Hero Wanted

by Dan McGirt

  “That’s that,” he said, falling to his knees.

  Raella rushed to his side. “Are you hurt, my love?”

  “I’ve survived worse,” he said. “And you?”

  She had a purplish bruise on her face. “I live,” she said.

  “I’m going to throw up,” I announced, collapsing to all fours.

  “Spiritual lighting does that,” said Merc.

  “Did you have to kill him?” asked Ormazander accusingly.

  “Yes,” said Mercury.

  “We were three to his one! We could have driven out the possessing devil and saved our comrade!”

  “There was no time.”

  “You are a murderer!” said Ormazander.

  Merc exploded. “I’ve heard enough from the League for one day! You brought a puppet of the Demon Lords into the heart of the Sun Palace, risking not only Cosmo’s life, but Raella’s! Get out of my sight before I do something you will regret!”

  “Why, you impudent—”

  “Come,” said Timeon, placing a restraining hand on his companion. “He did what was necessary.”

  “I am disturbed that a possessor demon could penetrate the palace wards,” said Raella.

  “He was possessed beforehand,” said Mercury.

  “Liar!” said Ormazander.

  “Mercury is correct,” said Timeon. “The possessor must have infected Votarius and lain dormant for a long time, waiting for a chance to strike.”

  “A sleeper,” said Raella. “Then none of us can be fully trusted.”

  “I’ve known that all along,” said Merc, glaring at Ormazander.

  The two League wizards bent to lift their fallen comrade’s body. As they touched his still form, a small ball of purple light flew out of the dead man’s mouth, circled the room and disappeared down a an air duct.

  “The possessor is free!” said Raella. “Find it!”

  The Leaguers hurried from the room, levitating the body of Votarius behind them.

  “As blind as ever,” said Merc.

  “Now is not the time, my love.”

  “Did you not hear them, Raella? They see everything through the prism of their conflict with the Society. Armed with a vague statement from the Luminous Oracle and a musty old book, they would make young Cosmo here into a great savior sent by The Gods to grant them victory in spite of their own ineptitude. They’re madmen!”

  “You forget that I am one of them now.”

  “I’m certainly trying to. Why, Raella? After all the League has done to you. To us.”

  “This is not the League we knew. They are brave and truly dedicated to their ideals. Ideals even you once embraced.”

  “Ideals are only words. Especially for the League. The Dark Magic Society, at least, is honest about its nature.”

  Raella’s face hardened. “My love, you too should go before we both say things we will regret.” She glanced at me. “I have work to do.”

  “So you do.”

  Mercury stalked from the room, leaving me alone with Queen Raella Shurbenholt.

  *****

  Chapter 12

  “I regret this unpleasantness,” said Queen Raella.

  I shrugged. “Someone trying to kill me? I’m used to that by now, Your Majesty.”

  “Bravely said. Come.”

  She led me from her study to an adjoining workshop. The floor was tiled, the walls lined with books, scrolls, bottles of mysterious liquids, and other tools of the magic arts.

  “Mercury’s hostility toward the League transcends the bounds of reason,” said Raella.

  “Why so, Your Majesty?”

  “He holds ill will for old wounds. I know well the justice of his complaints, but there comes a time when personal considerations must be set aside for the common good.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She gave a rueful smile. “How could you? I refer to events of long ago, before Mercury became the bitter man you know.” She took on a distant, dreamy look. “Before he lost his idealism, his faith in the good.”

  “I sense a tragic tale.”

  Indeed, an unseen violin sounded faintly as the queen continued. “Mercury came to court when I was but a silly young princess. He was the handsome apprentice of the great mage Pencader, who served my father, King Raegon, as court wizard. Pencader was also my tutor in the magic arts. Mercury and I took lessons together. Inevitably, we fell in love.” She sighed. “He said I was the living image of the Goddess Rae herself.”

  “How sweet,” I said.

  “Unfortunately, it is also true. The House of Shurbenholt is descended in an unbroken line from Blaze Shurben, the Son of Rae. Strict laws of succession demand that Shurbenholts wed only the most royal of mates. Mercury, though he is of blood most noble, does not meet the stringent standards of our ancient law. Also, I was already promised to Prince Halogen of Orphalia in a marriage of alliance that would unite two thrones.”

  “I can see where this is going.”“When word of our love reached my father, he banished Mercury from Raelna on pain of death. My heart was broken. For long months Mercury was in hiding. Then my wedding day arrived. With Pencader’s secret aid, Mercury returned and spirited me away before the ceremony.”

  I smiled. “I could see Merc doing that.”

  “We eluded my father’s forces and fled to Caratha. Halogen followed with his knights and might have taken us, but word arrived that my father had died of a sudden illness. Once I was Queen of Raelna, none could force me to marry against my will. But neither was I free to marry as I desired. The only way to wed Mercury was to abdicate, and that I could not do.”

  “I’ll bite. Why not give up the throne for true love? It’s very romantic.”

  She shook her head. “My duty is to my kingdom, to my people. I love Mercury as I could never love another, but duty must come first. Were I to stand aside, power would pass to the Council of Nobles. The people would suffer. Much good would go undone.”

  “I see.”

  “With all my heart, I wanted Mercury by my side despite these impediments, but our enemies blocked us at every turn. The nobles urged me to honor my father’s agreement and marry Halogen. The League also desired the marriage, believing a combined kingdom could better withstand the Society. Mercury was then a candidate for League membership. The High Council pressured him to forsake me. Mercury refused and Master Pencader backed him. Then Pencader died under mysterious circumstances. Mercury believes he was murdered on orders of the High Council.”

  “That would more than explain his dislike for the League.”

  “The Council was rife with ambitious, arrogant men, greedy for power. Today’s leaders are different. But with Pencader gone, the League and the nobles combined to drive us apart. By deception, they convinced each of us that the other truly desired an end to our relationship. Mercury departed to become the bitter wanderer you know. I threw myself into ruling my kingdom and enacting reforms. Each of us felt abandoned by the other. It was only recently that we learned the bitter truth.”

  “And that explains his sour disposition.”

  “Indeed. All those lonely years apart. Our rapprochement has been slow and painful. He still blames the League for our troubles. I have not forgotten what happened. Even now, the League is not without flaws. But confronting the Dark Magic Society is more important than our personal grudges.”

  “I suppose so.”

  “As it happens, Mercury is not the only one stuck in the past. My former betrothed, Halogen, is now King of Orphalia. He still views me as rightfully his and threatens war if I do not marry him. Old King Lanthanide kept the peace between our realms, despite my refusal to wed his son. But Halogen will soon come to claim me with an army at his back. There will be war over this.”

  “For all my troubles, I am happy not to wear a crown!”

  Raella smiled. “It indeed rests heavily on my brow at times.”

  “Yet you bear it with grace, Your Majesty.”

  “Well said. But,
please, you have leave to call me Raella in private, Jason.”

  “I do? Why do you—and the League—so much honor a simple turnip farmer from Darnk?”

  “You are far from simple, Jason. Many signs and wonders indicate your great importance in the struggle against evil.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe The Gods sent the wrong signs. I can’t help believing this is all some terrible misunderstanding. I’m no Mighty Champion—and I’m sure I don’t know how to save the world!”“Perhaps not. But if you are truly of the Mighty Champion’s line—a line long thought extinguished—then, whatever your prior circumstances or occupation, yours is the most holy and royal lineage of all.”

  “Is that why you bowed to me before?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you believe all this is true.”

  “I do.”

  “But what if you’re wrong?”

  “The High Council interprets the signs to mean you were sent by The Gods to destroy the Society. They may not be entirely correct. But I don’t believe they are entirely wrong.”

  “I don’t see why the League needs me to beat the Dark Magic Society. Why is the Society winning now, after centuries of stalemate?”

  “The Society has a new Overmaster, one Erimandras. By all indications, he is the most powerful wizard to walk Arden in generations. He is by every account a brilliant, subtle, ruthless leader who has revitalized the Society. He has taken the offensive throughout the Eleven Kingdoms. Meantime, the League suffers from a loss of confidence and trust. It is a loss with many causes, including past crimes against Mercury, myself, and others. The High Council hoped that you would emerge as a reborn Mighty Champion and lead us to victory.”

  “I’m sorry to disappoint.”

  “Such a judgment is premature. Only The Gods know what you may yet accomplish, Jason. Don’t underestimate yourself.”

  “Why don’t you lead the League? You’re already a queen.”

  “Exactly. Raelna comes first.” She paused, then said softly, “But you are correct. The League needs a vigorous leader. And I know just the man.”

  “I’m not even a wizard!”

  “Not you. Mercury.”

  “Merc?”

  “He has the skill, the daring, the will to fight. If his analysis of the Society’s involvement with Asmodraxas is correct, then the League must adjust its strategy. Unfortunately, they won’t listen to him and he has little interest in making them listen.” She smiled. “But if your aura reveals the location of the Superwand, then everything changes. Enough prattle! Let us learn your secrets, Jason Cosmo.”

  The queen directed me to stand before a black tapestry hanging on the wall. “The contrast helps me better discern your aura,” she explained.

  She studied me intently. “Interesting,” she said after a moment. “Your aura is not in Standard Auric Script. But the style is familiar. Stay put.”

  The queen gestured and a fat volume entitled Opthamalio’s Guide to Unusual Auras floated from a bookshelf to hover before her. She leafed through the book, occasionally looking up to study me as she searched its pages.

  “Aha!” she said at last. “Your aura is done in the Old Archaic Style of High Primitive Celestial Proto-Auric.”

  “What is that?”

  “Very obscure,” she said. “One of the earliest auric alphabets, not seen since the Age of Peace, I’ll warrant.” She walked to her desk and withdrew a pair of wire rimmed spectacles from a slipcase. Behind the crystal lenses, her wise blue eyes appeared as large as hen’s eggs. “Magnification,” she explained.

  The queen stared at my face and read my aura aloud, frequently consulting Opthamalio’s for pronunciation. I didn’t understand anything she said, but the words did sound old and obscure. At the desk, an animated quill pen wrote a translation of her words on a sheet of parchment.

  Raella removed the spectacles. She read the transcript silently. Her mouth fell open in astonishment.

  “Is it the secret location of the Superwand?” I asked.

  “No. It is a personal message.” She gazed at me in wonderment.

  “From whom?”

  “Read it for yourself.”

  She handed me the parchment:

  Dear Jason,

  If you are reading this, it means that the Dark Magic Society is already hunting you. It is of critical importance that you not fall into their hands. The future of Arden depends on it. In fact, if the Society gets you, Arden won’t have much of a future at all.

  But fear not!

  Well, fear not overly much. We have taken steps to protect you. We have watched over you from birth and shielded you from danger. We have acted to confuse and confound your enemies. If we may say so, we’ve done a pretty good job so far. Your ancestors were rich and powerful, monarchs in their own right. Such prominence would have made you easy to find. So we cleverly reduced your forefathers to grinding poverty and led them to obscurity in the smelly land of Darnk, thus wrapping you in a warm, protective—though, again, smelly—blanket of anonymity.

  You can’t beat planning like that.

  Yet, there are limits to what even we can do while bound by the terms of the Great Eternal Pan-Cosmic Holy/Unholy Non-Intervention Pact. Nonetheless, we have sent help your way. We’ve issued omens, signs, and prophetic warnings to encourage our mortal servitors to render you any needed assistance. And once your enemies find you, we will make a hero of you. That will be a big help in your efforts to stay alive.

  Upon receipt of this message, we bid you go to the Shrine of Greenleaf. You will find it at the juncture of the Hidden River and the Arbenflow in the heart of the Incredibly Dark Forest. There you will secure the means of your survival. You will also learn more about your destiny. The Keeper of the Shrine awaits your arrival.

  You’re probably wondering why we didn’t reveal all of this to you sooner, in a dream or by divine messenger. Alas, the Demon Lords can intercept such communications. Thus, we cleverly embedded this message in your aura with the hope that you will at least intuit the gist of it and will find a way to read our full message before it is too late.

  Admittedly, it’s a bit of a longshot.

  In closing, we apologize for any inconvenience all this may cause you. We know you never asked to be the focus of the eternal struggle between good and evil, but those are the breaks. Good luck. We’re all pulling for you up here!

  Yours truly,

  The Gods

  I set the letter down. “Wow.”

  “Indeed.”

  “I’m flabbergasted. But if I don’t have the secret location of the Superwand, why does the Society want me?”

  “Your ancestry alone would be reason enough for the Society to seek your death,” said the queen.

  “Supposed ancestry. Nothing in this letter actually says I’m related to the Mighty Champion.”

  “True enough,” said Raella. “Nor does it mention the Superwand—but the Society doesn’t know that you don’t know where the Superwand is. Until just now, even you didn’t know whether you knew or not.”

  “I know.”

  “I know you know.”

  “So what is the Shrine of Greenleaf?”

  “I have never heard of it.”

  “What, never?”

  “No, never.

  “So the Society wants me because they think I know the location of a magic Superwand that can free the greatest of all demons. Which I don’t. The Demon Lords want me dead to thwart the Society. Which isn’t actually necessary, because I don’t know what the Society thinks I know. The League expects me to save the world. Though I don’t know how. And The Gods won’t explain any of this until I visit an unknown shrine in the middle of the Incredibly Dark Forest.” I shook my head. “Did I leave anything out?”

  Before Raella could reply, the door to her workshop flew open. A babbling crowd of lords, generals, and courtiers burst into the room, all shouting about war, doom, and disaster.

  “Silence!” Raella commanded. The uproar
ceased. “Marshal of the Realm, what means this intrusion?”

  Lord Hawkinstern, the distinguished Captain General of Raelna’s armies, stood at stiff attention. “Invasion, Your Majesty! On multiple fronts! The Brythalians attack from the east! The Orphalians are crossing the Longwash!”

  “Brythalia? But it is not yet time for the Annual War!”

  “They have invaded early! And in earnest! Their knights and levies are augmented with mercenaries.”

  “What are their numbers?”

  “We have no accurate reports as yet.”

  “Get them!” snapped Raella. “We want complete estimates of enemy troop strength, an analysis of their strategy, an update on the disposition of our forces, and a menu of response options. Convene our Council of War immediately. We will join you shortly.”

  Her officers hurried to carry out her commands. Raella faced me sadly. “I have feared this,” she confided. “For Brythalia to attack in concert with Orphalia can only mean the sinister hand of the Society is at work.”

  Mercury now swept into the study. He embraced the queen. “I seem to be the harbinger of trouble,” he said.

  “As usual,” said Raella. They kissed. Their earlier row seemed forgotten.

  “What did your aura reveal?” Merc asked me. “The Superwand?”

  My reply was cut short by the return of the babbling generals.

  “We thought our commands were clear,” said Raella, silencing them anew.

  “New development, Your Majesty!” said Hawkinstern. “Rae City is under attack! By demons!”

  “Demons? What sort of demons?”

  “Flying demons! Winged marauders from the Crimson Skies of Hell!” said the general. “Or something very similar.”

  Mercury raised an eyebrow. “That must be some aura you’ve got.”

  *****

  Chapter 13

  At the pinnacle of the Sun Palace was an observation deck enclosed in a dome of transparent crystal. It provided an unobstructed view of Rae City and the fair green countryside beyond. From here, Queen Raella commanded the defense of her capital, issuing orders with calm firmness amid a swirl of alarmed soldiers and servitors.