It has been a long time since I’ve spun a tale based upon an image. In fact, it was Hidden Exchange back in July 2022. Unfortunately, there’s been a lot of obligations tugging me in every direction. Thankfully, those demands on my time have lessened. As a result, I thumbed through my Magic favorites on DeviantArt and isolated the image that sparked a story. This time it was a piece, with an unusual name, published by EinsteinWarrior..
Instantly, the story that bloomed in my mind revolved around the lineage of Tiatha and Leodor and the creation of the ruling council and their Hunters. Unfortunaely, this image is no longer available for viewing.
The elderly man turned his head as the pounding intensified. His fingers twitched over the flipping pages of his floating tome, a venomous snarl curling his lips. With each crash, another page tore free from the book and joined the howling, arcane storm around the frantic mage. As the sheets spun past his twitching brow, light devoured the scribbled ink. When the glow enveloped each sheet, they popped out of existence.
“Thobin,” a husky voice called, punctuated by a mighty and ominous thud. “Open the door!”
The man’s steely gaze whipped toward the voice. Still, his fingers danced over the whirling pages. The pounding gave way to cracking wood, a splintering rhythm that echoed through the tower. Then a sharp female voice cut through the din. “This isn’t going to end well for you!”
“By a unanimous decree of the ruling council,” the gruff voice said as the pounding increased, “you are required to surrender yourself and all of your tomes to our authority.”
A swirling wind whipped about Thobin, throwing his long, wild, silver-streaked hair about his head. As more pages tore from the tome, he rolled his shoulders, sending a series of cracks bouncing off the walls. “I respect neither that institution nor you. Enter at your own peril.”
“Thobin, you can’t win this fight. However, if you submit yourself to our authority, you’ll be rewarded with a place on the council.”
“Bah!” Thobin’s fingers whirled faster as more pages tore free from the tome. When the last page freed itself, Thobin turned to face the cracking door, hands clasped behind his back. When his hair settled about his shoulders, his fingertips glowed with a warm yellow light. “If you turn around now, I’ll have mercy on both of you.”
“We’re the best wizards next to the council,” the original voice said. “You can’t survive a confrontation with us.”
Laughter bubbled out of Thobin’s mouth as the glow raced up his arms. “If you enter my chambers, I will make you regret your existence.”
“We are going to perform our duty.”
Thobin’s scowl deepened as he dipped his head. “Such is the fate of fools.”
The door blew off its hinges and spiraled away from Thobin to crash into the far wall as the last page vanished. A lean man sauntered into the private chamber. “You brought this on yourself.”
“No,” Thobin said, his voice soft as his body blurred. He crossed the distance in the blink of an eye, a phantom flash of fury, and slammed both hands into their chests. The yellow glow rushed into both their bodies. Thobin brushed his shoulder with a dismissive smirk. “It is regrettable for you, I’m more skilled than the pompous fools who sentenced you to death.”
“It’s unfortunate the two of you allowed those idiots to warp your understanding of reality.” He reached up and patted the fool’s cheek. With a sigh, Thobin’s fingers pulsed with a pale verdant glow. He closed his eyes and pressed his fingertip against Owyn’s forehead. “While this won’t kill you, don’t consider it an act of mercy.”
The green illumination slithered about Owyn, wrapping up the man like a snake coiling its prey. When the light enveloped the intruder, an explosion washed over everything in the room. Once gone, Thobin turned his attention to the remaining trespasser and traced her lips with his thumb.
“What happened to Owyn?”
Thobin silenced her with a glowing fingertip, eyes narrowing to slits. “Vonora, I did not allow you to speak just to be inundated with useless questions.”
“But you killed him.”
Thobin’s finger whitened as he leaned next to Vonora’s ear. “I didn’t kill him. Rather, I suspended him in time for a thousand years.”
“What?”
He stepped back, hands clasped behind him once more. “After ten centuries, the spell’s strength over him shall wane and he’ll reenter the world.”
“How could he survive for that long?”
“Owyn has been removed from time’s steady march. When his feet next greet this ground, his physical body won’t be any different from what it was today.”
“What’s going to happen to him?”
With a mocking chuckle, Thobin flicked Vonora’s nose as his lips curled into a smirk. “The only difference will be the loss of his magical abilities, since my spell devours it in order to sustain itself.”
“When he finally breaks free, he’ll be a regular person?”
Thobin’s grin intensified as he nodded. “Vonora, let me be blunt. I don’t need you to deliver my message to the council. If you do not stop annoying me, you’ll share in Owyn’s punishment. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent.” Thobin’s chest expanded as a silence wrapped around the two mages. When he released the pent-up breath, he flicked her forehead. “Inform every member of this foolish body that each Hunter they send after me will suffer Owyn’s fate.”
“Is that all?”
“I wasn’t done.”
“Sorry.”
Thobin reached out, cupping the woman’s cheek. “Before they launch into their inevitable and pointless questions, advise them that despite my vast patience, it isn’t infinite. If I am forced to keep dealing with these intrusions, I’ll succumb to my frustration and seek retribution for their unending and petulant actions.”
A lump slid down Vonora’s throat as her eyes widened, full of silent panic. “If I deliver that threat, the council will brand me a traitor and kill me.”
As the mage’s hand glowed white, he pressed his palm against her chest. “Then you’ll have to decide whether you’d rather die as a wizard or live as a human after losing a thousand years. Because if I’m angered, I’ll become your hunter before turning my attention to them.”
“That’s not much of… an option.”
“Either way, you must choose.” Thobin flicked his wrist, and the spark crashed into her. When she collided with the far wall, she slid down the smooth stone before collapsing on the floor into an unconscious and crumpled pile. A second later she vanished. “Ensure the choice you make is correct.”