Call of Ring(Compleled)

14 Drunk Mentor

Blake had proven to himself that his reflexes were superior to those of his opponents in the first two battles. A strange earth element that fashioned wooden armor as a reflex to a threat. The power of fire coming from the tip end of a staff. But now he faced this strange phenomenon of wind. The attack wasn’t against him, but just as he felt compelled to save the children, he was committed to saving Apollos.

“How can I fight the power of the wind?” Blake asked himself.

There wasn’t time for more questions. As he examined closely the mini-tornado, a dirt devil of sorts, he noted that the speed of it was increasing and Apollos was levitating higher. He also noticed that there was some sort of vacuum underneath his friend, a space of air that seemed untouched. Not knowing what would work, he decided to take a risk. Blake dove under his friend into the mini vacuum of space. Blake was relieved to confirm it was dead air in that small space. But inches above him raged a horrific wind tunnel. Flipping over on his back, he reached up about two feet and grabbed hold of Apollos’ right foot. Instantly, he felt his tri-cep tighten as he had to flex in order not to lose grip. He felt Apollos’ ankle slipping from his grasp, so he extended his other hand cluthing the foot with both hands, exerting all the might he could muster.

He felt only slightly stronger than the wind above him. It was now or never. Blake pulled down on the foot of Apollos, yanking as hard as he could. The effect was unexpected. Instead of Apollos dropping into the vacuum and out of harm’s way, the whirlwind cloud turned almost on its side, tilting a bit more than forty-five degrees in angle. With the momentum of the turn, the dirt devil flung toward the attacker as an arrow shot from a bow and engulfed the enemy immediately. It all happened so quickly that Blake didn’t even notice his hands still clutched Apollo’s right foot. They were both safe, laying on the ground, at least twenty yards from harm’s way.

Blake rose to his feet slowly and helped a shaken Apollos stand. They both looked at where the wind had gone. The enemy was now stuck in the windstorm he had created. He was about to be killed by his own blunt instrument. No one was going to rescue him. Blake and Apollos watched in silence as he rose into the air, five feet about the ground, then ten, and only a few minutes later he must have been fifty feet in the air when the whirlwind suddenly vanished. The attacker’s body fell to the ground with a thud. The body lay motionless as blood began to stream out the ears and mouth. The death blow had been delivered by the impact with the ground.

“Thank you, Blake,” Apollos said rather solemnly.

“I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to you yet. Certainly not before you can impart some wisdom into my life,” Blake retorted rather wryly.

“I need that drink now more than ever! Let’s go, I’m buying,” replied Apollos.

Blake had almost forgotten that he had used both of the day’s coins on the fritters earlier. Although that had only been a few moments earlier, this event made it seem so long ago. He would let Apollos buy the liquor, as he had nothing himself left with which to pay. Ironically, with the purchase of the fritters earlier, maybe he had purchased some goodwill and wisdom that was about to come from his newly minted drunk mentor.

Apollos led the way to the same bar. Blake followed him in feeling somewhat victorious, but also quite exhausted from the physical confrontation with evil. Pulling up two stools in the bar, Apollos ordered two shots, and they began drinking.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you a question Blake,” said Apollos after the first shot.

He didn’t wait for an answer. He simply continued.

“Before I ask the question, I wanted to make some observations. You have some natural ability. Your reflexes and fighting instinct are some of the best I’ve seen in my lifetime. It almost seems as if it’s something you learned in another world.”

Apollos paused to take another shot. Knowing that he did not want to match him drink for drink, Blake interjected,

“It seems like my instinct has helped me in these first three battles, but I want to know more.”

“Well, don’t steal my thunder young man.” Apollos quipped.

“Here is my question: Would you like to become my student? I will teach you the ways of magic within our world. You must learn to sense the elements. You have great potential to become a mage yourself. But you need someone to teach you.”

“Why do you want to teach me?” Blake asked innocently.

“First, because of your potential. And second, because I have no one left in my life. I need to have a purpose in life besides drinking. You’ve probably noticed that I have already fashioned a bad reputation as of late. Today, I almost lost my life to the anger of rookie mage. His words of mockery are still ringing in my ears,“A little early even for the town drunk?”

Taking the third shot, Blake finally obliged and joined him by doing a second one. Blake then inquired: “You say you’re alone. What happened?”

“My wife would be so disappointed in me. Those comments would have brought her such great shame. And to think that I almost died in that way,” stated Apollos with regret in his voice.

“Where is your wife?” asked Blake, still not understanding.

“She died five years ago. My life pursuit was to become an expert mage in this world. I learned lots, and made it to the highest levels of intermediate. But I sacrificed her in my quest. She wanted to have children, but I kept making excuses. I had no time for children, and in the end I made no time for her. I certainly didn’t protect her.”

“How did she die?”

“One of my rivals couldn’t defeat me, although we battled many times. He decided instead to use the element of fire on my home while I was at market one day. My wife burned alive. In a sad twist of irony, he was killed by another mage the following day. His early demise has robbed me of my opportunity for revenge. Now I spend my days drinking, awaiting my own death. I have not practiced magic since her death.”

“Again, why do you want to teach me?”

“I don’t know to be honest. Something changed within me when I saw you tied to that stretcher, being carted through our market by the Aesar and his dwarfs. I’ve been observing you ever since. Maybe I can channel my anger, resentment, and bitterness into something positive. If I can teach you to combat the forces of evil in our world, maybe my life will have meant something to someone.”

Blake was honored that he had somehow been chosen. But he couldn’t respond with certainty until the task at hand was complete.

Apollos, before I accept, we must return to the yard of Shamos. We must gather with the others, and go investigate the traps. If my plan fails, you will rescind your invitation of becoming my mentor. If it succeeds, I will gladly become your student, knowing that I have proved my worthiness.”