The Wizard

Windswept Coast

Reynusdranger beach, not far from the tiny Icelandic fishing village of Vik, was the breeding ground of choice for the arctic seabird known as the puffin. The beach wasn't made of sand but rather consisted of chunky black volcanic rocks rounded smooth by the sea. The difficulty of walking across the stone beach kept most large-sized mammals, including humans, away. 

The volcanic mountains whose glacial deposits slid down to the shore formed wildly unnatural looking hexagonal stone structures as if carved by geometrically precise sculptors. Gaping caves framed the shore and out beyond the breakers, huge weather-worn monoliths jutted out of the turbulent ocean. The jagged and eerie lava rock protrusions gave the already intimidating shoreline an even more mysterious edge. 

Thick rain clouds rumbled overhead and sprinkled the icy waters. The bright orange beaks of the puffins spotted the landscape and a pod of Northern Atlantic Right whales were breaching offshore. The leviathans shoved their bulk high out of the water, barnacles catching the soft light before they splashed down with tremendous force. 

It was on that windswept frozen coast that the two wizards returned and faced each other as they adjusted their footing on the shifting slick rocks. 

"Follow. Follow." 

Mevner just got the words of the spell out when two golden blades pierced Redwing's back and their blood covered tips poked through the front of his chest. Behind him, de Martín ripped her short swords out and prepared for a second stab. Mazlovado turned and split her body down the middle like a laser beam. His hands sliced the air in front of him and sent a blast of such force that it parted the sea at the shoreline behind her. 

"That's why you keep saying it twice." 

Mazlovado exhaled annoyance with himself at not realizing there was a second person following him when he teleported. It was the last time that rogue would sneak up on him.

Pathos de Martín visually reappeared. Her body lay in two equal parts on the ground. The rocks covered in blood, the very earth beneath her cracked open, and the cloak passed to her by her father torn down its middle. Death came instantaneously. 

Mazlovado gestured to her ring and the circular rainbow-colored crystal jumped up to his hand. He sneered at the symmetrical corpse at his feet. 

"Rise, my child."

The two parts of Pathos came to life and started pushing towards each other.

Mazlo turned around quick. Mevner aimed his crossbow with the fire ruby tipped arrow. Mazlo slid the ring onto his good hand as Mevner fired. He raised his zombie arm and the bolt threaded through the straightened forearm, deep into the bicep, and exploded. 

Fire irrupted on the beach and dissipated as quickly as it came. Mevner lowered his light bending shield. Mazlo's new arm was incinerated and its removal point cauterized. Mevner reached forward and snatched the amulet of teleportation from Redwing's neck. The delicate golden design pulsed and sent a wave of pain through Mevner's body. He jumped back and dropped the necklace to the ground. 

Pathos wrapped pieces of her torn cloak around her torso and stood up awkwardly. She wrapped her long hair around her face and neck to hold her head together. Death held no dignity and her quick return from the grave was a horrific gory nightmare to behold.  

She staggered around the necromancer that had killed her and brought her back. Her walking corpse belonged to him, now. She picked a short sword off the ground and walked toward the amulet. Her eyes were dead, no emotion nor cognizant expression appeared on her split face. 

Mevner looked at her with repulsion and sorrow. This final image of her burning into his mind forever. He quietly chanted and focused his concentration. The gray clouds overhead whirled in a circle. 

"I'm sorry," he said and he was. 

Lightning ripped the sky and the bolt that rose from the earth to the heavens began directly below her wobbly feet. He only hoped it would carry her soul away. The zombie version of his former friend fell to the pebbly beach a charred sizzling lump. 

Mazlovado regained his composure. With one arm, he gestured a thousand stones to float off the ground before him. He moved his hand forward and they cracked the sound barrier as they flew toward Mevner. 

The wizard turned sideways and flattened his body down to the thickness of a single molecule. The meteor storm of rocks passed by and raked the pillars behind him like machinegun fire. His body convulsed and slowly returned to its normal configuration. 

Malum Mazlovado spoke in an unknown guttural and backward language.

"Glaygz. Turkztantum. Lleh fo tsaeb eht nommus I. Transfugate!"

A phantom clawed arm grew in place of the one he'd lost and black reptilian wings unfolded out of his back. Curled ram's horns grew out of his head and the transformation sent waves of pain through him. 

He began the spell that nullified the wizard, poisoned him, and prepared him to have his life and powers drained. Mevner looked up helplessly to see not one Sword of Doom hanging over his head but a hundred. Monstrous claws lowered them out of the thundering clouds. At the same time from the corner of his eye, he saw the burned body of Pathos lunging toward him with her sword. 

He had but a second to live and he knew it. 

The icy wind rushed in off the ocean as waves broke heavy and pulled at the rocks. The damp cold of the beach chilled him to his core and the tide was, as they say, way out.