Exodus or Departure
The
door to Baddlack’s
“Soo… Whats you be needin?”
“One room for one night.” announced Dedrick.
“And see that he is not disturbed.” tacked on Ozzob.
“Twill be to our honors to have you stays tonight.” As he offered a sleight bow.
Ozzob quickly slipped from the room. Baddlack released a visible shudder after the door closed behind Ozzob.
“Let me shows you to room.”
#
Ozzob barely had a foot back on the dirt when Mia ran up to him. She was a young girl only starting to grow into the body she would one day have. Strait black hair hung down to her shoulders and accentuated her pale complexion. She wore the clothes of an average common girl, each ear adorned by a single jewel.
“So, who was that?”
“A stranger from out of town… did you recognize him?”
Mia moved closer to Ozzob, gently ruber her cheek against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him under his cloak.
“No, but he is handsome in the mysterious sort of way.”
Ozzob spoke with a sleight stammer, “I will be leaving again tomorrow.”
Mia retracted enough to look him in the face, “Will you be long?”
“One can never know what the road will bring…”
Although he did not speak the words, his expression displayed the mixed sadness he felt.
“Go home, I will see you before I leave.”
“And if I asked to join you?”
“The road is dangerous, I would fear for your safety.”
Mia returned her cheek and tightened her grip.
She spoke softly, gently “With you gone, I will fear for my safety…”
Time passed and Mia finally released her grip on Ozzob. After one final look, she bounced off to her house leaving Ozzob alone on the step of the inn. At home, she skipped in her door and suddenly she fell to the floor, motionless. A few seconds passed, Mia rose her head and cautiously gave a slow look around the room. Seeing no one around she let out a smile and rolled over on her back.
She giggled a bit then lifted up to see what tripped her steps. A dagger stuck from the floor at an odd angle, almost like it was planted to trip up someone. Mia visibly shook and a creaking sound comes from the next room.
Mia called out to the lightless room, “Who is there?”
Blood stained the floor…
#
Dedrick entered a simple bedroom in the inn. Baddlack strutted in behind him.
“It appears as though you don’t care for the wizard.”
“Its not thats. I make no hide of the facts that I don’t likes his magic.”
Baddlack paused for a bit, scratched his eyebrow and eventually continued.
“He is a good thing though. His father be the best man of the town, a true heart.”
“Then why are you openly disheartened by Ozzob?”
“My fear be that one day something bads may happen. And my other fear is that it will be on a scale equals with all the goods that that family has broughts.”
“So you live here and say nothing.”
“Me lives here… in safety… So, is this room to yer likin?”
“It appears functional.”
“I will speak at you in the morning then.”
Baddlack tried to fade out of the room, but for all his attempts at a quite exit, his boots did nothing but thwomp and tromp down the hall.
#
Ozzob pondered in seclusion…
What can I direct at this man other than
hate? He is a simple thief that, when outmaneuvered, tried to extinguish the
light of my family. I can feel nothing
in my soul that would deliver him back to life.
He should remain a statue for the remainder of eternity, but the fact
that his actions were not fruitful to him… is not enough for my satisfaction,
he must pay a tithe before I can release him.
#
Daylight beamed through the window of Ozzob’s study. The gentle rays of the morning only helped to accentuate the grizzled look on the sorcerer’s face. Ozzob sat in deep meditation–-drawing in energy for the days use, but something extra was at play this morning. Time flowed but nothing changed. Finally, Ozzob opened his eyes, stood and moved into his bedroom. The section of the floor where he has knelt for the past several hours glowed with a slight radiant hue; it slowly faded away as time slipped by.
A belt with seven pouches woven along the middle perched on a shelf in his bedroom. Ozzob casually picked up the belt and layered it on top of his clothing, leaving his cloak on the outer-most layer. The sorcerer left the room and walked down stairs. Ingrol was awake and relaxing in the common room. Ozzob saw him but didn’t break stride for the door.
“I will return in some days.”
Ingrol nodded as Ozzob opened the door. Dedrick was in stride, walking up to the house. Ozzob stepped up and made greeting with a gesture of security and friendship.
“Ungroth is that direction.” Ozzob pointed to the east.
“But first I must handle a small matter.” Ozzob walked off between two neighboring houses.
#
A crow perched on the stone head of Leone. Ozzob and Dedrick approached at aside.
“This human attempted to rob me last night.”
Ozzob reached out and touched the stone. It faded to flesh and in a minute Leone returned to his former self. Leone slumped down on the ground, unable to stand under his own power. He sweated and his cheeks were red with fever. For a moment, Leone tried to scamper away, but made no real progress. Ozzob circled him and when a long shadow was thrown across the ground before his eyes, Leone stopped moving. Leone rose his eyes to meet Ozzob’s. Ozzob reached out with his right hand, his first finger outstretched.
“Do not speak.” resounded Ozzob with an undeniable finality. “You will serve a penance for the wrong you have committed.”
Ozzob glanced to Dedrick to get Leone to look at him.
“You will travel with us.”
Ozzob leaned over to Leone for full effect.
“If you give me a reason to consider you an enemy… For just one instant… There will be no more second chances.”
Ozzob backed away and left Leone to collect himself. The rogue still felt a poison from the previous night’s events that hindered his very movement.
#
Dedrick and Ozzob paced each other as Leone struggled to keep step.
“You say this man tried to rob you?” inquired Dedrick.
“Worse than that…” Ozzob motioned to his throat and chest, “He plunged a dagger into my fathers throat and nearly killed him.”
“Then why would you bring this man that holds you such malice with us? Surely you must know that he will repeat the events given the chance.”
“I am confident that I can keep him on a short leash… no, that’s not it.” Ozzob slowed his steps and spoke directly to Dedrick. “He is a vandal, and you, a friend. If someone is to die on this escapade of ours, I prefer it be he, and not you. To kill him myself, yes it would be easy, but my morality would pay the price.”
#
From a not-to-far window the three were observed by the young woman Mia. She saw the three move off through the village; concurrently, she ran over to a cupboard and pulled out an old leathery backpack and a couple daggers. Tucking the daggers in her belt and slinging the pack over her shoulder she bolted out the door.
Ozzob, Dedrick, and the limping Leone make a brisk pace through the town. Mia came running up from behind. Ozzob kept his eyes on the road ahead, Dedrick was suspicious, Leone, oblivious.
Without yet looking back, Ozzob said “You may join us Mia.”
After the fact, Ozzob looked back to see the happy surprise drawn on her face. He quickly reoriented his vision on the road. Ozzob’s face turned from a smirk to curiosity, then to perplexion and finally to bewilderment. It was obvious that something doesn’t fit with him, or her...
#
A dozen children from all walks gathered on a small hill on the outskirts of town.
“Look at the path.”
“Is he the only one that walks it?”
“Yes”
“That’s what I hear.”
“Well I hear that he is not a man at all.”
“What then? He’s not a woman?”
“I don’t know.”
“The path.”
“What do you like about the path so much?”
“It’s called ‘The Wizards Walk’.”
“Ahh…”
Snickers and giggles filled the air. The four heard it and all smiled. Ozzob walked down what looked like an old dog trail, the others walked over rough, broken patches of grass. Woodwake had no dogs or other creatures that would make such a path.
#
“He is but a man.” echoed the voice of complaisance.