Zack stared at the mountain and considered the implications of the moment. Either he was having another elaborate dream, or he really just appeared in the wizard’s world. He glanced in the other direction and saw the valley, but the town was not there. Just a simple farmstead and some animals. He thought, I wonder if the town got wiped out after he killed the duke and his men? Then I occurred to him that since he was bopping around in time perhaps it was a time before the village existed.
He looked back at the mountain and saw the glow of the purple barrier. Zack wondered if the wizard was in there. If he visited, will it be a different time for the wizard? He knew he had to try either way to get some answers. He had to many questions swirling around in his head. Zack went back to the cabin and grabbed his supplies. This time he packed for a longer trip just in case time when crazy again. After stuffing his backpack full, he set off for the cave. He noticed it was in the middle of the morning. So, he should have plenty of time to get there and get back if time behaved normally.
Everything about the barrier and the cave seemed similar to last time. Zack noticed one difference, he could not hear any distance talking or singing in the background. He cautiously stepped through the purple barrier. As he approached the large double doors the skull took note of him.
A moment later it glowed purple and asked in perfect English “would young master like to enter the sacred room?”
Zack was caught off guard, “young master” what was that about? The skull must have remembered Zack from the last time he was here. This indicated to Zack that time was not operating the same inside the purple barrier.
Zack responded with “yes, please.”
The giant door slowly opened. Once again soft purple light poured out the doorway. Zack stepped in and found himself in the same large room as before. As Zack surveyed the room, he noticed Paxton sitting at the center table head buried in the big book on the pedestal. This time Zack coughed to get Paxton’s attention.
It took a moment, and he heard Paxton say, “I will be with you in a moment Zack, make yourself comfortable. There is tea on the table by the door, I was expecting you.”
Zack blanched, expecting me? He responded, “How could you have been expecting me? I didn't know I was going to be here until thirty minutes ago.”
Paxton chuckled without looking up, “My dear boy, I am a wizard. How could I not know you were coming.”
Zack was going to respond but decided it was probably not productive. He served himself some tea and descended the stairs to the middle table and took a seat.
A few minutes later Paxton shut the book with triumph and finally engaged Zack in conversation.
Paxton said, “That was some work you did on Duke of Shoreland and his men. You are a local legend.”
Zack stopped mid sip; how do you know about what happened in Vinstra?
Paxton smiled like a patient parent working with a young child. “Remember, I am a wizard. Knowing things is what we do, knowing things is something I do better than anyone else.”
Zack remembered Paxton telling him that he didn't want power, he wanted knowledge. “Oh right, you’re a wizard, that is going to take some getting used to.”
Zack leaned back and drained the remaining tea. He turned back to Paxton and said, “Ok, so I may have been rude in the way I left the last time I was here. I clearly should have stuck around for the end of your story. To be fair I really thought this was a crazy dream. It is becoming apparent to me that my reality has changed quite a bit from just a few weeks ago.
Paxton grinned and asked, “How are you adjusting to the new reality, as you put it?”
Zack replied, “Well, I killed over 50 men with what I think was magic. I tried to hike to a nearby town only to end up back at the cabin while going in a straight line. I made friends with these giant and very muscular sloth-like creatures. I helped heal one of them with the gem I found after killing the red eyed monster. We talked telepathically and they somehow brought me here. As far as I know I am not dreaming.”
Zack sighed with exasperation, “Do you have any idea how crazy every word I just said sounds to me? If my friends told me this story, I would assume they were on drugs or lost their mind.”
Paxton just watched and listened to Zack blow off some steam as he continued to rant.
Zack stood up and paced as he said, “Two weeks ago I was engaged, just graduate with my PhD. Do you know what a PhD is?” Without giving Paxton a chance to answer, “it is the highest level of education you can complete on a given academic field of study in my world. I am legitimately considered an expert in communications. Now I am some weirdo in the woods who is either being transferred to another world by some almighty system or I am hallucinating on a level never seen before.”
Zack continued, “My family has no idea what happened to me, I did not get the chance to tell my ex-fiancé to fuck off after she blew my mentor. I am supposed to have job interviews for professorships at three very prestigious schools in the next few weeks. But no, I am in a glowing purple cave talking to a 5,000-year-old wizard.”
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Zack sat down, let out another deep sigh and said, “I think all things considered I am doing fairly well, or maybe losing my mind. Dealers' choice really.” This time Zack chuckled and said, “Wizards choice really.”
Paxton stood up and refilled both their teacups. He said, “That is a fair assessment of your situation. I can imagine it is difficult. Difficult to believe as everything you experienced contradicts what you know to be true. Difficult because the normal rules you based life decisions on no longer seem to apply. Thus, you are navigating a new reality without a map. I think it is time you were given a map.”
Paxton took a deep breath and continued, “First I imagine you have a ton of questions for me. While I will answer your questions in due time. I must insist on finishing the story I was telling you. It will probably answer many of your questions and provide some direction for your future.”
Zack looked at Paxton, he thought he had a ton of questions. However, sitting here and having released a bit of the tension through his diatribe. He realized he only had one question. Before Paxton could start Zack said, “I did have lots of questions, however as I sit here processing everything at once. I have just one question.”
Paxton raised an eyebrow and said, “By all means, ask.”
Zack in a panicked voice asked, “How do I get home?”
Paxton looked at Zack surprised and said, “That is literally the only question I am unsure how to answer.”
Zack exclaimed, “There is no way for me to get home is there?”
Paxton put his hand on Zack’s shoulder, “I did not say that. I just said I am not sure how to do it. I will commit to helping you figure that question out. First you need to understand where, when, and why you are here.”
He asked Zack, “Are you hungry?”
Zack realized he was and nodded. Paxton clapped his hand once and another door Zack did not know existed opened and two people looking a lot like butlers entered with trays of food.
Paxton said with a smile, “Food always helped me feel better when processing life. It is also excellent to have something tasty when listening to a story.”
Zack smiled and dug into the food as Paxton pickled up the story where he left off.
Paxton started, “Where was I? Oh yes, integrating your world. I have done some research. I am not quite certain the system tried and failed to integrate your world. I think the system tried to integrate a non-magical world and it backfired on them. The ambient magic is very unstable. I believe you have a natural affinity for magic and the system is pulling you back to their world. As a matter of fact, I think any person on your world who had an affinity for magic is probably being pulled into this world.”
It good a moment before Zack realized the implication of Paxton’s words. He started, “You mean there might be more of us, I am not alone?” For some reason this made Zack feel a little better. He thought, he needed to find the others.
Zack asked, “Do they all have their own wizard or someone to help guide them like I do?”
Paxton replied, “I doubt that since I am the only wizard left.”
Zack wondered what they were going through, “It must be scary for them, no idea where or for that matter when they are.”
Paxton nodded, “Integrations are always scary for the new world. So much to learn and so much new danger to be wary of.”
After a long moment of silence Zack decided to ask the question, he had been avoiding, “Paxton, did I really kill all those men?”
Paxton nodded and said, “Yes you did.”
The enormity of what he had done finally sunk in. Zack thought of the men and what he turned them into and immediately threw up. He fought back the tears welling in his eyes.
Zack sadly said, “I had no idea that my actions would kill them. I saw that duke being so cruel and the people were defenseless. I felt this an overwhelming rage at the injustice, a strange energy and mental clarity well up inside of me. It felt powerful and scary.” Zack’s last sentence drifted off to a whisper.
Paxton asked, “I know it is a delicate moment for you Zack, but can you tell me exactly what you did when you felt the power inside of you?”
Zack paused and said, “It is hard to describe, in the sense that it just doesn’t make logical sense to me. I had a moment just before I killed them when I suddenly knew I could stop them. I know this sounds crazy but, I knew I could just wave my arm and somehow reach out to all the men I thought were threatening and knock them over. I had a moment before it happened that I was resolved ot act. Then the duke said, ‘how dare I for addressing the duke’ and something about teaching me how to address nobility. Then he had a evil gleam in his eyes as he began to bring his sword down to cut a defenseless man’s head off.”
Zack was filled with so many emotions. He paused and then continued, “It was like time slowed down. I knew he was going to kill another person to demonstrate he could and cow the people in fear. This revelation spiked my rage even further. Without conscious thought I waved my hand across the arena. It felt like my being or presence extended out to the duke and his men across the arena. I was an unstoppable force moving across the ground. I felt each of the men’s presence extinguish as I passed through them. All that was left was paste in their armor.”
Zack trembled as the tears he fought back poured out. He had felt so much guilt about the situation. He realized he had been repressing the experience to avoid this moment. Now it all came out. Paxton put his hand on Zack’s shoulder.
Paxton said, “I understand, the first time you use magic is difficult and scary. Not to mention the first time you kill someone. I remember my first-time using magic, it bears a strong similarity to your experience. It was so long ago, but still clear as if it happened a moment ago. I resolved that I did not want to feel like that again. I think that is why I have shied away from power and sought out knowledge instead.”
Paxton poured more tea for each of them. He clapped his hands and had his serving staff clean up the vomit from the floor and the front of Zacks shirt. Zack just stared numbly into space.
Finally, Zack meekly said, “I didn’t mean to kill them. In my head my intent was to push them all back. But when I saw the evil gleam in the duke’s eyes, I was filled with rage, and it all came out at once. They never stood a chance.”
Paxton let Zack sit in silence for a bit longer as he sipped his tea. He prompted Zack to take a drink of his tea. Paxton said, “What you experienced with the Duke in Vinstra is a textbook example of a wizard expressing their power. Usually, it is clumsier without much control or output. I find a few things interesting about your experience. The first is the sheer amount of power you were able to wield. Ending people is no small matter when it comes to magic. Injuring someone is one thing, but literally breaking them down to paste is a whole different story. Second, that you were able to target and destroy the duke and his men without harming anyone else is quite amazing. Third, describing it like the force you used felt like an extension of yourself is remarkable.”
Zack sat up with his eyes still red from crying, and stared at Paxton as he slowly asked, “what do you mean ‘wizard expressing their power’?”