It was a beautiful day, Schard could not have done a better job himself. Schard strolled along a dirt track, the air was fresh and the sun shone intensely down on Schard as if it were focusing all its energy on him. Schard's expensive silk all over red cloak brushed against the dirt track and Schard new this, `if it got too dirty` he thought `I can always make another` his cloak was tied tightly against his body with the finest rope in all the land, all his own work. Schard marched on in the relentless heat, a breeze blew across his face but it wasn't quite cold enough so Schard soon intensified the breeze. The town of Minorell was a short journey on foot, he could have just teleported himself there but it was a nice day overall and Schard felt he could do with the exercise. Schard’s path took him along a dirt track and through a fairly secluded green area, through shrubs, trees and other such scenery. Schard eventually got to Minorell after a peaceful walk. As the people saw Schard their faces turned to smiles, a wizard of such power would always be greeted with a smile as he would be the first person to come too if they had any problems. A young woman approached him however with a grave look on her face, “oh grand wizard thank the heavens you have arrived” she said as she collapsed crying into Schard’s arms, he was taken by surprise and nearly dropped her, but he managed to catch her in time. He examined the girl quickly, looking for anything suspicious, Schard had grew up incredibly paranoid and being known as the grandest wizard did nothing for this paranoia as it only encouraged bounty hunters with a point to prove to try and take his life. The girl seemed trustable Schard thought, his initial impression. She had long dark brown hair and blue eyes that he only got a very short glimpse of before she fell into him. She was wearing a red cloak which covered her upper body and a brown skirt, which looked fairly tatty when compared with the pleasant looking red top. Shard lifted her chin and looked into her blue eyes “what is the matter child?” she tried composing herself and dried away her tears quickly.
“It is my father o’ grand magician”. Schard thought for a second.
“Take me to him” Schard said, to which the girl smiled broadly. He rarely saw to people such as this as he believed that if he were in the same position they would not help him. The girl led Schard to a cosy hut, there was only one room in the shack and in the middle lay a desperately ill man He was sweating profusely and Schard saw him attempt to cough, but he was too weak too. Schard lowered his eyebrows in deep thought, he then knelt down and searched his rucksack, through coins and jars, he then took out a jar full of a purple substance and placed it down on the floor. The girl took her father’s hand and looked into his eyes “The wizard will help you get better, you will be okay now he is here” Schard pretended not to hear, `don’t want to get his hopes up too high` he thought as he searched what he had brought with him for one more thing. He took out a container, a turquoise liquid resigned within and he looked at it and bit his lip thoughtfully. Schard then took a quick look into the bag, it was not there, he was missing something. The girl looked at him “Is there something you need wizard?”
“N...” Schard stopped then thought there was a fruit that's juices would add the ingredient he needed, but Schard’s mind wouldn’t let him think of their name, he then had an epiphany “do you have any Enai?”. The girl thought for a second then dashed out of the house. `This is why I keep to myself` Schard thought. Enai was an exotic fruit found deep in the heart of the Legian forest, quite a delicacy, it was quite a rarity a few years ago, but fierce trading had meant every household could have some, every but this house it seemed. The girl returned a few seconds later, three Enai in hand. “We have none, but next door have plenty, they want my father to get well soon” she handed them over to Schard one by one. “well this should work” Said Schard and he turned to pick up what he had taken out of his sack. He looked around for something “please tell me you have a knife, or do I have to go next door?” he said to the girl. Schard was expecting a more reckless response, but she just smiled and went over to a small table, on it was a knife and she brought it over to him. Schard lay everything on the floor “would you be so kind as to fetch me an empty container from my bag, do not touch anything else thank you” he said to the girl as he sliced open the Enai. The girl obliged and stuck her head into his rucksack and reappeared with a container, she then walked over and placed it down next to the other two jars Schard had laid out. The girl then sat down on the floor and anxiously watched Schard. Schard didn’t like to be watched but he felt he may as well put up with it this once. He cut the Enai into two and placed the pieces aside, he then took the purple fluid and poured an amount into the empty container. He then did the same with the turquoise solution. He then put a top on the mixture and shook it, turning the colour to a dark purple. Schard then removed the top and one by one juiced the Enai, one by one the Enai transformed the mixture from a dark purple to a blue, a blue to a turquoise-green, then to a lime and then to a yellow. During this procedure the man coughed violently, causing Schard to squeeze an Enai so hard it fell apart in his hands and altogether make him work quicker. After the solution turned yellow Schard left the rest of the Enai and stood up, “it is done” he said `although whether it will work is another matter` he cynically thought. Schard walked over to the man and knelt before him, something which every citizen in Legia would consider an honour. Schard sighed nervously as he moved the container to the man’s mouth. He poured the elixir into the man’s throat and he, using all his might swallowed. Schard then took two paces back and waited. The man coughed, not once but twice, the second time more violent. Schard sighed deeply and put his head in his hands, he then closed his eyes in deep thought. Schard then felt something, the girl put her arms around him and kissed him deeply on his cheek, he without knowing blushed. Schard opened his eyes, the man had managed to stand up. “This is the first time father has been on his feet for two months” the girl said to Schard, a huge smile on her face and she then kissed Schard again, this time softly on the lips, he blushed again. The man slowly walked over to Schard and shook his hand “thank you, thank you so much wizard, you truly are the greatest in all of Legia” which was followed by a sharp cough, the man clutched his chest in pain. Schard lowered his eyebrows again “tis no problem to help you” the man coughed slightly as Schard spoke. “That cough of yours bothers me” he turned to the girl, “go next door and get me some more Enai, as many as you can” The girl nodded and sharply exited. Schard helped the man, who was probably younger than him into his chair and stood back, awaiting the girl. Schard smiled wide as he looked at the man, he then started laughing softly to himself, this quickly turned to bellowing laughter. The man turned to him “what is so funny?” He asked Schard.
“I have heard about your condition before” he paused “and what I gave you..” Schard was interrupted, the girl had returned with the Enai. “I‘ll tell you in a second” Schard said to the man, and he set about making more medicine that had regained the strength of the man. Schard made two fresh bottles and handed them to the girl. “Take a sip of that every day for about two weeks, that should take care of any lingering symptoms, if after that you are still coughing come and see me” he said to the man. “Now if you‘ll excuse me I need to get to market” said Schard as he went to leave the hut.
“Wait...” called the man, stopping Schard in his tracks “you were laughing earlier, you didn‘t finish explaining” Schard turned to face the man.
“Ah yes, well as I was saying” Schard paused momentarily to remember what he was laughing at “well I had forgotten to bring some things out with me, and up until you started to walk, there was no cure to your condition” Schard laughed as the man stared at him wide-eyed, the man then laughed loud.
“You truly are the greatest” said the man as Schard left. `Yes` he thought to himself `I am`.
Schard continued on his way to the market he had only intended to be out for a short while, a short walk into Minorell, a quick trip to the market and back home just as soon as he had left. He had now already been out three times the amount of time he anticipated it would take. Schard continued through the streets of Minorell and turned through a side street, which led to Minorell market. Minorell market was the most renowned through all of Legia, it sold everything that anyone would need throughout the day and the trade that the wizards brought in buying rare herbs and potions allowed the market to expand even more. Schard walked through all the traders and made his way to Kryztchi, an old friend of Schard’s and the biggest seller in Legia. Kryztchi was wearing a cream shirt and brown trousers, hardly suggestive of one of the richest men around. His face was one of joy as he saw Schard approach, he smiled wide, he had an all over black beard and slick dark black hair and his eyes were a wooden hazel. “Nice to see you old man” called Kryztchi as Schard came closer.
“You had be careful what you say, I could make you twice as old as me with the flick of my wrist” Schard said light-heartedly. The two then shared a laugh “How is your wife?” Schard asked then paused, before Kryztchi could answer he had another question “has my order of Okmange came in?” asked Schard, allready knowing the answer to that one. “She is fine my friend, than you for asking and yes, this morning in fact, you are a mind reader my friend”.
“No” said Schard “but it would only take me about day to learn, with the right books” he said. Kryztchi turned around and dug around in a box and produced a container of finely compressed orange powder.
“There you go” said Kryztchi as he handed the Okmange over.
“What do I owe you?” enquired Schard.
“I heard what you did for Falgard” Schard looked a little confused.
“The father of the young girl?” Schard said slightly confused, looking around “word travels fast in this town”. Schard felt a sharp breeze, “well ill be going now” he said, and then he noticed his knapsack had gone, it was not a sharp breeze he felt, but rather a very fast thief. Schard observed the thief, who could not have been older than seventeen run through all the stalls trying to get away from the wizard. The thief kept moving fast until suddenly his feet were not hitting the floor anymore, he was being rose high into the air. Schard then turned to Kryztchi “do you know this idiot?”
“not by name” he said.
“stand back” said Schard and Kryztchi moved accordingly. The clumsy young bandit hovered above all the stalls and moved towards Schard, he then drifted directly above Schard, then falling five feet down to the floor with a bump, on Schard’s whim, directly where Kryztchi was standing a few second ago. Schard picked up his bag without looking at the perpetrator, instead he merely said his farewell to Kryztchi. Schard then proceeded to leave the market and get on his way home. As he was leaving the town he saw a few people ride in on horseback, Schard made eye contact with one of them and felt a shudder go through his body. The man had a scar down his right eye and a bald head, a fierce look in his eyes and a callous stare gave Schard a bad feeling about him. Schard started to walk slower and waited for the three riders to pass, he then watched as they headed for the market. Schard then started walking back to the market, he didn’t know why but he had a gut feeling. Schard re-entered the market and picked up an old rag from the first stall he saw, he tried to quickly pay but as he saw earlier with Kryztchi, the trader was only too happy to let him have it. Schard tied the rag over him so that the riders would not immediately recognize him. The three riders were stood at the back of the market and were weary of anyone attempting to make contact with any of them but Schard could not see the man who had made eye contact with him earlier. Schard sighed and thought to himself `well some people only look evil` and he turned to leave the market for the second time. As Schard turned he heard a woman’s scream, he turned around and one of the three riders had his arm wrapped around a woman’s throat and he held her tight as she struggled to escape his grasp. The woman in question was Kryztchi’s wife. Schard was about to launch them into the air when he felt something push into his back, a crossbow was being held against him “No tricks wizard” came a booming voice from behind him. Schard raised his hands high into the hair, slowly, so that the man would not suddenly become trigger-happy “walk” another order barked in the same voice as before, and he prodded the crossbow into Schard’s back, making him walk to the front to join up with the other riders. “Everybody put your coins into the bag at the front, we all have crossbows and we have horses, so if you try anything we will come after you” Schard heard one of the other men shout at the crowd. Schard began to sweat, he could have easily have gotten Kryztchi’s wife released, using his skills but the following crossbow bolt into the back he could not prevent, and today was not a day to die. Just get your dirty money and go` Schard kept repeating in his head mantra like as he watched the men load up their bags with gold and jewellery and everything else they could get their filthy hands on. Schard gave it serious thought and he could easily have overpowered them and rescued all the money, but it would be too much of a risk to himself and he was not worried about their profits. Schard looked down on the sandy floor and let his thoughts run as he waited for this ordeal to be over. Kryztchi’s wife was still foolishly attempting to escape from her captors clutches `just stay still you..` and Schard sighed as he watched her wriggle about `it will all be over soon`. The man who was holding Kryztchi’s wife was becoming more aggressive when it came to restraining her, holding her arms painfully tight and pulling at her throat, strangling her. Schard watched as Kryztchi’s wife coughed and spluttered as she tried desperately to regain her breath, she was having the life squeezed out of her and still Schard stood by, crossbow firmly pointed in his hand. Kryztchi’s wife moaned out very loud in pain and was turning red, he could see her fading and Schard had seen enough as he thought `if I die I am so gonna regret this` as he mule kicked the man behind him, causing him to drop the crossbow and fall to the ground in immense pain, holding his crotch. The man holding Kryztchi’s wife dropped her to the ground and she was able to regain breathing, coming back from the brink of death. The crowd that was the market traders and people who had come to buy goods had fled the moment Schard took care of the man behind him. The other three immediately turned to Schard and two crossbow bolts were fired in his direction. The flew at him fast, almost too fast for him to react, the bolts halted in their way, moments before tearing into Schard and he then let them drop to the floor. Schard then lifted the three men high into the air, he was about to let them fall when he was hit hard in the back by the man he had floored earlier, he crashed to the ground and a few moments later the three lifted into the air shared his fate. The three slowly got to their feet and dusted them self quickly, they then walked over to Schard. Schard’s back was in agony and he was angry, but more at himself for turning his back on the fourth rider. Both Schard’s hands were stepped on and the men did not remove their feet so that Schard could not inflict anything more on them, the man with the scar on his left eye then put his foot on Schard’s neck. “Bye bye wizard” he heard almost immediately after he heard a crossbow being loaded. Schard closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, preparing himself for death. He lay there for what seemed like an age, he then felt the foot of the scarred man move off his neck, followed by a cry of pain. Schard opened his eyes and saw the scarred man fall to the floor, crossbow bolt in his neck. The other three then backed away from Schard and he got up and saw his rescuers, Raiguarde, The captain of the Legia army with ten strong men on horses. Schard dusted himself off “always a pleasure to see you Raiguarde, now more than ever” Raiguarde smiled at this comment.
“I wish I could see you under better circumstances Schard” said Raiguarde as he nodded for his troops to take away the three remaining riders.
“Problem?” asked Schard.
“You could say that” Raiguarde answered “The king is missing”.