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Chapter 10: the sorrowful king
"Hey Timoken... or should I say Red King"
The king in his entire red cloaked glory span round to Charlie, he physically beamed with excellence and power but his face showed only sorrow.
"Charlie Bone my good friend, it's been to long" The king embraced his old friend with happiness, it was a weird sight, an old man who went way back with a sixteen year old boy from the future.
"Yes very long for you I'm guessing, I'm only four years older than I once was... I don't want to know how long I have been ignoring you since my father hid your painting" Charlie saw the now happy king laugh.
"It's been Hundreds of years on my end, I have a quilt that prolongs my life remember" The king laughed further when he saw Charlie face palm himself.
"What brings you here to my domain Charlie?" the king was curious, was there a problem in the future or was Charlie just here for a friendly chat.
"I have come to seek an apprenticeship from a certain welsh magician, I have his wand and I don't know how to use it" Charlie gestured towards his burnt arm which he had received making flames with Claerwen.
"I see, you don't want to be killing yourself anytime soon" The king grabbed Charlie's pained arm and channelled healing energies into it, the burn slowly became new skin and Charlie could remove the bandages to discard them.
"I've already died once and I didn't enjoy that, messy business with the blood and the smashed up face, I wish to use his skills to transform you into human form again" Then Charlie remembered another fact "and your wife too"
"What, my wife... but she is dead" The king let a tear fall from his already red puffy eyes "How can you possible bring her back in the future"
"She is already resurrected, by Borlath descendant, the idiot put her soul in a horse, and I can use magic to make her human if possible" The king's face became a visible enraged red and he found the nearest object to take his anger out on, the poor tree had no chance against the flurries of elements and punches the king gave to it.
When the king was finished letting of his steam, Charlie jumped from behind a large rock.
"That damn Borlath, if it wasn't for the massive pollution of future events I would kill him right now!" The king gave one last strike to the ashes of the tree and used magic to clean himself up.
The king then decided he was hungry and used his amazing endowments to create a feast upon a wooden table, complete with water and wine the food looked amazing, Charlie was a bit bummed out by the fact that he hadn't been passed down this power.
"The food does come from an external storage place by the way, I transport it here, and food is one of the many things magic cannot make" Charlie was beckoned to take a seat and due to his passion for alcoholism he made an instant grab for the wine.
"Whoa, easy there, I only have a hundred of them left" The king laughed and drank some wine "Mathowy is on his way here currently to make me a handsome tree, then he can train you"
"Sounds like a plan" Charlie grew too curious about the king's solemn look and asked "Why were you crying?"
"Because Charlie, my kingdom is dying, my sons and daughters have turned on each other, some have died, and countless innocents have been lost, all because of my absence" Charlie knew all about the events, The king have fled leaving the staff of the castle to care for his children when his wife died giving birth to Charlie's ancestor Amoret, then Harken came, and destroyed the peace and the happiness.
"I am familiar with the tale, but I personally believe none of this to be your fault Timoken, you were upset and could never have known that Harken would still be pursuing you after all those years." Charlie offered a hand on the shoulder in support to his old friend.
Over dinner the king and Charlie exchanged stories of their lives, and Charlie especially wanted to throw details in about his girlfriend Olivia, he explained that he was falling for her. He also mentioned Neo Wyborn, but the king was none the wiser because he didn't use her second name.
"So this red knight was actually one of the Bloors and he rode my wife, I may be jealous" the king joked but was also serious too.
"I still don't understand how I came to live again, when I was being resurrected I felt not only Claerwen but your endowments too, but they both had to be wands" The king began to piece it together in his head.
"Mathowy when he transforms me is going to make a wand from the wood of my tree, which has to be the second wand; somebody in the future holds that wand, and it has to be this Neo girl" The king was certain.
"Her name is Neo Wyborn, but she's a descendant of Borlath she claims, maybe she's a magician like me then" Charlie was both excited and worried.
"That's correct, and if she holds The red wand in her hands then you're in big trouble my ancestor" the strong confident voice came from the shadows, Mathowy's cloak almost sucked in the sunlight, it was extremely hard to see him without squinting.
"Mathowy!" Charlie fell back off his chair onto the ground in shock and found he could hardly lift an arm from the ground; Mathowy was using magic to keep him there.
"Stay there boy, me and Timoken are going for our final walk and I don't want distractions" The king gave his goodbye's to Charlie and followed the Welshman into the woods for the last time.
Charlie tried for around half an hour to get up and even attempted to use Claerwen but couldn't budge, Mathowy was simply to powerful. Only minutes later he shot up like he was a fallen tree being lifted and found he was being controlled like Mathowy's puppet, his body moved rigidly in a strange walk towards the man who leaned against a tree and came to rest on the floor near him, Charlie then regained control.
"that was to show you exactly who is the boss around here" Mathowy had drawn his hood and Charlie saw that he had long snow white almost blue hair that reached his lower back, it reminded Charlie of Claerwen, Charlie went to grab her but found she was gone.
"Where is my wand?" Charlie had a strong suspicion that Mathowy had taken her.
"Don't worry, she's in my capable care, the younger Claerwen is on her way to Skarpo so I need a replacement for now" Mathowy brandished Claerwen which fitted him perfectly spiritually as he was closely related to its creator, his father.
"I wish for you to train me in your ways Mathowy, so that I can both protect my friends and bring the king back to his former self" Charlie put on his best confident voice but was still deadly nervous.
"A noble and just cause, I may be willing to take on your offer if you do me a task" Mathowy smirked.
"And what would that be?" Charlie asked, he was dreading the answer.
"Kill Borlath" Charlie though about the simplicity of the task, just kill a fire bending warlord, should be easy for a sixteen year old boy who has no fighting skills whatsoever.
"No I can't, it would change the future for the worst" Mathowy smiled, he had given the correct answer it seemed.
"Well done, you're officially hired as my apprentice"
Many years later
Neo had snuck into the king's room and locked the door, earlier on Charlie bone he assignment had went inside the kings portrait and Manfred had ordered her to block his way back. She hated to work under Manfred as a mere lackey, she could end his pitiful life in an instant but she owed him a million, in order to get her to trap her best friends love interest in the past Manfred had had to follow her here.
"I hope you're not having second thoughts young Neo, you owe me remember" Manfred sat in the nearest chair and watched her.
"I don't want to betray my best friend, but I can't betray my saviour, I think I may need some help on this one" Manfred got her drift and clicked his fingers, Neo's head dropped and Manfred held her in a lucid state.
Manfred had basically put her to sleep so he could put messages in her unconscious mind;
"When you awake you will without thinking block the painting with magic, you will also in future when I give the command hunt down and kill Charlie bone, while you do this you will be only be able to focus on that task and nothing else" Manfred had basically made neo into a timed weapon which he could use when he felt fit to. Manfred was about to click again when he stopped and gave into his desires.
Manfred only for a few seconds locked his lips with the motionless ones of Neo, it was not a real kiss par say but he managed not to feel guilty, he had wanted to do that since he saw her for the first time, albeit naked in a dusty attic.
Manfred clicked his fingers and watched neo draw he red wand and use her magic to seal the gateway to the past which was the red king's portrait.
Oh dear, it appears Charlie's stuck in the past for now, but atleast he's training under Mathowy right. Please review