The Complete Series, page 6
part #1 of The Hidden Wizard Series
“He got away with it?” Alrion said. It sounded too easy.
“Well, not quite. You see Ryder felt bolder after his success, and went back again. He crept back to their camp, made sure they were asleep, and started to steal more food. This time the bandit leader was lying in wait and caught Ryder red-handed. Ryder fled, but it was no use. The bandit leader had recognised him. Fearing reprisals, the farmer came to the Wizard Academy and begged for help.”
“So, you met him there? Ryder?”
“Yes, I did. He made a convincing case, but we didn't want to get involved. That would just direct the ire of the bandits to the academy, and we didn't want that. Besides, I believe the role of a wizard should be less direct. There can be a truly incredible power imbalance, and the more we stay out of things the better,” Falric said.
“He just left then?”
“Not before he stole a shield from our inventory. It was a curious piece that looked completely generic. But, it had a special power. I let him take it of course, curious as to what he would do. I followed him back to see what would happen next.”
“You let him steal from you?” Vincent said, surprised.
“It was all very controlled; I could have stopped him at any time. He returned to the village with the shield, and told them all, that he had found a magic shield and they would now be safe. I still, to this day, wonder if he really believed that without even seeing it in action. However, the bandits were waiting in ambush; his town had sold him out. When they attacked, Ryder held up the shield, and it deflected every attack. He managed to push them back, the bandits mystified as to why all their attacks were powerless.”
“It actually worked? He got away with it again?” Alrion said. This Ryder seemed to have incredible luck.
“Not quite. After they retreated, the town had a big celebration. Ryder as the hero drank a little too much, and fell into a deep sleep. While he slept, the leader of the bandit group snuck into the town and swapped the shield with an identical one that was not in any way magical. A significant downside to that particular shield.”
“Because it could be so easily misplaced or changed. Were you aware of the swap?” Alrion said.
“Of course, I could tell. However, I didn't act, I just observed. The next day the bandit leader returned and said that if Ryder defeated him in single combat, they would leave the town alone forever. Ryder immediately accepted, thinking that his shield would keep him from harm. So, with the townsfolk and the bandits watching on, the bandit leader and Ryder faced off in a sword fight.” Falric paused for dramatic effect. Alrion made a gesture to Falric to keep going, he needed to hear what was next.
“The leader wielded two swords, and Ryder used a sword and shield. They traded blows, and the shield held up, but something was amiss. The perfect deflection abilities of the old shield were not there, and the shield started to show damage. Ryder, to his credit continued fighting, even though it was obvious to everyone that his shield was weakening.”
“And what happened?”
“Well, seeing his victory was nigh, the leader surged with a final assault, both his blades whirring at great speed as he attacked Ryder. The plucky farmer parried what he could, but kept using his shield to protect himself. His battle prowess could not match the bandit leader. Finally, the shield split in two and dropped to the ground. The bandit leader had his sword at Ryder's throat and demanded that he surrender.”
“So, that's where you stepped in?” Alrion was trying to figure out what role Falric had played in this.
“Not quite. Ryder refused to surrender and rolled away. He grabbed one half of the shield and kept fighting, with a ferocity and energy that was unmatched. The leader was suddenly on the back foot. But he counter-attacked and went for broke, trying to finish Ryder once and for all.” Falric again paused for drama. Alrion let go a sigh of frustration and then Falric continued again.
“It all came down to one final swing. The bandit leader had attacked high and was following up with a piercing thrust. Ryder had parried the first attack with his blade, but the shield was too small to protect him. Therefore, instead of trying to block the attack, he used the sharp jagged edge of the broken shield to attack the bandit leader. Both men took critical wounds, and neither could continue the fight.”
“What did that mean for the town?”
“The bandit leader retreated and left the town alone. Ryder recovered, but could not return to a life of farming. He took to hanging around this very inn, and soon people would come from all over the area to hear his story. To capitalise on this, the owner renamed it The Sundered Shield, to commemorate Ryder's actions and to profit on his popularity. With the town safe from bandit attacks, and now on the map for the heroic actions of Ryder, it quickly grew in popularity and prosperity.” Falric finished with a flourish and sat back in his chair.
“Hang on, there's no mention of wizards in that story at all. Apart from what you have mentioned to us,” Alrion said.
“Exactly. So, you see, I knew that direct involvement would change the struggle, and maybe even escalate it. But by letting Ryder take responsibility, and a relatively risk-free item from our stores, I let the story play out to a complete and proper resolution,” Falric said.
“But he profited by stealing from you? What kind of message is that?” Alrion liked the story, but didn't see the point of it. Not from a wizard's perspective anyway.
“It shows that he was prepared to do what was necessary. It also shows that his actions cost him dearly, but he still managed to win a victory for his town.”
“Whatever happened to the magic shield?”
“Well, I visited the bandit camp and retrieved it without them noticing,” Falric said with a grin.
“Sounds like wizards do a lot of nothing,” Alrion said. Vincent grunted in agreement.
“Sometimes, yes. However, one thing you will learn is that every action has consequences, even inaction. And acting only when required will have a greater impact.” Falric let his gaze linger on Alrion, and then turned his attention to Vincent.
“That's enough stories for the evening, let's get some food, then turn in,” Vincent said. Alrion's stomach rumbled in agreement, and he looked forward to what was on offer.
After the meal, they all walked upstairs to retire for the evening. Alrion showed Falric to his room, and the wizard was satisfied with it. Vincent was less than impressed with their room, but at the same time, he seemed to be expecting it. Alrion lay down to sleep and dreamed about being a wizard and hurling fireballs everywhere.
When he awoke, he was alone. His father had packed up and left the room.
I don't know how he's always up so early, Alrion thought, as he started to prepare himself. He reached into his pocket to look at his ring again, only the pouch wasn't there. After a few seconds of panic, he tried his other pocket, then went through the rest of his clothes looking for it. There was no ring.
He thought back to all the things he had done since they left Hamley. The whole time it had only been the three of them, and neither his father nor Falric would have taken it. Then he had a flash of insight. When he was outside the inn, he had bumped into that young woman. She must have taken it, there was no other explanation.
But how is that possible?
He realised that perhaps he had a great deal to learn about the world, and chalked it up to experience. However, he couldn't admit to his father that he had lost such a precious heirloom so soon, so decided to keep the incident to himself. He justified it to himself by thinking back to the words his father had spoken about the ring: ‘After all this time I never lost it. It always showed up when I felt like I needed it.’
7
The Wooded Path
Alrion descended the stairs and couldn't see his father or Falric. He handed the room key back to the woman behind the bar, then left the inn. He could see Falric standing outside, waiting.
“Good morning,” Falric said.
“Good morning. We're leaving immediately?” Alrion said.
“Yes, the sooner the better. We can stop a little later and have something to eat. Your father is readying the horses.” Falric pointed to the stables.
“That's fine,” Alrion said. He looked around to see if he could see the girl who had stolen his ring but didn't recognise any of the people nearby. It was foolish to think she would still be here; she was probably long gone. When his father emerged, Alrion slung his bag onto the back of the horse, then mounted it.
“How are you feeling? Have you ridden this much before?” Vincent said.
“Not too bad. I don't think I have ridden this much, but I doubt it will get much worse.” Alrion was a bit stiff and sore, but it didn't bother him.
“I think that's fair. We should arrive by evening, right, Falric?” Vincent said.
“Correct.”
“Then let's head out.” Vincent took the lead, guiding his horse back towards the main gate. Alrion followed but continued to peer into the crowd. He knew it was fruitless, but he had to look for the thief. If there was a chance he could recover the ring, he had to take it.
As they passed through the main gate, Alrion finally accepted that the ring was gone. He would keep that information to himself for a while, and tell his father later. After they left Carford, they backtracked a little, before taking another direction back at an earlier fork in the road.
“Any other towns on our route?” Alrion said.
“No, that was it. We will stay on this path initially, then cut through the forest. That will be a good place to stop and eat,” Falric said. Alrion nodded and watched the countryside pass by.
The land still looked familiar, even if he hadn't travelled this far before. The grass was a lush green, and there were many trees around. The occasional dirt roads branched off the main one, with signposts directing people to homesteads or smaller tracks.
After an hour or two Falric slowed his horse and Alrion and Vincent followed suit.
“This path here to the left, leads to the Wizard Academy,” Falric said, pointing it out. Alrion noticed a wooden sign next to the path.
“Needle Forest,” Alrion said, reading the sign.
“That's the one. We need to pass through there to get to the academy.”
“Why not have a sign for the academy?” Alrion said.
“It's better this way. The people who need to find us can do so anyway.” Falric immediately set off once more. Alrion followed, and Vincent lingered, taking up the rear position.
They had to ride down the new path in single file, as it was quite narrow. The trees were incredibly tall and had long fine bristles on them. There was a fresh woody smell that filled Alrion's lungs and instilled a sense of calm.
“I can see why it is called Needle Forest.” Alrion grabbed the bristles on a nearby tree and broke some off into his hand so he could take a better look at them.
“Not very imaginative, but quite apt.” Falric had his eyes focused on the road ahead. Alrion continued to look around. The trees in their size and numbers were imposing and menacing. Like they didn't want him to be there. He shuddered instinctively.
“Let's stop over here.” Falric turned off the path abruptly. He pushed between two trees and Alrion followed closely behind. It seemed like a poor decision at first, but they quickly emerged into a small clearing.
“I love this spot, I always stop here,” Falric said. Alrion could see why. It was covered and secluded. You would never know to look for it. Yet the grass was short and looked soft. They tied up the horses and sat down to eat.
“What do you know of the Blight?” Falric asked Alrion.
“Not much really. People talk about it in hushed tones, but nobody seems to be able to talk from experience,” Alrion said.
“That's a good thing. It is best to avoid experience of the Blight if possible. Although as a wizard you will have to confront it at some time or another.”
“Why is that?”
“From a practical perspective, the Blight is everywhere. You have been lucky enough to grow up in the country of Avaria. Due to the sacrifice of your grandfather, this country is free from the Blight. Strong border controls at key locations do help keep it in check as well.”
“It's a problem elsewhere?”
“Yes, a big problem. Every person deals with the Blight in different ways.”
“But what is it?” Alrion had trouble imagining what it was.
“That's a good question. The Blight is an infection, a disease as the name implies. But, it's more than that. It has a life of its own, and it connects all those infected. The Blight cannot create creatures, but it twists creatures to its purpose.”
“Can it be destroyed?”
“Wizards can cleanse the blight, as your grandfather demonstrated. But so far only he has been able to do so. Our current options are either to destroy the infected, contain them, or keep them away.”
“That doesn't sound good. Weren't the infected originally people?”
“Yes, they were, so as you can imagine it's a huge problem. One that you must learn to deal with as a wizard. You will initially be sheltered as you start to learn at the academy. But eventually, you will join the world. And the Blight is a part of the world.”
“How long has it been around?”
“The stories vary. Some say it has always been around. But regardless of the origins, it is well catalogued when it became a problem. Over fifty years ago, the Blight became a major problem and swept across the world incredibly quickly. We were not equipped to deal with it. It took many hard lessons to get to the point we are at today.” Falric sighed and his facial expression was bleak. Alrion didn't have any follow-up questions, he just pondered what had been said. It was an explanation, but he didn't feel like he truly understood.
“That look on your face, I have seen it before from others when hearing about the Blight. Trust me, once you encounter it, you will understand.” Falric turned his gaze toward Vincent.
“I would normally say I hope you don't encounter it, but it seems like you will have no choice,” Vincent said.
“So, you've dealt with it?” Alrion was curious. His father never spoke of his life before Hamley. And if he had experience about the Blight, it had to have been earlier.
“Yes, quite a bit. I travelled a lot before I met your mother and we settled here. Avaria is a precious gift. Unfortunately, when you venture forth to other countries, you will see something a lot grimmer. It is the state of the world right now, and hopefully one day we can end the Blight for good,” Vincent said.
“It was your grandfather's wish to end the Blight. I don't believe that his cleansing of Avaria was the final piece in his plan, just the beginning. However, the fact that he already achieved so much means that it is possible for us. We just need to find the right way.” Falric had a hopeful look again.
“That makes sense. If it's so bad, and it's a more recent thing, then maybe it's not as hard as you think?” Alrion said. Falric and Vincent laughed.
“Maybe not, we'll see,” Falric said.
Alrion however, had another question.
“What happens when we get to the academy?” he said.
“You and your father will be welcomed, then there are some formalities to go through before you can start your training,” Falric said.
“What kind of formalities?” Alrion had already had the surprise test. He wondered what else was in store for him.
“There is an induction ceremony. You will be introduced as a new student to the rest of your peers at the academy. Then you will take part in the ceremony and receive a gift given to all the wizards.”
“But what does that actually mean?”
“It means that there are a few secrets that are yet to be revealed,” Falric said, a crafty smile on his face.
“Get used to this.” Vincent pointed at Falric.
“Mystery and secrecy are important tools in a wizard's kit,” Falric said.
“Can't you at least give him a little more detail?” Vincent said.
“Honestly, there is some value in it being a surprise. I have sat through countless induction ceremonies, and still find them interesting and moving. So, I'm very hesitant to say more.”
“Has there always been an induction?” Alrion said.
“Yes, there has. When your grandfather established the academy, he was adamant that all initiates must take part in the ceremony. He designed it himself. It's a unifying moment that gives all wizards a shared history, and a greater connection to each other.”
“Sorry son, but I think that's all you are going to get,” Vincent said.
“It just sounds like that is the way it is.”
“Well put. Should we get going then?” Falric said.
“Sure, let's pack up.” Vincent stood and started packing their bags. They each carefully guided the horses out of the clearing and onto the main path once more.
Alrion looked around the forest as they progressed, and noticed there didn't seem to be a lot of wildlife.
“Is there something wrong with this forest?” he said.
“Why do you ask?” Falric said.
“I don't see any animals.”
“That's a good observation. Mostly smaller animals live here, and they are nocturnal. It is very quiet during the day.”
“Is there a reason for that?”
“I'm not entirely sure; I've never looked into it. The academy has always been nearby, but I didn't think that this forest had any significance,” Falric said.
“I guess it's just different to what I'm used to.” Alrion kept looking around in vain. The lack of animals was really obvious once he had spotted it.
“You have good instincts, Son, there's definitely something different about this forest. There must be a history,” Vincent said.
“Tell you what; I'll have someone look into it later. Even if for educational purposes, it would be worthwhile understanding more of the history surrounding this place,” Falric said. They continued in silence, as if in keeping with the wishes of the forest. Falric looked like he was about to announce something but stopped. Alrion soon found out why.
