Dark Tidings

Chapter 5 - A Spell of Trouble

"So, what was the spell you couldn't say?"

Madrick ignored the question and continued with his story.

"On graduation from the Academy, I was presented with a few minor scrolls to help me make my way in the world. The minor magic made me like every other wizard however the occasional 'special' from the Spell Spell, made me stick out from the crowd. I became so famous that I was invited, or rather commanded, to attend the court of King Mifal. He liked what he saw and made me his Royal Wizard in attendance. That meant I was given access to his personal store of scrolls. Of course, like all private collections, he'd nothing of major import. The Wizards tolerate kings, great lords and emperors building small collections of insignificant scrolls... what was the point of starting unnecessary wars over inconsequential artefacts? Anyway, I digress."

"You do, don't you?" said Tung under his breath.

"To begin with, things went well and I pleased Mifal with my stunning magic. He thought I was exceptionally ingenious to use his scrolls so 'imaginatively'. His previous wizard had never achieved such impressive feats. But of course, it was really the Spell Spell which was doing the truly splendiferous stuff."

"Of course," said Tung.

"As my reputation grew, I had to keep my wits about me because my Sorebun teachers were becoming a little suspicious to say the least. Every so often they'd send spies to try and discover how I'd changed from one of their pretty ordinary students into such a famous and respected wizard. But, as I said, I was very careful so they never did work it out."

"Is the point of this story coming any time soon?"

Madrick ignored the interruption.

"I revelled in my position as the King's personal wizard and I was genuinely content. At last, I'd found my place in the world, but that all changed when Mifal stripped me of my exalted position about an hour ago."

Madrick continued pacing the cell. It was one of the castle's biggest communal dungeons, designed to hold up to eighty prisoners, so he'd plenty of room to pace. He'd settled into a sort of circular orbit with Tung as the central point. It was beginning to make Tung dizzy so, when planet Madrick next passed close enough, he grabbed his sleeve and applied just enough downward tug to make Madrick sit. The old man hardly noticed and continued his story as if nothing had happened.

"Ungratefulness, that's what landed me in this dreadful dungeon. Yes, ungratefulness. I did miracles for Mifal which made him the most powerful, and happiest, king in the history of this land. I'm sure you wondered how Katrina, the most beautiful woman in the entire world, fell in love with the ugly, old oaf. Well, you're looking at the man who made it happen. One of my spells, thank you very much."

Madrick began to rise but Tung spotted the movement in time to lay a restraining hand on the old man's knee. He didn't want the old buzzard circling him again. Madrick shifted his weight slightly but didn't stand up.

"So Mifal had the queen he wanted and everything in his universe was rosy, with one slight exception. He wanted another miracle from me, so I returned to the special scroll and created my next spell. That's when disaster struck. I'd created the one spell I couldn't use. Now the scroll you have in your hand is as worthless as a harlot's love."

Madrick paused and stared blankly into the distance, as if he was reminiscing about his experiences of that particular worthless commodity; a worthless commodity which had to be paid for by the hour. The pause lasted so long that Tung thought the old man had passed out or died or something. He prodded Madrick with his finger to try and get him talking again. It worked.

"I'd created the one spell I couldn't use. How could I be so unfortunate? O me miserum."

Madrick stared listlessly at the cell ceiling. Was the old man going to lapse into silence again? Thankfully he wasn't. In the resonant, whispering voice he seemed to reserve for the mystical bits, he continued.