Chapter 4: The Hidden Wizard ... Pt 5

The picture in the black pool faded. Kartu turned away and walked onto the balcony of the third floor. The moon was out and cast a soothing light on the fields surrounding his castle. He could see quite the distance from his little perch high up in his liar. Kartu cracked a smile which was an adventure in itself. He was not prone to smile.

Long ago he had seen the war fought and won. The Inner circle was stronger now; their odds of losing this time were smaller. Macote was the nearest city to his liar and reports came in every other day. From his vantage point Kartu could see the messenger riding across the plains up to his castle. The last messenger had left over two days ago; he was expected back any time now.

Kartu had kicked Corcoran out of his castle many years ago. Corcoran had been too mischievous. Always meddling around parts of the castle that Kartu kept under lock and key he was. His slow apprentice could hardly handle the simple fire bolt spell he had tried to teach him at the beginning of his apprenticeship. Under his tutorship Corcoran had learned about ten spells, only two were difficult. This resulted ultimately in Kartu’s frustration with his apprentice. Kartu had taught others before Corcoran and most had picked up his teachings quickly. He had been reluctant to take on any new apprentices mostly because all of them except for the three he had stationed in the nearby inner circle cities had turned on him.

Even in exile Corcoran was doing exactly what Kartu had wanted him to do. Corcoran was working on holding back the two messengers that could actually change the odds. This pleased him.

A mist seeped up from the ground surrounding the castle. Kartu walked back inside his dusty palace and headed to the ground floor. On the ground floor the few servants he kept would prepare everything he needed, food, drink, you name it. Kartu ate and retired to his chambers on the ground floor.

Come back next week for the beginning of Chapter 5.