Wizard's Chronicle: Prologue

A Spurned Wizard

Once there was a wizard far south of Altera. This wizard was ill treated by their king.

Because this kingdom never suffered any war during the whole of its history; no famine nor pestilence ever visited it; the king and all the people felt that the wizard was a redundancy in their kingdom.

What need do they have for a wizard? There's no sickness to cure; no enemy to turn back; no pest to rid. No, nothing to consult him with. It was such a relief for them that they have only one wizard. How awful would it have been if there were two?

Because of this, the wizard was relegated to the task of entertaining the king and the people during feasts and during great occasions, which the wizard resented very much. The wizard had a high esteem for his art. And providing mere entertainment as a profession was revolting.

One time, during the feast of the king's mother's birthday, the king asked the wizard to perform an entertaining trick for him, his mother, the people, and the guests.

"Prove to my guests that I have the best wizard in all the land and the best there will ever be," The king said.

All the music stopped and all the activity. Everybody's attention was focused on the wizard.

"I have just the thing for you, my great king," Boasted the wizard.

The king and the crowd listened.

"I will call upon lightning to come out from the very ceiling of this magnificent hall of our castle and strike the caskets of wine there."

There was a moment of silence, which was broken by the king's laughter.

" Ha, ha, ha. Enough of that my wizard. Any magician can do that" The king spoke. "What I am thinking is a more challenging and entertaining trick."

The proud wizard's grin disappeared. He looked around him shamed and dejected. With an effort, he hid it.

"Bid me my king," Said the wizard trying to manage a smile. "What would satisfy your appetite for magic?"

"Turn into a donkey," The king said without hesitation. “Stay that way for a few moments. Then turn your self back to human.”

"But my king," The wizard protested. "What you ask of me is a very difficult task. If I turn myself into a donkey, everything of me will be a donkey. And I will not have much intelligence left to turn myself back to human. Why don't you let me turn somebody else into a donkey and then I can turn him right back to human."

"That's is not what I want my boy," Said the king blandly.

"Having left with no choice, the wizard set about the task. Slowly he turned into a donkey. Everyone was amazed and they laughed on top of their wines. He remained a donkey for a few moments struggling to remember who he was for dear life. Perspiration beaded from the donkey's forehead and the donkey's eyes grew wild.

The crowd bursted into a row of laughter.

One of the king's guards, who was terribly drunk, stepped in front and bawled, "Let's see if this donkey is authentic."

"Let' s do to this donkey what all donkeys are good for." Then he kicked the donkey's behind.

The donkey lost its footing and fell flat on the floor. It turned back into the wizard: exhausted and gasping for breath.

This elicited a more boisterous laughter from the people.

"Great work wizard!" Said the king unable to control his laughter. "Great work!"

As soon as the wizard caught his breath he ran away from the crowd. Tears welled from his eyes as he exited the hall.


From then on, he plotted to get back on his king and the people. He consulted books about the ancient black art. He studied necromancy. He summoned great demons and took over the kingdom using them.

But having immersed himself with evil, he grew worse. He not only dreamt of conquering this kingdom, but also the others that are in the land.