The Forgotten Mage's Diary

Part Twenty Five: Digiorno the Cat

Cole and Evelyn wandered through the town of Ludenville but seemed to be making zero progress. "I don't think he's here. We've been looking for him forever, maybe he left because he knew we found where he lived. What do you think? Evelyn? Helloooo?" Cole waved his hand in front of her face to catch her attention. "I-I am s-so s-s-sorry! I was j-just really deep in t-thought." Evelyn said.

"It's fine but we should probably wrap this up. I don't think he's here anymore. He probably left with Azmend." Cole let out a sigh. Evelyn nodded, "They're brothers so I d-don't feel like A-Azmend would mind much." Cole replied, "Yep!....Wait...how did you know that? We knew they were related but...brothers?" Evelyn started to panic, "I-I ju-just had a-a hu-hunch-ch!!!" "Evelyn...do you...know more? Is there any more information that you know that would help us find this guy?"

Evelyn fell to her knees, "P-Please...don't h-hurt h-him! I-I...it w-was all my fault! He's n-not evil!" Cole quickly responded, "You do know more, don't you? Please, for the sake of Areagore tell me! We can tell all of the guards and we ca-" "P-Please...I think I shou-should go now." Evelyn stood up and started to walk away. "No! You have to help! Who is he?!" Cole shouted.

Then a small black cat raced across the street. Cole immediately recognized it, "Is that Elena's familiar?" Elena soon chased after the cat. Evelyn paused, "E-Elena, we need to t-talk." Elena scooped up the cat and made her way towards Evelyn. "What's wrong?" asked Elena.

"H-His name is Karzen, he was my ch-childhood friend but he w-went to l-live w-with his younger brother Azmend. After th-that w-we lost contact with ea-each other and they b-both were tricked into j-joining the Dragon Resistance. I b-blame myself, h-he was so k-kind b-before the Dragon R-Resistance. If I d-didn't let him g-go so easily m-m-maybe-" Evelyn burst into tears. "T-They'll kill h-him! I-It's all m-my fault! I-It's b-because of me..." Elena put a hand on her shoulder, "Thank you, Evelyn." Evelyn wiped her tears and flew away.

Elena hugged her cat, "He will be executed, won't he?" Cole solemnly nodded, "Elena, that doesn't change what he did. He has to be executed because he killed your dad. We have to find this Karzen guy and turn him in, okay?" Elena plopped her cat onto the ground, "Okay."

"I'm naming him...Digiorno!" Elena exclaimed. Cole was shocked, "The cat?! Why would you give him such a dumb name?" "It's not dumb! It was one of your first words." Elena said, "Don't be so disrespectful!" Cole laughed, "Okay, Digiorno isn't dumb!" Digiorno let out a small meow and ran off. "Wait! DIGIORNOOOO!" Cole shouted and chased after the cat. "Mah babyyyyyy!!!" Elena screamed and followed.

They stopped in an alley, "Here, Digiorno~" Elena called. Digiorno scrambled away again and rushed to an abandoned looking house. Cole walked slowly behind the black fuzzball, "What's so special about this place?" he asked. "I'm not sure but I think we should check it out," Elena replied, "He's a magic cat so he must be onto something!" Cole raised an eyebrow, "I don't think that's how it works...but okay?" He opened the door and they filed into the rundown building.

A loud creak resounded through the house. "What was that?" Elena whispered but Cole only shrugged. Digiorno quickly ran off again. "NO DIGIORNOOO!" Cole whisper/shouted.  Digiorno scurried up a staircase, Elena groaned, "This cat hates me." They followed the cat up the stairs and arrived at a small room. "This feels like a horror movie!" Elena whined. "What's  a horer moovee?" Cole stumbled over the foreign words, "Nevermind!" Elena replied. Digiorno roamed around the room, "Elena, aren't you supposed to be hiding from Karzen?" Cole asked. "I wanted to help...and Monica was getting annoying fast." Elena responded and Cole let out a chuckle.

Digiorno started pawing at a closet and mewing. Cole hesitantly opened the closet door. There was a small door on the ceiling and a picture of-"Is that Evelyn?" Elena asked. "Yeah, I think so." Cole said. The picture showed a young Evelyn hugging a red haired boy. They were both smiling and having fun, Evelyn didn't look like her usual timid self. They were in a bright green forest in front of a homemade treehouse. "Do you think that's Karzen?" Cole asked, Elena just nodded in agreement. "Let's open that door..." Cole reached up, grabbed the handle, and yanked the door open. A wooden ladder flung down and Cole ushered Elena up the steps.

It looked like a little kid's clubhouse, pictures and drawings filled the walls. Suddenly loud footsteps shook the building. Cole quickly grabbed Digiorno and closed the door to the small hideout. "Don't make a sound." he calmly stated. They huddled in a corner and nobody dared to speak a word until...MEOWWW! Elena let out a squeak and she covered Digiorno's mouth but that only made him meow even more. MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW! Cole grabbed the cat and whispered to Elena, "Just cast a sleeping spell." Elena nodded and muttered a spell, her hands lit up and the glowing light found it's way towards Digiorno until he started to doze off. Digiorno shook his head and his eyes went electric blue. He stumbled over to the door. "Why isn't he asleep?" Elena panicked. "He's your familiar, this must be important. He completely rejected the spell." Cole replied. Digiorno pawed at the door. Elena slowly inched over to the cat and opened the door.

Digiorno leaped from the opening and ran out of the room. Cole immediately followed and pulled Elena down with him. They peeked their heads out of the room, they spotted Digiorno and followed close behind. Cole leaned over from the staircase and pointed to something. "What is it Cole?" Elena's eyes followed Cole's finger and met a man with dark red hair and a black eyepatch. He was wearing a long black cloak with a pocket that had a red dragon head emblem, there appeared to be some type of paper inside the pocket. Cole calmly walked up to him, he offered his hand to shake,

"Hello, Karzen."