Tales of a White Mage
Sands of Blood
(Epilogue)
The Battle of the Bloody Sands, as it was now being called, was the talk of the town in Selbina. The three survivors had arrived five days earlier, and their incredible story had quickly been retold throughout the entire settlement. Rumors flew everywhere about the identity of the mysterious white mage who sacrificed his life to slay the evil demon Marchelute. This was the kind of story that the people of the small settlement thrived upon, and the majority of its inhabitants delighted in retelling the latest version of events to anyone and everyone who would listen.
There were, however, some inhabitants who didn't get caught up in the excited atmosphere of the town. The three survivors were very sullen, mourning the loss of friends and saviors alike. Elsewhere in the town, a young warrior and black mage had shed many tears over the loss of someone who had done so much for them. Unlike everyone else in the town, Lantis and Linya knew the name of the mysterious hero. They couldn't find the heart to join in with the rampant rumor mill though, and doubted that Deronis would have even wanted them to.
As the burning sun began to descend in the sky once more, a man in a dark cloak entered the town and slowly walked to the nearest tavern. Exhausted, the wanderer wanted nothing more than to purchase a hot meal and a clean room. Every part of his body seemed to scream at him with every step he took. 'Dying always does hurt like hell,' he thought to himself.
It had been nearly a day after his death that the re-raise spell had taken effect. Weakened and injured, it had taken him nearly two weeks to make his way back to Selbina. He had finally made it, however, and would soon be able to rest…
When he reached the tavern, he moved directly to the bar and took a seat. He waited for the bartender to come over, and purchased both a meal and a room. As he sat there silently nursing his drink, an elderly Hume sitting next to him turned and said, "Hey stranger, have you heard about the battle up at the secret beach? They say some white mage saved a few kids from some kind of demon. There's another rumor goin around that he actually brought some poor soul back from the dead."
Deronis turned to the old man and shrugged. "I'm just passing through the area looking for some scrolls. I hadn't heard any rumors. Do you by chance know of any merchants in the area who sell arcane objects?"
"Yea, as a matter of fact I do. There are a pair of elves over by the cloth crafters guild that sell magic scrolls nice and cheap. Now, you say you haven't heard any of these stories? Well, you're in for a treat. I haven't heard of anything this exciting in quite a while."
Deronis sat back contentedly, happy to have at last found the objective he had originally set out for. Tomorrow, he would go and browse the inventory of the scroll merchants, and after that… who knows? He would simply go where Altana willed him to. For now though… he sat back and listened to the old man as he told tales of a white mage.
The end.
Authors Notes:
This was the first, but perhaps not last, story I had in mind for Deronis the white mage. This was the way I originally intended to end the story, though I must admit I was quite tempted to leave Deronis dead after the fourth chapter and write my next story focusing on Lantis and Linya. I still might write a side story about them at some point, but for now any future stories will probably still start Deronis as the main character.
Vivli, thank you for all of your reviews. Regarding the fourth chapter, I was trying to describe the ability "Elemental Seal" without actually using the name of it. Deronis used this ability, which increases the potency of the next black magic spell, right before casting bind. That's why it seemed a little more complex than it should have been.
I know I don't update all that consistently, but I hope to be back with a second story soon.