Day Twenty - The Unforgivable Curses

SpaceWizards
(Another SpaceWizards Action/Adventure Mystery)

What are The Unforgivable Curses? They are the curses that an insane SpaceWizard created during her insanity years. During a battle with another SpaceWizard Chothiana tried to use an Insanity spell against the other SpaceWizard. But it backfired on her. Instead of hitting him it bounced off him, and she got hit instead. That other SpaceWizard was Horrald. Chothiana supposedly killed herself over twelve thousand years ago. But after a Dream Quest, Stavon is sure that she faked her death. This is the story of what happens when they try to destroy those curses once and for all.

“The Unforgivable Curses”

A Short Story

Remembered By

Stavon

     Chothiana shot a Fire Ball out of her hand. It was aimed right at Stavon. Stavon easily slapped it away after mumbling something. He just slapped it enough to stop it from hitting him. But not enough for it to explode until it hit a wall near them.

     Stavon shot his own Fire Balls at Chothiana. Only he shot two of them. Chothiana mumbled something. A few seconds later a fist as big as the balls punched one into the other. They exploded when they touched about halfway between Chothiana and Stavon.

     “That’s not fair, Horrald. I only have one hand.” Chothiana looked mad.

     “Who ever said a wizardry battle was supposed to be fair,” said Stavon. “Even if that battle was a practice one.”

     “It’s still not fair, Horrald.” Chothiana's arm disappeared from her right shoulder side. It appeared a second later on her left shoulder side. Chothiana extended her six fingers and shot twenty-four electrical strings in four sets one right after another.

     Stavon shot four Fire Balls. Each one took out a different group of electrical strings. “You can fire multiple electrical strings. Why can’t you do that with Fire Balls? I think that’s what you need to learn how to do.”

     “I’m not here to learn, Horrald.” Chothiana looked even angrier. Her normal red face started looking darker.

     “I don’t need you to tell me what I should or shouldn’t be learning anyway,” Chothiana mumbled something, and a few seconds later a thin wall, about the same size of them, of shimmering light blue shot out her, opened mouth.

     Stavon quickly mumbled something too. A few seconds later a barely seeable clear sheet of something surrounded him. “I heard what you just mumbled. You’re not supposed to us spells like that. Insanity spells are against Wizardry Code.”

     The wall of blue bounced off Stavon and headed back toward Chothiana. Chothiana quickly mumbled something. A few seconds later she too had a sheet of barely seeable something around her. But it wasn’t enough. The wall of blue didn’t bounce off her. It went directly into her.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “Have any of you heard about The Unforgivable Curses?” Stavon paced back and forth in front of the other six SpaceWizards seated in a semi-circle in the Practice Chamber.

     The other six SpaceWizards looked at each other in shock or wondering. But it was Mairon who spoke first. “Every SpaceWizard knows about those curses.”

     “Of course, I have heard of them too. But what I don’t know is why they are considered ‘unforgivable’ curses?” Angoria asked.

     “They are called that because they are Death Curses,” said Mairon. “But they are extremely painful, long-lasting, agonizing Death Curses.”

     “Even most wizards, if not all of them, know about them. Why did you ask?” Borrele asked.

     “Is that why you asked us to meet you here?” Jacci asked.

     “You had another Dream Quest, didn’t you?” Asked Pacill.

     “It must have been a bad one. What was this one about?” Yena asked.

     Stavon stopped pacing and stood before his fellow SpaceWizards. “Does anyone know who Chothiana is?”

     “Of course, we do. Everyone knows she’s the one who created those curses,” said Angoria.

     “Let me guess. There were seven of them. And somehow Horrald has found them.”

     “No, there aren’t seven of them. There are twenty-five of them. Some say it’s more like thirty to thirty-five of them.”

     Stavon continued a few seconds later. “You are right about Horrald, though. Not that he has found them, I hope. But because he’s the one who turned her insane.”

     “I know it was her spell that did it. But he could have blocked it instead of sending it back to her. Horrald knew what spell she was throwing at him.”

     “How do you know that?” Borrele asked.

     “It was part of my Dream Quest. The Dream Quest was about how she went insane. I was the battling her. But she thought I was Horrald.”

     “Why are you telling us about this Dream Quest you had about someone who killed herself twelve thousand years ago?” Jacci asked. “Everyone knows she’s the only one who knew those curses. So, when she died they died too.”

     “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. She’s not dead. At least I think that’s what my Dream Quest was trying to tell me. I think she faked her dead and has been in hiding every since then.”

     “I hope you’re wrong,” said Mairon. “But if you’re not, we have to find her before Horrald does. If Horrald kills her, then he will have all of those curses.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Death was all around them as the SpaceWizards walked through a dead Wooded Area. Every step they took the broke an old twig or fallen tree branch.

     No, wonder she killed herself. I would kill myself too if I had to live here. Pacill darted his head all around him as he continued walking among the trees.

     Chothiana didn’t kill herself because of this place. She chose to live. That’s what here insanity made her do.

     “So, where is this death chamber where Chothiana killed herself?” Yena asked.

     It’s underground. And it’s supposed to be in the center of this Wooded Area.

     How do you know this is the place she died? She had hundreds of places like this, didn’t she? Angoria asked.

     I don’t know this the one. But I think that it because in my Dream Quest me, and Chothiana battled above a village not too far from here.

     It really doesn’t matter where she died. I don’t think she is here now. But there might be something here that will tell us where she is at.

     Jacci suddenly stopped. I think I just saw someone.

     It’s probably me. I’m the one closest to you.

     I know what you look like, Angoria. And this wasn’t you I saw.

     Just then the night became day. Who did that? Mairon asked. The other six SpaceWizards all thought to him that it wasn’t them. That’s what I thought. I think Horrald knows about this place.

     I’m not surprised. He might have had a similar Dream Quest that I had. Then again, maybe he’s the reason why I had mine.

     Suddenly the dead was everywhere. One second they weren’t, and then next they were. I have about thirty of the just show up where I’m at, thought Borrele.

     Within a few seconds, the other six SpaceWizards thought the same thing. They must be here for the same reason we are, thought Stavon.

     I don’t think so. The dead are just a diversion so that Horrald could get to Chothiana first, thought Mairon. Stavon, you, Jacci, and Pacill go after Horrald while the rest of us spread out to take care of the dead.

     A few minutes later Stavon stepped out of the Wooded Area into a small open area. Jacci and Pacill were right behind him. For another few minutes, all they did was a scan of that open area and the Wooded Area. Stavon closed his eye and mumbled something. I can see where she lived. But I don’t see a way in. Chothiana must have it spell protected.

     What about Horrald? Do you see him in there?

     No, I don’t. And I have looked over it four times. If Horrald is there he’s either blocking me or Chothiana’s spell is doing it.

     Just then Stavon looked back toward the Wooded Area. Numerous Fire Balls explosions could be heard everywhere within there. That’s not what I’m hearing. Stavon looked at the sky. So, did Jacci and Pacill. They saw a huge Fire Ball headed right at them. All three dove back into the Wooded Area just as that ball hit the open area and exploded.

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Stavon slowly walked around a residence surrounded by rock. As he did it, he also scanned it. Just then the other six SpaceWizards entered through a white light shining from a corridor that could barely be seen.

     “Okay, we are all here. Why did you ask us to come to the Practice Chamber this time?” Angoria asked.

     “It can’t be for because of Chothiana's residence,” said Mairon. “That was destroyed before we even got there.”

     “That’s not exactly true,” said Stavon. “I was there long enough to scan her residence several times. True, I was doing it to find Horrald. But I still did it. That’s why you are here.”

     A few seconds later Stavon continued. “I think all of you know, but just in case you don’t, I have Image Recognition.

     “I have re-created Chothiana’s residence in every detail. If there is something in here to tell us where she is, we can find it now. It might not be too late to stop Horrald, after all.”

     “That’s if there is something in here to find,” said Borrele. “And I think that there is too. Why else would he destroy it?”

     “Horrald might have done it in anger because he couldn’t get in. Then again, maybe he couldn’t, but he was afraid that we could.”

     “I didn’t that about that possible that,” said Stavon. “Hope you’re right about that and not me. If you are, we still might be able to find Chothiana before Horrald does.

     “Whether Horrald knows about it or not if there is something here to find we need to find it,” said Mairon. “let's spread out and search this place until we find it.”

     It was several hours, but they finally found it. They all overlooked it several times each before they found it. And was actually Yena who did find it, by almost standing into it. “I think I might have found something.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     Chothiana threw several Fire Balls at Horrald. He slapped a few away. But missed about half of them. They exploded when they touched him. That did push him back a little or turn him sideways slightly. But that’s all they did.

     “You have been practicing for the last thirty plus thousand years. That’s good.” Horrald fired off four Fire Balls of his own. “You will make a great addition to my army.”

     “I will never be a part of your army.” Chothiana easily exploded Horrald’s Fire Balls with four of her own. But there were a few flame sparks that headed for the surface. She saw that they died out long before hitting the ground and smiled.

     Chothiana looked back up at Horrald. “In fact, I’m not going to be existing much longer anyway. And if everything goes as planned, and so far it has, you will be going with me.” Chothiana looked back down at the ground, and at Stavon.

     The SpaceWizards were all looking up at the battle going on in the sky. “This is just like my Dream Quest. Only in my dream, I was the one up there taking on Chothiana.”

     While the others were looking at the sky battle, Angoria started looking at the humans among them. “These Nortans don’t seem to notice a battle going on above them.”

     Jacci joined Angoria in looking at the humans. “They don’t seem to notice us either. It must be something Chothiana is doing.”

     “Speaking of Chothiana, shouldn’t we start helping here?” Pacill asked as he stared up at the fierce battle going on.

     Fire Balls and electrical string were all around both of them. Both of them were getting hit a lot. But those hits only affected them slightly. Either one was getting hurt by them. Only shaken up a little each time they were hit.

     “It doesn’t look like she needs any help,” said Borrele. “But she will soon. Horrald is getting inches closer to her with each attack. And it doesn’t look like she has noticed it.”

     “I think she has noticed it. But it doesn’t matter,” said Mairon. “We must stop her before Horrald kills here. And there’s only one way to do that.”

     “We have to kill her first. I mean I have to kill here first. That’s why she sent me that Dream Quest. After seeing this battle, I realized she sent it to me personally.” Stavon fired four Fire Balls directly at Chothiana.

     Chothiana glanced down toward Stavon and smiled. She turned sideways to face Stavon and put up her arms to the side of her head. But she kept one palm and side-eye toward Horrald to block any of his attacks. Horrald looked down to where Chothiana was looking. He increased his firing of both Fire Balls and electrical strings at Chothiana. Chothiana

     Moving her palm all around that direction Chothiana fired one Fire Ball after another at Horrald. Each of her balls stopped his attack. None of his balls or strings got close to her. Chothiana looked over Horrald and frowned. “My only regret is not taking you with me.”

     A second later Stavon's Fire Balls struck her and exploded. She fell slightly backward as she fell to the ground below. Chothiana was almost dead before she hit the ground. It only took a few seconds for her death to happen. But it seemed like several minutes. Chothiana also drifted a little so she could fall near the SpaceWizards.

     Stavon was the first one to reach Chothiana. But the others were only a few seconds behind him. He reached down a raised Chothiana’s upper body into his arms. “You sent me that Dream Quest on purpose, didn’t you? But why?”

     “I sent one to both you and Horrald because I wanted you to kill me.” Chothiana could barely speak or be heard. “You were the only SpaceWizard fighting against Horrald that I could send it to. But you killed me too soon. Couldn’t you have waited a few more minutes before you did it? Long enough for Horrald to be killed too. Helping you to kill him is the least I could do after all the evil I have done in my lifetime.”

     A few seconds later Chothiana closed her three eyes and slowly, but quickly faded away into nothingness. Stavon looked up at the other SpaceWizards. Then he looked past them into the sky. A few seconds later his fellow SpaceWizards looked up too. Horrald was gone.

Word Count = 2,355