A Granted Wish

A Granted Wish

A Granted Wish

Jenna

         “Who am I?” I asked, slightly startled at the question. “Why, sister owl, I am Jenna, the sorceress.” The owl cocked her head in a manner that clearly stated, “Go on.” I continued.
         ”Well, once not so very long ago, I was apprenticed to Rezo, one of the Five Great Wise Ones. I learned much from the Red Priest: white magic, dark magic, shamanism—even a few tricks with a staff. But my master’s blindness drove him mad. He could cure all other ailments, all other’s blindness, but not his own. He became obsessed with finding the Philosopher’s Stone, which he believed could open his eyes. So I left—I’d become strong enough, I really didn’t need him anymore.”
         ”But what are you doing here?” asked the owl in that strange way that birds communicate: hoots, twitches, calls.
         ”Rezo had… Another apprentice. His name was Zelgadis. Shortly after I left, he changed Zelgadis into a chimera that was one-third demon, one-third human, and one-third golem. I… I didn’t know. When I found out, things had already happened so fast: Rezo had died from the piece of Shabranigdu locked inside his eyes and Zelgadis had begun traveling with Lina Inverse and her companions. I was too late to find out how to permanently restore Zelgadis.”
         ”Why would you care?” hooted the owl softly.
         ”I just do. Anyway, I spent the time between then and now working on a way to bring him back to normal. I’ve succeeded, in a way, but it only works for one night and I’ll be completely void of magic for a while after that.”
         ”You would leave yourself so vulnerable for someone else? Methinks you care more about this Zelgadis than you are letting on.”
         ”That doesn’t matter at all. He loves someone else, at any rate, and though he doesn’t know it, she loves him too. I’m going to do what I can to help him see that.” I looked past the owl at the moon: it was just beginning to rise over the treetops. It was time. “Goodbye for now, sister owl,” I said respectfully and slid off the branch to float gracefully to the ground. Now, he was in this inn right up ahead…


Innkeeper

         I had no idea who she was or what her business was, but you just can’t refuse people like that. She swept in all mysterious-like in that dark purple cloak and just demanded what room he was in. “A shady fellow, keeps to himself, keeps the hood of his beige cloak covering his face.” Well, naturally I knew who she meant, and I wasn’t one to withhold that information—by the looks of her, she was a sorceress or a bounty hunter, and either way I’d have been glad to be done with the both of them—her and that Zelgadis character.
         So, yes, I pointed her down the right hall and everything, told her what room he was in and all. I can’t say I regret it. As soon as that woman left, the warmth returned to that common room and the other guests began their banter once more. Nope, I doubt I’ll ever think twice about that choice. Not that one.


Zelgadis

         I hadn’t remembered falling asleep. One moment, I was wide awake, tossing and turning in bed and alert for even the slightest sound outside my door. The next, I have a hand over my mouth and a voice saying, “Shh, Zelgadis, don’t stir so. I’m here to help you.” I couldn’t have moved anyway. I had such a strong binding spell on me that it was all I could do to open my eyes. (Which I did, of course.)
         The figure sitting daintily on the edge of my bed was obviously female, and so familiar… I knew I knew her, but where? And why did that particular necklace look so familiar?
         ”I’m going to remove the binding spell now. Please, don’t try to fight me. I just want to help you, Zel,” the figure said in a soft, high voice. It was so familiar! Her name, it was there, just beyond memory! It had been so long ago…
         True to her word, the spell was taken off and I could move once more. I sat bolt upright, staring wide-eyed at my visitor, who saw my expression and laughed. “Who are you? Why are you here? What did you mean by ‘help me’?”
         She laughed again—a merry twinkle like a bird in spring. “One at a time! You’re still so curious. It’s true what they say: men never change. Now, sit back for a moment and let me do what I came for.” Bewildered, I obeyed. For some reason, I trusted this woman. I knew her, I knew I did, though I could not for the life of me remember where or when. But, she hadn’t killed me yet, and if that had been her intent she could have easily done so while I was under her spell, stone golem skin or no.
         She placed one hand on my brow and the other on my stomach. I felt her gather her power, and was for a split-second afraid. What was she going to do with all that power?
         I felt it before I saw it. Why did I feel so light all of a sudden, as if a dead weight had been removed? I looked down and saw something I had not seen in countless years: my own human skin. Tan-- not the bluish color of my chimera body. I was- I was human again! Completely human!
         ”How- How did you do that?” I asked, looking at my hands in bewilderment. “For the past five years I have been searching for a way to do just what you merely waltzed in here and did!”
         ”Zelgadis, what I have done… It is not forever, and it-“ My visitor sat down rather abruptly at the foot of my bed, one hand pressed to her forehead while the other clutched the bedpost as if she were about to faint. “Oh!” I said, my great wisdom showing through once more. I slid behind the stranger and held her up.
         ”Thank you, “ she whispered. “As I had started to say, the magic will not last long—you have only this night. I- I’m sorry I could not give you longer, I have been searching too… What he did to you… Damn that Rezo…” The woman abruptly closed her mouth and turned around to face me, shame and fear in her eyes.
         ”Jenna…?”


Jenna

         No, no! He wasn’t supposed to know who I was! I had bollixed things now—for sure he’d start asking where I had been and he’d get himself confused over past love and oh, damn my betraying tongue! I had to finish quickly and get away!
         I grabbed hold of Zelgadis’s shoulder and flung us both in a rather bumpy teleportation spell to the next town. We were standing outside another inn, though this one was larger and better lit. Another wave of dizziness swept through me and I had to reach out blindly for support. Zel was there, then, steadying me until I was right on my feet again. The world was still spinning slightly, but at least I could stand.
         ”It is you, isn’t it?” he asked quietly. “I’d wondered… You just disappeared, right before it happened. I had no idea where you’d gone, if you were alive or dead… Jenna, why did you leave me? Couldn’t you have given me some word, some sign? You just left me there to ponder your fate and mine, and to dream of you… I loved you, Jenna, and then you were gone. Why?” That same slow, quiet voice, deep and rich with blinding emotion.
         ”I had to. I saw what was happening with Rezo and his blindness, and I had learned enough. He would have used me, used you to get to me... I had to.” I was trying desperately not to cry. I had a job to finish here, a wish to grant—but it was his wish, not my own. I had to remember that.
         ”Jenna, I love you…” He turned to me and kissed me without another word. Gods, it had been so long… But no, no! I pulled away and forcibly took three paces back. Three steps—that was safety.
         ”Zelgadis,” I said breathlessly, fighting off desire and nausea all at once, “you don’t love me anymore. You love- You love the woman in that inn right there. And she loves you. Don’t waste this time I’ve given you… Can’t you see what it costs me?” A tree stump, oh, thank heavens. I sat down hard and banged my tailbone.
         ”Jenna… Thank you. I… I don’t know of all the truth of what you’ve said, but I thank you.” He walked over to me, and if I could have moved, I would have, but the dizziness prevented me. He gave me another kiss, this one light and giving, as opposed to the soul-crushing kiss from before.
         ”Zelgadis, go now… But remember one thing.” I place my hand on his chest, right over his heart. “What comes from here—love, compassion, kindness, even sorrow—is what matters to the people of the world. Even when your skin is stone, you still have a heart of flesh. She loves this“—I tapped a finger on his chest—“not this.” I lifted my hand and brushed one silky brown lock from his forehead. “Goodbye, Zel—Good luck.”
         ”Goodbye, Jenna,” he said, but I was already gone—A feather on the wind, no more. Or maybe I was that raven winging away, calling heartbrokenly in the night? He’d never know. He looked around once more, smiled sadly, and stepped into the light of the cheery inn.