The next day things changed, that morning there was a light breeze and around noon it died. The breeze just stopped, and it became uncomfortably hot something was going to occur, even Max noticed it, he awoke as the wind died and looked around in a daze, “What’s going on?”
Jove was laying down with his eyes closed, when the wind died his amulet started to feel cold, he brought it out and he saw that it was giving a very diffused green light barely noticeable. Both Max and Jove looked at the amulet “What does it mean? Something is coming, I don’t know what it is but it’s coming for good or ill.”
And there in fact was something unexpected coming their way. Max’s fur stood on end, “Whatever it is I don’t like it. Let me share a little spell I remember you should be able to work it with that amulet of yours.” And Max started to say some strange words that had no resemblance to anything that Jove had heard before.
His first try he got it wrong and an eraser on his desk went flying and hit the wall, well at least the words did in fact do something. The second time around his amulet started to glow a bit more and Jove felt a weird thing as if he was being encased in a cocoon, or a shield.
They went to look out the window, both looked down the road as far as he could see, everything was still, and the heat shimmered of the road like it did in the desert. There was a strange stillness to everything nothing moved at all a cat had stopped walking on the other side of the street it just stood looking down the road. It was an eerie feeling; something was out there, and it was coming their way.
Jove looked at the cat standing still on the other side of the road, the cat’s stillness was just strange. Max’s voice brought him out of the trance he had fallen in, “Something comes, look it’s a man.”
Jove looked but he could make out no detail only the rough outline of someone walking in the shimmer from the road, whoever it was seemed to be far away, but it could not be possible the angle he was at only afforded him a short view down the road. It must be a trick from the heat or from this person. The figure just kept walking with a determination in his step that was uncanny, he was after something or someone and Jove had the feeling that, that someone was him.
Jove felt another presence nearby coming from the opposite direction as the stranger. He could not really see far at all in the other direction, but he knew that someone came from that direction. The new presence emanated friendship how he knew that was beyond him, the stranger though he could feel nothing from, just empty space as if he was not there at all. The stranger he could see was getting closer but his features still eluded him.
“Can you see him, Max? I can’t make him out at all. The sunlight is playing tricks on me.” Max could see the stranger well enough and what he saw scared him to the core of his being, this thing was an abomination, it exuded pure evil, he could see a black outline like shadows, and it seemed as if they were things within the shadows that were trying to get out.
Jove could see none of this, “Max? Are you ok? What do you see?” Jove could feel how scared his little companion was and it slowly crept into him, his teeth started chattering and a cold sweat broke out on his brow.
“That thing is, it’s dangerous it will devour everything if it is allowed to do so. We must get away from it.” Jove knew that Max was right even if he could not see those shadows move about around the stranger, all he could make out was long black hair and a black outfit as if the heat did not bother whoever or whatever this thing was.
The feeling of the other presence the friendly one was getting stronger, and the stranger was getting closer, he still had problems seeing this dark stranger. He started to get dizzy, and his stomach started to cramp up he backed away from the window, but he could still see the stranger. How? He should not be able to see him, but in his mind, he felt it and saw it a block away from his house.
It was coming for him, Jove was its target, and it would consume the boy like a flame consumes dry timber and it would live nothing but an empty husk. Jove could see all this in his mind he on the floor his body shriveled up like that of a mummy. His heart started hammering and he backed up further until his back was against the wall and he could go no further.
He felt a flash of pain as Max dug his claws into his leg, “Snap out of it, don’t let him into your mind or your as good as gone.” Jove shook his head, but he still saw what he feared in the back of his mind, “Repeat after me Jove, or where goners.” And Jove did as his cat asked him to do, he had no choice, with the end of the incantation the thoughts of doom left his mind, and he could breathe normally again his hearth rate slowed. He walked back to the window to see where the stranger was, and the other presence was as well.
He looked out to see the stranger standing in front of his house, the strangers long greasy hair covered his face his head bowed the only part of his skin that was exposed was his hands and part of his wrist, they were chalky white with long yellow fingernails. This fellow had not seen the light of day in a long time or so his skin indicated. The rest of him was covered in black, his clothes where not shiny, more of a dull black, he would fit in well in a Halloween horror story or movie.
The stranger trembled all over than his head snapped up to look at Jove. Jove backed away slowly meeting the stranger’s single eye that showed through his hair, what he saw scared him, no it terrified him, what he saw in the eye was pure madness, this creature was not human he could not be there was not that much madness in one individual. A person could not function with that kind of madness, he was not even safe in an asylum.
The other things he saw was hate, hate so intense that it burned into the back of your head, and despair, despair that he could feel creeping into him, into his bones. Goose bumps rose on his arms, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end in a few seconds his body started to shiver with the cold he felt. But he was rooted to the spot just looking into the one eye, that terrible eye that showed him what would happen to him if ever this creature captured him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jove was only partly right even though the creature had been human at one point being the offspring of human parents. He had not been human for centuries and even when he had been human the atrocities he had committed in his short life where inhumane he had tortured, murdered, raped, and his other countless crimes too many to think about.
Had he been possessed by a demon that made him commit all these crimes? Perhaps but the fact was that he had enjoyed destroying people’s lives, even when he was human, he had enjoyed the look of those he hurt. The look of pure terror he saw in his victims’ eyes when he showed them the tools of his trade and explain to them in excruciating detail what he would do with each, that look was total ecstasy to the creature. He had eventually been caught, had made a stupid mistake that led to his demise or so his captors thought.
The creature had met his lord during his incarceration. That same evening of his capture a man had come to him, a man of wealth and power the creature could see this in the way he walked and the clothes he wore. One thing that the creature remembered well from that meeting was that he could not see his lords face, when he looked up as his lord was walking up at first, he thought it was that his face was in shadow but as he came forward, he saw that the face was smooth skin from the forehead to the chin. To this day that had not changed. No one knew who his lord truly was, and he did not particularly care. The offer this man offered was what really mattered. “Do you want to live?” The creature nodded he did not need to say that he wanted to live, dead he would not have the joy of the kill, the torture, the horror in their eyes.
“To live you must die.” A slight pause “You will serve me,” the creature in chains nodding his head, “and be reborn, no longer human, something much more powerful. Give me your hand.” The creature had thought that the other man wanted to shake hands to seal whatever bargain he was making, but instead the faceless one took his wrist. The grip much stronger than the chains that he had on his ankles, in his other hand he held a dagger with intricate patterns along the blade, not many but that would change with time. Turning the creature’s wrist, his palm now up the blade came forward; the first bite of the dagger felt like it had been sitting in the hot coals of a smith.
The smell of burning flesh, sent him into memories of ones he had tortured and burned for his amusement. The smell brought a feeling of pure ecstasy, far beyond anything he had felt before. His knees weakened and his head reeled it was like a drug that he could not get enough of. Once his lord was finished, he nodded, “You will serve me well.” The dagger disappeared into the lord’s sleeve with a new patter on the blade something that the creature did not miss.
His new master turned and walked up the stairs, no one saw him come in and no one saw him leave. The creature looked at his palm and what he saw was an intricate pattern that looked like a branding tool had been used, this patter matched the one on the blade exactly and this did not escape the creature’s notice either. So, he had been marked, he was now the property of the faceless master. He slept that night and that morning he was hung, and his body was left for the crows to pick at as they saw fit. But enough of this reverie he was on a mission from his master and the boy was in his grip and soon he would snuff out that life. And the ecstasy that would follow would be pure bliss to the creature.
Jove wanted to turn and run but that was not possible for one thing he could not break eye contact with the stranger for another he was inside his house, and he could not move fast enough to get away. The only hope he had was the feeling of the other he could feel still getting closer. But would this friendly stranger get there in time? Would he help them? Jove could hear Max speaking to him in the background but could only make a few of the words the cat was trying to say to him, he could not turn or ask that the cat repeat what he was saying. He felt like the mouse that is frozen in terror before the owl swoops down and ends his life. He felt Max claw his leg again but not even that could tear him from looking at the stranger, he felt the pain and the blood running down his leg, but he could do nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Goran was not sure how he was going to do this. He had to take the boy away, well not a boy any longer but a man, perhaps he should have taken him away before, but he had promised his parents that he would leave him with them till after his eighteenth birthday. Perhaps it had all been a mistake leaving him there, but it was not just a boy it was his own flesh and blood, his sister’s son, her only son, his nephew. How was he to face his family ever if he had taken him away? Not that he saw his family at all, once every few years but he enjoyed those few times he had with his family, most of them thought him a hermit or an eccentric but he was neither. What he was and what he did was something that they would not believe or ever imagine. What he was, was out of a fairy tale a fantasy novel, what his nephew was destined to become, maybe not what he wanted to become but he had the spark the talent to become a magic wilder a wizard.
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How was he to explain this to his family, ‘Hi Mom/Dad I’m a wizard.’ Yeah, that would work, unfortunately his parents had died first his father, then not too many years later his mother. He had been in the outskirts watching from afar during their funeral, then paying his respects after the rest of the family had gone.
He explained to them what he was, what he did, and why he could not see them often. Maybe in the afterlife they would understand. He did not know much about the afterlife in this world that he had been born to, for he spent his life in another. That world was totally different from this one, one where magic was still strong and alive, where things that could only be seen on a movie could be accomplished. When his story began, he had not been away at college, he was approached by an old professor that wished to hire him as his assistant. He had been in college for a year which he had managed to screw up somehow. He knew the subjects, but they just bored him, and this made it difficult, the classes just did not hold his interest whatsoever.
He did not outright fail the classes, but he came close just barely passing them. When the old professor came to him and wanted to hire him as an assistant, he was so relieved that he did not have to continue and accepted the offer on the spot. He thought of his Master as a professor for he was a teacher, but one of a subject that you could not take at any college or university of this world.
Master Enotia showed Goran great things his first six months, what came after was a whole new world literally. He had taken Goran across to a different world something that Goran did not think possible. His master had taken him to an area high in the mountains and activated some sort of portal that stood between two rocks that to the common man was just two rocks, but they were more than that, inside them where two jewels one in each rock around these rocks where symbols that where words of power in an ancient dead language, word of incredible power.
Few could activate the portal, as a matter of fact there where two people at the time one that knew exactly what to do and the other an untrained youth just starting to learn the ways of magic. Goran and his master that was training him in magic an art that was almost dead in this world. Few in the world where able to work magic there where old regions and old ways that could still tap into the magic. But it was dying out, few could do it in today’s day and age.
Once on the other side Goran and his Master traveled for three days on horseback. The horses that had allowed Goran and his Master to ride them where wild horses that his master had called. He had an affinity to communicate with animals, something that Goran would only Master after many years of practice and after his Master passed. What he had wished then was that this magic came with riding lessons, because those three days were exceptionally hard on him. While traveling a new wonder awaited Goran at every turn.
Those days would forever be imprinted in his memory, he could still smell the field of flowers that they had gone through. An enormous forest something that had been diminishing on earth for a long time, here it was pristine untouched by man. “The forest has its guardians and should only be cut down sparingly, those that do it have a strict pact with the guardians, they will always follow this rule.”
That night they had camped out in a clearing next to the forest, his Master had taken out cooking implements. Goran had been sent to gathered firewood, he was warned only from the edge of the forest, no more than a few trees in or he would get into trouble with the guardian. The guardians his Master had told him where not evil creatures they were creatures of nature and nature could be cruel for it was nature’s way. Feelings where nothing to them they only knew one thing and that was that they must protect the forest. If something threatens the forest then they would act, and there was nothing any could do.
Goran had done as his Master bid and gathered the firewood for their evening rest, he had returned and had seen a wolf near the edge of their camp what his master did at that point made no sense to Goran. Facing the wolf his master vowed down, moments after that the wolf turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
His Master turned to continue to lay out their bed rolls and had gathered a small ring of stones for their fire. He saw Goran returning “Ah good you are well; I was starting to worry that something might of happen to you. And you got the firewood, excellent, come my boy we will enjoy a little dinner then if you wish we may speak or sleep. Tomorrow we will rise early and continue on our journey for we are close to my home and soon to be your home as well.”
Goran dropped the wood he had gathered, and his master arranged them in the circle of stones he had made, “Ah there we are, very nice it should last us a couple of hours at least, until we go to sleep.” He stood and held out his hand, there was a small spark and then a small ball of fire on his master’s hand.
Goran took a step back and looked at his master, “How…. Ho….” He could not even ask the question, the ball hovered down to the twigs he had gathered as firewood and ignited them.
His master looked up at him “It is a simple trick that I hope you will learn soon, now let us have a little dinner I am hungry, and I am sure you are as well.” He produced a bag from his pack and in it he had dry fruit and meat which he passed some to Goran and took some for himself.
Goran continued to walk to his sister house and reminisced about his past and how he had become what he was now, but something interrupted his thoughts. There was something ahead that had a feel of something oily, something that should not be there. He started to walk faster, he could smell it and the smell was getting stronger, the smell was rancid, that of rotting wasted flesh, only something dead and decaying had that smell. Something was wrong, very wrong Goran started to run.
He turned the street could see a darkness two blocks away, something that was standing right in front of his sister’s home, what was this foul thing? He had to do something his nephew was in trouble someone had sent this thing to hurt him. A block away he could see that it had a human shape but that darkness around it was the shadows of demons going in and out of him. What abomination was this? How could it have been sent here?
These where questions that would be answered later now was time for action. He reached for his necklace and held it murmuring a spell under his breath, he first formed a shield around his mind then around himself, then another spell that sent a ball of light at the creature. He saw the creature stager and slowly turn to his attacker; he was half a block away. His nephew was screaming, and no wonder this foul creature was attacking him. Goran hoped that he had arrived in time or else, he did not even want to think of that else. Then the screaming stopped, and Goran did not know if this was good or bad.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside Jove’s room, against the wall Jove screamed, a scream of utter horror, a scream that you could only hear from those that were being tortured, yet it was all in his mind and someone as untrained as he was it was worse than physical pain. The creature outside heard this and a wave of ecstasy passed through his body.
A small voice that was very distant kept on saying, “Fight it. You have to fight it!!!” Jove tried to yell that he was trying, that it was too much, that he did not know how to fight it. Again the voice very insistent, “YOU HAVE TO FIGHT IT. OR IT WILL CONSUME YOU AND YOU WILL DIE!”
Who did the voice belong to? Jove did not know but he understood what it had said, and he started to fight it, yet his efforts only lessened the pain slightly, and he was able to think a little bit clearer. Then as it had come it was gone, he was still screaming but it was due to the horror that he had endured. With exhaustion he staggered and fell to his knees, with a small grunt for the pain he felt. This pain was welcome, compared to what he had just experienced. Then through his muddled mind he heard that voice again, and finally recognized it as being Max his little furry friend. “Are you well? Can you hear me?”
It took Jove a minute to catch his breath for he felt as if he had been running, running for his life and in a sense he had been. It took him a few minutes to answer, when he did his breathing was almost normal, “Immm Oak.K.” Jove felt far from OK and Max knew it, yet saying it made him feel better. “What was… that? I thought I was dying, worse than dying, I can’t even explain how it felt.”
Max had an idea, but he was not sure if he was right, “I believe that this stranger got into your mind and was killing you by making you go mad.” It had been all in Jove’s mind, but it had felt so real the pain worse than anything he had experienced before, but something had stopped it and now that he thought about it, he had an idea of what or to be more precise who had helped him.
The other he had been feeling, the friendly one it had to be him, he could now feel him so close that he knew if he went to the window, he would see him. And he walked forward and saw that the stranger had turned and looked in the direction that the friendly one was coming from. Slowly Jove turned and saw, a man, he was in his fifties, yet his hair had all gone white, what little he could make out was that he was thin, and he had a staff in one hand and something glowing in his other. The glowing object Jove recognized immediately, for he looked down at the one that was hanging from his neck and resting on his chest emanating a small glow. The friendly one had to be his uncle, and they were the same.
His uncle was fighting a fight of will against the creature, the stranger that had attacked Jove. The creature had felt the ball of light hit him he had staggered losing his concentration and losing the link between him and the boy. A failure that the person who had broken it would pay with his life. He turned to the old man and started to worm his thoughts forward, but he was stopped by something and no matter what he did he could find no way in.
This was something that he had not experienced before, someone able to block his mind and strong enough to stop him. But he had more weapons than these and he would use them, yet he was weakened by his attack on the boy that had taken a lot of his power. This was something he had not expected he had killed so many with this same technique and they had died with hardly any effort from the stranger. The boy had resisted and the interference from the old man had weakened him further. His lord did not appreciate failure but here he had no choice, people had failed before, and they had paid dearly for those failures.
Goran concentration on the creature was slowly slipping away everything he tried would deflect of the shadows that surrounded it. To fight this creature at its full power would be a big mistake, he would have to do research in his library to figure out how to defeat it. The shadows of the creature started to pulse like a hearth and expand outwardly, and the smell of dead rotting flesh increased to the point where Goran started gagging. The shadows reached a crescendo then a strong wind came from the center of the shadows a portal of some sorts opened, the creature turned and walked into the hole the whole thing imploding that was the only way his brain could process it.
Jove saw all this from the window amazed at the impossibility of what he had just seen. His uncle staggered, the shadow stranger disappeared, the use of his staff was the only thing that kept him up. Jove now able to move ran down the stairs and to the door, threw it open and ran outside to see his uncle’s sickly pale face. Max was behind him the whole time flying down the stairs a step behind. Max could feel a change, something in the air that was now back to some form of normality, something momentous was about to happen. When Jove looked up at his uncle and asked, “Uncle Goran?” Max knew that this was the man that would help them. Max could feel that same friendliness that Jove had felt before coming from this man, their uncle, for if it was Jove’s uncle than Goran was family to Max and family would always help.
Goran looked at his nephew and was glad to see that he had come in time, that he had been able to help. In doing so help himself for he needed Jove, he needed to teach him to wield the power in the stone that rested on his chest. Goran had been guarding it for a long time, his master before him, when Jove was born, he knew who it was for, “Yes, I am your uncle. I am glad I made it here in time.” He staggered and darkness took him.