew his sword; joining him were Elora, Raphael, who had drawn his sword as well, and even Bixbin with his giant hammer.
“How dare you” scolded Alexandros. “How dare you even think of harming this creature? Your village was just destroyed, and all you can think of is more killing. You people are the very thing that is wrong with the world right now. And as long as there is still air in my lungs I will never allow anyone to harm this Dragon. I dare you to try.”
Winston stood behind Alexandros and saw for the first time in his life that he had a true friend. He promised himself to never let any harm befall Alexandros; he would protect Alexandros until the end.
The villagers were dumfounded. How Alexandros dare speak to them in such a manner? The people of BueHoov demanded that Alexandros, Princess Elora, Raphael, Winston, and even poor Bixbin leave what was left of their village.
Alexandros, sword drawn, stepped toward the crowd and said in anger, “Make us leave your village…”
It seemed a fight was about to begin. Elora pulled Alexandros by the arm and begged him to just leave. Too much had been lost for another battle to begin. Alexandros turned to Elora then looked at the villagers; he took a deep breath and nodded his head slowly at Elora then turned and began to make his way out of the village. The dwarves who stood alongside the villagers were enraged that Bixbin would stand with a human he had just met that very night, and as punishment they spit in his face.
“Never again will you stand tall with us Bixbin, and you shall fall alongside them, you fool!” The dwarf leader shouted to Bixbin. “Why Bixbin?!?” The Dwarf leader shouted. “Answer me! Why would you side with a human over your own people?”
But Bixbin had no answer; not even he knew why he stood with Alexandros. The dwarves left Bixbin standing alone; he was almost reduced to tears before Elora came to him.
“You saved my life Bixbin, and as my thank you I would like to ask if you would join me and my friends. It would be my honor to travel beside you…” Elora said softly to Bixbin.
Bixbin stood in the rain thinking of all he had lost—his friends…his family. He had nowhere else to go, and in the very short time he had known Princess Elora he had felt she was one he could trust. He agreed to travel alongside her and her companions.
Bixbin left BueHoov with Alexandros and Elora. Raphael asked Alexandros if they should return to Ezdacir, his home village. Alexandros agreed. Raphael tied up the goblin and dragged it with them along the muddy road.
Outside the village, Alexandros stared into the goblin’s blood red eyes. “Who sent you?”
“I shall never betray my master. He is all powerful and shall make you suffer greatly, human,” the goblin hissed.
“I wish to make one thing clear,” said Alexandros. “Your disgusting people murdered my family and hers as well, so you can agree to give the information we need, and I can kill you quickly, or you can continue to be pig headed, and I kill you slowly.”
A panic look grew on the cowardly goblin’s face. He saw there was no escaping his fate. “Please…I am sorry,” the goblin pleaded.
Elora reached down and smacked the goblin creature’s face.
“How dare you! How dare you! You monster!” She cried.
Bixbin held the princess back.
“We shall get information out of you,” said Alexandros. “One way…or another…”
CHAPTER VII
THE INTERROGATION
A WIZARD IS skilled in the mysterious and hidden art of magic. Wizards have the power to perform great deals of magic using their staffs; it is their power and weakness. Wizards are trained to use their powers for the greater good, but there are some wizards so evil that not even the lightest of magic can fill their dark soul.
The chamber was cold, dank, musty, and shaped like a hexagon. The chamber was dirty with grey stone walls and a ceiling that went twenty feet up to a well-like opening that allowed sunlight to shine inside, the chamber’s only source of light. In the center of the dark chamber stood a contraption known to only some as “The Rack,” It is considered the most painful form of torture. The rack was a wooden frame kept above the ground with two ropes fixed to the bottom and two ropes tied to the handle on the top. A goblin warrior remained strapped down upon the device. He’d been beaten to a bloody pulp, ribs broken, and still the goblin would not speak. Through the opening in the ceiling the moonlight glared down on his bloodied form.
Alone in the room with the creature were Alexandros, Raphael
, his father Tobias, and another centaur warrior who stood quietly in the corner holding the handle to the rack. The centaur warrior slowly turned the handle on the device causing it to stretch the creature’s arms back.
“Who are you working for, foul creature?” asked Alexandros. “Tell us now!”
When the goblin ignored him; Alexandros looked over to the Centaur Warrior and nodded his head as a sign to turn the handle again. The centaur warrior turned the handle, dislocating the goblin’s arms. The creature released a powerful, ghoulish scream. His screams filled the chamber, escaped through the opening, and swept over the village. Alexandros stepped closer to the goblin as it twitched with pain and agony.
“Shall we continue on, or will you begin to speak?” Alexandros asked.
“I must not betray the all mighty…he shall avenge me human and then it is you who shall be screaming in pain!” The Creature hissed.
“Very well, have it your way,” Alexandros said as he gave the sign to the centaur warrior. The centaur warrior turned the handle; this time dislocating goblin’s legs. The loud cracking sound echoed in the chamber.
The goblin screamed, but he still refused to speak. A frustrated Alexandros walked over to where the centaur warrior stood, he pushed the centaur’s hand away from the handle and violently turned it himself. The creature’s arms and legs were stretched to the point where its skin began to tear and rip. Blood spilled onto the rack and down to the floor. More ghoulish screams filled the chamber.
“No more! No more! I will tell you! I will tell you!”
“Very well, then. Begin,” said Alexandros.
The goblin took in a labored breath. “Our leader is the great Wizard Barbarous. Twenty winters ago he set free our goblin king from the mines of Heshuezo where the human Mabruk and this centaur fiend trapped him. He told us to rebuild our army and promised our kind great power.
“Our first order as a new alliance was to destroy all the surviving nations of the ones who trapped our leader and ruined Barbarious’ original attempt to rule all.”
“Then why attack the kingdom of Siruac? They were no warriors from that kingdom in the battle of Heshuezo,” Alexandros said.
“Somewhere in the kingdom of Siruac is hidden a mystical staff of one of the most powerful wizards of all, Barbarious’ mentor the great wizard Alistair,” said the goblin. “It has taken many years of locating; Barbarious searched the castle day and night never sleeping. Barbarious has allies everywhere. And soon you will be sorry, human!”
“…if he possess that staff there will be no stopping him,” Tobias said with great concern. “How close is this wizard to finding this staff?”
The goblin laughed. “You poor fool…it will not take long…” Before the creature could finish, a bright white light suddenly filled the chamber.
“Master!” The creature screamed in fear.
Just then a bolt of lightning exploded through the opening in the ceiling, striking the goblin, killing him and the centaur warrior who’d been turning the rack. The blast destroyed the ceiling, causing it to cave in. Centaur guards who stood outside the chamber burst through the rubble and dragged out the king, the prince, and Alexandros. After a few minutes they gathered themselves and just glared at each other in confusion.
“What on earth was that?” Tobias asked in alarm.
“It was the dark wizard Barbarious,” said Alexandros. “He now knows that we know of his plans, and I am assuming he will do his best to stop us from getting in his way. He is the reason Souvaolo is no more…I vow to not only destroy the goblin race but the wizard Barbarious as well.”
“Father,” said Ralphael. “I think it would be wise if we move our people to the marshlands until this threat is over. There is no telling what this wizard is truly capable of.”
Tobias agreed and ordered the guards to give the word to begin moving his people out of the village. Alexandros remembered the merchant was not too far from them; he felt the merchant may be in danger if left alone where he was. Alexandros wanted to warn the merchant to get as far away as possible.
“Tobias,” said Alexandros, respectfully. “Before we leave I must make a quick trip to see someone.”
Outside the rain had finally stopped, and the sun began to rise. Bixbin, Princess Elora, and Winston waited for Alexandros and Raphael.
“And that is how I got my name,” Winston said proudly. “Now let me tell you how I learned to fly.”
“By the gods, Dragon!” Bixbin interrupted. “Will you not shut up? I would rather jump off a mountain then listen to one more of your eternity-long stories.” Bixbin’s voice filled with annoyance. “I am sorry, my lady, but one more story and my ears would have begun to bleed.”
“Believe me, sir Bixbin, it is more than fine with me,” Elora said, gently.
“Well, you are the rudest little dwarf I have ever met,” Winston snapped.
“I will show you rude,” Bixbin said as he slowly reached for his hammer.
Just then, Alexandros appeared.
“I am going to see the merchant,” he said. “Would you like to accompany me, my lady?”
Elora quickly jumped at the opportunity to get away. The two left together as the morning sun shone upon Ezdacir. As they walked down the road, Princess Elora slowly reached down to take Alexandros’ hand. His heart began to race and sweat ran across his forehead. He had not one clue for what to do or say.
By the gods, she is holding my hand! What should I do?
Elora then leaned towards Alexandros… for a kiss. She leaned in closer and closer, and as she was about to kiss Alexandros, they reached the forest where the merchant lived.
“Oh, look!” Alexandros said, nervously. “We have arrived.”
Elora sighed.
They hiked until they reached the merchant’s old hut, and what they saw horrified them. Standing in front of the hut was the merchant…completely nude, stretching in the morning sunlight.
“Old man, put on your clothes…please,” Alexandros said with fear…and disgust.
“Oh, dear…” Elora whispered and hid her face behind Alexandros’ shoulder.
“My dear friends!” the merchant said with joy “How good it is to see you!” The merchant jumped into the hut and put on his grey robes. The three then shared breakfast together and had a small conversation.
“Old man, you must leave these woods. Goblins are invading, and it is not safe here anymore,” said Alexandros.
“Hmm, not safe you say? Well, I am not afraid; I can run like the wind.” The merchant laughed.
“This is serious, old man, you must go.”
“My home is here my friend…I will not go…I cannot,” said the merchant with a serious tone.
After breakfast Alexandros bade the merchant farewell.
“Well old man we must be on our way,” he said. “Protect yourself and stay safe.”
“Will you please stop calling me old man…it makes me feel well…old.”
Alexandros slightly smiled. “Very well. What is your name, friend?”
“Finally!” The merchant said with excitement. He jumped up to his feet, spit in his hand, and sleeked his messy grey hair back. “Well, friends,” he said. “My name is Alistair.”
CHAPTER VIII
THE MARSHLANDS
Alexandros stared sternly at the merchant almost not believing him. “This cannot be the great wizard Alistair…it just cannot be,” Alexandros thought. This entire time Barbarious’ mentor was a smelly old somewhat annoying merchant?
“What a lovely name you have; it sounds very mystical,” said Princess Elora.
Alexandros glared at the merchant, which made the merchant extremely uncomfortable.
“What did you say your name was old man?” Alexandros asked. The merchant knew Alexandros had figured out who he was, so the merchant stepped back and slowly began to move away from Alexandros and Elora.
“Well, I cannot remember,” the merchant said in a jittery voice. “Oh, yes, now I remember.
I said my name is Bobert. Yes, that is my name. It is Bobert.”
The merchant tried to run off into the woods, but before he could make it three steps, Alexandros lunged forward, yanked the merchant by his messy grey hair, and sat him down.
“Belen!” Elora cried. “You let go of Alistair…I mean
Bobert…I am so very lost.”
Still firmly holding the merchant’s hair, Alexandros dragged the merchant back to the little fire where they had just had their breakfast.
“Explain yourself now,” Alexandros demanded.
“Whatever do you mean…my young friend…?”
“Old man, if I have to ask you one more time…”
“Very well…” the merchant answered sadly and began to tell his story…
The merchant was indeed the great wizard Alistair. He was much older than Barbarious, but no one actually knew how old he truly was—not even the merchant himself. Alistair’s powers varied; total control over the four elements was among them, and he could see into the future. His staff did indeed grant him power, too; but without it, his powers were limited. Alistair’s powers also came from within, passed down from powerful generations before him.
“Many years ago, I served as one of two protectors of the kingdom of Siruac. Barbarious was a young wizard there as well; his potential was great, and I wanted to pass down my knowledge of magic to someone I felt who would use it for the greater good. My mistake was that I trusted the wrong person. You see…I never look into someone’s future without permission; my mentor taught me better than that, so when Barbarious asked me to look into his future, at first, of course, I refused, but since at the time he was my closest friend…I did, and all I saw was darkness and hatred. Once I saw his dark path for myself, I slowly began to distance myself from Barbarious. I hid my staff in the kingdom of Siruac, transforming it into the best thing I could think of at the time. The only problem is…throughout the centuries I have forgotten what it is I transformed it into. But for centuries it has been hidden, and if Barbarious is searching for it I truly must stay hidden. As long as I am alive the staff is useless to him; he will try and kill me to unleash its true power… and the world then stands no chance.”
The Legend of Alexandros: Belen Page 5
