Tales of Arcadia: Douxie the Wizard Master

Part V

"What in Camelot are you doing?" Archie frowned.  His black fluffy tail bristled in the cold air.  The heating system had broken down a few nights ago, so they were freezing until it could get replaced.

Douxie put down the newspaper.  He gave his familiar one of his hazel glares.  "I'm researching."

Archie sighed.  "I told you to drop it!  The Arcane Order isn't here!"

"Oh yeah?" the wizard smashed the paper into his cat's face.  Archie scrambled far enough away so he could read it.

"The investigators found shards of ice at the scene," Douxie announced.  "Ice in an explosion with fire.  Come on Archie, you know I'm right."

Archie shook out his fur.  "I'll admit, that is suspicious, but please," he lowered his voice, "ever since you came barging back, screaming that the Arcane Order is here, Nari's been taking a dump.  Haven't you noticed she's being quieter than usual?"

Douxie did actually notice Nari's change in character, but he chose to ignore it.  An unfamiliar anger surged within.  "You know, Nari's not the only one with problems!" he seethed.

Archie retreated, arching his back.  The familiar scanned the wizard, then his eyes settled on the dark circles below Douxie's eyes.  "More nightmares?"

Douxie leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest, facing away.  "Something like that," he muttered.

"Die wizard!" Bellroc screamed.

Douxie struggled to keep the flames of their fury away from his skin.  His sky blue force field began to crack.  His arms and legs trembled as agony rushed through.  His concentration began to break as fear consumed everything.

"That was the plan!" Douxie cried.  With a mighty push, the force field exploded.  The Arcane headquarters disintegrated.  Skrael and Bellroc were sent sprawling away into the midnight sky.

The ground beneath Douxie began to crumble and crack.  Then he fell.

Down, Down, Down.

In reality, he'd been unconscious when he plummeted toward his death, but in this horrorscape, he was awake.  Fear and terror rushed through his mind.  

He was scared to die.  He didn't want to die.  He wanted to take everything back.  To live.

As the wind whistled past his ears, and the ground raced closer and closer, Merlin flashed through his mind.

"Oh, Hisirdoux, what have you done?"  Merlin cried.  "Your sacrifice wasn't enough.  The world is going to end and it is all your fault!"

The ground was so near, Douxie could see individual blades of grass.  No, no!  His mind screamed.

Then... emptiness.

"Douxie, Douxie!" Archie snapped the wizard out of his recollection.  "You were trembling."

The wizard's gaze dropped.  "The cold," he lied.

How was he supposed to keep Nari safe when he couldn't even control his own emotions and thoughts?

You'd think being immortal would teach you something about mindfulness, he thought bitterly.

"Don't you have night shift at the local bookstore?" Archie meowed.

Douxie shook his head out, scattering the darkness.  He fiddled with the studded bands he wore on his right wrist.  "I do."  

He really wanted to have a cashier job at the bookstore.  It was a local place with only one location.  It wasn't big, but the variety of books were beyond words.  He'd always loved books.  They calmed him, and in a way, it reminded him of Camelot.  At least that part of history was never lost.

Douxie excused himself and stumbled out the door.  The night had not been kind to him, leaving little room for real sleep.  He slapped himself to stay awake enough times to give him an angry red mark on his cheek.

When he entered the little store, he was approached by a high school boy who worked there for service hours.  "I heard the dry cleaner downtown demolished the place you work during your shift.  A lot of people were hurt.  Are you alright?"

Douxie offered him a weak smile.  "Of course.  I'm alright."

The boy was about to respond, but stopped.  His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he whipped it out so fast lightning would be jealous.  Douxie let him be as the boy fell into the world of social media and texting.

Douxie ran his hands along the books on the hundreds of shelves.  He breathed in the scent of paper and wood.  His pulse slowed, and a real smile crossed his face.  This place had a way of doing that.

  The demigods were looking for their defected sister, he knew.  The constant stress of living in fear and hiding had given him many sleepless nights and destroyed his life.  He was tired of sitting and waiting for the order to abduct Nari and use her to destroy the seals.  There had to be something he could do, to fight back, to be victorious.  To avenge Merlin's death, he thought quietly.

Until that day, he had customers to take care of.  He strode over to behind the counter.  The wizard put on the sunniest smile he could, and began to review people's credit cards.