The Magician's Vow: A Retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Part I - Chapter V: Assemblies & Assignments

Although I admit that death was the first thing to come to mind when I found out that the mayor of London wished to see me, I am beginning to think that they want something of me. Perhaps they are even hoping I’ll cure them and the city of the plague. I just hope they are not angry enough to kill once they find out I can do no such thing. With mortals, however, it is difficult to see. They let themselves reach for the impossible and punish those who simply point it out to them. 

What I am really concerned about is the fact that they knew I was a magician and they knew where I lived. The only people who know these things are the people of Antvrae. But I don’t want to believe that they would take the risk that these men would kill both me and Lorelle. Lorelle is one of them... She grew up with them. Why would one of them risk her life? What reward would they be in line to gain? 

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“Eugene, Magician of Antvrae, I presume?” a voice called from the far end of the room. 

Torches lined the walls every couple steps but still it does minimal to light up the faces of all the men seated around the room. There were nine of them, all seated on large wooden chairs that suspiciously looked like thrones. Six faced each other, three on the left wall and three on the right, the torches separating each man from the next. On the far wall, three men were also seated. The man in the middle had his chair up on a stage and Eugene instantly knew that he was the mayor of London, Richard de Kislingbury. 

He had a long solemn face, as if it was being dragged to the ground by a pair of raging bulls. His eyes were dark and slightly dazed and his short beard was a steely grey. His head was covered in a ceremonial hat and his black robes were threaded with dark blue string.

“Yes, I am Eugene,” the young magician said walking to the middle of the room.

The door shut loudly behind him and he turned to find that Roddendale had returned to the corridor. The light in the room was minimal. Other than the torches, three large windows hung above the mayor and the two men on either side of him. But they did next to nothing. The light streaming through was hazy and more of a glow than actually bright.

“You are familiar in the ways of solving problems through... Unconventional methods,” the mayor said. Although it sounded more like a question, Eugene knew the mayor was not searching for a reply.

“Why do you ask me questions that you already know the answer to?”

Kislingbury’s frown deepened. He lifted his chin and stared down at Eugene over the bridge of his nose. “We will be the ones asking the questions during this session.”

Eugene knew the mayor was trying to gain --and keep-- the upper hand here. But Eugene was not about to let such a thing happen. He could not let them think they could simply walk over him, tell him what to do, what not to do... He needed to keep them frightened, even just a little. 

“How did you know who I was and where to find me?” he asked. “Such information of my people is not usually common knowledge.”

The mayor’s eyes narrowed and he was silent. Even through the shadows, Eugene could make out some uncertainty in his eyes.