Quinn
Rudolph looked at me like I was speaking gibberish. I knew it was hard to believe but he had to know the truth.
I told him of everything that I knew of the dark wizard. I told him of how he had killed our mother, how dad had fought with him and locked him in the dungeon in our house for decades, how he had broken free from the spell on him with the help of his apprentice, how he had tormented our lives after he was free, and how he cursed us to be crazy wolves.
I told him of the last battle that we had had with him, of the death of his apprentice, of how our father had been turned to stone, and how we had gone to the land of the sea of death to find what could get rid of him.
I told him of how we had gotten home to begin the search for the dark wizard so we can free our father only to find out that our house had been raided by vampires we weren’t expecting and our father had been taken away. I told him of how we had known that it was the dark wizard behind the actions of the vampire king the day he came to the dungeon to check on us and we heard his voice.
“That was why I was trying to make everyone believe me so that we could find a cure to this before it became a big issue like this.” I said, finally ending my long tale.
“Damn, bro.” Jack whistled. “I didn’t know that you were this good as a storyteller. I must say that the pack is about to have the best alpha it could ever have in centuries.”
It sounded like Jack was being his usual self and teasing but that wasn’t the case. I could tell that he was trying to remind Rudolph that we weren’t mere men that could be treated the way they had treated us. He was trying to tell him that we were men of values where we came from.
Jack didn’t need that. He didn’t need to have told Rudolph that. I didn’t think that he heard him. He seemed lost in thoughts, reeling from all that I had told him.
Suddenly, he blinked and nodded, his eyes clear as he looked at me. “I believe you.”
I looked at him with a mix of wonder and surprise. “Are you sure?” I asked him. I was still expecting him to ask some questions and drill me before finally getting convinced.
He nodded again. “It sounds like a story from a novel with all the experiences that you had and all the adventures that you had had to go through and I might not have believed you if you hadn’t mentioned that your father had been turned into stone in the last battle and the vampires had taken it with them. I remember seeing a frozen statue outside on the day Ethan had gone on that raid and I asked what he needed it for as I had thought that it was an artifact.”
I was a bit miffed that dad had been mistaken as an artifact and couldn’t hide my annoyance at the dark wizard. He saw my expression and seemed to think that I was mad at him.
“I’m sorry I mistook him as an artifact but I know better now.” He apologized.
I waved off his apology. He didn’t need to apologize to me. I totally understood him. “Please continue.”
“He seemed to believe then that you were going to come before you came here and I asked him why he believed so. He told him that you were going to come for your father. I wondered how he knew that then but now I knew. It was because of that blasted dark wizard. I had been speaking with him and had no idea. I would have killed that bastard for putting my friend in misery right there and then if I had known. I feel so stupid. I couldn’t believe that I was so quick to believe that my friend was acting crazy because of the fall.”
I felt sad for him. He seemed so broken that I couldn’t even hold on to the anger in me at how the vampires had treated us.
“You had no idea so stop being so hard on yourself.”
His expression was fierce and filled with fury. “I want to kill that bastard.”
I heard caution ringing out loud in my head. “You shouldn’t draw up a sword against the king, you will only end up putting yourself at risk.”
Just as I had thought, he didn’t care about putting himself in danger. “I don’t care of what happens to me if it means that I’m going to save the king’s sanity.”
I sighed. I could see another danger brewing its head if I didn’t nip it in the bud now. “Drawing a sword and stabbing the king wouldn’t help him. It would only get you killed for treason. The king is possessed by an evil being by magical means, using swords on him won’t get rid of the dark wizard. It will only get the king killed, the dark wizard will find someone else to possess and then we will lose him. This is our only chance to get rid of him finally for good and stop him for tormenting the world.”
He looked at the door. “Tell me how I can get rid of this dark wizard. The prisoners and the guards will soon be back from feeding and I don’t want anyone to find me here.”
I nodded. “You can’t get rid of the dark wizard alone, you need us. We have the sap of the Aselia tree with us.”
“Isn’t that what you went to get at the land of the sea of death?”
“Yes. We didn’t want to leave it at home and come here. We didn’t even know that we were going to meet the dark wizard here.”
“I’m glad that you brought it with you.” He exhaled in relief and I could tell that he meant it.
“Me too.” I nodded. “If you can find a way for us to be alone with the king, I’m sure we can get rid of the dark wizard.”
He smiled. “I hope we can. I will send a guard to you tomorrow. Be ready.” He made a salute to us and walked away.
I sagged against the wall and slid to the ground in relief, with smiles all over my face. I was glad that we had finally found an ally.
***
Just as he had said, he sent a guard to us the next day. I didn’t think the guard knew why exactly we were being summoned and assumed that we were finally being punished. He had on his face pity for us as he led us to the palace courtroom.
We entered and saw Rudolph in there with the king and two guards. He commanded the guards to stay outside and lock the door from outside once we were in. He instructed them not to come in or let anyone else enter until we were out. They nodded and went out without asking him questions. I was impressed. That was the power of being a general.
“What is going on here?” The king asked, his eyes wild with fury as he realized that we were alone with him.
Rudolph was definitely making this a secret mission. It seemed the king also didn’t know that we were coming. I could understand that though. Telling the king that we would be coming was like warning the dark wizard of our visit.
“I believe you would like to see them, your highness.” Rudolph said.
“Why would I want to?” The king asked.
“You went to raid their house, knew that they would come and then threw them in prison when they did. Isn’t it time for you to talk with them?” Rudolph sneered.
“Throw them back into prison.” The king yelled.
“Quit the act, wizard.” Rudolph yelled back at him.
“What?” The king stilled, looking stunned. “What has gotten over you, Rudolph?”
“More like what has gotten inside you, your highness.” Rudolph sighed. “This isn’t you, Ethan.” He said, his voice softened into a caressing whisper. “Let’s help you, my friend.”
“How can you help me? Because you brought to me a bunch of werewolves that I have cursed?” The king laughed.
That was just the moment we were waiting for – for the dark wizard to appear. I smirked to myself. If only the idiot knew that we had broken the curse and also where we had been to so we could get rid of him, he wouldn’t be so confident that we couldn’t get rid of him.
I moved to him, running with the container of the sap in my hands. I sprayed it all over his body as we got closer to him.
We all watched and waited with bated breath as the king spun around, flailing his hand all over his body. I had another sap container ready in my hand as I watched the air above the king’s head so I can spray it on the dark wizard’s misty form as it exited the body of the king. I couldn’t wait to get rid of him for good.
Suddenly, the king stopped spinning and started laughing. “I told you that these idiots can’t get rid of me.”
I frowned as I stared at king who was smirking at us as the dark wizard would and wondered where we had gotten it wrong.