Short Stories!

Valgerd

I know I've been gone for a while, and I don't even know if anyone reads these but I am Incredibly proud of this one bc it's one of the longest things i've ever written (about 1200 words) and I almost ran out of creative steam halfway through but I pushed through it so I'm incredibly proud of this short story. I hope whoever reads this enjoys it.

The wizard's tower looms ominously above Valgerd. The light rain soaks through the already damp stone path beneath him. He's been waiting for this moment. Although his boots are planted firm into the ground, he can't help but feel a bit shaky. He set out on the road to the tower weeks ago, in the throes of grief. A couple of months ago, the war-mongering orc leader, Gul, raided his town, razing his home to the ground, and slaughtering his family. It's been so long and yet when he thinks of the way his wife's body lay bleeding on the barren road of his destroyed town, he still feels as if a steel knife was driven into his throat. He wipes the tears away with a furred palm before stepping briskly up to the wooden door of the stone tower. The circular, iron-wrought knocker on the oak door is held in the mouth of a snarling dragon. He takes it into his hand, slamming it on the wood beneath. The door creaks open on its own, seeming almost alive. It leads him into a small foyer, lit only by candles. The middle of the circular room has a rough feeling rug that sits at the foot of the stairs. A thin layer of dust coats everything. The wizard must not come down here very often. On the railing of the stairs, a handpainted sign with tulips lining the sides tells Valgerd to "please takes off your shoes!". He complies, tugging at the laces on his heavy boots until they come loose. Slipping off his boots and leaving them on the rug, he steps up the wooden stairs, growing warier as he goes. As he nears the top of the staircase, the door in front of him seems to shift and shimmer in front of his eyes, almost like it's lying on the surface of a clear pond. He turns the handle, stepping into a room much, much bigger than the foyer below him. Magic, He thinks, since the top of the tower seemed no bigger than the bottom from the outside. He steps forward a few more times, before seeing a tall figure running around, writing in various notebooks and referring to several devices and open books, strewn on many tables around the room. The room itself looked like an enormous library, with what looks to be thousands of books. The ceiling of the library is clear, unmarked glass, like an observatory, showing clear stars in the night sky. That can't be, He thinks to himself again, because of the clouded over midday sky and the incessant rain. He shakes the wonder and confusion from his head, setting his jaw and stomping towards the wizard.

"Adubus!" He barks, snout curling upwards into a growl. The wizard, Adubus, wheels around quickly, knocking over a pile of books in an attempt to steady himself. He marvels at the man before him for a second, before walking forward towards him in a welcoming manner, arms spread out.

"Ah, a werewolf! Not common around these parts nowadays. What are you doing away from Ruterra, friend?" He questions, sticking out his hand to shake. Valgerd awkwardly shakes his hand, wanting to get through with the formalities.

"Ruterra is being raided by orcs." He looks away, ears flattening a little, remembering the aftermath of the raid on his town. "My town was one of the first. They butchered my family."

"Ah... a victim of Gul. People like you don't come to me very often. They usually go to a necromancer or a spirit worker. Looking to talk to their family one last time. What brings you to the humble abode of the man who works with the stars?" Valgerd looks down, a heavy feeling filling his chest. He pauses, working out his words.

"I want you to teach me. I want to read the stars and know that what happened was for a reason. I want to know it will stop." He says sincerely, almost exhausted. Adubus looks on the man, admiring his reasoning. He puts a hand on his shoulder, reassuring the canine man.

"Most men seek strength or power to defeat their pain. Not doing that proves you to be a good man for this job. I'll teach you, yes, but only what I was taught. There are some lessons only the stars can teach you if you choose to listen to their words." He says, straightening up and turning to the ceiling. "Now look to the stars. The dome on this room shows me the placement of every star showing on the sky, and helps me chart their movements." Valgerd looks up quickly, eyes darting from constellation to constellation. Adubus just looks on the twinkling cosmic diamonds like old friends. "I'm preparing to commune with them soon. If you learn quickly, you may be able to look on and even hear them speak a few times." The wizard's eyes twinkle as he watches his new student grow a little excited.

"How do I start?" Valgerd asks, fidgeting with his shirt sleeves. "How does one prepare to hear the stars?" Adubus just turns back around, busying himself again with writing and looking at devices. After a while, he speaks, only half focusing on what he's saying."Well - you have to, ah... find your center... and um... know your protection spells and - oh, hm - all that can be done in the moment, with me on the protection spells you'll have... nothing to worry about but... you'll need... to know some basic stars." He waves his hand and a few books float down from the shelves. As Valgerd takes a look at the titles, it seems as if they're all on basic astrology. "There will be a small bit of overlap in the information of those books but read them thoroughly and you'll get it in no time. Ah, also!" He fumbles with the ring on his left finger for a second, before clumsily taking it off and handing it to Valgerd. It's a bright gold band, with tendrils of gold wrapped around a clear gem that seems to shift between clear white and a shimmering rainbow of colors. "Put it on." He says, smiling at him and motioning at him to place it on his finger. The werewolf complies, awkwardly wiggling his fingers afterward. "Now turn the jewel once to the left." As Valgerd does so, a sphere of midnight sky incases him and Adubus. "It's a piece of the skydome. Now you'll always have a share of the stars with you, no matter where you are. Helpful for when you need a change of pace from studying in this musty old attic. I've lost the need for it years ago. It's yours now. To turn it off, turn it back to the right." As the stars around them fade, Valgerd's mouth hangs open in amazement. "Now, go study," the wizard urges, motioning to the seating area behind his workspace. "You'll be needing the practice for the ritual soon." The werewolf rushes and stumbles over himself to get to the study area, eager to learn his new trade. As for the wizard, he just turns back to his work, burying himself in books and scrolls again.

Again, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings about this random idea that popped into my head. I don't write as often as I used to, but I will try to post some things that I find cool that I've written. I have a couple drafts from last year on this collection but... I doubt if I'll finish them. Thanks to anyone who made it this far in my bullshit.