Hero
“Tonight, we stand on the brink of peril and a great new beginning…”
I listened as the wizard droned on about the great collapse of magic, and how all the creatures in this room were chosen to guide the world into a new era. An era that would soon be without the dragons, giants, trolls, and magic.
Some of the trolls groaned, letting out a chorus of objections. But they knew as much as the rest of us of the magical folk that while the wizard was as mad as a hat full of badgers, he was right. The old ways were dying, and a war raged beyond the walls of the great hall where we had gathered.
I scooted closer to the fire, searching for sanity in the heat and the crackle.
“We can disappear and wither in pain, or we can take it upon ourselves to ease our kind into this world of machines…” the wizard continued.
This was the first time I had seen him up so close. He had always been reserved for kings and the like, and I, as a mere halfling, had never fit that equation, but now, now I was here because I knew the old ways and had always used them to alleviate curses cast upon those without sight and heart.
The wizard wore his usual black robes over a thick tunic. His gray beard reached his navel, and the usual pointy hat of his kind sat lopsided to the right.
“You can think of it as a quest…” That got a rise out of the crowd. Everyone here had been the target or part of a quest. None of us here was the hero, so there was some confusion involved, creatures eyeing each other, measuring who would get to be one.
“So what are you proposing?” I was surprised to hear myself speak.
I shrank, making the little inches I had to disappear.
The fire crackled next to me, sending sparks into the air.
“A great question,” the wizard said, drawing the eyes back to him.
I sighed in relief; the ego-maniac couldn’t let anyone have the podium for even a second.
“We collect all the magical artifacts and amplify them to win the war, and we make sure magic never dies.” The wizard smiled.
It wasn’t a warm smile. It was the smile of someone pulling off the biggest heist of all time and selling out his fellow conspirators in the process.
I knew instantly that I had to be part of that team. It would happen despite the objections. It sounded too good, too promising, and while I knew what the wizard was through and through, the others didn’t. Some always fell for huge smiles and big flashy promises. I had to stop the wizard.
—
What I got today was an experimental fantasy quest written in first person. I think this was a fun piece to write. I tried to play with the classical quest and bring something new to it.
I’m feeling too restless to write more. My mind is jumping from one place to another without stopping. I’m restlessly shaking my legs as I type. So I know I have used up all my concentration for today. Sigh. Why does it have to be so low? I even woke up at 4.20 a.m. and couldn’t fall back asleep. This is going to be a long day with clients and all that.
Thank you for reading! Have an adventurous day, and see you tomorrow ❤
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