15 Years Later
I sit on the roof of the tallest tower, watching the clouds as they slip slowly across the blue sky. I take a deep breath, reading all the subtle smells that drift to me on the breeze. Today is a quiet day. It’s not as if there’s ever much noise around this castle. It’s always relatively quiet. But for once, Windigo isn’t constantly telling me that it’s training time again. I wonder if he went somewhere today. That would explain the silence.
But then again, it might be because it’s my birthday. He never says anything on my birthday, which I’m used to by now. He never gives me presents either. But he does usually give me the day off. Although, I don’t ever remember it being quite so quiet around here.
However, the silence does give me plenty of time to think. Usually I’m so busy training with Windigo that my thoughts don’t give me enough time to think. But for once, I think back to when I was five.
My memories of that time are always blurred. Sometimes, it feels as though there’s a hole in my mind where those memories used to be. Windigo tells me that it’s because I was so tormented by what happened that I blocked them from my mind unconsciously. I do wonder about that though. If I was the one who blocked those memories, then shouldn’t I be able to unblock them again?
It briefly crosses my mind that Windigo had blocked them from me, but almost instantly I shake my head and give a small laugh. He would never do that. He always wants what’s best for me.
Besides, he told me the gist of it. When I was five, my parents abandoned me in the forest. They were human, and they couldn’t live with having a freak like me for a son. So they just ditched me, and that’s where Windigo found me.
My first memories of Windigo take place in this tower. I remember opening my eyes, knowing nothing about myself but my name. Windigo told me what had happened. He told me that he was a wizard, and he would train me in magic as well. He said he would take me in and treat me as if I were his son. Windigo gave me a room, three square meals a day and a strict training schedule. Most children would have despised his discipline, but I loved it. It gave me a purpose. It gave me a home.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts and back to the present, I get to my feet. The wind brings a strange feeling to me. I think I can hear whispers, as if the wind is speaking to me. I strain my ears to listen, and after a moment, I can make out one word.
“Dante… Dante…” the wind whispers to me. I try to listen even harder, but at that moment, I hear a more real voice call my name.
“Dante! Come in here!” I look over the edge of the roof to see Windigo looking up at me.
“Coming!” I respond, and a moment later his head disappears back inside. Stretching out my wings, I flutter down to the window, enjoying the brief flight. Windigo doesn’t let me go too far from the castle. He says that it’s for my own safety. If anyone saw me, they’d think I’m a monster and attack me. So therefore, he told me to never leave the protective shroud of the castle.
As I land in the tower room, I ask Windigo, “What do you need?”
“I wanted to get a start on today’s training,” he tells me. “I would have called you sooner, but I was Crystal Gazing.”
I shoot a quick glance at the crystal ball on the table. Crystal Gazing is one skill that Windigo never taught me. He would never tell me why, he just said that it’s one skill that I don’t need to know.
“What did you see?” I ask curiously. Even though he never taught me how to do it, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m extremely curious at what he can see in the ball.
But Windigo waves his hand dismissively. “It’s not anything important,” he assures me, sounding slightly annoyed. “What were you doing up on the roof anyway?”
“Oh, it’s my birthday,” I tell him. “I thought that’s why it was so quiet around here. I thought you were giving me the day off.”
“But a day off would only dull your training. You should keep at it while it’s fresh in your mind.” Flashing me a grin he adds, “Besides, quiet time allows the mind to wander, and when the mind wanders, even smart people can think stupid things.”
I watch him closely for a moment as he says this. I have a fleeting suspicion that he knows exactly what I was doing on the roof, and even that he knows what I heard. But then I dismiss that idea just as quick. He wouldn’t spy on me. He only wants what’s best. Besides, he’s right. I honestly thought that the wind was whispering my name. How ridiculous can you get?
“Let’s go,” Windigo orders, leading the way down the spiralling stairs.
I know the answer before I even ask, but I ask anyway. “What are we working on today?”
Windigo shoots a quick glance over his shoulder at me. “You know what we’re working on. You need to be able to change forms without having to remove your clothes. It’s a complete waste of time otherwise.”
“We’ve been working on this for years,” I moan. “Can’t we work on something else?”
“No!” the wizard replies angrily, apparently losing his temper with me. “You will work on it until you get it right! After that we’ll do some book studies.”
I sigh but hold my tongue as we continue down the tower. I know that Windigo wants what’s best for me, and that’s why he insists I get this right. I have to admit, it would certainly be helpful. Besides, he does have a short temper, and I don’t want to make him mad at me. It happened once before, but I don’t remember all the exact details. It’s a situation similar to the one with my five-year-old memories. There’s a gap where that memory should be. So apparently, his anger is so terrible that I blocked that from my mind as well.
I follow Windigo in total silence through the castle. He leads me out into the courtyard in the middle of the castle. This is where we do all our training together. As the wizard takes up his position across from me, I can’t contain a sigh. I’m tired of trying this same thing over and over again. Yes it would be useful to learn it, but I just can’t seem to get it right.
“Now since your head seems to be so filled with clouds that you can’t remember how to do this, I’ll explain it again,” Windigo begins, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. “You are above all those other beasts that claim to be like you. You have a deeper control over magic than most of them can even imagine. Remember that.”
I nod at the familiar words. Windigo likes to remind me that I’m special. Perhaps he feels it’s his way of telling me that my parents were idiots to abandon me. I don’t mind being constantly reminded that I’m great, but today, I feel as though he’s just trying to get me to focus better.
“You know the theory; use magic to either bind clothes to your other body when you change, or make them appear when you return to this form. I don’t care how you decide to go about it, but unless you don’t care who sees you naked every time you change, you better get it right!” Windigo’s voice is fierce, but that’s just the way he is.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes. The first step is to change into my animal form. This usually takes me a moment or two to accomplish, because I can only change when I get extremely angry. In training, I have to force myself into anger, which is harder than it sounds.
I latch on to whatever I can think of that frustrates me. Why do I have to keep doing this? What is he even training me for?
But my blood doesn’t really get pumping until I think of my parents. I don’t remember what they look like. But what I do remember is that they didn’t want me. I wasn’t good enough for them. But I’ll show them! I’ll show them all!
As the rage goes bubbling through my veins, I feel the change beginning to sweep over me. The gear on my chest spins faster and I feel the other gears appear on my body. I’m thrown forward into a crouch, and I snarl as I grow in size. Opening my eyes, I glare at Windigo. If I let my anger leave me, I’ll change back. I have to keep myself in this form until I’m ready. Otherwise I’ll end up naked and I’ll have to do it all over again.
I pace slowly in a circle around Windigo, snarling all the while. In my enraged state, it’s difficult for me not to lunge at his throat. When I’m in this form, I want to do nothing other than attack whatever I can. But I hold myself back and glare at him with burning eyes.
“Focus Dante,” he orders me, not looking away from my gaze. “Control your anger. Be the master of it, and it won’t be the master of you. Once you are in control, visualise what you want to see happen. Bring your magic to the surface. Bend it to your will.”
I do my best to focus, but this is always the hardest part. It’s hard to feel such a burning rage and not let myself be swept away by it. It took me a long time as it is just to be able to change and not attack Windigo. Of course, it’s partially fear of my punishment that stops me from lunging at his throat. Whenever I attack him, he beats me. He hurts me in any way he can. But I don’t hate him for it. If there wasn’t the consequences to fear, I wouldn’t be able to change without becoming a blood-thirsty monster.
As I pace slowly around the wizard, I imagine my anger as a fire burning inside of me. If I reach in carelessly, I’ll end up burned. But if I reach out and hold it slowly, carefully, I can use my magic to keep it in check.
I’m surprised when it seems to be working. This is the most progress I’ve ever had before. I feel the fire burn inside of me, but my mind also feels clear enough to think.
But then the fleeting moment of control is gone, and I pause in my pacing to snarl viciously at Windigo.
His eyes narrow dangerously, and he growls, “Dante, if you don’t do it right this time, I will be forced to punish you. Severely.”
Fear erupts inside me at the thought of his punishment. I use my fear as the fuel I need to get my anger in check again. I stop growling, and sit down in front of Windigo, gazing at him steadily.
But I don’t release my anger just yet. First, I reach inside my mind and visualise the clothes I had been wearing before. I reach for the idea with my magic. Then I let the fire inside me cool and I change back into my regular form with my eyes closed.
I’m hesitant at first to open my eyes and look down at myself, but when I do, I realise with triumph that I’ve done it. I’m wearing the same clothes I was before I changed!
Windigo gives me a small but rare smile. “Finally!” he exclaims. “I was beginning to think that I was training you in vain.”
Getting to my feet, I dust myself off. A sudden thought springs to mind at what he said, and I ask carefully, “What are you training me for Windigo?”
The wizard eyes me for a moment before he takes a deep breath and says, “I’ll tell you later. First, battle practice. We’re going to put your new skills into action.”
Any response I might have had is cut off as he tosses me my battle staff. I use it the same way he uses his wand. One end is sharp and curved, so even when I’m not using it for magic, I can use the staff itself as a weapon.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“I’m going to attack you,” Windigo begins, his eyes narrowed. “Viciously. You must change between your forms if you want to defeat me before sustaining heavy damage.”
Holding my staff in front of myself, I exclaim, “But I’ve only just learned how to do it! I don’t know if I can even change that fast, let alone remember the clothes while I’m at it!”
The wizard waves his hand dismissively. “Trial by fire my boy. If you’re afraid of getting hurt, you’ll learn faster.” Without another word, he whips out his wand and slashes it towards me.
Fireballs shoot dangerously towards my face, and I just barely manage to use my staff to block them in time. I twirl my weapon in front of myself, dissipating the fire.
Going for the offensive, I slash my staff through the air, shooting shards of ice back at him. He melts them easily, almost looking bored by my effort. Gritting my teeth, I go for something more advanced. Raising my staff above my head, I bring it crashing down into the earth in front of me. The staff causes a small fissure to form, and at the end of the fissure, a beast made of earth drags itself to its feet.
My lumbering creation charges Windigo, its jaws wide in a roar. The wizard twirls his wand, and water magically lifts itself out of the nearby fountain to form into a body. His beast moves with swifter, more fluid movements than mine, and it has the advantage. The earth golem stands no chance against his water serpent, and is smashed to bits.
The serpent then turns its watery gaze towards me. It opens its jaws wide in a ferocious hiss, lunging for my throat. As it nears me, I jab the sharp end of my staff towards it, turning it to ice. Turning on my heel, I slash through it, and the serpent shatters.
As the crystals of ice begin falling back to earth, Windigo conjures a sword and charges towards me with the speed of the wind. I meet his blade with my staff and we move with the steps of a deadly dance as we slash at each other and attempt to keep from being beheaded by the other.
But then Windigo gains the advantage and forces me back a few steps. Throwing his sword in the air, he morphs into a huge sabre cat. He catches the falling sword in his teeth and charges me with a vicious snarl.
Fear gives fuel to my anger, and I manage to change as well, catching him underneath the jaw with my claws and sending him flying backwards. While he’s still stunned, I pick up my staff in my teeth and use it to set myself on fire.
With an angry roar, I race towards him, putting him on the defensive with my flaming slashes. But after only a few good hits, he covers himself in water and fights back. Whenever we strike each other, there’s a sizzling hiss as steam rises into the air.
But his water gets the best of me and my flames go out. Changing back into a man, his sword disappears and he twirls his wand towards the sky. Storm clouds begin forming into a dangerous tornado, writhing with shards of ice and bolts of lightning.
Fear threatens to freeze me on the spot. He’s using his Death Wind on me!? The only way to block it would be to change back, and he knows that. He also knows that if I don’t block it, I’ll die. Hence the name, Death Wind.
For a brief moment, I wonder if he’s just trying to scare me. Maybe he’ll call it off at the last second… but I know him better than that. The only way to be scared enough to force yourself to do things that you can’t normally do is to feel real fear. And the only way to feel real fear is to be in real danger.
And it works. My fear forces my mind to work at double speed. I let my anger melt away and at the same time visualise my clothes. I hardly have a moment to relish my triumph when it works because Windigo slashes his wand towards me, shooting the Death Wind towards my heart.
I crouch with one knee on the ground and pick up my staff. I brace myself against it, holding on for dear life as the Death Wind ravages a path towards me. The wind hits me with such force that I nearly let go of my staff. But I manage to keep my grip. As the wind hits my staff and the magic I emit, it changes from a gale of destruction into a gust of life. It parts around me, and wherever it touches the earth behind me, new plants and flowers shoot up out of the soil.
Finally the wind stops and I get to my feet, panting. Windigo gives a slight smile. “Not bad I suppose,” he says with a shrug.
For a moment I can’t help but wonder if he realises just how close to killing me he came. But then I tell myself that of course he knew. He was just pushing me to my limits to force me to greater heights. That’s the way he’s always been. And somewhere in my mind, I tell myself that if he thought I couldn’t do it, he would stop.
But then again, there is no way to stop a Death Wind once it’s started….
Windigo strolls over to me and looks at the new plants with a strange expression. It’s almost as if he’s disgusted that his beautiful Death Wind had been turned into something so bright and cheerful. But then he blinks and the expression is gone. I wonder if I just imagined it.
“Well Dante, don’t you agree that you learned a lot more than you could have without my help?” he asks, turning his gaze back to me.
Sighing, I reply, “Yes, but next time maybe try a little less hard to kill me.”
Windigo smiles and pats my shoulder, laughing, “Just be happy that you weren’t fighting me for real! You may be strong, but you’re still no match for my powers. If I was going all out against you, you’d be dead right now.”
I force myself to hold in a shiver. He’s probably right. I definitely am glad that he’s not my enemy.
“Do you still want to know why I’m training you?” he asks, the smile fading away to bring back his normal expression.
“Yes,” I say almost instantly. My curiosity has been gnawing at me for a long time now. I’ve always wondered why he was training me so much, and why he had never told me before.
Windigo turns and walks back towards the castle. “Follow me.”
Still carrying my staff, I do as I’m told and follow him back into the castle. Neither of us talks as we go along, but I realise that he’s taking me towards the library.
My curiosity grows as I follow him. I figured he would have just given me some simple reason, like maybe so that I can face whatever the world throws at me. But if that was why he was training me, then there would be no reason for him to have to bring me to the library. He could have just said it out in the courtyard.
When we enter the library, Windigo leads me over to the large table in the centre. “Sit,” he orders, pointing to one of the chairs.
I sit down, but don’t remove my gaze from him as he walks over to the bookshelf and pulls out an extremely old book.
Windigo sits down across from me and slides the book to me. “Open it,” he says.
Practically burning with questions, I open the cover. On the first page is a very old drawing of what looks like a dragon made of clockwork. I stare at the picture for a while and then look up at Windigo in confusion. “What is this?” I ask, my eyebrows furrowed together as I wonder.
“That,” Windigo begins, staring at the picture, “is the Clockwork Dragon.”
“The Clockwork Dragon?” I repeat. I’ve never heard of it before.
Windigo nods. “The Clockwork Dragon is unlike any other dragon in the world. It’s made of clockwork, and yet it is a living being. It never dies, but when its life starts to grow weak, it chooses a new soul to continue its work in its place.”
“What does this Clockwork Dragon do exactly?”
“It is the balance of the world,” the wizard replies, looking deep in thought. It’s hard to tell what exactly he’s thinking about. “The Clockwork Dragon sits on the line between good and evil, light and dark. Whatever soul inhabits it determines whether it will do works of great good or great evil. The world will either prosper or perish depending on who lives within the dragon.”
I’m growing more confused by the minute. “But if this dragon is the balance of the world, how come I’ve never seen it? Wouldn’t it have to travel the world in order to keep balance?”
Windigo shakes his head. “Not exactly. The Clockwork Dragon chooses people it wants to use before they’re even born. If the dragon is good, then it chooses people to fight the bad and vice versa. In fact, the dragon never leaves the country it lives in.”
“Where does it live?”
“In a place called Caimriel.” He reaches forward and turns the pages of the book until he comes to a map. “Caimriel is a country, but the entire country is one huge city. The Clockwork Dragon lives in the very middle. It is said that it lives in the centre of the world, and that’s how it sees everything that’s happening around it.”
I stare at the map as he points to a picture of the dragon sitting atop a tower in the centre of the huge city.
“Caimriel also has technology that the rest of the world can scarcely imagine. Not even the dwarves had such advanced technology. Because of this, the borders are constantly watched, and not only are any outsiders not allowed in, but the Caimrites aren’t allowed out.”
This city and the dragon is fascinating and all, but I still have no clue what exactly it has to do with me. I voice my confusion to Windigo. “But I don’t see how this has anything to do with why you’re training me.”
Windigo doesn’t say anything at first. He simply gazes into my eyes with an unreadable expression. But then he takes a deep breath. “The current Clockwork Dragon is weakening. And he’s chosen you as the next Clockwork Heart.”
“C-Clockwork Heart?” I stutter in nervous confusion.
“The Clockwork Heart is the name of the soul that inhabits the Clockwork Dragon. That is why I have been training you. Because once you take over the dragon, you no longer have a choice between good and evil. If you enter good, you stay good. But if you enter evil, you stay evil. And if you don’t enter at all, then the Clockwork Dragon will die.”
I feel a cold chill run through me, turning my blood to ice. “But what if I don’t want to spend my life as the heart for a great metal beast?”
“Dante,” Windigo sighs. “Think about it. Do you want the world to fall into chaos? Do you want it to cease to exist entirely? If you make the wrong choice, that’s what will happen.” Windigo looks deep into my eyes, and I sense a hidden meaning behind his words. “Together you and I can make this world a better place. We will rule over and protect the world. Isn’t that what you want?”
“All I want is to live a normal life,” I mumble, looking away from him.
“You don’t have a choice. If you don’t enter the dragon, you won’t have a life to live. The only thing you can choose is how to rule the world.”
I don’t respond. Maybe that’s why I hear voices in my head, and why I always seem to be precariously perched on the edge of my anger. Even now I can feel it bubbling inside me. Why would it choose me? A worthless half-human? Not even my own parents wanted me! All I want is to be human, to live a normal life.
But I guess normality is just too much to ask for.
Windigo leans back. “That’s enough for today,” he sighs. “Why don’t you head off to your room and think about it? Maybe some time to think will assure you that I’m helping you to make the right choice.”
Without a word, I get up from the table and leave the library behind. Well now I know why he didn’t tell me! He must’ve known that I wouldn’t like to hear what he had to say. I don’t think anyone likes to find out that they have no choice in their life. I mean sure, he said I had the choice of how to rule. But I don’t get to choose to rule.
And how am I supposed to even watch over and rule the world when I’ve spent my whole life locked away in this castle? I have no clue of what the outside world is like. I only know the few little things that I’ve learned from books, and I don’t get to spend that much time reading. Windigo has me training almost constantly.
But I guess now I know why he’s been training me. After all, if I’m that important, I’m sure that someone out there would like nothing more than to take me for their own, or even kill me to stop me from ruling the world.
When I reach my room, I slam the door angrily behind me. Stalking over to my window, I sit on the ledge and watch the sky get darker as night descends. I force my thoughts to still. If I keep thinking about it, my anger will get out of control and I’ll end up changing.
My anger… I bet that’s where it comes from. Windigo said that the Clockwork Dragon sits on the edge of light and dark. That must mean that until I’m actually in the Clockwork Dragon, the unseen forces of good and evil will be forever raging inside me.
Well I guess that’s one reason why I should be the Clockwork Heart. Only then will I not have to tread on eggshells to keep my anger from consuming me.
I watch as the full moon slowly drifts higher into the sky. But then, as I sit there numbly, I hear a voice. It’s just like the voice that had tried to speak to me earlier in the morning. It drifts to me faintly on the wind, and suddenly I realize where it must come from. It must be the Clockwork Dragon trying to reach me!
“Leave me alone you stupid metal beast,” I growl softly under my breath. “Haven’t you tortured me enough?”
But the voice doesn’t quiet. In fact, it only seems to get louder. “I said, leave me alone!” I shriek, my voice rising with anger.
The murmuring words become even louder and more insistent. Rage bubbles up inside me, and I forget everything that Windigo warned me about. He told me never to leave the castle. I could be attacked or killed. And even if I wasn’t, I may never find the castle in its magic shroud ever again.
But in this moment, I don’t care about any of that. All I care about is chasing down that voice, hunting it to the ends of the earth and making it shut up.
Without another thought, I throw myself out the window and into the cool night air. I bear my teeth in a snarl as I follow the voice above the treetops.
I’m not exactly sure how long I fly like this, but after a while, the voice on the wind begins to fade. I slow down, roaring, “Get back here so I can destroy you!”
But of course now that I actually want to hear the voice, it eludes me. As the last traces of the sound fade into silence, I slow to a halt, fluttering in place. For the first time since I left the castle, I realise that I’m out of breath and my wings ache. But that’s what happens when I’m not allowed to leave the castle and I rarely get the chance to fly.
I turn to look in every direction, searching for any indications of which way the castle is. Now that the voice is gone, I can feel my anger fading, and I know that I should be heading back.
But nothing I see looks familiar. There’s no way to tell where the castle is when it’s practically invisible. I’d have to fly into it to know that it’s there. And I have no idea which way I should go. When I was lost in my rage, I hadn’t been keeping track of which direction I was travelling in.
“Great, now look what you’ve done,” I snarl to myself. Sighing I look down and realise that I’m still clutching my staff in my hand. “Well at least I’m not defenceless.”
With another agitated sigh, I gaze at the trees below me. I can’t keep myself in the air for too much longer with my tired wings. I spot a break in the trees where a grassy hill arches up.
Folding my wings in, I soar down to the hill. But just as I’m preparing to land, I hear an ear-splitting hiss and I shriek in pain as I feel huge pointed jaws clamp down on my wing.
My attacker and I go rolling down the hill, and my staff slips away from my grip. Now I'm pretty defenceless!