Above the Waves

Chapter 5: The Dark Warlock

[Word Count: 1468]

I wake up in a warm and unfamiliar wooden cabin, I was lying in a bed without a clue how I'd gotten here. I look around, the cabin walls were covered in beautiful, framed paintings of landscapes with wooden furniture evenly spaced around the room. The curtains were stitched up with many fabrics, as if they'd been torn or set alight more than once and the bed was covered in a beautiful hand-sown quilt.

I'd never been inside a real house before, only soggy shipwrecks at the bottom of the ocean. Out of pure excitement, I pull back the quilt and skip across the room to the door. I rattle the doorknob but couldn't figure out how to open it, maybe it was locked.

"Quite down, June," I can hear Lincoln call from the other side of the door. His voice jogs my memory and I remember how we'd both disappeared through the purple smoke to see his brother; The Dark Warlock.

"I didn't think you'd be awake for hours," I turn around to find he's teleported into the room and was now making the bed behind me. "Afraid you passed out after the teleportation, happens to a lot of people the first time, don't worry."
"Where are we?" I ask.
"This is my brother and I's home, darling. Afraid we don't have too many visitors and I only had time to clean the guest bedroom."
"Can I see him, your brother?"
"If you don't mind me asking, why do you wish to meet my brother so badly," Lincoln asks me.

I stop and take a second, I didn't even know myself. I was so caught up in the sadness and anger when Lincoln told me he'd killed my father and I guess I had no one to take the anger out on. Despite how selfish and ignorant Lincoln was, I sensed pain when he spoke. I knew he wasn't lying when he said he no choice but to kill my father, so I guess I had to blame his brother.

"I just- I just need to," I blurt out.
"You're confused, I can tell," he says.
"I just found out how my father died, after believing he was killed by a shark sixteen years ago. So yes, you could say I'm confused."
"It's okay, June, I went without closure all these years and I don't want anyone else to feel that way. So if it'll make you feel better, then I'll let you talk to him."

Lincoln waved his hand at the door unlocks itself and swings open to reveal a long and cold hallway, I step outside and Lincoln follows as I begin to walk. The corridor appeared to go forever, the wooden walls were burnt and there were no windows or furniture in this room, not even a painting. Some of the nails in the wooden floor stuck up and kept on digging into my bare feet, but I refused to say anything.

Lincoln stopped walking and I realized we were standing beside an old door, I'd been too busy looking down, trying to avoid cutting my feet on any more nails. Light was glowing from underneath the door, Lincoln's brother must be in there. I smile up at Lincoln, as if to thank him for helping me find this room.

"I'm going to wait out here, okay? You go in, introduce yourself and if anything goes wrong, I'll be right here," he smiles back, reassuringly.

I pushed the door open and walked in to find the room in more of a mess than the corridor. Glass bottles littered the room, open books and papers lie across the room, the couch had many holes in it and the padding was falling everywhere. The fire place was lit, the wood around it was burnt as if the fire often escaped. Torn painting that would have once been beautiful spotted the walls, several had fallen to the floor.

My eyes land on a man who looked a lot like Lincoln, slumped over a desk. They had the same nose, same chin, same face shape. But where Lincoln had a smile, his brother had a hideous frown. His eyes were cold while Lincoln's were wide and welcoming. They both had long, white beards though, Lincoln's was longer. They both wore pointed hats with the brim turned up and long robes, perhaps they shopped at the same place.

"Who do you think you are?" the warlock grunted.
"My name is June and I wish to speak with you about my father," I stick my chest out and try to sound fierce.
"June, ha? I know of you, you're Alexander's daughter."
"Indeed."
"Well, Miss June, afraid I'm not interested in talking to any sea monsters today," he sneers.

He stands from his office chair and I notice how fatter and shorter he was than Lincoln, who was very tall and thin. He had short legs but a big belly, covers by his white, fluffy beard.

"That's too bad," I was getting angry again. "What happened between you and my father?"
He chuckles as if my anger was funny to him, "Your father was greedy. He deserved exactly what he got."
"He didn't deserve to die, you did!" I shout.

This wizard was unbelievable, how could I think he would be anywhere near as forgiving as Lincoln is. My father stole a bit of gold to buy my mother a present, but he lost the gold along with his life. How could the wizard want anymore from him?

He begins to fake pity me, "Missing old daddy, ha?"
"I never met him because of you."
"Awh, isn't that sad. Why don't ya just go swim back to-"
"No! I will not put up with your games, don't treat me like a child! You should be thankful to still have your life, but you're ungrateful. You're the greedy one."
He raises his eyebrow. "I see ya have your father's temper," he mutters.
"Lincoln should've let you die," I growl.
"Is that so, dear?" he says, appearing to lose interest.

I needed to avenge my father, he needed justice. My father didn't die for nothing. I'd only known The Dark Warlock for two minutes and I already detested him, he was so rude and arrogant. I can see why my father wanted to kill him.

"Get up! I'm here to finish what my father started," I say, without a second thought.
He bursts out laughing once more, "You're just a wee-little fish, ya think ya can defeat me and all my power?"
"I don't see what's stopping me," I retort.
"You're just like your father; big headed. If it's a fight ya want, it's a fight you'll get," he says.

I hold my hands together and begin to create a ball of fire. My hands heat up rapidly and a small flame flares in my cupped hands, getting larger and larger. The wizard just sits and watches, obviously unimpressed, but I'll show him.

Once the flame is around the size of a tuna fish, I ditch the ball towards his head. I thought that would do it but apparently, he could catch fire with his bare hands. He hurls the flaming ball back at me, I see my life flash before my eyes but I step aside just in time, letting it hit the wall before it burnt out.

Lincoln obviously heard this as he bursts in, "June, stop!"
"No! I need to avenge my father."

I look over to The Dark Warlock to find him creating his own spell. His palms were facing each other and black smoke swirled around in the space between his hands. It was rather pretty but of course, it was probably dangerous.

"What is that?" I shout.
"A curse, darling," he grins, evilly.
"Kenneth, leave her alone." Lincoln shouts.

Kenneth, what a funny name.

"You're too cowardly to fight me so you create a curse to get you out of this?" I angrily yell.
"Be careful, dear, a storms a brewing," he says and the smoke turns darker.
"Don't you dare lay that curse on me, you coward."
"Kenneth," Lincoln growls.
"You're right, your mother deserves to be with your father," he cackles.
"No, I won't let you kill my mother!" I screech, horrified.
"Fate worth than death, good idea," he smirks. "Any more suggestions?"
"Stop it, Kenneth, at once!"

I lunge at the wizard, despite Lincoln's shouts. The warlock made me so furious. How could he be so selfish to even think of killing my mother or I? I hit the curse from his hand but the black smoke just begins to expand and fill the room.

"You won't get away with this," I yell before everything goes black, once more.