easy to find, having a stable home far above a thriving village in the desolation.
As it turned out, a wizard did come to Benen’s Oasis, but she was not looking for Benen; she had come to demand a child from the villagers.
CHAPTER 5: WIZARD
Benen flew down from his tower in the sky and landed behind the woman. He had dropped down fast, slowing down only at the last minute. The other wizard knew of his arrival; there was no hiding the loss of power she would feel as he drew near and the two of them shared the local pool of magical energy, so he did not bother to land quietly.
She spun about and Benen saw her clearly. He was surprised to see that she was beautiful . . . and young. But then he took a second look and saw through her false appearance. Beneath the illusion she was a hag, an ancient woman with sparse stringy white hair and faded, wrinkled skin. Her eyes, when they met his, were a shocking contrast; they were a brilliant green and their gaze pierced him. It made him hesitate for a second.
She smiled and he saw her crooked teeth.
“Who in damnation are you?” she demanded.
“Go away, you have no business here,” he told the wizard.
“I do, and you had best not get in my way, you insignificant piece of offal.”
Benen was surprised by the aggression the wizard directed at him, but he was not about to back down.
“I am the wizard Benen and this is Benen’s Oasis, it is under my care and protection. You will leave this place now.”
“Not without the apprentice I came to fetch, I’m not.” She spat on the ground.
“I will take the apprentice myself and train them,” Benen declared.
“You’re no master!”
“Then I’ll find a master for the apprentice, but not you.”
Benen did not know why he felt so strongly that this woman should not be allowed to train the gifted child from Benen’s Oasis. Perhaps she seemed too much like Oster, and he would not wish his own apprenticeship on anyone.
“Go away, you gnat.” She turned back toward the village and started walking away from Benen. He knew he had to show this wizard that he could not be dismissed so easily.
If he was willing to fight to protect these people, now was the time do so.
Benen knew the wizard would have warded herself against magic she expected might be used against her, but he did not think that she would be ready for what he had in mind.
Calling upon the power of the Pinnacle, Benen cast a spell similar in purpose to telekinesis, but instead of targeting one single object, he picked up with his mind an entire dune’s worth of sand and gravel. He moved it at high speed so that the whole formed a whirlwind around the wizard, pelting her with the stones, scratching her with the grit, and blinding her with the sand.
She exclaimed in surprise, but regained her composure quickly. Ignoring the sandstorm around her, the wizard turned back to face Benen and incanted. He braced himself but nothing bad happened to him. Except that suddenly his spell had ended.
How did she do that?! He was shocked. It was as if she had used the Cleaver against his spell and cut it apart, but he knew she could not have done that, he had specifically shielded himself and his magic against such attacks.
He tried to cast again, this time he used a fire spell to put a wall of flames around the interloper, but no matter what he did, he did not feel the power course through him and into the spell.
“Try as you might, little journeyman, you are done opposing me today.” She had an arrogant smirk on her face as she said this.
“What did you do?”
“A lady must keep her secrets.”
Left with nothing but his fists with which to oppose her, Benen leaped at the woman. She was so surprised by this physical assault that he managed to bloody her nose with his punches before she plucked him off her and into the air with her own telekinetic effect.
“I ought to kill you for that, you insufferable little prick!”
“Go ahead, I’ll haunt you, you
As it turned out, a wizard did come to Benen’s Oasis, but she was not looking for Benen; she had come to demand a child from the villagers.
CHAPTER 5: WIZARD
Benen flew down from his tower in the sky and landed behind the woman. He had dropped down fast, slowing down only at the last minute. The other wizard knew of his arrival; there was no hiding the loss of power she would feel as he drew near and the two of them shared the local pool of magical energy, so he did not bother to land quietly.
She spun about and Benen saw her clearly. He was surprised to see that she was beautiful . . . and young. But then he took a second look and saw through her false appearance. Beneath the illusion she was a hag, an ancient woman with sparse stringy white hair and faded, wrinkled skin. Her eyes, when they met his, were a shocking contrast; they were a brilliant green and their gaze pierced him. It made him hesitate for a second.
She smiled and he saw her crooked teeth.
“Who in damnation are you?” she demanded.
“Go away, you have no business here,” he told the wizard.
“I do, and you had best not get in my way, you insignificant piece of offal.”
Benen was surprised by the aggression the wizard directed at him, but he was not about to back down.
“I am the wizard Benen and this is Benen’s Oasis, it is under my care and protection. You will leave this place now.”
“Not without the apprentice I came to fetch, I’m not.” She spat on the ground.
“I will take the apprentice myself and train them,” Benen declared.
“You’re no master!”
“Then I’ll find a master for the apprentice, but not you.”
Benen did not know why he felt so strongly that this woman should not be allowed to train the gifted child from Benen’s Oasis. Perhaps she seemed too much like Oster, and he would not wish his own apprenticeship on anyone.
“Go away, you gnat.” She turned back toward the village and started walking away from Benen. He knew he had to show this wizard that he could not be dismissed so easily.
If he was willing to fight to protect these people, now was the time do so.
Benen knew the wizard would have warded herself against magic she expected might be used against her, but he did not think that she would be ready for what he had in mind.
Calling upon the power of the Pinnacle, Benen cast a spell similar in purpose to telekinesis, but instead of targeting one single object, he picked up with his mind an entire dune’s worth of sand and gravel. He moved it at high speed so that the whole formed a whirlwind around the wizard, pelting her with the stones, scratching her with the grit, and blinding her with the sand.
She exclaimed in surprise, but regained her composure quickly. Ignoring the sandstorm around her, the wizard turned back to face Benen and incanted. He braced himself but nothing bad happened to him. Except that suddenly his spell had ended.
How did she do that?! He was shocked. It was as if she had used the Cleaver against his spell and cut it apart, but he knew she could not have done that, he had specifically shielded himself and his magic against such attacks.
He tried to cast again, this time he used a fire spell to put a wall of flames around the interloper, but no matter what he did, he did not feel the power course through him and into the spell.
“Try as you might, little journeyman, you are done opposing me today.” She had an arrogant smirk on her face as she said this.
“What did you do?”
“A lady must keep her secrets.”
Left with nothing but his fists with which to oppose her, Benen leaped at the woman. She was so surprised by this physical assault that he managed to bloody her nose with his punches before she plucked him off her and into the air with her own telekinetic effect.
“I ought to kill you for that, you insufferable little prick!”
“Go ahead, I’ll haunt you, you
Similar Books
