(no subject)
Thu-thump. The wall's tremored as the doors swung wide, awaiting the Hero's entry. Only seconds remained and Roderick was down to beard power, having exhausted all his other reserves throughout the battle. He'd be weak for days. In fact, he'd only just be able to drag his way to the banquet hall and force down some of Nigel's cheese and potato soup. Look around at all the other wizards showing off for the Hero.
"Got anything left?" a fire wizard behind him snapped. Roderick nodded, eyes drooping in fatigue. "Then use it. I'm dry out."
The wizard focused his last reserves and searched for the last target. There it was. A small vine, barely enough to trip up the horse, lurked beside the gate, evidently having been sent ahead to cut the Hero off. Roderick sighed, putting all he had left into stopping it.
The steed thundered by with not an inch to spare. The wizard collapsed as the two doors slammed shut, locking the killer kudzu outside. They wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Impending death, though always right on the heels of the Hero, disappeared when faced with a city full of wizards. Even things like the kudzu seemed to creep off into the night and were never seen until another Hero happened to pick them up. It was part of the way the world worked, Roderick knew. After all, of the many wizards in the city, he was the one who spent the most time in the library looking at the old stories.
And he wasn't looking at them for pleasure either. Or even to see what kinds of spells the wizards of old had used to help their Hero. No, what he was looking for was a loophole. Some small way that he could manage to inform the Hero of the need to have a wizard ont he quest without breaking the rules. Thus far, he had only run across a couple options.
If the Hero decided to go the way of evil and was killed by another Hero, his party could be collected in any old which way. This was not a good option if you wanted to be reverred and repsected throughout the realm. But Roderick was almost to the point where he would use it. After all, living in a city of wizards wasn't exactly a picnic in the park.
If the wizard recieved a vision or prophecy during the meal and spoke it, there was a chance. However, with gods rampantly patrolling all areas of Kathmaran, you'd be asking for lightning as soon as you left a grounded building. That is, if you happened to try to fake a vision. Something that the wizard had thought of many a time in the armpit of the night.
The last option was one that didn't even bear thinking about for a wizard of Roderick's gifting. It was to contact the Bards of Yore and request a placement in an upcoming Hero's group. Not many people knew about this choice and thus it had only been used one or two times by telepaths or teleporters who could get a message to the King or Queen of Yore. Roderick didn't even have a chance. Asking to send a message would only alert the other wizards more capable of messaging to the option. Another clever catch that the world seemed to always be throwing in Roderick's path.
The Hero rescued, he started his way back to the Great Hall for the banquet. Already most of the wizards were far away down the path. Evidently, he'd been the only one to throw himself full into the rescue. It always happened that way. The story went on and gave someone the shaft. And, though it wouldn't have worked out without them, it still depended on them being there to do something. It was like cruel fate of some sort.
Several minutes later he sat down at the end of a bench on one of the lower tables in the Great Hall. Up at the far end he could see the Hero...
3488
"Got anything left?" a fire wizard behind him snapped. Roderick nodded, eyes drooping in fatigue. "Then use it. I'm dry out."
The wizard focused his last reserves and searched for the last target. There it was. A small vine, barely enough to trip up the horse, lurked beside the gate, evidently having been sent ahead to cut the Hero off. Roderick sighed, putting all he had left into stopping it.
The steed thundered by with not an inch to spare. The wizard collapsed as the two doors slammed shut, locking the killer kudzu outside. They wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Impending death, though always right on the heels of the Hero, disappeared when faced with a city full of wizards. Even things like the kudzu seemed to creep off into the night and were never seen until another Hero happened to pick them up. It was part of the way the world worked, Roderick knew. After all, of the many wizards in the city, he was the one who spent the most time in the library looking at the old stories.
And he wasn't looking at them for pleasure either. Or even to see what kinds of spells the wizards of old had used to help their Hero. No, what he was looking for was a loophole. Some small way that he could manage to inform the Hero of the need to have a wizard ont he quest without breaking the rules. Thus far, he had only run across a couple options.
If the Hero decided to go the way of evil and was killed by another Hero, his party could be collected in any old which way. This was not a good option if you wanted to be reverred and repsected throughout the realm. But Roderick was almost to the point where he would use it. After all, living in a city of wizards wasn't exactly a picnic in the park.
If the wizard recieved a vision or prophecy during the meal and spoke it, there was a chance. However, with gods rampantly patrolling all areas of Kathmaran, you'd be asking for lightning as soon as you left a grounded building. That is, if you happened to try to fake a vision. Something that the wizard had thought of many a time in the armpit of the night.
The last option was one that didn't even bear thinking about for a wizard of Roderick's gifting. It was to contact the Bards of Yore and request a placement in an upcoming Hero's group. Not many people knew about this choice and thus it had only been used one or two times by telepaths or teleporters who could get a message to the King or Queen of Yore. Roderick didn't even have a chance. Asking to send a message would only alert the other wizards more capable of messaging to the option. Another clever catch that the world seemed to always be throwing in Roderick's path.
The Hero rescued, he started his way back to the Great Hall for the banquet. Already most of the wizards were far away down the path. Evidently, he'd been the only one to throw himself full into the rescue. It always happened that way. The story went on and gave someone the shaft. And, though it wouldn't have worked out without them, it still depended on them being there to do something. It was like cruel fate of some sort.
Several minutes later he sat down at the end of a bench on one of the lower tables in the Great Hall. Up at the far end he could see the Hero...
3488