Hero Is Now Villain

*** Chapter Fifteen can be found exclusively in my book . Both the Kindle and paperback versions are available at Amazon.com. Type in 'David Koon' at Amazon search bar for faster results. Thanks in advance for supporting my passion and living. ***

"Do you not find this funny, asking the King's General for consent to carry out a Grand Mage business?"

The Grand Mage, a whiskery elderly man named Karlon, stared coldly into the eyes of Ia Balam, the King's General. The two were inside the General's Office located at the uppermost level of the East Wing of the Palace of Kings, accompanied by Ia's young lieutenant, Lukas, watching the scene from some distance with disinterested eyes.

A lazy, warm mid-morning sunlight shone through the open windows in contrast with the cold air inside the room.

"No, I do not, General, and the sooner you give me your consent, I will go and do my job," said the Grand Mage after a long, uncomfortable pause.

"Neither do I. In fact, I find it fascinating. And satisfying. It was one of my dreams to establish hierarchy of commands within Kingston. The King's General and Royal Guard finally have the control we deserve to protect our king. Good days have finally come."

"Just sign the damn paper, Balam," exploded Karlon, his whiskers trembling in rage.

"I was just striking up a conversation. You have your grant, Karlon, now go build that alchemy lab—"

"Astronomy lab," snapped Karlon.

"Whatever. Take the money and tinker with your toys. Fill the Academy with promising, loyal magickal servants such as yourselves," Ia winked and waved the fuming Grand Mage lazily.

Karlon seemed to want to say something but decided better and turned towards the exit.

"By the way, how are the words from Valforrest?"

Karlon stopped and faced Ia once more, annoyed and curious by the question at the same time.

"If you want the report, I can have the full contents transcribed and let you have it by noon."

"Or you can just tell me how things are going. There are some rumors that Lord Kedval, our so-called Protectorate, died from a certain uprising. Surely, you have frequented the Mana Cloud in your spare times yourself, Karlon."

"I do not heed much to rumors," paused Karlon, "although, come to think of it, I have come across rumors of that nature."

"And? Dustein, was it? The one stationed at Frostmarch? What does he tell you through your handy Mana messages?"

"Nothing. I mean, nothing particular," muttered Karlon.

"Everything is fine, then? You are sure?" asked Ia.

"Would you rather trust words of the streets or those of one of the most faithful royal servants in the Kingdom? I know Dustein. I taught him myself, one of my best students at that, and I can even vouch for him with my own life," said Karlon indignantly.

"I am sure your few counting years can be better spent than on protecting a traitor, or even worse, a dead man," smiled Ia nonchalantly, but his every other demeanor was more than enough for Karlon to erupt.

"How dare you call my prodigy a traitor?" yelled Karlon, but Ia cut him off as calmly as ever.

"Calm down, old man. Wait, that is what ticked you off? Not the 'few counting years?' You know what, never mind."

"I think I am going to leave now, General," said Karlon, still fuming and eyeing Ia with contempt.

"You are dismissed when I dismiss you."

Karlon grunted and looked around restlessly.

"No need to sit down. You can stand while I talk."

Karlon raised his arms exasperatedly but soon dropped his shoulders and waited for Ia to continue his lazy, leisurely manner of talking.

Ia waited long enough until he opened his always-smiling lips.

"You see, I studied a little about this Mana Cloud of yours, thanks to my trusty lieutenant over there," Ia waved playfully to his stern-looking blonde subordinate. Lukas neither saluted or even nodded at the acknowledgment; he simply blinked, without showing much emotion.

"Mana Cloud is a magickal technology that no layman can understand in a day's learning—" scoffed Karlon, only to be intervened by Ia's clear, coy voice once again.

"Yes, mages are great, magick even greater. I am not claiming I am some kind of expert, Karlon. What I am suggesting, however, is that you verify who has been giving you false information from Frostmarch."

"What false information? Do you seriously expect me to trust street rumors over the words of my student?"

"If High Mage Dustein is dead—"

"He is not. A very capable pyromage, Dustein is," said Karlon proudly and decisively.

Ia closed his mouth for a moment but continued as if he had not been intervened.

"—then the messages from Frostmarch in the past couple weeks have been coming from someone else."

"Who?" demanded Karlon.

"We shall see. Any mage can enter and operate Mana Cloud, and signatures can be forged."

"You are wrong, General. One requires a key to operate at a High Mage level. Your lack of understanding in the matter is blatant, I should say."

"Keys could be stolen, no? Are they not mere magickal objects, single-purpose wands but shaped in the form of keys?"

Karlon opened his mouth, closed it, and grunted in agreement inaudibly.

"Look. All I ask is a simple test. A test to see whether we have a traitor or an impostor among with our unfriendly northern brothers."

Ia then explained his 'test,' and upon hearing the plan Karlon's angry frown loosened a little, with a hint of surprise and intrigue at realizing what Ia was suggesting.

"Impressive, General. To understand the mechanics of Mana Cloud, an average apprentice takes months, even years. Now, if you are interested in the art of magick, you are always welcome at—"

"No, I am not, Grand Mage, and please leave to do the work I have assigned for you," said Ia with a smile, but with an unmistakable authority in his order.

Karlon blinked upon realizing that he had just been commanded by a man young enough to be his grandson.

"I will report back to you by the evening," muttered Karlon bitterly.

"By noon, and thank you for your service," smiled Ia.

Fires shot from the eyes for a second, but the elderly Grand Mage nodded grudgingly and walked towards the exit. He stopped by the door, expecting Lukas to open it for him, but the aloof lieutenant kept his ground, immobile and uncaring. Karlon cursed and clicked his tongue as he showed himself out.

Were the Grand Mage not so furious at the moment, he would have recognized a certain purposefulness in Lukas's deliberate insolence. Even better, a familiar face in the youthful, handsome feature of the blonde young man.

Or not. The world was quickly forgetting the venerable, fair King's General from a year ago. And Lukas Falen, too, did his best to erase his beloved uncle from his memory.

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At the entrance of Castle Gale stood a lone pike with decapitated head stuck on top of it. Decayed and rotting, the face was barely recognizable, but everyone knew to whom it had belonged. Lord Kedval III had been executed publicly a week ago, for the crimes of incompetence and neglect of duty. The former charge was self-evident; Kedval was simply a bad ruler. The latter charge, on the other hand, was a curious one. Kedval was executed for being the King's Protectorate, albeit in name only, when he should have had actively sought for the independence of Valforrest. Such was the verdict of the people.

Thus, there was a new king in Valforrest, yet unbeknownst to the rest of Alvyond. Ophidia and the druids had been careful not to let the news of a successful uprising spread below the Valforrest-Plaine border. News stopped at Sappling, with druid spies spreading contradicting, false rumors on top of the facts regarding the power shift at the state's capital. The truth, however, was too strong to be held back completely. The Southern Alvyond talked of Lord Kedval's death over cheap drinks, between dark alleys, and under breaths.

Over by the window of the Eagleview Chamber, Ryzen could see Kedval's head on a pike from below. He turned and looked at two n.a.k.e.d women sound asleep on the bed. One was Ophidia, as beautiful as ever, and the other was Kisha, having thinned from the fatal injury leading to mass blood loss but looking fine other than that. Her right arm was missing, but neither she nor Ryzen cared much about it when they held each other.

"If you ever want me to stick my arm through your asshole—" said Kisha one night when she had recovered well enough to sleep on the same bed with Ryzen.

"What are you talking about?" said Ryzen, coughing into Kisha's v.a.g.i.n.a in the middle of a passionate cunnilingus.

"Ophidia told me you liked having her snake inside you. I figured mine was about the same girth, and the elbow joint still moves quite well," said Kisha as she combed Ryzen's hair playfully with her left hand.

"That will not happen. Ever."

"Are you saying it has to be a snake?"

"I am saying there will be nothing entering my anus," said Ryzen with a pale face.

Ryzen was smiling ruefully at Kisha's missing hand when Ophidia stirred and woke up to lock gazes with Ryzen.

"My king," smiled Ophidia dreamily.

"I was about to leave for a walk. Will you join me?" asked Ryzen.

Ophidia nodded and got up promptly. Kisha was still deeply asleep, and Ryzen threw one last pitying glance before leaving the bedroom.

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"I was thinking about ways to set you free," said Ryzen.

Ryzen and Ophidia were walking along the rocky wall of Castle Gale. The walls stood over fifty feet from the ground and had protected the Ancient City without ever falling to its enemies. Skeptics dismissed the reputation of the Infallible Fortress by pointing out that Frostmarch was only attacked three times in the past and that conquerors preferred to lay siege around the old stone castle than take control of it—and the tactic worked in all three occasions, thus felling the castle, albeit in an direct method. Nevertheless, the strong, tall walls of Castle Gale were the pride of the Valforresters, the embodiment of the sturdy, steadfast nature of the native people.

"You should be thinking of setting 'your' people free, not just me," said Ophidia.

"You first, then the rest of the Valforresters."

"I told you, I am only Elder Druid when I live inside the boundary of Castle Gale. The moment I step outside of Frostmarch, I become an ordinary woman."

"I would not mind that either," said Ryzen.

"You are kind, but I wish to serve my people, and you, my king. I can do that best when I have my powers with me," smiled Ophidia.

Ryzen stopped with a serious face, and Ophidia, too, stopped and waited for her king to speak.

"Ever since my proclamation as his champion, Laab has been giving me... counsels."

"That is good, no?" asked Ophidia nonchalantly.

"He wants me to start a war," sighed Ryzen.

"As do all of us."

"It is different, Ophidia. Laab, he has his own agenda."

"What does he want?"

"I do not know," Ryzen shook his head.

"Well, what do you want then, my king?"

"I do not know that either," laughed Ryzen weakly, grabbing the hilt of Bloodrink out of habit and letting it go with a start upon realizing what he was doing.

Ophidia waited patiently again. Brittle snow flakes began to fall and flurry around the two still standing persons.

"I want a revenge. There is a man who brought death to me, and he deserves to have his brought by me," said Ryzen, sighing off a steamy breath out of his mouth.

"I figured as much. Where is this man?" nodded Ophidia.

"South. At Kingston."

"What a coincidence. The people of Valforrest are looking for a new home there too," smiled Ophidia teasingly.

Ryzen smiled uncomfortably and hesitated visibly before opening his mouth again.

"Laab told me that everything was going according to his plan."

"Good for him, but really, Ryzen, stop trying to fight against a Daemon. They are unearthly beings, and it is not a shame that you are no match against any of them."

"His plan includes using the Volforresters and the army of druids to march down south," said Ryzen, his face a mixture of anger and powerlessness.

"We are being used. You, me, everyone. I was fine when I was his only pawn. But now, now I cannot stand by," grunted Ryzen, pounding on the rough castle wall surface with angst.

"So what? We are using him too. Without him, we would not have had our new king. Imagine Kedval leading an army down south. As for me, I cannot in my wildest dreams," said Ophidia, pointing to the distant pike with the decaying head of Kedval barely visible from where they were standing.

"Speaking of Kedval, is it only me who finds 'that' too much?" frowned Ryzen as he blinked at the direction of the pike.

"Find what too much?"

"I—I do not want to say it is 'barbaric'—"

"Because it is not barbaric. It is our custom for every successful dethroning. It is our culture. Roots within snow, claws within hearts!" said Ophidia proudly, pounding her c.h.e.s.t thrice as she chanted the last words, the Valforrest slogan.

"Yeah, I always get this feeling that I barely know you when you talk like that,"

"You should get used to it. You are a Valforrester too now," smiled Ophidia.

Ryzen smiled back, but his smile faded as he looked around the castle walls gloomily.

"Laab has told me a way to free you from this place. The only way, even," said Ryzen.

Ophidia closed her mouth, blinking warily for a full five-second silence.

"Laab is a Trickster," said Ophidia after a long pause.

"Yes. He is a known Liar and Cheater. But I think he is telling the truth this time."

"You think?" laughed Ophidia nervously.

"I know. Because he gains more than I do when you are freed to march down south leading your army of druids."

Ophidia stared ahead blankly, envisioning the image described by Ryzen, relishing the freedom away from her prison of a home for the past three decades.

"What did the Daemon say?"

Ryzen looked into Ophidia's eyes and saw the confined, chained power of the nature willing and ready to exert itself anywhere, everywhere.

"Laab was there when Castle Gale was built a thousand years ago. He also told me that there was no wall surrounding Castle Gale and Frostmarch," said Ryzen.

Ophidia remained silent but her thoughts were racing wildly, leading her to her own conclusion within seconds.

"No, it cannot be that simple."

"No walls, no boundary. Laab's words," nodded Ryzen.

Ophidia looked up at the stalwart wall that stretched for miles around the Ancient City.

"We are going to tear down the walls?"

"We are going to tear down the walls, with no single stone remaining on the ground," smiled Ryzen.

Ophidia smiled back, but with lingering doubts.

"No, I doubt that works."

"It is a worth a try, Ophidia," said Ryzen encouragingly.

"Even if that worked and I am freed from the contract somehow, it would take months as well as thousands of men to see the deconstruction complete. By then, Cypitol will know Kedval is no longer the Protectorate, let alone alive, and it will be their army in our home, not the other way around!"

Despite the ominous prospect, Ophidia seemed excited, and genuinely happy at even the thought of breaking away from the Contract of Druids.

"I have a plan. And it involves explosives. Lots and lots of explosives," said Ryzen with his eyes flashing wildly, as if Ophidia's agitation were contagious and carried over to him.

"What is an 'explosive?'" Ophidia blinked and asked with a befuddled smile?

"Oh, right. You have never been to Mineta. You see, the Minetans use a special powder that blows up when ignited by fire. Its power is inhumane as if a hundred mages all set fireballs into one spot—"

And with a loud bang, the third story of the West Wing of Castle Gale exploded with a flame of fire rising from the hole. Ryzen and Ophidia, as well as the guards and the civilians in the vicinity, looked up with shock and horror at what had just happened.

"—just like that. What in the Underworld just happened?" Ryzen looked towards Ophidia for an answer.

Ophidia, wide-eyed with shock, looked back at Ryzen.

"That is the old Mage Chamber, where High Mage Dustein used to reside but now—"

Ryzen had heard enough was already running towards the West Wing entrance.

Dustein's old room was being used by another mage who had been operating the Mana Cloud with the stolen access key of High Mage and sending false reports to Cypitol.

"Garbiel!" yelled Ryzen as he ran up the stairs and kicked the door open into the blazing Mage Chamber.

Everything in the room was aflame. And in the middle of the room, inside a faintly lit spell circle, lay a burning body, twitching lifelessly.