The Source

Chuck has us having fun with all kinds of links and this week is no different. This link is great! I was given 'My character is a fucking: modest tiefling wizard from a pompous wizard school who parties hard, way too hard.'

Now it went in a totally different direction than I expected.

enjoy!

“Wake up, Zoltar!”

His head throbbed as his world spun, “Oh… crap in a Fire Drakes dungeon, what in Orhan’s name happened?”

“Phew! You stink! And to think you attend the best Wizard School around… if your parents were alive today, they’d – I don’t know what they’d do, but it wouldn’t be good.” Rake groaned, “Come now. I would not be your best friend if I didn’t pull you back onto your feet and take you home.”

“Where am I?”

“Prison.” He threw his cloak at him and turned, “Come now, Largos the Great commands your attendance  in the Great Hall. This time it’s going to be a public humiliation.”

“It’s not going to be that bad is it?”

Rake turned and showed him the guards from the Royal Baltic Wizard Scholarship standing in wait outside the cell, “Yes it is.”

The whole class of the R.B.W.S. was in attendance for this special assembly. Nobody was permitted to their classes until Zoltar was dealt with – and yes, he was being treated as an example to the rest of the class.

Rake stood by his best friend in front of Largos the Great – the owner, Dean and Head Wizard of the Royal Baltic Wizard Scholarship – and the guards were at attention around the two. Zoltar wondered what he was in for, because he had never had this kind of treatment before, normally he was taken into the office and reprimanded then sent away to ‘think about what he had done’ with a few of his powers reduced for two weeks or so.

Somehow, he thought, this was going to be different.

“Zoltar, son of Fouad the Miner of the Coal and of Gretle of the Princess of the Lands Across the Horizon – which I’ve never heard of – brother to Stormester, the greatest Witch this side of the Western Junction of the Darkness Ranges, I understand you have been out for the last three nights without permission.” Largos’ voice thundered around the Great Hall, echoing around the place, causing him to feel alone, even though it was full of students, staff and guards.

“Three nights? Has it been that long?” he asked, “Um… it seems so.”

“You came to this wizard school on a recommendation by your friend, Rake, who told me you were a natural wizard – just as your sister has her powers from the Gods.” Largos said, “You didn’t buy them, you didn’t barter with the Devil, nor did you make a deal with anyone of Power to obtain them… they were naturally instilled within you.”

“Yes, Great Wizard.” He answered.

“Seeing you cannot control your … urges… I have no other choice but to take your powers from you until you can control yourself.”

Zoltar’s gut turned into a knot, “No!” then he remembered where he was, “If that is your wish.” Tears blurred his vision as he glanced at Rake, whose expression was the same as his – shock – then he was led away into the back chamber where he would be relinquished of his powers.

He woke in his bed with Rake laying a cool cloth over his head and horns. Pain racked his body as he shook, “Why am I in so much pain?”

“It’s the withdrawal of having your powers stripped of you.” Rake said, “You’re being suspended from this place. I have been placed as your carer and you must leave; so I have packed all of your things and your wagon is waiting outside. Once you’re healthy enough to leave, we will.”

“I don’t know any other home than here.”

“Not so far.” Rake said, “This is a test… let’s see how far you can go.”

One of the guards handed Rake a map and a pouch of money, “My old house is a few miles from here. You can have it as I live here now. It should be in good shape for you both to live in. It’s near a stream and it’s around good hunting grounds.”

“Thank you, Fouad.” He pushed the map and money into his vest and climbed into the driver’s seat, then urged the horses on.

The first month wasn’t easy.

Zoltar was sick all the time. He caught a cold, which turned nasty and he almost died. But Rake promised Largos not to use magic unless it was absolutely necessary. And in the end, he went outside and found herbs in the forest to make a tea to help Zoltar with his illness. It took a while, but his friend drank a large mug of it every night and he kept him warm by the fireplace, cooked all the right foods and made sure he ate more than once a day. Eventually, Zoltar got better, just as the first leaves were turning amber for Autumn; and this caused Rake some doubts, thinking that his friend’s illness might come back.

Instead, he found Zoltar looking around outside working on talking to nature. He caught him moving rocks from one side of the path to their cabin to the other.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes I am. I am stronger than I ever have been.” Zoltar smiled, “This is good.” He dipped his bread into the pheasant stew and ate it, “Really good, Rake.”

“Thank you. Glad you like it.” He watched him, “But I watched you today moving rocks.”

“Yes… I know Largos took my Powers from me. But you see, my Powers aren’t his to take. They are mine – deep down inside – and always have been. The pain I felt was from him trying to take them. I was weak from the fighting.” Zoltar smiled.

“Fighting?”

“Yes. When I was out the back of the Great Hall, Largos tried to take my Powers from me. But as he said, they are natural. I didn’t buy them, make a deal or bargain with anyone to have them… they were with me when I was born. Nobody can take them from me.”

“So, why did you party so hard?”

Zoltar grinned, “Because he expected me to. That place was too…” he rubbed his fingertips of his left hand together, trying to find the right word, “…pompous and rich for me, just as it is for you. We need to use nature like it is now, out here to make our Powers work properly.” He looked around the cabin, “I still don’t know how you found this place.”

“One of the guards gave it to us.”

“Which one?”

“Fouad.”

“Oh… my father’s name was Frouad.”