Devil's Dreams
A week passed. Eleni and Magnus had almost forgotten about Amion. They figured he would come again, but he didn't even stray within a mile of their home. The guards could attest to that.
Eleni had practically kept herself under lock and key in that time. She never left the safety of the house, where Magnus and his personal Healer, Mimi, lived. If ever she had to go out for something, Eleni would make sure she went with Magnus's most trusted lieutenants, Dolan and Ferdenan.
But now, she felt secure enough to go out and play. She had gone on a picnic with her father, Mimi, Sara, Amon, her tutor Huxely, Dolan, and Ferdenan. They all ate a nice lunch, and watched the clouds go by. Amon said he saw a warhorse in one of them, while Eleni saw a dragon in another. Pretty soon, all three kids were trying to figure out what each cloud looked like.
After that was over, the three children went to play hide-and-seek in the forest. Eleni returned to her secret spot, wondering if the others had forgotten about it by now. Besides, no one uses the same space every time they hide, so repeating it once in a while could throw them for a loop.
Today, Eleni had brought a book along with her. It was the magic textbook she used when she studied with Huxely. She was so close to casting an actual spell, that she could feel it. So Eleni was trying to speed up the process a little bit.
"Dark Star, the basic spell of Mage Class," she read quietly, "It summons a small void to consume your enemy. The weakest of a Mage's repertoire, it serves as a basis for all attack magic."
"Well read Eleni. You are a true Mage," Amion's voice echoed. He jumped down from the trees above her, and stared at the child with evil looking eyes.
Eleni screamed, "No, leave me alone. Dark Star, come to my aid." To her amazement, the spell flowed right from her hands, and hit Amion in the chest. He reeled back in obvious pain.
Amion walked closer. "You are indeed a mighty sorceress. No adult has ever managed to scratch me, but you, a mere child succeeded. You'll be the perfect servant." With that, he grabbed her by the wrist, and held her tightly, pulling her along with him.
"Let me go," she called out, "Daddy, Dolan, Ferdenan. . .help me!"
* * *
"Magnus, come quick! We need help!" exclaimed Sara. She ran towards where the adults were still talking. By the time she arrived, she was out of breath.
He asked her, "What is wrong Sara?"
Sara caught her breath. "We were playing hide-and-seek, and I was it. But when I looked around the forest, I couldn't find Eleni. I found Amon, and we looked together. Eleni is no where to be found. Then, in a clearing, we found this." She held up Eleni's magic book.
"Take me to where you found it," Magnus requested, "We might be able to find some clues as to what happened if we go. Ferdenan, Dolan, let's go."
When they got there, the three began to look around. On the ground, they could see Eleni's little footprints, as well as Amion's larger ones. It looked like the child had been struggling to get away from the man, from the way her prints seemed to go every which way, as the man's stayed still.
"It must be that guy who visited you last week General Magnus," stated Ferdenan.
Magnus said, "Who else would it be. Darn, how could we have been so careless? We should have known that he was only laying low so we'd let our guard down, making it easier to take her."
Dolan pointed to the west. "It looks like the tracks go off in that direction. We must follow them immediately. He has at least ten minutes on us, that's how long ago Sara found the book."
* * *
"Would you just shut up, brat," Amion yelled, "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want you to use your magic on that monster up ahead of us."
"You do it, I want my daddy," screamed Eleni.
The monster charged the child. Eleni's eyes showed signs of obvious fears. Suddenly, she let out a Dark Star, and obliterated it in one shot. Then she began to cry even harder.
Amion told her, "We're almost to town. You're going to help me become very rich my dear. I'm going to become the most famous sorcerer/thief once I have you on my side."
Eleni looked back, hoping her father would appear before her. "But stealing from people is very bad, isn't it? That's what my daddy always says to me."
"Do you think I care what your daddy tells you," Amion mocked, "You belong to me now, and you'll listen to what I say. If I say you'll help me steal, then you'll help me steal."
'Daddy, come and help me. Ferenan, Dolan, Huxely, Mimi, Amon, Sara, I miss all of you. I want to go back home,' she thought. A tear fell down her cheek.
* * *
Ferdenan looked ahead of himself at the terrain. It sure didn't look friendly, and he was scared. He suddenly saw something moving in the woods, and he jumped. It turned out to only be a little rabbit. Dolan asked, "Why do you always pick the worst times to freak out? We need to save Eleni, not run around like chickens with our heads cut off."
Magnus got in between before a fight broke out. "Dolan is right Ferdenan. We're behind as it is, and I don't want to lose track of Amion. Hopefully, we can find him before he goes to a port to catch a ship somewhere. If he gets on a ship, we'll never find him."
Both men agreed with him. They continued walking through the forest. Nothing was going to stop them from saving Eleni, even if it meant their lives.
- - - -
Amion's ambitions have been revealed. Now Magnus goes on his quest to save his daughter.
A week passed. Eleni and Magnus had almost forgotten about Amion. They figured he would come again, but he didn't even stray within a mile of their home. The guards could attest to that.
Eleni had practically kept herself under lock and key in that time. She never left the safety of the house, where Magnus and his personal Healer, Mimi, lived. If ever she had to go out for something, Eleni would make sure she went with Magnus's most trusted lieutenants, Dolan and Ferdenan.
But now, she felt secure enough to go out and play. She had gone on a picnic with her father, Mimi, Sara, Amon, her tutor Huxely, Dolan, and Ferdenan. They all ate a nice lunch, and watched the clouds go by. Amon said he saw a warhorse in one of them, while Eleni saw a dragon in another. Pretty soon, all three kids were trying to figure out what each cloud looked like.
After that was over, the three children went to play hide-and-seek in the forest. Eleni returned to her secret spot, wondering if the others had forgotten about it by now. Besides, no one uses the same space every time they hide, so repeating it once in a while could throw them for a loop.
Today, Eleni had brought a book along with her. It was the magic textbook she used when she studied with Huxely. She was so close to casting an actual spell, that she could feel it. So Eleni was trying to speed up the process a little bit.
"Dark Star, the basic spell of Mage Class," she read quietly, "It summons a small void to consume your enemy. The weakest of a Mage's repertoire, it serves as a basis for all attack magic."
"Well read Eleni. You are a true Mage," Amion's voice echoed. He jumped down from the trees above her, and stared at the child with evil looking eyes.
Eleni screamed, "No, leave me alone. Dark Star, come to my aid." To her amazement, the spell flowed right from her hands, and hit Amion in the chest. He reeled back in obvious pain.
Amion walked closer. "You are indeed a mighty sorceress. No adult has ever managed to scratch me, but you, a mere child succeeded. You'll be the perfect servant." With that, he grabbed her by the wrist, and held her tightly, pulling her along with him.
"Let me go," she called out, "Daddy, Dolan, Ferdenan. . .help me!"
* * *
"Magnus, come quick! We need help!" exclaimed Sara. She ran towards where the adults were still talking. By the time she arrived, she was out of breath.
He asked her, "What is wrong Sara?"
Sara caught her breath. "We were playing hide-and-seek, and I was it. But when I looked around the forest, I couldn't find Eleni. I found Amon, and we looked together. Eleni is no where to be found. Then, in a clearing, we found this." She held up Eleni's magic book.
"Take me to where you found it," Magnus requested, "We might be able to find some clues as to what happened if we go. Ferdenan, Dolan, let's go."
When they got there, the three began to look around. On the ground, they could see Eleni's little footprints, as well as Amion's larger ones. It looked like the child had been struggling to get away from the man, from the way her prints seemed to go every which way, as the man's stayed still.
"It must be that guy who visited you last week General Magnus," stated Ferdenan.
Magnus said, "Who else would it be. Darn, how could we have been so careless? We should have known that he was only laying low so we'd let our guard down, making it easier to take her."
Dolan pointed to the west. "It looks like the tracks go off in that direction. We must follow them immediately. He has at least ten minutes on us, that's how long ago Sara found the book."
* * *
"Would you just shut up, brat," Amion yelled, "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want you to use your magic on that monster up ahead of us."
"You do it, I want my daddy," screamed Eleni.
The monster charged the child. Eleni's eyes showed signs of obvious fears. Suddenly, she let out a Dark Star, and obliterated it in one shot. Then she began to cry even harder.
Amion told her, "We're almost to town. You're going to help me become very rich my dear. I'm going to become the most famous sorcerer/thief once I have you on my side."
Eleni looked back, hoping her father would appear before her. "But stealing from people is very bad, isn't it? That's what my daddy always says to me."
"Do you think I care what your daddy tells you," Amion mocked, "You belong to me now, and you'll listen to what I say. If I say you'll help me steal, then you'll help me steal."
'Daddy, come and help me. Ferenan, Dolan, Huxely, Mimi, Amon, Sara, I miss all of you. I want to go back home,' she thought. A tear fell down her cheek.
* * *
Ferdenan looked ahead of himself at the terrain. It sure didn't look friendly, and he was scared. He suddenly saw something moving in the woods, and he jumped. It turned out to only be a little rabbit. Dolan asked, "Why do you always pick the worst times to freak out? We need to save Eleni, not run around like chickens with our heads cut off."
Magnus got in between before a fight broke out. "Dolan is right Ferdenan. We're behind as it is, and I don't want to lose track of Amion. Hopefully, we can find him before he goes to a port to catch a ship somewhere. If he gets on a ship, we'll never find him."
Both men agreed with him. They continued walking through the forest. Nothing was going to stop them from saving Eleni, even if it meant their lives.
- - - -
Amion's ambitions have been revealed. Now Magnus goes on his quest to save his daughter.