Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

Epilogue: Paying it Forward

"My dear, I'd rather you not tax yourself. You've only recovered from a cold." Her companion said concerned.

" Replacing a wheel is not a strenuous activity. A little muscle work will help regain my strength." The woman refused.

"I'd prefer you save it for the travels ahead, we have a long journey." The man responded in a familiar gentleness.

"We'll have a longer journey if you do all of this by yourself. Don't tax yourself either, love. We're together now."

Boy doesn't this remind me of someone I know . I thought amused of their interaction. I see my own future. "Indeed we are." The man gazed upon her with such love it gave me the fuzzies.

"What if I switched the wheel for you?" I offered.  " I may not look it, but I have a skill or too. Let me help so you can be on your way before the rain sets in." The hooded travelers turned their heads to me startled. "We would appreciate that." The man responded hesitant.  "But...You look tired."

"I've been tired." I admitted suppressing  a yawn. Very tired, it'll all be worth it. One more day and these nerves can finally rest. Holy smokes one more day!! "Not enough where I can't lend a helping hand."

"Are you sure?" The man asked, more concerned of me exerting myself than his partner.

"Yes. I'm sure." The couple thanked me for their generosity. The man lifted the cart, holding up the rear without breaking a sweat while the woman handed me the wheel. I took out the broken wheel and set in the new one, ensuring it was snugly fit.

I wonder. I flexed my hand and murmured under my breath a spell over all four wheels. I gasped feeling the spell successfully cast and the glyphs prickling all over my body.

"Are you all right?" The woman rushed to me, still in her hood.

"I'm fine." I stood up trying not to cry. "Never been better." I turned to the man. "The wheel's set! you can put it down now."

The man gently lowered the wagon to the ground. "Thank you traveler. You've saved us precious time."

"You're welcome." I smiled picking up my staff. "You should be good to go, and you'll get no more trouble with broken wheels."

The hooded man lowered his chin."Yes, that protective charm was quite strong. Mind if I asked what it was?"

If my startled look didn't give it away, my faintly glowing staff did. "You saw that?"

"I did." He said calmly. " Rest assured, I've known magicians in the past ."

"Good to know." I sighed relieved. "It's a spell that renders anything it's cast on indestructible. This road's nearly abandoned and hasn't been kept up in years. I didn't want you two suffering more broken wheels from its bumps and cracks."

I rubbed my sleeves. "In all honesty I doubted I could pull it off. It's been some time since...Since I thought I'd lost them forever, but I didn't! It's still in me! I feel it coursing through my veins!"

"The skill of magic can never truly be lost." The hooded man replied knowingly. "It can lay dormant within its wielder, but it never  goes away." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Least that's what I've heard."

"Guess you've heard right."I flexed my hands. "Thank you for not freaking out and judging me poorly."

"It's us who should be thanking you." The woman said graciously. "You saved us from getting caught in the rain on an old abandoned road."

"You're welcome." I smiled, tipping my head to the side. " What brings you off the beaten path anyway?"

"We're just traveling." The man said amiably. "We prefer roads less taken."