The Wizard of Elsewhere

1.19 - The Darkest Day (Part 2)

Leinan capered. She couldn't stop herself. The euphoria of safety, of Relief after the horror and uncertainty of the night was like a drug. It was heady!

She ran. She spun and danced and picked up her two safe, wonderful children, Aemon and Keimen, and hugged them and kissed them and spun them in circles!

She laughed. Her laugh was high and loud and filled with everything that had filled her soul this night.

It was black with hatred. It was sharp as a blade and high like the cruel moon. It contained all the harrowing horror and fear and rage that consumed her all of this night.

It was a cackle as she had never heard before, and it rocked her shoulders and lifted her chin to the sky as it all came billowing out of her mouth.

And she couldn't stop. Once it started it was all she could do not to burst with it. She could go home! They could go home! With riches!

And oh what riches! Gems which glittered and glowed with Magic lay where she had sat! Scattered like play things and pocket coppers.

Mundane ones too! Gold and crowns worth kingdoms. Pieces of art and artifice who's working she could not fathom. And books!

They were rich! They were....

'Wealth enough to buy Landsend'. She thought wonderingly. 'More! How — what...?' What were they to do with it all?

She didn't know. Did it matter? They. Were. Rich! And they were going home!She'd — she'd think of something. But that was later. Now — Leinan laughed and cackled to the sky —

And that gave her a wonderful view of Flynn and Theilan wrapped up like cocoons and tied to trees and staring at her as if they had never seen anything more disturbing in their lives....

Which was insanity because they were being guarded by a pair of short, hairy creatures with arms like blacksmiths.

As she watched, one of them flared a pair of gigantic wings, like a bird's and grinned toothily at her.

Leinan gawked and that put an end to her cackling.

Then she spun around to The Forerunner, words of retribution on her lips — where had she grown the courage?! — and... stopped. The words died on her lips.

Leinan hadn't paid attention afterwards. The world had stopped for her after the night had turned to morning and she had realized she'd won.

She — no, They — They had won! The Wizard AND her had beaten...

'Then why did The Wizard look...?'

* * *

The Wizard wept.

He wept like Leinan had wept.

He wept like The Forerunner had wept, with tears like moonstones.

He wept and sniffed into his beard and padded his eyes. But it wouldn't stop. Part of him didn't even know why he wept.

They'd won! They'd strove and plotted and played Beautiful games. So Beautiful an immortal Fae had been ensnared by them. Grand as legends of old and Old. Once, there were Wizards who bandied with Dragons, but he... He had cheated The Forerunner of all the Fae.

At his feet were items of such Magic that Wizards from around the world would build a Library around him just to study and Ponder upon them.