Crest of Power: Kevin and the Magician

14 Tea with the Magician

"Phineas!" Krevik shouted frustrated. "Why didn't you tell me that when you came in!?" The Magician hated it when Krevik was late! Krevik would not resort to calling the Magician master the way Phineas did. When Krevik was little, he had told Krevik to call him Magician. Nothing more. Phineas was the only other person Krevik spoke to. Even when he went out to look for the crest it was the soldiers that spoke. Krevik didn't even speak to the soldiers, when he did speak to them it was an order. They obeyed. That was the extent of their relationship. He was mainly there to show the Magicians presence. He gulped down the rest of his food and rushed out of his room.

The Magician frightened him sometimes. He didn't know why. It wasn't as if he'd ever given Krevik a reason to fear him. It was just the immense presence that radiated from him sometimes. Even if the magician showed no emotion on his face, Krevik could feel the emotions coming off of him in waves. When the magician was angry it was horrifying. He still hadn't found the crest! What should he say?

He shakily climbed the stairs up to the tower. The tower, where the Magician studied. He stood before the mahogany door sucked in a breath, and knocked.

*=*=*

The Magician sat in a chair by the window, his cloak draped about his shoulders. His hood was not covering his head. He had hardly ever worn it in the castle. His silver hair shone in the light, and his pale eyes seemed to glow. Krevik suddenly remembered his dream. He made a mental note that Phineas would have to make the potion stronger next time. The Magician in his dream was the very same man sitting before him now. It was startling. Maybe he also feared the Magician because of his dreams.

The Magician was slouched forward in his chair resting his head on his fist as he stared. The Magician was staring intently at the window sill. There was nothing interesting about it that Krevik could see. Maybe the Magician also had a problem with daydreaming. Krevik had seen the Magician stare into space before. Maybe that was why Phineas was so outspoken against daydreaming. Krevik was just beginning to wonder if the Magician had really told him to enter. He was tempted to go back out and knock again.

"Aren't you going to sit down," the Magician said in a droned voice. Krevik jumped at the calm tired voice of the Magician. So he had known I was here. He went over to the chair on the opposite side of the window. He sat. A hot cup of tea suddenly appeared before him. As a child it had always amused him when something magically appeared. He even remembered the Magician chuckling in slight amusement at Krevik's boyish excitement. He smiled at the memory. The Magician also had a slight smile on his face and it disappeared as quickly as it came. He stared intently at Krevik.

"Have you been dreaming Krevik?" asked the Magician. Krevik's heart skipped a beat.

"Dreaming?" Krevik said. He tried to hide the strain in his voice.

"I guess not�� Have a drink," the Magician said. His mouth twisted up at one end, like he was laughing at some private joke. He paused for a bit while Krevik drank, then he said, "I believe we are going to have to change our tactics."

"How so?" asked Krevik as he blew on the tea. He took another sip. The Magician waited until Krevik swallowed to continue. Krevik had a slight feeling he was drunk.

"I want you to raid a Village. I found something interesting there," the Magician's voice faded out with Krevik's vision. Everything went blac

*=*=*

A fifteen year old girl stood in the doorway of one of the homes. She was immobilized by fear. She knew she shouldn't have come here. A horrible looking army was coming into the village. People were running past her and shouting as they did so. A woman sitting by a large water cask was also immobilized by fear. A solitary soldier went over to the woman. He swung his mace and destroyed the cask. The woman Screamed then fainted. Her scream caused an even bigger panic. The girl had seen it all. It frightened her even more; seeing the destructive power of these things. She was still staring at the woman who had fainted. Suddenly an armored body appeared in front of her, obstructing her view.

*=*=*

Krevik could hear a scream in the village ahead of him. His heart quickened. The villagers were not to be harmed! Why was there screaming!? He rode his horse speedily into the town. His silver armor shone brightly as he rode his snow white horse. He was becoming frantic as more screams found their way to his ears. He needed to make sure none of them were harmed in the raid. No villager had ever been harmed before! He wasn't about to let it happen now! He saw the fainted woman in front of him. And very near to the woman was a girl. She was staring at the woman in wide eyed terror.

The sight of the girl made him clutch his chest. She looked so familiar. He tried to remember if he somehow met her before. Impossible he had only ever spoken to the old man and the Magician. There was a sharp pain in his head as he tried to remember. He closed his eyes tightly to the pain. The girl paid him no heed anyway. He looked to her once more only to find that one of his men was standing directly in front of the girl. The soldier had his sword raised.

Krevik panicked. That girl above all else was NOT to be harmed. He suddenly couldn't stop himself. He charged his own man with his horse. The soldier fell to the ground. He wasn't hurt, just shocked.

The girl looked on in shock and fear. Her eyes were wide as she looked from the soldier to the young king.

He realized what he had done. Why did he do that!? Why did he harm his own man to protect this one girl when a simple order could have worked? He removed his helmet in pain. It had become too heavy. He needed to get out of there!

*=*=*

The girl looked at the mystery man as he removed his helmet. She gasped. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind at once. What could be the correct answer? She couldn't keep from hoping. She was about to take a step forward, when she saw the young king's hands go to his head. He was in pain! He was still under control of that fiend! He hadn't known who she was! She dropped her gazed feeling betrayed all over again.