Whisper on the Wind Chapter 1
Blood, tears, and sweat. Sounds like any normal hard day at work. This is how the Wizard of Harmonica town woke up one early morning in the wee hours of dawn. However, it wasn't after a hard days work, but after a tiresome dream or nightmare that he couldn't remember despite how hard he tried. In fact the harder he tried the more blood trickled from from his right golden eye, the more his head pounded with intense pain, the more tears his other eye cried, and the more his chest hurt with pain and lack of breath.
Calculating it would only be more detrimental to his health if he continued to try and remember he brushed off the dream and pulled his covers off himself. Wishing not to stain his sheets he quickly stood up and attempted to walk towards his sink, but about halfway there he fell over from exhaustion and pain. He curled up into himself grabbing his shoulders and shook violently.
"What is... what is wrong with me," he said meekly out loud to the darkened room around him, feeling a sense of dread that he couldn't shake off from his void of dreams. Could staying up late all this time and forcing himself to be up a reasonable hour in the morning really begin to wear him down? He began to suspect the misfortunes for his bad health this morning to be due to his own habits, but he felt a sweeping emotion over take him that he couldn't quite understand. Physically he felt like someone filled his lungs with water and he couldn't breath. He continued to shake and only after listening to himself did he realize he was sobbing uncontrollably, and that he in fact hadn't stopped since he woke up. Letting himself go unable to control himself , he cried alone in his quiet home for several minutes.
Finally as if his body finally resigned to wants, he felt a fog begin lifting from his brain and he finally calmed himself down.
Slowly he lifted himself up off the wood floor, a small pool of dark cool blood lay on the floor below him. He walked towards his sink again, this time making sure to hold onto things as he did. His body felt very weak and sore, causing him to wobble as he walked. Finally reaching the sink he pulled out a small metal bucket from a cabinet and put it underneath the faucet. Waiting for it to fill he waved his hand which shimmered with a dim light and a moment later the lights inside his not quite so humble abode turned on. The light caused a sharp pain in his head that would subside minutes later into a dull all day ache. Meanwhile he took his filled bucket of water and cleaned the blood off the floor.
That's all his reputation would need... The fortune teller who called himself a wizard.. with a blood stain on his floor. He shook his head as he thought to himself the consequences that would occur.
Finishing he decided to himself to get back to work. There were plenty of logs to work on and worrying about unexplainable dreams and the reasons behind his health would only waste time. Going forward he promised himself to try and sleep more and take better care of himself. Getting back to his kitchen area he searched his cabinets for coffee. Oddly enough it took him a moment to find some... it wasn't in the usual spot, his cups were haphazardly strewn in the cupboard... there was dust everywhere. Not that he minded dust but he felt he was much cleaner than this and definitely more organized. The only thing stopping him from investigating further was the continuous headache.
After what felt like a lifetime his coffee finally finished brewing and eagerly he filled himself a cup. He gently blew on it, his breath ice cold quickly cooling the piping hot liquid to drinkable temperature, he gulped down the first half of his cup and finally for the first time this morning felt a sense of comfort and relief. He thought about how he would spend the rest of the day, peering into the next few hours of his day. Seeing the immediate future was one of his developed abilities.. though he mostly used it to prepare himself for the day ahead anymore and for the townsfolks' requests. Though he might occasionally feel the townsfolk to be a nuisance to his studies, he admitted to himself that it was much better then constantly being alone.
As he concentrated he sensed no one would visit him today, but felt that he would not be in his home all day. Why would he go anywhere, he thought to himself... maybe to get more food and supplies as he running very low... Another odd thing.. .since he never had done so before and kept on top of being orderly and prepared... He might see the doctor he thought afterward.. maybe there was something wrong that he couldn't find the explanation for... That thought above all things unsettled him just a little, but like all things this morning, it passed.
Sighing he finished his first cup of coffee, and poured a second one. This time he would let it cool naturally. Walking back across the room he settled himself at his desk, slowly enjoying his second cup of coffee. He began to feel a little more normal again, the emotions from this morning finally fading, and his strength, mostly due to caffeine, returning. Satisfied he felt ready to work.
Except... when he opened his desk drawer.. Everything... was missing... His bored face turned towards the floor as he realized this day... Was not going to go his way. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed and decided to get up and change. Again he found his drawers with clothes stuffed into them, half folded, and completely unorganized. Pulling things out he noticed a small black cloak with lacing around the edges... He groaned, his eyes rolling back into his head.
"...Princess...," he said out loud with indignation. He gripped his dresser and let his head rest on it. This explains... everything. The Witch... was the reason... behind everything. Most likely a prank that went a little to far.. that messed up his house, and himself. Probably got blasted in his sleep and she took off with his things as a joke. Though a bit malicious even for her, he wouldn't put it past her.. .Now he knew why he would be leaving the house.