Tales of Arcadia: Douxie the Wizard Master

Part XVIII: Section I

"The Arcane Order's... gone," Zoe breathed.

"They're dead," Jim sighed, and Claire tackled him in a hug.  Douxie felt like giving a few people some high fives, but something stopped him.

Nari gurgled and groaned, collapsing to the ground.  

"Nari!" Douxie shrieked, racing over to her side.  He skidded into the dirt, holding her in his arms.  The rest of the teens bolted over, too.

As she turned to him, he could see the faint flicker in her eyes.  She was fading.

An emptiness ripped inside Douxie, a terrible pain.  This was no victory.  She was going to die, and it was all his...

Nari's shaky hand brushed Douxie's cheek.  "You always think everything bad is your fault," she croaked.  "But that is far from true.  You are with out a doubt the bravest, most incredible wizard this world has ever known.  And... that I've ever known."  She coughed up what could only have been demigod blood.  Douxie's hands shook as he watched her slip away.

Just like Merlin, just like Merlin...

"No," she scolded.  "I am ready."

"But it's not fair," he trembled, tears slipping down his cheeks.  Somewhere behind him, another was crying, too.

Nari attempted to give a weak laugh.  "For all the deaths I've caused?  I think it is."

Before Douxie could argue, she turned to him, eyes burning with an intense light for the last time.  "But I want you to promise me something."

More promises, more vows, more prisons, more chains.  He didn't want to.  But he knew it was his duty as a wizard.  "What is it?" he pressed, trying to hide the dread in his voice.

"Free yourself," she whispered so faintly, he had to lean down to hear her.  "Love yourself.  Please... no more...  binds to those who've... past on.  You're more than... Merlin's apprentice.  You're... you're... Douxie the Wizard Master."

Douxie's eyes burned, completely surprised by his new vow, and his heart was about to explode and melt at the same time.  "Of course," he gave her a weak smile.  "I promise."

At long last, the worry lines in Nari's forehead faded, and in her last seconds of being, she was at peace.  Her body turned to an emerald glow before seeping through Douxie's hands and into the ground.  From the ashes of the demigod, the most beautiful flower emerged.  It curled in all shades of jade and emerald.  The petals swirled with every color of the rainbow and beyond.  And when Douxie stood, he caught it's scent, and it smelled like the most wondrous things in the world like sunshine, or cinnamon, or chocolate, or maybe some combination of all of them.

Jim put a hand on Douxie's shoulder and when they met each other's gazes, they exchanged wordless condolences.  Claire raced up and gave Douxie a hug, which Jim didn't seem to mind for some reason.  Then everyone joined in.

There was a soft hum somewhere nearby.  Everyone released themselves from the massive group hug and turned toward a cylinder of light shooting up into the sky.  It glowed a soft creamy white color.

"What is that?" Steve asked.

"When an primal spirit dies," Zoe began, "it's essence can never be destroyed.  Just like how you can never get rid of water.  It just goes through different phases.  Bellroc and Skrael weren't the first elementals, and they won't be the last.  You can never destroy heat, and you can never destroy cold.  They will always be a part of us."  She turned to face the group.  "But there must be a guardian of the elements.  If not, then it could have dire consequences on the entire world."