THE ORPHAN

Chapter 3: Betrayal

A faddy summoner called a devil claiming that just because he was a summoner, he would get loyalty from the supernatural being, but supernatural beings needed a really complicated spell to be summoned and to be chained to the summoner.

Why would he know it? Frank and Adolph, powerful high magician said he needed not, they said Roderick, their student, was enough to deal with any demon.

But what they summoned was a devil and the devil killed the summoner and wiped out the entire little town leaving no survivors. Later the high magicians appeared and destroyed the devil, but there was nothing to save. What remained of his little, peaceful, and beautiful town was only an apology and the tale of the tragedy.

That's how Bruno lost everything.

He cried during days after the magicians left, trying to find survivors, not giving up, but the only thing he found between the ashes was a book, the only survivor, intact: the black grimoire.

Bruno knew how to read, that was his skill: "scholar" which allowed him to magically understand, in a short amount of time, any mortal language; also, his skill was really rare and granted him the ability to make the best decisions to avoid danger.

He started his journey to power because of his skill.

He studied the book for three years until he learned his first spell, then he left his town forever, to improve his magic and earn himself a place in the world. So he first became a mercenary, a battle magician, always fighting for the side which paid the most. That's how on the battlefield, when a high magician of his contractor, was defeated, he took his chance and stole his ring to escape to the other side of the sea, the land called Acirema, a place where his master had no power.

Bruno kept studying the book, his only friend, as his life slowly ran out. At his fifties, when he was really sick, he cast for the first time the vampiric spell "steal life", the dark and easier version of the rejuvenation spell, and he extended his life for fifty years more. He cast that spell many times, managing to do it better, recovering a few years of his youth each time and was about two hundred years when the caravan entered his forest.

His wisdom, power, and patience during two centuries, allowed him to create a little town hidden on the Sanozama forest, a town of thieves and assassins.

He would have ignored the caravan since they were just a Circus, but the woman on the first wagon, she was precious, like no other woman he had ever seen or tasted before. So when he saw the woman, he knew he loved her and he wanted her at all cost.

His servants were deployed to complete his orders and he observed their failure. Enraged called more men and prepared an ambush, but when he was about to order them to attack the caravan he stopped. A smile appeared on his face as he contemplated the house he had.

It was comfortable and quiet, regardless it was a small town of thieves and murderers. Children came and go playing and laughing and the idea of leaving grew on his heart. So he made a plan and told his servants about it.

"Stupid! Stupid!" he reproached to himself as he ran for his life.

The arrows flew and hit a tree for the third time. The damn Orcus had taken the chance and was trying to kill him for real and since Bruno couldn't see him and his men, they were beyond his spells. He could only run.

An intense pain on his lower back returned him to reality; an arrow did hit on him. He fell and rolled over the ground as he regretted his brilliant idea. His only chance was to get to the road on time, but he was sure that Orcus would not allow him to get that far. Another arrow did hit on the blank and he discovered he couldn't even cry, he was drowning in his own blood.

"When I heard your plan I thought you were kidding, stupid old man," Orcus said; "but now I see you are just an idiot."

"Orcus, the caravan is approaching! Kill him quickly!" Arus, the archer, said.

"Now I am the leader, old man, die in agony," he said kicking his ribs and then they left, but before they did so, Arus shot another arrow into his back. Bruno fainted with an ironic smile.

Someone was singing, a beautiful song, no, it was more than just beautiful. It was a song that could only be described as sublime.

"He's awake," a man said, a man that inspired submission and loyalty.

"That's the alpha skill," Bruno thought and silently he cast a spell to protect himself from his influence.

"He's a strong magician," another man said, with a voice that left clear that he knew what Bruno already did.

"He's stronger than me," Bruno thought. "The bandits…" he muttered, using his status to complete his act of an innocent victim.

"They didn't make it," the magician answered.

"Good," Bruno said and let his body rest more.

He woke up two days later, knowing nothing. An aristocratic man dressed in fine clothes winey colored, sitting, reading a book was there and the first thing he thought was on killing him. So he woke up and attacked but in a blink, he was immobilized on the bed and no matter what spell he tried he couldn't do anything to release himself.

"Where am I?" he said, accepting his defeat. His voice sounded pitiful.

"In our caravan," the man answered, closing his book, a green tome, the color of books destined for Botanics. Bruno recognized his voice as he remembered everything.

"You are lucky, you've survived deadly wounds," the man said.

"The arrows pierced my lung… why am I talking? Why am I alive?" he asked.

"We have a good doctor and healer," the man answered.

Doctor and healer was rank, a rank only high magicians could get. It meant that they were powerful enough to heal even what was nearly was beyond healing.

"You're a high magician," Bruno pointed.

"And you are a blood one, or at least you know a few spells of that path," the high magician said.

"I am," it was pointless to try to hide that truth.

"How did you end in this situation?" the high magician asked.

"There was a reward, a high one for the bandits of this forest and I was looking for subjects to cast my spell of rejuvenation…" he explained.

"They were a little army… I'm curious about your plan to defeat them," the man conceded and Bruno felt his suspicion.

"There was no plan at all, I was gathering intel before doing my move, but I underestimated their sentries and everything ended like this," he said, sighing in resignation. "Thank you so much for saving my life."

"Where did you come from?" The magician continued.

"Iabud, the county of the famous sultan Ahmed, the first immortal," he answered.

"How many times have you cast forbidden magic?" the high magician asked again.

"Many times. In truth I'm older than what my appearance suggests, more than a century," he confessed.

Not even a lie, he wouldn't dare to lie to that high magician, for his instincts told him that to so would mean his doom.

The magician deliberated a few seconds, less than what he expected.

"Rest, we will talk later and please tell your pet not to feed on the horses or I'll be obligated to act," the high magician announced.

"I will… eh… my name is Bruno, w-" he tried to continue but the high magician interrupted with a gentle gesture.

"Please, rest, Bruno. I'm Blake, Lucas Blake," he said introducing himself, and then he left the room.

Days passed, he recovered and everything was normal, he was happy to know that Orcus had died at the hands of the high magician. He also learned that the caravan was traveling to Silvania, invited by the famous Count Von Drako, a man said to be a vampire.

Bruno had met the famous Circus of dreams, a Circus who played even for a god. The circus of the not less famous Orim Blake, the beastmaster, a good man, a friend of the elvish emperor himself.

Bruno had escaped from his monotonous life and he decided he wanted to travel with the Circus. So when they reached the city of Nodol, he told Orim that he wanted to join the Circus because the Circus saved his life and since he had no money, he wasn't able to pay his debt.

Orim, a man of honor, easily understood his feelings and accepted him on the Circus. That was how Bruno joined the crew two years ago.

And then he saw her closer.

Orim introduced his wife, Catherine, to Bruno.

Two years, the best years of his life. He was really happy on the circus but he couldn't stop thinking about Catherine and as days passed he desired her more and his hate for Orim grew even more.

His obsession became that terrible that on his mind started to plot against Orim, the good man who gave him a chance. To avoid those dark thoughts he took refuge, he went to his only friend, to read his black grimoire.

He continued with his plan to become immortal, for any spell of rejuvenation was less effective the more times it was cast, at least to non-high magicians.

Everything was going according to his plans, he was happy, until the moment he heard the news about the future of the magical crystals, something that worried him since his own crystal would last only five months more and to make it even worst Orim announced that as he and his Catherine had planned at the beginning, that journey was going to be the last ride of the Circus of Dreams. So after their final act on the castle of Count Von Drako, they all will take different paths.

Bruno felt betrayed, but more importantly: he was horrified for the fact that he would never see Catherine again.

And he couldn't do anything, not to try to fight Orim, for Lucas would intervene and Bruno knew he had no chances against the high magician and not to try to kidnap Catherine, for she was more powerful than himself, so while drinking his second bottle of wine, he decided to perform a summoning and finally become immortal, beyond feelings and superfluous things.

A terrible mistake, like the faddy summoner, like his brother did, a terrible mistake like the day he defied Lucas and was defeated in less than ten seconds, an error. 

"Was his life a mistake?" Bruno thought and then the pain and despair filled his heart. "Please run!!" he needed to scream, to warn the good people of the circus, but he couldn't, the creature kept his mouth closed with its red hand with claws, chuckling gently at him while eating his bowels.

"Everything will go well, don't fight…" the other thing murmured. Bruno was completely surrounded.

His grimoire had betrayed him.

It was a gate to Hell all the time.