Gates to Glory: Epic Fantasy Adventure Tale (Ashurran #1)

1.13. The Story of Ruatta the Wizard

No one knew whence Ruatta came to Irshawan. Some people said, from the moon, others, from the sea bottom or from beyond the World's Edge. Some said he stepped out of a pillar of flame; some said he was born not of mortal parents, but of a bolt of lightning that struck into the sea.

Even when he came there, no one knew, for that knowledge was effaced from people's memory, either by sorcery or by sheer length of time. Should anyone ask for how long wizard Ruatta had been living in Lankmar, everyone would answer the same, "Forever."

Here is his true story.

On the desolate sea shore of Orgende, among rocks and sea weeds, in a cave there lived a poor hermit striving for spiritual enlightenment. Before that he was a great scholar, but eventually he arrived at the revelation that in much wisdom was much grief, and withdrew from the world. He lived mainly on seagull eggs and shellfish. Sometimes he was lucky to catch a fish. It is known that the more one neglects one's physical needs, the more one's inner self develops. Thus that nameless hermit was able to achieve enlightenment.

One day the remains of a wrecked ship were washed ashore and a man with a red hair amongst them. He was pale and thin, parched with thirst and starving. He appeared to survive a shipwreck and spend many days toyed and tossed about by the rough sea.

The hermit took the man into his cave and nursed him back to health. At first the man spoke some strange and unknown language. The hermit could make out only his name: Ruatta. Little by little the man learned some Lankmarin, but he couldn't say much because he had lost nearly all his memories.

Nevertheless the hermit foresaw great and marvelous deeds in his future. He could clearly see that one possessed strength, courage and wisdom. So he told Ruatta the tale of the Three Gates. Also he revealed to him the secret how to find the MountAlbourze, which he found in an ancient book. He had little use of the secret himself, for he needed neither glory nor power nor knowledge.

That tale sank deeply into Ruatta's heart. He bade farewell to the hermit and started out on his long journey, earning his living by his great fencing skills, magic tricks or gambling. He was led by the desire to find the missing part of his life, of his very soul, and he followed his path relentlessly, suffering cold and heat, hunger and thirst without doubt, regret and complaint.

His persistence was rewarded. He found the MountAlbourze and took the Gates to Knowledge.

That very instance not only he regained the memories of his past, but also acquired infinite wisdom, knowledge of magic and other secrets of the universe, along with power over time and space. The homeless vagrant Ruatta died and the mighty wizard Ruatta was born who even the haughtiest kings dared not to order about.

The first thing he did was to transport himself by magic back to Orgende, to pay the debt of gratitude to his savior. But the old hermit had died peacefully in his cave a few years before. Ruatta buried his bones and put an obelisk made of gold and jewels at his grave.

He didn't return to his previous life, to his homeland, and how could he? There was a brand-new life ahead of him, full of novel delights and unknown pleasures. At least that's what the tale says.

Another man in his place would revel in vice and debauchery, throwing his money around and boasting of his newly acquired might. But Ruatta was nothing like that. His first deed of renown was to stop the Black Death that swept through Lankmar and decimated its population taking poor peasants and rich nobles alike into the darkness of an early grave. At once he became famous throughout entire Irshawan and loved by its people. Everyone came to believe in his omnipotence, and every ruler, every king tried to lure him into their service.

Yet Ruatta was willful and stern and couldn't care less for glory and riches. He decided for himself whom he would help and whom he wouldn't, and no one could sway him. Sometimes he would come to the court of a king or a prince of his choosing and spend a few years indulging in noble pleasures and affairs of the state. Then he would suddenly disappear back into seclusion. Sometimes he would charge a huge sum of money for treating an aristocrat for warts, and charge nothing to save the life of a dying peasant.

Anything was within his power: rainmaking, sunmaking, windmaking. He could stop a flood, triple the crop in a field, cure any illness and read the future. On occasions he would even take part in a war, fighting with weapon in hand like a mere mortal.

Years passed, yet he didn't change with them, staying young and handsome forever. He could appear as a youth of sixteen or as a man in his prime. Yet his features remained the same. He was of medium height, slender and lithe like a cypress, narrow of waist and graceful of limbs. His eyes were the color of spring leaves wet with rain. His hair was red and auburn with a tinge of copper. His skin was pale gold.

The very glimpse of his beautiful face stirred desire in many a woman's heart. Yet the great sorcerer paid them no attention whatsoever. It was said Ruatta had a preference for men, which was considered an abominable sin in Lankmar. But no one dared to blame him for that, for wizards and witches were so different from other people that common laws and rules didn't apply to them.