Chapter 60: The Wizards

What was it like?' This question kept Theon's mind filled with melancholy in its clasp. Just wondering what every dawn was to him appears to have nostalgia coming along.

The sun that cast long before brought the night to them; a night filled with cacophonies, griefing noises, and thy side's wrath and anger. The feud ended and dawn came. But, through this dawn— The sun rises as a canopy of gold, bright amid the blue, bidding the stars to take their nightly rest. As darkness surrenders, every colour changes from tinges of charcoal to vibrancy. Through that dawn, was anxiousness and sweating pain. A pain where you wonder if one dies or lives. Raising through your expectations and starts to hesitate.

Never in his life did he ever face such a dawn like this before. In which he was supposed to welcome the fresh breeze and spread his arms wide while facing the sun rising.

However, he was facing someone who suffers. Someone whom he loves but is unconscious.

"Theon, what do we do? Now that the witch's gone, who exactly can remove this curse from him." Luca was genuinely concerned, even though he still don't know them completely. Especially, Ambroz. But knowing how this immortal man has lived. He must so strong to have kept himself intact up until now.

Theon remained silent and had nothing in mind. He only ever thought of ending the feud but what exactly will happen with Ambroz. Is the curse still there? Is it gone? Then how come he is unconscious?

They were gathered there when they felt the ground rumbling again, they each turn their gazes towards the goddess and it slowly went down, decreasing its enormous size, and lastly became human-like but was still much larger than anyone in that land.

This goddess was naked and only the roots covered her sacred flesh. She walked on her feet towards their way and the soldiers opened up, splitting a way to let the goddess through.

"He is still alive and the curse is still there." She exclaimed and pierced her eyes to Ambroz.

Theon shuddered and lowered his head. "I see, so this curse has grown inside him." He muttered.

"I don't know how you have come to control over his curse. However, I saw how you and these unfamiliar people fought for this land of mine." She roamed her eyes towards the soldiers and stared at Luca and Rubin. Luca was flustered while Rubin was admiring her and all. "That is why I will let this man flee. I think he had enough of his punishment. He has served and never did once let my wilderness come to more devastation. He can follow you to wherever he pleased to. Although, I do not guarantee that his heat will never come. I do not hold such strength as removing one's evil curse. After all, I am a goddess of nature and not a blight one." She admitted and turned her back to them.

Theon was hopeless when he held his necklace. The sun was rising and its ray hit this ornament, emitting a radiant light that come across the goddess's face. She turned her gaze and she recognised immediately where it came from. It was the ornament that she saw Elena holding that day.

"That necklace," she said and walked back to take a closer look at her. She scoffed when the necklace was the exact same thing she encountered within her vision. "Ah, I see, now I know what this fate is all about now."

Theon arched his brows. "What do you mean?" He asked and so did the soldiers tilted their heads.

"That necklace must have helped you calm that raging dragon, hasn't it? But that is not all it can do, I might not know how this curse is removed but I know some will do it. There is a crystal hiding from that ornament, crystals that often white witches create. I have seen a lot of them and white witches have come to extinct." She explained.

"And so, what will this crystal do to remove the curse? Now that there are no white witches, whom else can this be off to use?" Theon asked.

Aranyani looked at him with humour. "Crystals are meant for magic sticks and the ones who used them are the wizards." She blurted out. "Now that you mentioned it, it was a wizard that awakened me from my deep sleep. No one else could do that but for them."

Now the soldiers are in awe, enlarged their eyeballs, their jaws dropped, and one started chasing after their breaths.

"I beg your pardon, but wizards? Those, too, exist?" Rubin can not help but ask.

But the goddess only looked at him furiously and taunted him with her stare. "I don't like repeating myself, as you dare to ask me questions while seeing a goddess? Don't be foolish." She exclaimed with vigour and confidence.

Rubin was taken aback by it and he immediately reacted, raising his palms conveying to surrender while lowering his head. "My apologies, your humble goddess. Wizards are truly remarkable and a huge tale to tell to, I was curious that is not all bad, I was—"

Luca covered his mouth and awkwardly smiled at the goddess. "I apologize on behalf of this fellow right here, he doesn't know what he is talking about seldom times. You may proceed, thy goddess." He tilted his head ad drooped it a little bit.

Luca then looked at Rubin and stared at him with terror. "What do you think you're doing? She's a goddess, stop asking ridiculous questions and press that mouth of yours close. Do you want to be a stone, like that witch? You don't right? So shut your blabber and let it go, knucklehead, you're risking our lives here." He scolded him and went back to smiling at the goddess.

"I will bring you to her. She resides inside a tall fortress. She will help you break the curse." Aranyani was certain about this. She is not to help human beings because her pride is above her. But, she has known this young man and has watched their tribe fr a long time now. A man so naive and innocent yet so enthusiastic exists and she had to go of herself to help. She can not believe she is doing this.

Theon's eyes gleamed in happiness and they sparkled like stars beneath the sky. "Thank—" he was about to express her gratitude towards the goddess but she placed her palms outside.

"You don't have to thank me yet, not until this curse completely vanishes into thin air." She said.

Rubin was about to ask if he can follow them but.

"And you can not bring anyone else but you alone and this man. Or else, my power won't able to bring you back."

Rubin groaned and sighed in disappointment.

"Now, hold on to yourself and Ambroz. I'm bringing you to her... Now."

Theon left his eyes open the whole time but when the world slowly evaporated within his sight, he had to close his eyes and keep his breath to himself. Because of the overwhelming tension grasping his body, he embraced Ambroz tightly and held his nape to protect his head.

When the tension was gone, he opened his eyes and what he saw thumped his heart. He was on a piece of land, a huge land at that. He looked up and there were mountains of trees. Spreading the huge soils and above that was a fortress, the goddess might have said.

"It's odd to see such a huge and stronghold structure like this. I do not know any of the folklore beings or the tales. However, this is hard to distil in your entirety." He heaved a sigh. "I mean, I can carry him but climbing these mountains is hard enough for myself. How should I do this?" He looked at Ambroz.

He was worried and all but Ambroz's state was concerning for him even more so the fact that he has to climb up such highlands.

He took a deep breath and trusted himself. But he thought to himself first. "I should carry him from my back, it is easier that way, isn't it?" As he planned, he held Ambroz to his back and started climbing towards the fortress. After roaming around he actually saw a small passage of stairs leading towards the fortress. Which made his eyes huge.

"What luck I have." That was what he ought to say but as soon as he stepped on ten stairs. His feet started to betray him. It was weak and shaking upon each step and he still have a thousand ways to go. He was chasing after his breath. "Why now? Is it because of that fall?" He remembered it and his arm was actually still throbbing.

And Ambroz was yet to wake up. As he stepped on his twenty stairs, he slipped and was about to see the heavens when someone held him from his back.

"I see that she has sent you to my abode. Not that I expected her to do so as she holds on to her so-called pride. But now that you're here, let us head to my fortress." It was a woman's voice. So elegant yet so frightening at times.

Maybe because he has never heard such and met a wizard himself. But just after she used her magic, that is when they teleported in an instant to the wizard's table.

There Theon saw two more wizards, he assumed they were. They had hats as pointy as arrows- that he owned and used. Long cloaks with a monotonous texture, bruising through the rough grounds and it was indistinguishable from the first wizard he encountered. It was odd how the wizards' body was facing them yet he can not catch a glimpse of their face. As if they were trying to hide their identity.

It is safe for me to not open my mouth or else I will be a few my own actions.' He thought to himself, gulped as hard as he can to hide his emotions.

Ambroz was still on his back as he carried him with all his strength. It seems that his legs might give in at any point in this time.

The two wizards stared at them as they entered another room that was in front. Theon was unfamiliar with the place, of course. Everything inside was dimmed and only torches gave light to the place. He roamed his eyes around and the entire walls were made of grey concrete and the roughness of its texture says how many years it has existed. The carpet on the ground was pitch black, as black as the ravens.

"There is not much to see here, but beware of where you place your eyes." The woman wizard exclaimed as she holds the huge door's knob and pushed it open. "Head inside." She accompanied them to enter first before she would.

However, he still can not see what the wizard looks like, the lights were not as bright as day and their hats were covering their complexion. But she was taller than he is, probably taller than Ambroz too. Well, privileges of being an immortal living, he guessed. But these wizards were not as tall as the goddess's human-like form.

"Laid that man on the chair if you wish to not break any of your supports." The wizard advised referring to his legs.

He followed and laid him down. "If you are the wizard to have helped us. Please, I beg of you to remove the curse now. I know it's too much but if you have such abilities, I don't see how you should not help us." Theon started to talk.

"Who are you to him?" The wizard asked.

Theon silenced, he looked at Ambroz and looked back at the wizard. "I'm someone who cares about him more than anyone else. I am not sure what he thinks about me. But that doesn't matter." He said with a bit of hesitation.

"Oh, it matters. Every single thing matters, fellow." The wizard then said. "If the circumstances complied me right, you're namely, Theon."

He nodded twice. "I am true, Theon. If I may ask, who are you? You have helped us and called to our goddess, you also will be the one capable of curing this curse. But, none an ounce do we know who you are." He was to ask such questions without any hint of bashful behaviour.

She scoffed and removed her hat, placed it on the table, and said, "My name is Eulah, a wizard of the farther lands. This land remains unknown but regardless it is an abode of many wizarding across the seventh worlds." She then halted and gripped her huge stud and stumped it on the ground. "You may enter."

Theon furrowed his brows and then the door opened, entered were the two wizards he saw a while ago.

"This is Adelared," she pertained to the wizard on her right side. "And this is,"

"Thorarin. However, you may call me whichever way is comfortable with that tiny mouth of yours." The left wizard answered himself.

Theon just bowed to each of them.

"Now, shall we have a look at your necklace? I believe this is what the purpose of our seeking." Eulah opened her palm and was asking for the necklace.

Theon immediately gave her the necklace. The wizard examined it as well as the two wizards gave it a look.

"What strong metal," Adelared commented.

Thorarin huffed. "Not as strong as our guards, I suppose. But knowing a human craftsman has done this is itself amusing. Humans are indeed evolving. Shall we too?"

Eulah faked her cough. "Focus you two, the poor lad is waiting."

"Right." The two answered back.

Theon was confused but he remained his silent waiting for them to do their thing. Esoteric were they but he must not be affected, furthermore, the goddess was more extraordinary than this. Suddenly, the stud was being stumped twice again and the two wizards grabbed theirs which he did not know where they grabbed it from.

The stud was lightened up and through this long stick was a bright light. Shining and was gleaming towards the ornament. The necklace floated to the middle of their garnering and unexpectedly the metal shattered and what was revealed was the colour green. A crystal radiating green light, glowing within the obscurity of the chambers and shining as if or was the hope and in each ray was healing.

"I have never seen such bright crystal within the years of my serve. Now, shall we wake this man in slumber?" As soon as Eulah said these sentences, Ambroz was being lifted and his body was laid horizontally as the crystal was above his chest floating like he is.

Ambroz was awakened and Theon saw it with his own eyes. Ambroz even narrowed his eyes as the bright light welcomed him first. He groaned but was then ended when Eulah instructed Theon to touch the man's head.

"What shall I do?" Theon innocently asked.

"Stay. Your hand shall stay." Eulah said.

The wizards started their oral communication as they murmured words that does not make any sense to Theon. It was gibberish and was likely a different language. It was twisted but their voices were like singing inside an echoing place of the deep ocean. As the words run past by, the brighter the light gets. Their voices filled the chambers and the only sentence Theon was able to understand was Eulah's last statement before the crystal faded.

"May your soul return back to your humble body and you shall live without resentment."

Till then, it was bright and light. A strong wind blew up the corners of these contrasting walls. Ambroz's chest thump and a cloud of black smoke came out of his mouth and chest. A smoke that shouted avenging noises and exasperate squeals. With one tap of Eulah's stud, it faded away.

"It's gone now? For good?" His voice was shaking and Eulah pressed her gaze upon their presence.

Ambroz's haziness was still active, he still could not recognize the place and be relatively calm. And then one after another, Theon noticed that he was fading. Her body was disappearing, he reckoned that he was being pulled back into their world.

"I-i don't know how I would ever thank you. B-but please, whenever we meet again, I hope you would introduce yourself to Ambroz. He'd be more than happy to know that such living as you cured him." Theon said quickly.

Eulah smiled slightly. "Then, I suppose, till we meet again?"

Theon smiled. "Yes, till we meet again."

And their existence then disappeared like a cloud of tiny dust. She heaved a sigh and dropped down on her chair. Inside her head was thoughts and she whispered these thoughts out. "Thanking me when I was just the bridge of that cure, the true cure was their love and compassion."

Adelared faced her. "Why did we even intervene with their matters? I have never encountered this side of you, Eulah. Have you changed now or do curses and dragons appeal to your taste? What is it? Tell us." He let out.

Eulah shook her head.

Thorarin placed his hand below his chin. "Hm, or maybe it has something to do with your past, am I right?" He reckoned out. "You even smiled a while ago, it was scarcely seen but I had noticed it."

Adelared scoffed. "Oh, did she? I should have captured that."

Eulah sighed. "You both are meticulous as I foresaw. However, I think it's fair to say that I once had a different name attached to my being." She said and head over to the dozens of books.

The two removed their hats and their brows furrowed. "A different name?" Adelared asked.

"What name is it?" Thorarin interrogated.

Eulah opened a page and turned toward them.

"Lucy. Lucy from Morozov's age."

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ABYSSCESS