Helen had so many questions to ask the Wizard, for he and John had never mentioned that Delsani had a wife and son. But she thought perhaps the subject was too delicate, so instead she said, “What was his name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“His name was Rukril,” said Delsani. “You are probably wondering why I have never talked about my family.”

“Yes,” said Helen, “and I wouldn’t mind knowing, but it’s really none of my business. Then again, I’ve always been nosy.”

Delsani laughed. “Where should I start? Hilana was a very pretty girl that I had a crush on in college when we were young, and to cut a long story short, I asked her out and she said no. In our older years at college, we both put in applications for work experience here in the Towers of Telian, and we both got a position. We were randomly placed together as partners, and of course for her it was a nightmare to be placed with someone who was not as equally popular. However, for me it was like utter heaven, and to our surprise we worked well together and soon became close friends. That, I thought, was really the best thing, but I was wrong. For soon after I realized that was as far as we were going with our relationship, I gave up on asking her out. I didn’t know that she liked me and she was just too shy to say yes. And to my surprise, four months later she asked me, and I jumped at the chance to be with her. Not long after we left college, we were married and on our way to starting our own family. News of Hilana’s pregnancy came to me when I had just received word that the Wizard Council was offering us two positions in the Ves-Guard office.”

“What is a Ves-guard? I know they are like an elite police force, but what does the name mean?” asked Helen.

“Ves-guard means Vesbenel Guard, which in the common tongue means Peace-guard. As you know, they’re the ones who enforce the laws of the city. Though they’re also the ones who are called in by the Grand Wizard and the Wizard Council to expel and capture Dark Wizards,” replied Delsani at length. “And if their careers go well. They could be offered a place on the council.”

The Wizard was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “We were offered the jobs, and at first I thought Hilana would decline the offer, but I should have known better, for she, like I, had dreamed of being in the Ves-guards since we were young, and we knew that all Ves-guards start their careers in the office department, so we were both happy to except. The nine months dragged by, as you can probably imagine. The Ves-Guard office was, and probably still is. The most boring thing in creation, though in the end we both agreed that it was worth it.

“The time finally came and Hilana give birth to our son, Rukril, and by the time he was ten, he wanted to be a Ves-guard like us. But that soon changed with Hilana’s death, and then he wanted nothing to do with it or me. For he blamed me for what happened to her.”

“I know I shouldn’t really ask...” Once again Helen broke off.

“What happened to her?” said Delsani. “Well, just before Rukril’s eleventh birthday, Hilana had taken a seat on the council and was very happy with her new job. But I knew that she still wanted to be a Ves-guard. The pure thrill of facing some of the most notorious Dark Wizards that this world had to offer, there was nothing like it. Once you’ve been there, it always stays with you. Then, only three days before Rukril’s birthday, the Council sent for all of the Ves-Guards who worked in the field for a very important meeting at city hall. They didn’t say what the meeting was about. And Hilana didn’t know. I just assumed it was another scumbag that needed catching, so we got a close friend to mind our son while we attended the meeting. When we got there, most of the others were already there. When everyone else had arrived, the meeting started, and to my horror I found out that I was wrong. It wasn’t just any Dark Wizard; it was Varack, one of Ulicoth’s favourites and most deadly cronies. The council had Intel that he knew the location of Ulicoth himself, which instantly made the highest of top priorities.”

Delsani stopped suddenly. He noticed that Helen was staring dreamily out of one of the windows. “I do hope I’m not boring you,” said the Wizard lightly.

“What? Oh, no not at all. I was listening the whole time. I just got a little lost for a second. I mean, I was thinking about John. And I was wondering was it quick?”

“Was what quick?”

“John’s death. I just need to know.”

“I wish that I could set your mind at ease, but I didn’t witness his death.”

“I’m sorry, I ruined your story.”

“That’s all right. Don’t worry. I was going on and on anyway.”

“No,” said Helen hastily; “I want to hear the rest of the story, if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine,” said the Wizard happily. “Now, where was I?”

“You were saying that Varack was the highest of top priorities because the council thought he knew where Ulicoth was hiding. But wait a minute. Wasn’t Ulicoth too powerful for ordinary Wizards and Witches to handle?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“No. You must remember that he was severely weakened after his last confrontation with Dragdani. The council had decided that it would be best to send Hilana out again, as she knew more about Varack than the rest of us. We set off that very day for Varack’s mansion,” he said, sounding to Helen sad and very regretful. “I do not wish to describe the way in which she died. But I will say she shouldn’t have died that night. It should have been me,” said the Wizard now wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. “It is one of the worst last moments that you can have with the one you thought you would grow old with.”

“I hope you won’t mind me asking what you meant?” asked Helen shyly.

“Helen, you don’t need to be nervous about asking me questions. You won’t offend me in any way. In fact I should’ve talked about this a long time ago, if you really don’t mind me going on and on about my past.”

Helen shook her head. “I’m glad that you trust me enough to tell me this.”

“Thank you.”

Delsani stopped and waited a few seconds again and then said, “Let’s just say that the curse that killed her was for me. You see, she threw herself in front of Ulicoth’s curse to save me. And when I returned, I quit the job that I loved so much. I knew that I loved Rukril more, and he would need me in the coming days. However, after Hilana’s death, Rukril never forgave me. He blamed me for her death. I denied it, although I knew that he was right. It wouldn’t have happened if I had been paying attention.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you again, but did you say Ulicoth’s curse killed Hillana?” asked Helen, who looked more than a little shocked by the revelation.

“Sorry, I seemed to have gone passed that,” Delsani said. “Ulicoth was in Varack’s hideout at the time we attacked. As a result we were taken a little off guard, and when Hillana and I were fighting the Wizard-Elf, I thought I saw someone moving behind me. I blocked a curse and quickly turned to deal with whoever was there, but in a split second I saw there was no one. When I spun round to face Ulicoth again, Hillana had been knocked to the floor, and Ulicoth shot a curse at me. It was in that moment that Hillana jumped in front of it and I lost her.

“Ulicoth was still there, and I fought him as though I were possessed with a demon. The rage I felt had no boundaries, though he got the better of me.”

“How?” interjected Helen, who was on the edge of her seat and looked completely enthralled in the story.

“He was losing. We both knew it, but he was sly and shot the floor, which threw me off balance, and that was when he hit me and gave me this.” Delsani pointed to the long scar on his nose.

“I always wondered how that happened. I asked John, but he said that you would have to tell me.”

Delsani smiled. “Yes, he knew how to keep a secret.”

“Yeah, trying to get gossip out of him was like trying to wrestle an elephant,” Helen laughed.

Delsani laughed aloud.

“Could you please continue,” Helen asked.

“Of course. Rukril grew up quite fast after that, and his childhood dream of becoming a Ves-guard was long gone. To deal with the pain of her death, he worked so hard in college that he had the top grades in his class. He was offered a position in the college, so he became a trainer. But he didn’t stay there long, for he wanted to leave behind not just me, but the order itself. And so he travelled north to the Wizard settlements beyond the great mountains and joined the order of Terlejurl. The last thing I had heard of him was that he had worked very hard and was granted a position on their council. Do you know what the worst thing was when I found out how well he had done?”

“No,” said Helen sympathetically.

“The worst thing was that I never got a chance to tell him how proud I was of what he had done with his life, for the night that he had returned, he was found outside the gates to the city. He was so badly wounded that he died before I got to the hospital. But they told me that he had asked them to tell me that he was sorry.”

Helen could see that the old Wizard was fighting back tears, but she said nothing.

“They also said that on his way to the hospital he had given them a letter explaining what had happened with Ulicoth and why the other Wizard orders had joined with him.”

Helen suddenly jumped up from her chair walked to the wall to her right. She put her hand on the wall and said, “Wardrobe and drawers please.” And a wardrobe and a chest of drawers appeared. She opened the wardrobe and took out the suitcases that sat neatly inside and began to take out all of the clothes that were hanging and floating in the wardrobe.

“What are you doing Helen?” asked Delsani in wonder.

“I’m packing to leave,” she replied firmly, as though she thought he might try to stop her. But he did not. He sat and stared at her and said with a chuckle, ‘I didn’t think my story was that bad.”

Helen laughed and said, ‘It isn’t. It’s just, here I am feeling sorry for myself and forgetting that I wasn’t the only person to have lost someone in all this.” She was now struggling to get the floating clothes out of the closet. It seemed that they did not want to leave.

“Would you like a hand with those?” asked Delsani, who already had his wand ready.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” replied Helen gladly.

“Of course I wouldn’t mind helping the Wife and the Son of the King.”

After the cases were all packed and ready to go, Delsani asked most of those who knew John and Helen to join them in the main hall to say goodbye. It turned out that everyone who worked in the towers turned up to see their Queen off. Even King Bacnil was there with his cousin.

“I came to say goodbye and tell you that when you’re gone from our world, not to worry about anything but your Normal life. And if anything was to go wrong, you will be alerted without delay and will be more than safe. I will send as many well-armed warriors of Men as I can. Including me and my cousin of course,” said Bacnil. “Hide them well, my friends, with as many of your magic tricks as you can,” he said to Delsani and Jaucal.

Hadnim (Bacnil’s Cousin) was not too happy to hear that, for he did not like the thought of having to protect a Wizard-Elf. He now despised them all, good or evil.

To Helen’s surprise, Jaucal wanted to return with her and Delsani. He said that it would be better to have two Wizards to do the dislocation spells, so they would split the chances of anyone breaking the spells. And if one were captured, it could not be removed without the other, which would make it extremely difficult for Ulicoth or anyone else to find Helen or the child. Helen agreed, so back to the Normal World they went as soon as Helen had thanked everyone for seeing her off.