Centeva the Wizard Lady

Hi dear friends and followers. Today is Sunday usually poetry day, but today I would like to present to you a short story. So take five, relax , and have a pleasant read. Hope you enjoy it.

Centeva the Wizard Lady

Centeva was riding along the trail in the Woods of Osha after having perfomed a successful show of magic for the good king of Athan. She smiled, pleased with her success. “Lady Wizards are kind of scarce in the land of Garsha, “ she reflected.

Most looked at her skeptically. She wasn't sure of just how many she had won over from their skepticism. Add to that the fact that there were not only the skeptics but also the jealous who would be magicians to contend with as well.

Suddenly, just ahead of her, appeared six mounted soldiers, all heavily armed. The foremost raised his hand and shouted, “Halt!” His voice echoed everywhere, awakening the silent forest.

The head soldier dismounted from his stallion, walked to her side and took off his helmet. "My lady, I was ordered to find you and escort you to the Kingdom of Ossar." He was a rather handsome and rugged-looking man.

Not wanting to create a disturbance, she also dismounted and spoke: "And what services would be required of me in the wonderful and mighty Kingdom of Ossar,?” she queried.

"Our queen, Madina, wishes to speak with you," Renalde declared.

"And what would her majesty wish to speak to me about, a lowly magician such as I?"

"It was not for me to question, my lady; to carry out her wishes is my only directive. Preferably to do it in a peaceful manner, but by force if necessary.”

He removed his gauntlet and offered her aid up onto her horse. Then he bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, my lady, just follow us. Macee will guard our rear flank to make certain there are no surprises.” He put his helmet back over his handsome face, re-gloved, turned on his heel, and returned to his mount.

They traveled through the forest and forded two streams. Then they began the climb to the mountaintop fortress of Ossar. The group climbed for what felt like a long time, until the trees grew thinner. As Centeva rode out of the tree line she saw a castle of granite towers and gold roofs that gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight.

Having crossed a a narrow granite bridge they came upon great brass-bound oak doors with ornamental brass hinges. A challenge was shouted from a window overlooking the bridge as while archers lined the parapets. Renalde Renalde gave the countersign. The massive doors moved as their hinges groaned like some wounded creature.

Within the walls of the castle, a crowd of townspeople moved about, doing their daily work. Centeva shivered as though from the cold, but this feeling had always manifested within her as she was about to enter crowded places.

After dismounting, she was was escorted to a grand hall filled with what appeared to be nobles and other people of the court. This did not help to quell uneasiness she had felt since her arrival.

“An auditorium filed with spectators. Was this to be just a meeting with the queen or an inquisition? Centeva began to wonder.

The soldier who had brought her sat beside her, gauntlets and helmet upon his lap. He looked pensive.

She said he had done nothing wrong. He did not understand, then suddenly said, “I never said there was going to be anything wrong. I only said that I was carrying out orders.”

There was silence as the queen stepped out from a doorway. She climbed a short set of steps, escorted by two aides. After helping her to be seated on her throne of marble and gold, the two aides positioned themselves to either side.

"Young lady," she began, "I have heard of your magical work, and I am in need of you and your gifts. I need your magic to defeat the Odions."
There was a minute of silence as Centeva considered what manner of services the queen wanted of her. The queen spoke and brought things to light.

"No! I cannot do that!" Centeva responded firmly. “Even if I could, I would not, your majesty. I will not take the lives of others with magic, I am but an apprentice magician. I do not possess the power of the sorcerer."

The queen leaned forward on her heavily ornamented staff and said, “You are telling me that you refuse to help me?” There was a murmur among the spectators as Centeva looked around the room. She was acutely aware that she was in deep trouble.

It would not matter whether she lied of not. Either way would most likely bring the same result: beheading, or being burned at the stake. Either way, it was not her choice. She did not completely hear what the queen had said, except for the word “dungeon,” as in “never to see light again.” But beheading would have been her choice over life in a dungeon of darkness, pain, and constant hunger.

The charge, for the records: there was none for failure to act as a magician on the books, so the queen made one up. “You are hereby charged with insolence, failing to bow to her majesty in courtesy, before the assembled court. And so you have broken our law!" the queen declared.

The same soldier, Renalde, walked her down the corridor leading to the dungeons. He held his helmet under his left arm and said, “This isn’t fair, my lady. I had never anticipated this. I tought you would do her bidding then just be on your way"

"If I had such magic, do you not think I would not have tried to devise a way to settle it without bloodshed? My dear warrior prince, or whatever you are,the truth is I am only but a novice who uses tricks, more than magic, to mystify and mesmerize my customers. I do not even possess enough magic to spell myself out of an unbound sack.”

Renalde closed the dungeon door behind her with a slam. A chain rattled and a lock could be heard snapping into place. Centeva sat on a wooden cot thinking. They had taken her bag. She didn't even have the benefit of her few magic tricks at her disposal. She laid on the hard boards of the cot and slipped into vigilant sleep, devising ways to escape. She refused to remain there until she withered and wasted away to death.

That night she dreamed she had possession of great magic, and when she awakened next morning, it was to Renalde's persistent shaking of her right shoulder. She recalled every detail of her dream. She knew how to make the magic work.

Raising her hands up over her head she whipped them down. There was a loud snapping sound, like that made when one strokes a cat's back on a dry day, or the sound of dry twigs being broken for kindling. A ball of blue energy materialized in the palm of her hands! Renald was transfixed by what he had just seen.

Centeva caused the blue energy sphere to rise above her head, then she threw it to the stone floor of her cell. The stone commenced to turn soft, then bubbly as the sphere melted its way through the floor. 

She leaned over and saw exactly what she had witnessed in her dream: another world, full of colors, predominantly with beautiful green and blue.

and all the beautiful colors of a pristine world.

Centeva stopped at the edge of the hole from which emenated a green glow of energy and looked at Renalde. She spoke softly, "Will you come with me?"
In less than a 

heartbeat she had a reply. A scream broke the silence! Centeva turned to look towards the doorway as Queen Madina rushed towards her with a sword that she had taken from one of the guards.

Centeva somersaulted into the glowing green aperture, followed closely by Renalde, who, unfortunately, did not escape unscathed. His arm had been slashed deeply and he was bleeding profusely.

Centeva persuaded him to lay in the thick foliage. There she compressed his wounded arm with her two hands. A green glow appeared around her hands and Renalde's wound began to heal.

To Be Continued At Another Time

Composed by Cynthia©

Thank you again for dropping by to read my short story and hope you have enjoyed the read. I would appreciate knowing what your thoughts are on this topic. Thank you and have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

✿ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿