The Wizard Strikes

"It's you... The old wizard Gabriel... Isn't it?", I asked the wizard for confirmation once I realized who he was. He smiled with my answer and resumed to walk towards the kitchen where he was going to prepare something for me. Was his smile an "yes" or a "no" for my question? I didn't have the slightest idea of which one it was.

"Umm, you don't need to prepare anything for me. I don't want to take much of your time, I just have one request to you", I said to him while following him into the kitchen to continue this conversation.

"You know, I was really afraid that you forgot me. Sounds like that the spell wasn't that strong... You still remember who you're, after all, don't you?", he asked as he seemed to prepare tea for us to have. About what he was speaking?

"Yes, of course I know who I am, I am Dagger Everblade"

"Good... That's good, it would be a shame if you had forgotten everything... But you don't remember everything either, do you? Can you remember what I did to you?"

"You... After I escaped the palace and was denied a place to hide at my parent's house, I came to the forest in the hope of living by myself in secret here... And then you received me with open arms, helped me, and later build to me my own hideout so I could live truly on my own..."

"I thought the spell would affect with time but sounds like only the memories from immediately before the spell were forgotten... Do you remember asking me to cast a spell on you before?"

"Umm... I don't remember anything like that", I said, still trying to revisit my memories for anything similar to what he said. But no, in my mind this was the only time I have ever come here to ask for a spell or potion.

"You said to me you were suffering too much away from the princess and that your family hated you... You... You were quite depressed and asked me to cast a spell to make you forget everything that has been painfully hurting you. You wanted to let your past behind, you wanted to forget it and become a new you. Amy Dantes, that was the name you wanted to have after you have forgotten everything... I did as you told me to, but you did not forget everything, only about the spell. Still, you seem to be much better than your usual self, Dagger... You seem to be quite worked up for something instead of depressed", he commented.

The memories of those depressing moments were still in my mind, I can recall them with ease... And now that I attentively examine my memories, I can see that it's as though a part of them were removed... A story with the middle pages torn, that's how it looked. Try to find the missing pieces was already giving me a little bit of a headache.

"Well, I learned to get over my depression if I wanted to live... It was painful, but I got over it eventually...", I said. The memories were still there, however... After a brief recall of the sadness, I shook my head and sent them away.

"Anyway, I don't want to take much of your time, really, I just want to ask for a spell or a potion"

"Don't worry, have at least this cup of tea first..." he said and gave me a cup with the tea inside. I took a quick sip of it but then looked at the wizard again.

"Thank you... Now... If I can talk about why I really have come here... I want... I want to become a man...", I said... The wizard took a long sip after listening to me and remained silent as though he was considering the words I have said and then he spat the tea all out on a nearby wall. I am glad it wasn't on me.

"What?! You want to become a man?! Are you not happy with your own body? I am sorry I can't-"

"Please listen to me for a second!" I interrupted him without thinking twice. I wasn't going to give up on my only hope now... "I love my own body, despite the difficulties I faced as a woman. But there's someone there, a princess... My lover... And her dreams are being shattered, there are rumors about her loving another girl who happens to be me. I can't let this happen to her. I need to save her dreams... You're the only person I know that can do this... If we were lovers and I was a man, the rumors would be destroyed, her dreams-"

"I see... So it's not a selfish wish... I can feel your true emotions for this princess in your words... Then, I will do it for you Dagger. This is no small choice, however... So I want to see how much are you willing to do for this spell", he said and a staff magically appeared in his hands, it looked like an iron bar with a strange yellow crystal on the tip. With only a touch of it on the ceiling, the hideout started to disappear, the wall, the ceiling, the floors...

Soon, grass was covering the ground and the trees had disappeared as well, as though we were just teleported... Or did the place teleport to us? Either way, we were in a beautiful field... What was he planning to do, I could only wonder.

"Show me your strength... Show me your will... Defeat me, Dagger Everblade", the wizard said and before I could react, he sent a strong wind in my direction, pushing me too far away from him.

I was glad that I brought my armor and my sword, but I wonder if I will be able to face this wizard, he might be old but he surely was skilled to have sent such a strong wind on my way, I just managed to be not sent too far away thanks to my sword that I got stuck in the ground. A long trail was left behind on the ground, however. Smiling it seemed like the wizard had every single advantage over me. Pointing his staff at me, he quickly sent a lightning strike at me, but I managed to dodge it at the very last second.

The wizard did not stop at just that, more lightning strikes, one after the other, were sent. Those attacks were fast and at each step I took closer to the wizard, the harder it was to dodge. My strategy needed to adapt if I wanted to win this... But what I could do? I needed an opportunity. However, in an open field with not much diversity, I couldn't really think of a way to win against the wizard and eventually, I got hit by one of those lightning strikes. The electricity in my muscles, the pain of it... They were so strong, but I managed to get over it, although I am still shocked, in both meanings.

After I could get up on my feet, the wizard looked at me and touched the yellow crystal on the ground... The grass seemed to be growing under my feet and when I realized it, they were alive, trying to hold me still on the ground. I gave it no opportunity, I ran towards the wizard, the grass that was already around my feet tearing up and getting off me as I ran.

Where I walked, the grass attempted to hold me, but that did not stop me from reaching the wizard... I rose my sword to strike once I was close enough. Although the grass was getting in my way, I noticed that this strike was way too easy... Something was fishy, so I prepared myself for the worst.

As expected, the wizard created a shield of ice right at the moment, and my sword was stuck on it... He stole it and threw it very far away so I wouldn't be able to fight with it. I had no time to go after it, but I could already strike the wizard even without it... With a punch, I hit his face and he was sent a little bit far away... He stood up immediately after, bleeding a little and walking away...

How far we would need to go to prove ourselves? As far as killing each other? What was the point in that? Whichever was the case, I had no time to think about that, the battle was going on and the ending seemed to be still very far away... The worst part, the climax of this battle, was yet to come...