Chapter 5

The hero learns some things about magic

I had only the briefest of warnings as a bolt of energy slammed into my back, sprawling me forward. I really need to get some armor, one part of my brain thought at me.

The book had gone skittering away from me but I had held on to the club, so I flipped myself over and started to rise when my eyes caught sight of the one that had launched the bolt at me. One can only describe him as "a wizard." A dark wizard, at that, being covered head to toe in that white robe, the hood of which was pulled up over his face leaving only his blazing eyes to be seen from within the darkness. He carried a staff that had a shiny sphere set into the end of it, and it was pointed at me and glowing. Crap. I thought. This isn't going to end well. I sat back down and the wizard nodded like I had just made the right choice. Then his eyes shifted a bit and I followed his gaze- double crap. He had spotted the book!

His voice was ragged and grating, "Doing some light reading then, in a dead man's house? Though I guess a cave man would do everything in his cave." He laughed a funny laugh like he had told the best joke in the world, but I was just confused. Cave… man? What? Oh, right, the club. I really needed to get a sword. Sword and armor, if I lived though this. Maybe someone in town could lend me the money.

Hey I thought, what if I could lend money to people in exchange for getting more back later? I could make, with enough time, infinite money! Another part of me wondered if this was the time and I remembered, oh yeah, the wizard. Who wanted to kill me, at least by the looks of things.

"I don't recall seeing that on you when you went in there, so you must have found it inside. The Dragonlord will be interested to read what it has to say, I'm sure."

I knew I needed to distract him, buy some time to think of some plan to get myself out of this. "You've been following me?" I asked.

"In a way," the wizard answered. "I wasn't traipsing along your wake, skulking behind trees if that's what you mean."

It sounds like that's exactly what he was doing, though.

"Once I realized a hoard of slimes from the area had been killed, I investigated, with, what it is, oh right, magic. And what did I find? Some neanderthal with a club, destroying my master's fine work! I would have just killed you then and there, but you went into the tomb, so I thought I would wait until you came out, to see if you were carrying anything interesting. And, oh look, you are. Well, you were. I'm surprised you're still alive, you must have not taken too much damage on the way here. Still, we had better get this little contest underway, yes?"

I looked away, but tensed myself to spring, adjusting the grip I had on the club. "What if I just agreed to give you the book in exchange for my life?"

"I'm afraid the penalty for killing my master's creatures-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish, I sprang at the wizard, but he must have anticipated me, whipping the other end of the staff at me and knocking me back down before I could fully get up. Ow.

"As I was saying," the wizard said, as he pointed the glowing end of the staff at me again. "The penalty for killing my master's creatures is death. By the way, I think my maneuver just then was quite well done, don't you? Strange how a magic user can physically attack the so called hero of the age and knock them around, isn't it. I suppose I should be glad we met when we did, given too much more time and our situation may have been reversed."

I could only glower at him, wondering what he was on about now. I wouldn't get that much stronger after only a day of wandering around beating up lesser minions, would I? Hardly.

He laughed again and turned away. "But perhaps I should deliver you as a gift for my master. One of his dragons I'm sure could use a meal of a would be hero. Don't you think?"

He paused and looked back at me expectantly, as though I was going to answer, and laughed again when I not did.

"Perhaps I hit you too hard, did I get your mouth as well, caveman?" He swung his staff at me and hit me in the jaw, making me see spots.Wait, wasn't there something I could be doing in this situation? Dodging, that was it. Shouldn't I be dodging, or blocking, or something? Maybe look into a shield when I get back to town? It didn't seem fair he was getting to attack me and I couldn't hit him back, but he wasn't giving me time to get up. He swung again, this time braining me in the head. Somehow, I knew, don't ask me how, that something white had just turned… orange? Where had that thought come from?

"See, now that was hitting you in the head," the wizard said. "If you want me to stop, give me a reason."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Obviously you do, as you have just said something, which is not nothing, so you've contradicted yourself. Did I hit you a bit too hard? How's your HP doing? Getting low? Should I cast a heal spell?"

Was this wizard high? My mouth dropped open, which hurt actually, and I stared it him. HP? The heck was he talking about now?

"I've done that before, you know. Brought someone to just 1 HP, then healed them. I wanted to see how many times I could do it before their brain gave up and drove them mad. It was… quite instructional."

This wizard was sick, sick, sick, as well as mad. I needed to get OUT of there, but how?

"I see you are a bit shocked. Yes, your hero friends that came before you screamed quite delightfully before I broke them and sent them back into the world as examples of what happens to those who stand against the Dragonlord. I wonder if he will command that to be done to you, as well? Oh, I do so hope he does!"

The really sick thing is this wizard sounded totally sincere, like a little girl wishing for a pony on her birthday. Actually, had I ever even seen a pony? For that matter, had I ever seen a little girl? Focus, you moron! part of my brain screamed at me. Maybe he did hit me too hard.

"Well, time to collect my prize and get you back to the Dragonlord." the wizard said, bending to pick up the book. "Seems rather unassuming." He turned it over and over in his hands, looking at it from every angle. "I don't think he would be too mad if I took one quick little peak, do you? After all, it could have fallen open and I glanced at the page anyway." He opened it.

Immediately, his body caught fire and he screamed, having no time to react or cast a spell, he burned away before my eyes to nothing. The book fell to the ground, the gold I expected appearing out of thin air as the wizard died. I looked at the book with trepidation, it had fallen to the ground open, to what looked like the first few pages. I retrieved my club and crawled over to it, noting that there were glowing symbols now on the pages that had before been blank. Afraid to touch it, I moved closer and saw there was some writing on the bottom of the page.

That was your one freebie, it won't work again. Don't mess up like that, next time.

Great, I was being admonished by a book now. Well, really whoever it was that put that spell into the book in the first place. Was it keyed to any hand but mine? If the tool shop owner had opened it, would that have been his fate? Or was it keyed to evil? I guess I would never know. Gingerly touching it, I found it not even warm and scooped it up. I scooped up the small pile of gold coins as well and finally stood, and thought at least some good had come out of it. I looked around for his staff. Something like that could come in handy or be sold, I thought, but it was gone too. Pity. Was it part of the wizard such that it had been made out of the gold used to fashion him? Is that why it vanished, or was it simply burnt when that protection spell went off? As I took a step to check around the back of the tree in case something else was hiding back there a slime drew near.

It was going to be a long walk back.

Brecconary! How the sight of the castle and nearby town served to bolster my flagging spirit as I saw them in the distance. I knew I needed to reach them quickly and seek medical care, or at least some herbs. My strength was almost gone, and I bled from more than one wound. I currently had one hand on a large tree nearby (yes, I had checked the back of it) which helped to steady me. The sun shone brightly overhead, and a hint of a breeze whispered in the leaves above my head, making me feel all the worse for spending such a day being beaten up by wizards and other foul creatures of the Dragonlord.

It seems to me I should be more durable than this, I thought. A couple of slimes getting in a lucky hit or two shouldn't cause me so much grief. I spied another somewhat past the tree I had taken refuge against, and luck was with me, I hadn't yet been seen. As quietly as I could, I crept up behind it and slammed my club into it roughly. It gave a kind of "eep" sound and vanished, leaving behind a coin. I straightened, puzzled at something after scooping up the coin with my free hand. Somehow, I could not say how, I knew that I needn't go back to town to be healed. Curious, I chanted the words that had suddenly come into my mind and my wounds closed! I still felt battered, but I was no longer in danger of dying, that much I was certain about. Without so much as a dusty tome to guide me, or years as a wizard's apprentice, I had nevertheless just cast my first magic spell. I was stunned, and stood there marveling at what had just happened for several minutes, looking over my arms and legs to be sure that, yes, I was indeed healed. I did know that some part of myself had been lost to perform this miracle, and I might be able to perform it once again, but not twice. I did so, and again, my wounds were further soothed and repaired in the blink of an eye. I shook my head, thinking back to what the king had said to me- is this what he meant by "trial by fire?" But wizards studied books to learn their craft, that much everyone knew! I was no wizard, was I? Yet wizards cast spells, and I had cast a spell, so that made me a wizard! How was this possible? I hefted the club to my shoulder and staggered on, shaking my head. Even with my newfound health, I didn't want to be caught out here in the open. I needed information, a shield, and rest, and a sword, though perhaps not in that order.

I entered town again and the man that had greeted my upon my arrival last time gave a start. "You're back!" he said, seemingly amazed. I took a moment to look him over before I past him. He wore a white vest over a blue tunic and pants, the same as everyone else in town who wasn't a merchant, over the age of 80, or a soldier. My tired brain struggled and gave up, finding this minor mystery somewhat uninteresting in the face of everything else I had encountered today. Still, it was polite to answer him, and I realized I was staring at him somewhat vacantly.

Perhaps I took a blow to the head at some point? I cast my mind back to what he had said as I approached. Ah, yes.

"This surprises you?" I asked.

"Well, uh," he looked around, flustered. "No one has ever come here, left again, and then returned. Not for a long while, anyway. Welcome back?"

"It wasn't easy." I replied. "Still, I learned a few things and now I'm off to do some shopping I couldn't do before."

"Right, right," he said, now thoughtful. "You, uh, you better move along then."

"Sure, okay." Odd, what caused him to suddenly change his attitude? As I entered town and began walking, I thought about what my first priority was? See the tool shop owner about the new questions I had? Get my armor and weapon, hoping the gold I had made plus a trade in of a slightly used club would be enough? Take a rest? I considered, and decided I was tried of lugging this stupid club around everywhere with me; The weapon shop would be my first stop.

As I walked though the streets, I noticed a change in attitude by other townsfolk as well. They now stayed away from me, while those men dressed in armor and carrying swords gazed at me with suspicion. Had something happened while I was away? Strange. Had I been more alert I would have wondered what all these armed men were doing wandering around town like I was, but at the moment I was more puzzled at their attitudes than their presence here.

I entered the weapon shop with a jingle, having hit the bell with the door and the blacksmith called to from in back. "I'll be right with you!"

"I know the drill," I answered softly, and dropped the club on the counter with a thump. I'll be so glad to get rid of this thing, I thought, pushing it as far away from myself as it would go. I added the bag of gold on the counter and started to count some out of it, noticing for the first time just how much I had accumulated. This was about to lead to a profound idea about how carrying around this much gold hadn't seemed to be as much of a problem as I had initially feared when the blacksmith emerged from the back and disrupted my train of thought.

"What can I do for- YOU!" He looked me up and down. "How did you get back here?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I replied somewhat angrily. After all, was this really the best treatment the soon to be hero of the world should receive? I went on. "I walked. Has this whole town gone crazy? I was welcomed warmly enough the first time I came here."

"Get out of here, I won't sell to a… a… traitor!"

"What are you talking about? Traitor? Me? Impossible! I've beaten up who knows how many dozen of those stupid slime things, visited a grave, solved a puzzle, almost gotten killed by a wizard, and made it back here. Which necessitated more killing of slimes, ghosts and one flying lizard thing… whatever it's called. How does that make me a traitor?"

"You really did all that?" he asked, amazed. "With just the club?"

"I did, though I had some help with the wizard, and I resent the implication I'm- Wait, you think I survived because I'm in league with the Dragonlord?" The townspeople's reactions suddenly became more clear. "Well, I'm not, and that's the end of it. I just did what anyone would do. I fought monsters, didn't die from it, and now I'm back. Are you going to take my gold or not?"

"Well," he said sheepishly. "I guess I owe you an apology." I noticed him eyeing the gold in the pouch that was sitting on the counter. "With all the others that have come here and never returned, I just thought, you know?"

I cleared my throat. "Yes, well, no harm done."

"You really made all this gold killing monsters?"

"I did. And while some might argue it should be returned to the king as the Dragonlord stole it from him in the first place, I think I'm justified in saying I earned it. Spending it on things that will help me kill even more of the Dragonlord's creatures in the future seems a fair trade. After all, doing this I'll be getting back even more of the King's gold. Don't you think?"

"Absolutely," he said, now only half paying attention to me, focusing more now on the sack of gold. "So what did you want to buy?"

"I want to sell this club back to you and pick up a somewhat decent sword and a set of leather armor. Will this be enough to buy all that?"

"Let's take a look," he said, spilling the pouch onto the counter. His eyes glittered like the gold now haphazardly strewn about the counter. We counted.

I walked out with a sword at my hip and wearing something resembling armor, and I even had enough coins for a stay at the inn. This I badly needed, magic or not. I was feeling more like a hero now instead of just a guy with a club, and I stood a little straighter because of it.

That was good, because outside the blacksmith's there was a mob waiting for me.

I paused in mid-step. I looked at them. Blue shirts, blouses, pants and white vests seemed to make a rippling sea of resentment as they stood there silently. I briefly wondered what was up with seamstresses in this town, didn't they know how to make anything but this one outfit? Of course that old guy with the beard, who is wearing the gray robe and standing in the back, could use some new clothes, I thought. Perhaps he's some kind of non-conformist, or just doesn't like blue. Through my mental haze I realized this crowd might want something from me, as they had seemingly gathered together of their own volition.

I gave a slow smile, and a rather nervous laugh. "Can I help you?" The crowd seemed to grow more agitated, eyes shifting to see if anyone would be the first to step forward. No one did. I stopped smiling.

"Uh…" I began.

Then I jumped as a voice behind me roared "What's all this then?" It was the blacksmith, standing behind me.

There was a pause. "He came back!" someone in the crowed shouted. "He must be in league with You Know Who!"

"Voldemort?" someone else whispered.

"No, you idiot, the Dragonlord," I heard someone else answer. "Who in the heck is Voldemort?"

"Not sure, I just thought it was-"

"Not so!" the blacksmith bellowed. "This man has won through using his own strength and skill, because he is not a coward in the face of danger, but a hero!"

"Prove it!" someone shouted.

"Yes, show us the token!"

There was a general agreement to this statement and the crowd looked at me expectantly.

"I only just got into town today." I shouted. "You expect me to rescue the princess and find Erdrick's token in a single day? I didn't even have a sword until a second ago. You wanted me to rescue the princess with a club? If it was that easy why didn't one of you do it?"

Well, the crowd grumbled a bit at that. "You must have some proof," someone insisted.

I was reluctant to show the diary, but at this point, what choice did I have? "Well, I do have-"

"HOLD!" a new voice commanded. The crowd looked and there was the tool shop owner, waddling his great belly towards us. "I will personally vouch for this man," he said, stepping up to my side. "Anyone here that cannot accept that can find somewhere else to buy their herbs, I can tell you that."

I felt some of the tension go out of the air, as the people turned to one another and spoke in hushed tones, looking at me sideways. I heard "blacksmith" and "tool shop owner" and "trustworthy" and wondered if the people in town even knew these guy's names. Odd. Wait, had I asked their names? I could have sworn-

"Very well," one of them said, pointing to the tool shop owner. "But if this guy turns out to be working for him, you'll suffer his fate too." They dispersed, grumbling, and I was left standing with the blacksmith and the tool shop owner.

"Thank you both," I said, relieved. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't come along just then."

"Think nothing of it," said the blacksmith. "Just remember where to come when you need a better sword!" He laughed, pounded me on the back, staggering me a bit, and went back inside his shop.

"Are you okay?" the tool shop owner asked me, concerned. "You're still looking a bit orange, though your HP seems to be okay."

"I'll be fine after some sleep." I replied, not exactly registering his words about HP. "But I found something in the tomb of Erdrick, and I have a lot more questions now than when I started."

"Cast your first spell, did you?" he asked with a grin, gesturing towards the tavern down the street.

I nearly stumbled. "How in the world did you know that?"

"Magic leaves traces," he said. "Which you might learn to recognize, if you're lucky. For now, let's get you a hot meal, and you can tell me all about your adventure."

A meal? Of course. Eating! I had forgotten I needed to do that too. Wait, how could I have forgotten something like that? Though up until that very moment, I wouldn't have said I needed to at all. Strange. But then, this whole day has been one oddness after another.

As we walked I thought about buying this sword again, was there something I was thinking about? Gold? I was sure it would come back to me, right now sitting down seemed like the best idea in the world.