‘You have called for me, my King.’ knight Gwidon entered the king’s chamber and was struck by the cloud of revolting stench that came from the pile of bones and intestines, which was pushed from the center of the chamber to the side. Somebody should do something about this heap of rotten meat before it will cause a plague, thought he to himself, and covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
‘Yes Gwidon, we have no time to waste. Unfortunately, the war with the Turks is not the only war we will wage this year. I was informed by numerous... (the king thought for a moment about the right word) ...individuals that there are others who want to see us burnt in the fire of poisoned arrows or drowned. We will be attacked by Goblins.’
‘Goblins?! I have never believed that they existed. I thought that they are a figment of old women’s imagination, something to tell children before sleep to make them behave. Goblins, my King?’
‘Yes, all these stories are true, I’m afraid. I once saw a Goblin as a child and it never escaped my memory. Hideous as the worst reptiles! It seems that there are hundreds of them. Hundreds of thousands. Possibly even millions. They live in their underground cities and now they want to turn us into dust and take over the kingdom.’
‘But if we return, our armies from the borders we will be defenseless against the Turks!’
‘Indeed. I'm going to ask our neighbors to send some troops to help us. However, they are not going to do this for free and they need to be paid.’
‘But Goblins? I’m not sure that we will manage with the army of Goblins resorting only to the army of humans.’
‘That is why I asked you to come. You know that I trust you, Gwidon. Not because I like you, but because you are an exemplary knight. I’ve never seen anyone so devoted to the army. You don’t waste your time whoring around, drinking in public inns. You keep a discipline, physical regime. I wish the Church representatives were more like you, but very often they prove to be just mediocre men prone to temptations. I need you, my knight. Now more than before. As you mentioned, we cannot win the war with Goblins using only human warriors. We need something stronger. We need higher forces. We need magic. I made you a list.’
The king gave knight Gwidon a piece of paper. Gwidon looked at it, still covering his mouth with a piece of cloth, and glimpsed at words written in king’s handwriting.
‘I need you to collect all these... (the king was again looking for the right words to describe now a different group)...individuals and persuade them to take part in this war on our side. And I need you to go alone.’
Gwidon read one name after another, not entirely sure if he was reading an actual list or another fairy tale told by one deluded grandmother.
‘Are you sure that I will find them all? Without any map and directions?’
‘Edwin will guide you. He can find anything anywhere in the world. He is the first one on the list. I have written down his address.’
‘Who is this Edwin?’
‘He’s Erwin’s brother. He is a wizard, retired according to what I’ve heard. You need to encourage him to go back to his learned profession.’
Knight Gwidon again looked at the pile formed by Erwin, which gave this unbearable stench. Wizards! He didn’t trust any of them.
‘And one more thing, Gwidon. I need you to go down to the Goblin’s city and find Gustaw.’
Gwidon looked at Gustaw’s portrait hanging over the king’s throne, pondered for a moment, and nodded.
The king and Gwidon shared some sort of mutual understanding and they didn’t need words to communicate their thoughts. That also proved useful in the battlefield or when the king mentioned how brave and fearless Gustaw was and then he looked significantly at Gwidon and both of them knew that there wasn’t a bigger lie told at that time.
The king blessed him before the knight set off, but Gwidon wasn’t sure what kind of blessing was bestowed on him as positions on the list were far from the teachings of the Church and the open policy of the kingdom.
It was a beautiful morning the day after the top-secret conversation with the king took place when Gwidon (quite incognito, without his usual heavy armor) on his loyal and fearless horse Galop arrived at a lovely hut surrounded by orchards, vegetable plots, and herbs. In front of the hut, there was a rocking chair and on it, there was a slim, tall figure, dressed only in his underwear. His long hair was tied in a bun on top of his head, reminding Gwidon the legends of Japanese warriors. The man was visibly sunbathing.
‘Have I arrived at the abode of Edwin, the Great Wizard?’
The man opened his eyes and looked at Gwidon.
‘Possibly I was once a great wizard but I’m through with this. I started my time of rest and relaxation. It’s called successful aging, my dear boy. You will understand when you reach my age.’
Gwidon had to admit that Edwin didn’t look anything like his brother Erwin, whom Gwidon saw from time to time in the castle’s corridors. Edwin had long white hair, as opposed to Erwin’s gray curls, he was taller, didn’t have a hunchback and he didn’t seem to be blind at all. His eyes looked completely normal and, as a matter of fact, had a pleasant blue shade.
‘You come from the castle, boy, is that true? I can make you my trade welcoming herbal tea. It will give you strength. Sit in the hammock, it will take a minute.’
Gwidon descended from the horse and let himself sink in a linen hammock hung between two apple trees. Soon Edwin came with the tea and gave it to Gwidon. Gwidon smelled the extract and took a sip.
‘Maybe you have something to eat? I skipped breakfast this morning.’
Edwin came back to the hut and brought some meat and bread, which he gave to Gwidon on the plate.
‘And some wine?’
‘I gave you the tea.’
‘Yes, but I have already finished it.’
‘How did it taste?’
‘Like shit.’ Gwidon answered honestly.
Edwin nodded with satisfaction and went back to his kitchen for the wine.
When Gwidon consumed the meal, and Edwin put on his casual clothes (a white long robe tied at the waist) and let his hair down, all of which finally gave him back the appearance of a wizard, Gwidon returned to the subject of his visit.
‘Can I be honest with you?’
‘Of course, my boy.’
‘Terrible things are about to happen to the kingdom. We will be raided by Goblins. King’s son was kidnapped by them during one of the battles with the Turks and is kept in their underground city. Human powers are nothing when faced with magical forces. We won’t win the battle with the evil we know nothing of. We need your help.’
‘I told you, son, I’m retired. I don’t work with magic powers anymore. You must have seen my brother. It doesn’t do you good, it wears you down. It sucks life energy from you. Now I focus on my fruit, vegetables, and herbal drinks. I eat well and exercise. I live a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle.’
Gwidon looked around.
‘And you live like this every day?’
‘Yes.’
‘It must be terribly boring. No battles. No one to talk to. Nothing happens. You drink this shit every day.’ Gwidon pointed at the tea cup, ‘You fart from the amount of healthy apples and pears you eat. You sunbathe. Every day. Every single day. Until the day you die?’
Edwin looked at Gwidon and suddenly the idea of his health routine didn’t sound so appealing, especially heard from this handsome and muscular young man. To make matters worse, Gwidon was telling the truth.
‘It seems that prophesy is coming true.’
‘What prophecy?’
‘Erwin’s prophesy. He saw what will happen. He told us that you will refuse to help and he will help us instead and he will be surrounded by eternal glory.’
‘Eternal glory?’, Edwin was suddenly struck by the impact of the news.
‘Yes, eternal glory. Imagine, war with Goblins. How often does it happen? Every thousand years? Once in a millennium? Our grandchildren will still tell stories about this war to their grandchildren, and their grandchildren to the next generations of grandchildren. It will be written in the chronicles. It will be painted in paintings. But yes, I understand you, Edwin the Great Wizard, at times I feel tired of this knight’s life. I wish I had such a hammock and could rock all day long and take care of my complexion. Have you got any moisturizing lotion? The helmet dries my pores.’
Edwin looked at Gwidon’s empty teacup. The knight raised himself and was ready to jump back on his horse and ride away. What Edwin didn’t know was the fact that Gwidon (while being an honest boy from his early childhood) lied about one thing. There wasn’t any prophesy mentioning Edwin. The wizard, however, strongly believed that all this time he was told nothing but the truth as he had given Gwidon herbal tea, which was in fact a magic potion used for making it impossible for the person who drinks it tell a lie. What Edwin also didn’t know was the fact that while he was in the kitchen, Gwidon threw the content of the cup behind the bushes. He had been taught by his mother never to drink anything which came from a witch or a wizard, especially if it was offered. The meal and the wine Gwidon was willing to risk as it was his own hungry initiative and the knight believed Edwin didn’t have time to poison it or change its content.
‘Wait, boy!’
Gwidon sensed Edwin’s change of mind.
‘Every prophecy can be changed by the actions that you take. Fate can be changed if the choices are changed. I will help you, boy. I cannot allow all the glory to fall on my brother’s arms. He’s a coward. He doesn’t deserve it. He knows nothing of war, battles, and dark magic. But I need a horse!’
Gwidon was looking with satisfaction as Edwin took from his garden a white rabbit, held it by its ears, spelled some incomprehensible words, and in a second, turned the rabbit into a white stag. That was magic in the making!
Gwidon took the list and crossed Edwin’s name from it, glad that it came about so easily.
‘Where are we going now?’
‘We need to find a witch.’
Edwin rolled his eyes.
‘I knew some witches in my life, and believe me, boy, you will never win with a woman.’
‘I’m not going to fight her. I must encourage her to join us.’
They set off, leaving Edwin’s hut behind with all the fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs, all these prospects of peace and relaxation, which had to wait for a later time, or the time of rest which, possibly, was never bound to happen.
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