The Wizard

Mazlo the Wicked

Luhng's head fell to the floor and slid to a stop at Mevner's feet. The dragon's large twitchy eye looked up at him. Blood quickly flowed out of his brain and the ability to push air through his vocal cords was no more. Still, he mouthed the words: You are the wizard. 

In the doorway, the huge body of the beast thrashed and jumped and beat its wings like a chicken with its head cut off. Øregård dove at the body and drove his sword deep into the dragon's heart. Then he and Grimble's iron soldier wrestled the corpse to the ground. 

Mevner looked with pity on the fallen Titan and spoke, "Peace." 

Luhng's pained singular eye formed a gentle expression and his face loosened as he accepted his inevitable death. Mevner took out his empty vial and filled it to the brim with the tears of a dying dragon. 

"I'm sorry, marvelous ancient creature. It's a true loss for the world to witness the great Luhng pass from existence." Mevner pet the dragon's snout in an attempt to comfort his departure from this life.

"You're such an animal lover, Diggs. I always liked that about you." 

The sound of Toven Hex's voice turned everyone's attention away from the fallen dragon. She stood on the steps to an old and unused throne where mountain kings once met with their subjects. Everything in the hall was carved from spectacular marbles and limestones. Even in her human form, her long black curls seemed to dance about her head. 

Hex was eleven years and eleven months older than Mevner and that decade had shown her a darker side of existence. She carried the troubles of the universe on her shoulders. Though the corners of her eyes were beginning to show her age, her expressions often seemed to be those of someone twice as old. She'd been motherly to Mevner in his youth and he always thought of her as a charmed older sister worthy of looking up to. 

"You know I tried to talk the dragon down." Mevner smiled at his favorite person.

"In vain I'm sure. I told you not to come here." 

"Melock would have come and he would have brought me with him." 

"You're not Melock, Diggs." 

"No, but I try to follow the examples he laid out for us." 

That finally cracked her smile and brought out the light of her eyes. Her left eye had a purplish glow that outshined the sparkle of her blue one. She wore flowing black lacey layers and high black boots beneath. She was the gypsy witch that haunted the forests of Mevner's childhood. 

She glided down the steps like she was floating and wrapped him in her spidery arms. He hugged her back and the jasmine scent of flowers her hair always had comforted him in a way only a loved one could. 

"I've suffered horribly. The master's death was an unbelievable shock, but I feel stronger for making it through. And seeing you again... it fills me with renewed strength," he whispered his weakness in her ear.

"You talk just like Melock." She loosened her grasp, kissed his forehead, and stepping back tousled Mevner's beard seeing her former master in his apprentice. 

"How did he die? How did you defeat Luhng? And how did you put Øregård back together?" 

 "I had some help from one of Melock's old friends, Hex this is..." 

He turned around to introduce Grimble and saw a look of dread and rage flash across Øregård's face. The ogre raised his sword and pointed it toward the marble throne. A slow sarcastic series of three claps came from the seated figure in black. 

"Well, isn't this a lovely little reunion." 

Redwing stood up wearing a new set of finely tailored black and maroon robes. His head shaved to his skin and his eyes looked completely black. He walked slowly down the stairs to the floor of the castle's great hall. 

"Ozgold, you do impress me more and more. I have to admit I never thought I'd see you again. Let alone bringing ogres back to life, creating metal constructs, and slaying dragons." He gestured at Øregård, the iron warrior, and Luhng's massive dead head in succession. "I'm not very pleased about the later. Hex, rid the world of that worthless orc once and for all." 

She turned with Mevner to face Redwing and did not take her customary place at his side. She folded her arms in defiance of the command. 

"I only just found out he was alive." She pressed her foot into the floor doubling down on her negative response. 

Redwing raised his hand, a wicked black phantom of a heavy crossbow appeared, and he fired it. A black singing bolt sailed across the room with a whistle and slammed into Øregård's forehead, dead center between the eyes, and he went down like a ton of bricks. The sound of his armor crashing into marble under the weight of his bulk blended into the sound of Grimble's iron warrior raising his war hammer and stomping toward the sorcerer. 

"Mister Grimble Grumble, I presume. Since you enjoy alloys so much, try this cube." 

With a wave of his hand, an enormous dark iron box bound with thick steel bands bolted into place with inch wide metal rivets appeared around Grimble's iron man, trapping him inside. The dull thud of his hammer against the inner walls of the prison thumped as if it was far away. 

Redwing reached back behind his ear and pulled another twisted black steel bolt out of the air and loaded it into his Devil's Crossbow. 

"And now, Ozgold you have truly offended me. Turning the attention of my lovely apprentice against me." 

"You'll not harm him again!!!!!" 

Her Banshee Scream ripped the ancient tapestries from the walls behind Redwing; lines of raised blood vessels appeared on his head and face as he winced in pain. 

"You're with me or against, my darling." Redwing lowered his stance and raised his arm. "You make my blood boil."

Raven screamed while grabbing at her throat and fell to the floor in a fit of convulsions. Blood poured out of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as her body tremored. Mevner knelt down to her and slid the last vial of Melock's ashes into Toven's shaking hand. She no longer saw him but she grasped the potion and held it for dear life. 

"I have laid waste to the western kingdom. Its capital is now my Necropolis. I have raised an army that will soon conquer this world entirely. With my new found powers I will travel to other worlds and enslave all to my will. I still desire an apprentice and I see now, who the star of Melock's former pupils clearly was."

Mevner stood up and faced another of his lifelong companions, a mentor, a man he looked to as an older brother, even if he was a cruel one.

"Ozgold the death defier! Ozgold the monster creator! Ozgold the dragon slayer! The great and powerful Oz! These titles will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. I offer you, again, at a time where you understand the depths of my plan and see the future before us, a chance to join me. To become the great wizard you are meant to be!" Redwing foamed at the mouth with truth and intent. 

Mevner opened his palm, revealing the Knowing Diamond. "Can Redwing conquer the world?" 

The stone spun and pulsed and shimmered in the absolute positive. 

"My name is Malum Mazlovado and you know my fate to be true. Come with me, Wizard, and discover the limitless power that awaits you on the path of evil."