The Wizard's Luck - Part 2
#2 of The Wizard's Luck
A young wizard stood on a green hilltop, peering down over the corpses he'd just created. His purple robe flowed around his feet, his long blonde hair sitting perfectly still atop his head regardless of the raging winds that seemed to surround him. He was holding a long wooden staff in one hand, the base resting against the ground. His face was handsome, and he had nearly flawless skin. His blue eyes were inhumanly illuminated. He was always a fan of flaunting his abilities. He'd earned them, so why shouldn't he?
He'd learned to control a lot of things in his lifetime. He understood how physics worked -that was what allowed him to bend it to his will. He could manipulate light, he could listen in to the thoughts of others. That was a skill he'd hated to use. As well as forcing his own will unto others. It felt wrong to him. But he could do it. He could do it better than anyone else ever could. He could summon fire, frost, and lightning. He could conjure storms. He understood it all. It came to him as naturally as breathing. He could solve the most difficult puzzles and math problems. He understood people; he could predict the moves they would make. He was quite the talented magician. Some claimed him to be the best wizard to ever exist. He was the youngest person to rise to the title of The Magnificent.
But after all of this, even after all of the training and practicing, there was still one thing that he couldn't comprehend: Death. Madus stood on that hilltop, staring at the soldiers whose lives he'd taken mere moments ago. They lie motionless before him. He couldn't understand it. Why did they die? Why does the body have such limits? He knew how they died, and he knew what they could handle. But why was that the limit? What exactly was death? His brow furrowed. He was angry. He disliked not understanding something. It was unnatural to him.
"DAMN IT!" He roared in an unnatural volume. He spun on his heel and left, cursing himself for giving up again. He hated himself for letting this elude him. He needed to know how life worked. He needed to know more than how, but why. It would have to wait. He had other duties to take care of.
His accomplishments would continue to grow and surprise for the next fifty years. It would be told of how he could decimate armies with the swing of his arm. Word would spread about all his charm and skills in politics. He was a hero, one that was down to earth. He was smart, clever, and cunning. But even a wizard can't stop the turning hands of time. He grew old. While he was still powerful, he wasn't as quick as he once was. Truth be told, he grew bored of his lifestyle. He was ready to try to be normal before his life expired. He was tired of living up to expectations. He had missed out on so much. That was the consequence of being a symbol. Now, he would look for an apprentice. He would find someone else to carry the responsibility, privilege, and burden that meant being Wizard.
I awoke to a rough jabbing in my side. A padded paw swiped at the air while I rolled over and tried to get more sleep.
"Get up boy." The voice was stern and commanding. I opened an eye and saw the old man standing over me. His hair was as ridiculous as the night before. He had a fierce look in his eye.
"What time is it?" I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"A few hours before dawn. It's time to begin your training." I ran a paw through my head fur. It was entirely too early for me to be up. "Now, quit stalling and get dressed," he walked out of the room as he finished his sentence. I looked around, feeling surreal. I couldn't believe it was real. My feet swung over the edge of the bed and hit the cool floor. My necklace swung in the air as I bent over to pick up my robes. I grabbed it with my hand and thought of my mother. She would be worried about me. I sighed.
"Come on boy!"
I pulled on the blue robes I brought with me; they were still slightly damp on the bottom from the various streams I'd walked through while getting to the old tower. It was a bit uncomfortable, but I'd just have to live with it. I walked out of the room to see the front door swinging closed. I followed the old wizard out into the open. The air was cool. The sky was a deep purple, and it was nearly completely silent. I thought that was odd. We were very close to the woods. I saw the old man walking up a hill to the east of the tower and jogged to catch up. As I neared him, I saw over the top of the hill and it took my breath away.
We were atop of a great cliff. It must have been as high as ten of the towers stacked on top of one another. Below lay an endless view of the sea. Waves crashed upon waves. On the horizon, an almost orange-red color could be seen faintly. It was splendorous. The old wizard levitated himself to the top of a boulder near the edge of the cliff. He sat cross-legged, his walking sticking standing up beside him with no visible force holding it. He placed his hands together, fingers straight, and held them up against his chest. Then he started breathing deeply, holding the breath in, and slowly letting it out. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just stood there and enjoyed the view.
The sun was coming up, over half it visible beyond the emerald-blue horizon, before the wizard said anything. I was throwing rocks over side of the cliff and watching them fall when he did.
"Well, boy. Today begins your training." He chuckled to himself. "I hope you're ready." I looked up at him and grinned a toothy smile.
"I was born ready." The wizard raised his arm, pointing in the direction behind me. I turned around, trying to see what it was he was pointing out. Out in the middle of the forest was a tree that stood almost a full tree-span above the others. I looked back up at the wizard, puzzled.
"You're going to run to it. In full sprint. And back. Twice, every day before we do anything else." My jaw dropped.
"Are you insane? That thing has got to be at least a quarter day's walk from here!" There was no way I could make that run.
"Then I suggest you get going. A wizard isn't simply a brain and wand, you know. He's as human as anyone else. And the key to a healthy brain is a healthy body. You're here to prove yourself. Now prove yourself." With that, he completely vanished in a giant puff of blue smoke. I groaned in reliance. Then, I set off running.
I was in the forest, a good length I'd say, when I started to get cramps. I was never very athletic back at home. I stayed inside to help take care of my sister. I felt like my lungs were going to explode. Sweat was matting down my fur. I felt disgusting. I needed to take a break. So I did. I sprawled out on the ground. It was cool, but wet from the storm the night before. It felt nice. I stared at the sun through the tree tops. How long had I been running? The sun seemed to indicate that it was about noon, so I'd assumed a few hours. It was grueling. I was exhausted. I started to doze off. I would just rest my eyes. Only for a second..