Support my main contracted novel and winner of Writing Prompts #26 - The Legendary Mage!
Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn!
https://www.webnovel.com/book/12013957905760805/Desolate-Mage%3A-A-Legend-Reborn!
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The Yore Forest was quite safe. And that's why the 5 hunters left Stefan behind while they foraged deeper in the forest. Sam tagged along with them, leaving behind the words, "Boring", "Sissy" and "Useless kid."
Stefan was around 5km from the edge of the forest and the shrine grounds, plucking blueberries. He was pensive.
He hadn't told the rest, but he had been keeping his ears perked for news.
This past week, peddlers from the villages and towns further south and west had brought with them heart-stopping news: the floating continent had fallen about a month-and-a-half ago, rumours were there were no survivors. Solitary or traveling gandharva were found to be collapsed, unconscious or at the brink of death. And yet gandharva children who were weaker were completely fine. Rumours were that only those who cultivated divine power were affected…
Despite his ruminations, he was pleased and quite satisfied. His large basket was nearly full of varying fruits and berries - and it was only just after noon.
Having finished plucking from the bushes in this area, he got up from his squatting position and came face to face with a head full of long white hair. An upside down head.
Creeped out, he leaped back, toppling his basket and spilling some of its contents. He cursed mentally, (Damn… Lucius always knows when we dropped them, even when I wash and polish them in the streams…)
He looked up and saw that the upside down person's legs were hanging from… Nothing. He, she or it was hanging on nothing.
"…H-How may I help you…?" his vision swam, his hairs stood on end and he felt as if the forest had grown dark; it was suddenly claustrophobic.
He was faced by silence.
He circled away, slowly tip toeing around to see the person's face…
Then he picked up an apple and threw it at him.
"Bah! Stop playing tricks on me!"
Startled, Lucius tumbled to the floor. As quickly as he fell, he popped up – as if he had never fallen in the first place. Then he brushed his hair back, dusted himself off and coughed, "Ahem. Nothing happened, right…?" he looked at Stefan in askance. Seeing Stefan still standing stock silly, he repeated, firmer and with killing intent, "Nothing. Happened. RIGHT?!?"
Stefan vigorously nodded.
"Good." Lucius walked over, "I came over to have a chat with you. Didn't want to interrupt your work so I waited." At this point, Lucius shook his head in disappointment, "It was just, you took 1 hour squatting there just to fill that tiny basket…" Lucius continued to shake his head, as if in disbelief, "So slow… How can you be so slow… So slow that I fell asleep…"
Stefan resisted the impulse to shout in his face, "Who in the world sleeps upside down floating from the air?!?". Face burning half from anger and half from embarrassment, Stefan fumed and picked up the now ¾ empty basket. (It wasn't THAT small… I mean, it *could* fit 2 apples… Just barely...) Then he stood up and asked, "Yes sir. What is it you want to discuss, sir…?" Stefan smiled.
Lucius' pupils flitted to the upper right corner of his eyes, a sign that he was thinking. Then he began to walk to the west, beckoning Stefan to follow.
They walked for about 500 metres, before Lucius, exasperated with the boy's useless physical state, picked him up and sped over to a little shack in the woods. Beside the shack was a simple mound of dirt about the size of a human body; and a solid half-oval gravestone above it.
But Stefan didn't notice any of this at the time, because he was busy retching out his breakfast – Lucius whistled – it wasn't his fault if the boy's body couldn't take the stress of instant movement, right? At least he had kept his speed slow, barely past Mach 1…
When he was lucid again, he noticed his surroundings; and saw Lucius seated, holding a cup of tea in a refined manner. While walking towards the shack, he realised in passing that the gravestone was very out-of-place with the rest of the place – it was smooth and looked high-quality. It was just that there didn't seem to be any words written on it.
Curiously, there was no table but there was another chair on the other side of the shack, across from where Lucius sat. Stefan walked over to sit. Then Lucius held up his hand, stopping him –and beckoned him to sit on the floor at his feet.
"…" wordlessly, Stefan sat – ignoring the rage that burned in his belly.
Holding the accompanying saucer in his left hand, Lucius elegantly held the teacup in his right hand (pinky out) and took a long sip from his tea. Then he laid the teacup back on the saucer, and put the saucer and teacup both on Stefan's head.
"…" his face turned red, his fingernails dug into his palms and his teeth trembled as he ground them in anger. His long black hair even seemed to curl up at the ends. Yet he remained silent.
Lucius' eyes widened as he smiled, evidently please, before praising him, "Very good, boy! Nothing like the spoiled prince you look to be!" he took the cup away. While Stefan was wondering where he would put it, the cup suddenly vanished from his hands. In its place was a piece of parchment, which Lucius unfurled.
"Boy, do you know what I like about you?" Lucius pushed his glasses further up his nose as he asked this question. Glasses which weren't even there a second ago.
Stefan shook his head, hesitant to answer.
"Do you know why I'm testing you like this?"
Stefan paused, then answered, "To ensure I'm a suitable friend for your granddaughter?"
Lucius smiled, then leaned forward, "*That* is exactly what I like about you!" He started chuckling to himself, before continuing, "You're not an idiot! Not like my idiot granddaughter!" maybe it was Stefan's imagination, but the chuckles sounded a lot like sobs of sorrow…
Then Lucius buried his face in his hands, continuing to chuckle/ sob, "You don't understand… What it's like… Worrying about her everyday… Wondering if she'll accidentally swallow a knife…" Stefan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Or choose to steal the mayor's pants to try it on…" Stefan's mouth started to hang open.
"…And then ask him really loud why he was in bed with the priestess…" Stefan's eyes widened to their limit.
"...….Before carrying the priestess around town, shouting, "The priestess has a d***"" Lucius's sobs grew louder, he seemed unable to control himself.
Stefan moved to comfort the old man, putting his arm around Lucius' shoulders.
Beside the warm fire, it looked just like a boy and his grandfather.
Stefan's face fell; and his heart panged.
(Grandfather… Where are you now…? Are you well…?)
Then Stefan fell to the floor – because Lucius had disappeared from his chair.
"Nothing happened, right…?"
"Yes. Nothing happened." The young boy smiled sheepishly.
* * * * * * * * * *
"This is a scroll of contract. Sign it with your blood; and I can trust you to stay by my granddaughter's side. Refuse and I'll kill you here and now." Lucius gently smiled and handed him the parchment, as if he were teaching a 5-year old kindergarten and handing him a picture book, his tone not reflective at all of the bone-chilling words he had just spoken.
Stefan's mind reeled for the umpteenth time today. He had no doubt the old man could do it, despite his having the Leaf.
Stefan determined himself. He steeled his heart, grabbed the parchment, bit his thumb lightly (commanding the Leaf to recede) and applied his bloody thumbprint to the scroll – sealing the contract.
No magical symbols or phenomena occurred – but there seemed to be a spiritual resonance with the world itself. It was done.
"Now, let me ask you something." Stefan had a bad feeling as he saw Lucius' docile smile.
"Why, my clever and astute aspiring mage-boy," Lucius paused dramatically and raised his eyesbrows. His smile reminded Stefan of that of a predator…
"Why would you be so desperate to approach a girl who is dead to mana, divinity or any form of cultivation...?"
Stefan fell onto his back, collapsed, unable to take the mental blow upon hearing the news. He had just signed away his freedom, will and life to protect and be companions with a girl as dumb and rough as an ogre-ox-dragon who could never cultivate!
"Just kidding." Lucius smiled in a sudden changed of mood.
"I'll fight you to the death!!!!" Stefan leaped up and lunged at Lucius, angry enough to claw his eyes out and bite out his intestines; so furious was he at being planned by the irritating old man.
After the tussle was over (Stefan was bruised all over with Lucius sitting on him), Lucius sighed.
"Actually, she really can't touch mana, divinity, qi or magic - not even sense any of them."
"I know."
Lucius was surprised, "You knew? You're… A little too smart. But why would you…" Stefan interrupted him.
"I saw the threads of Fate on her, stronger than I've ever seen on anyone before," He unhesitatingly poured forth his deepest secret, "As the seer of Urth, no-one, not even you as mighty as you are, or even "god" Sakra--" Stefan spat the name of Sakra as if it were a curse word, "--Had such a strong amalgamation of Fates threads."
He paused, allowing Lucius to absorb the tremendous revelation.
"…And yet, not just that…" Stefan breathed in, before he dropped the final bomb.
.
.
.
"…She's really cute."
* * * * * * * * * *
When Sam reached home with the other 5, she was surprised as she didn't see Stefan anywhere. Hungry, she ignored it and had dinner.
Only when she was in bed did she remember the missing man; but soon she was fast asleep.
Lucius closed his book, blew out his candle light and cleaned up.
As he lay in bed, he smiled in satisfaction.
* * * * * * * * * *
Far away, on top of a certain mountain in a distant forest, tied to the top of the tallest tree was a young man. He was swollen up like a balloon, and bound tightly, birds nesting on his head.
On his chest, carved into the Leaf were the words – PEDOPHILE.