“It has been a while, old friend. My apologies for not coming sooner. The war against the dark does not go well,” said Maldor.
Before the breach, Maldor had been Mygha’s finest student a hundred years ago. “You will either do great things or kill us all,” Mygha would tease.
During the great conjunction when the planets aligned, a cataclysm came upon the Wood.
“Master, I can not leave you. I’m not strong enough to fight the Entropes alone,” pleaded Maldor.
“I have done everything I can. It’s up to you to take my place, or the Wood will end,” said Mygha.
Maldor left his village to fight the dark forces. His heart was downcast because he knew he would never see his friend and mentor alive again.
“Word comes from the front. We’ve stopped the Entrope’s advance. Our troops rally to drive them back across the rift,” cried the messenger.
“I will prepare to cast the sealing spell once all are through the breach,” said the wizard.
The following day, Maldor stood behind the battling armies. As the last Entrope passed through the portal, he cast the spell.
“It has worked,” said Maldor, who collapsed from exhaustion.
The wizard returned home to his village. He knew he must face his loss. Maldor entered the village gates to see a procession of black-clad men carrying a coffin.
“I’m sorry, Maldor. We did all we could. Mygha’s heart was too weak. He crossed over at dawn,” the physician told him.
“I will follow once I take food and rest,” said the wizard.
Taking over Mygha’s home, Maldor provided elixirs for the locals, as Mygha had before him.
“Master Maldor, come . Something has happened at the portal,” said the messenger boy.
To the wizard’s horror, the seal had not held due to the Enthrop’s ability to transmigrate through the wall.
“Have any come through yet?” asked the wizard.
“Two, the guards dispatched both of them,” explained the soldier.
Soon, other breaches appeared within the Wood. Only a handful of the Enthrops were able to cross. They were not enough to cause mayhem as they had before.
Maldor decided it was time to see his old friend. He wanted to talk with him. “Mygha, I hope you can hear me; I need your wisdom,” said Maldor as he stood before his tomb.
“The seal is failing, and soon the dark ones will overrun the land once again,” said the wizard.
Maldor waited until a single word appeared in his head, “LIGHT.”
In an instant, the wizard understood what it meant. Racing to the airship, Maldor shouted, “We need to reach the portals before sundown.”
The airman pushed the craft to its limits. They arrived as the sun prepared to set. “Now it’s time to end this game,” said Maldor.
Using a handful of sand, he cast a spell that created a spinning silver disk. “This time, there must be no survivors,” cried the man.
Maldor turned the disk. Its parabolic surface caught the sun’s rays, sending them down to burn the portal’s surface.
“This will seal the doorway between our world and those of the Entropes,” said Maldor. The rupture, in reality, faded, leaving only burnt ash on the ground.
“Take us home, airman, we’re safe now,” ordered Maldor.
In time, life returned to normal, and Maldor even took up an apprentice in the hope of honoring his master. “I hope I am half the teacher you were, master,” said the wizard. He began the pupil’s first lesson.
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