A Sun Till the End | 24-Hour Writing Contests | Hiatus

Enter the Sorcerer's Domain (Introduction)

Once upon a time, in a land surprisingly nearby...

There lived, or existed, a being far more powerful than any other on this mortal plane. No one knows how he looked due to the blazing glow that burned much brighter than any sun that always surrounded him.

He was the Sun Sorcerer. He carried many secrets, his favorite being a small, seemingly insignificant object: a sundial.

However, this instrument was significant for two reasons (perhaps more than two, but I haven't the time to explain everything). Firstly, it was made of solid gold and sunlight itself, which was really a sight to see.

What's the next importance of this item? Well, this sundial did not tell time. Instead, it weaved words like a fine thread. It crafted sentences and stanzas out of shadow and light. It made stories. And poems like this:

Fear you should,
For the all-knowing Sorcerer
Has emerged.
As his sundial casts
Shadows shaped as words
That form your prompt,
He says, "Those who hear
Stories of affection sheer,
Should beware
Once the truth is out of the cage!"

This is why the Sun Sorcerer loved his sundial so deeply and earnestly. It had given him the power to make something from nothing, to let his powers reach beyond their bounds and deep into the hearts of others.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and the Sun Sorcerer may not have handled this responsibility in the best way. Every weary traveler who wanders into his humble abode, begging for a story to tell, is given what they wish for. The Sun Sorcerer commands his sundial to form words from the darkness, but this forging requires a price. Any traveler who reads these shadow words will be forced to create a story from them and see it all the way through. If they're lucky, they will be allowed to leave once their story is told. But the Sun Sorcerer can be cruel sometimes, and he may choose to keep his little servants around for a little longer.

If you wish to make the perilous journey and are willing to follow any rules the Sun Sorcerer may enforce, then making the trip to catch a glimpse of his magic sundial in action will be well worth your while. Perhaps you'll spin a masterpiece from the threads laid out for you; perhaps you'll learn a little more about yourself than you expected.