Revenge of the sorcerer King 28

Chapter 28

Theodore

I hated my life. Correction, I hated my life recently. Before two years ago I lived a decent life. A merchant family, we weren’t living the lives of nobles, but we were well off enough that I had no real worries. I had friends, I’d had a few lovers over the years, and I thought I would take over the family business when my father retired. It was funny, looking back on it, how fast it all changed. 

Two years ago

“Theodore! You must come to the party! All the notable ladies are going to be there,” my friend Fredrick said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. 

“I have heard that a hundred times. I will not be one of thirty men vying for one maiden’s hand all evening,” I said shrugging him off and continuing to walk down the street. I had more important things to do. I had finally completed a contract on my own, with this father would put more company responsibilities on me.

“Alright!” Fredrick said then moved his mouth close to my ear. “Here’s the deal. The Lord’s daughter will be there. I need you to be my second.”

“I will not do ‘Have you met Fredrick?’. It is old and all the maidens know of it. Last time they laughed at us,” I said. 

“Please! I’ll guarantee that my family only works with yours for the next six months!” 

I stopped in my tracks. That was a very enticing offer. Fredrick dealt with lumber, going into the winter months the price will skyrocket. I grounded my teeth as I thought it over then nodded. “Fine!” 

“You’re the best!” Fredrick said then took off towards his home. 

Six hours later and we were at a ball thrown by some merchant that had dreams of being a noble. At least they were willing to dish out the money to play the part. I was dressed in my best clothes that my mother bought for my sister’s coming wedding. Either way I felt out of place. 

We walked the hall looking for Fredrick’s target. She was well-known as a wall flower. She rarely left her manor due to being sickly. Still rumors of her beauty had spread as far as the capital. Glancing around, I noticed that we weren’t alone in our objective. 

“Fredrick. I am going to sit for a spell. Please excuse me.” The heat was starting to get to me. I heard buildings in the capital had spells installed that could keep a building cool or warm all year long. I would need to visit and see if I could replicate it. 

Looking around, I couldn’t find an empty spot, so I made my way outside to the garden. The night breeze helped to alleviate the heat I was feeling. The gardens were quite nice as well. Light spells had been cast for the evening illuminating the decorative bushes and stonework. While I was walking along the hedge garden, I heard a muffled scream. 

I threw my champagne glass and drew my wand. I rushed towards the scream and found a woman with a man forcing himself on her. She looked unconsciousness but alive. Without thinking I sent a bolt of lightning at the man blasting him through the hedges. I ran over to the girl and quickly pulled off my jacket to cover her. Anger was boiling in me as I rushed to the spot the man was thrown. I spit into the distance when I found he was gone. 

Turning back to the woman, I saw belatedly that she was no longer breathing. I don’t know if it was a cruel twist of fate or something more sinister, but before I could yell for someone to come a group of guards rushed into the hedge maze and leveled their weapons at me. 

“It wasn’t me!” I shouted quickly stepping away from the woman. 

“Lena! Oh, my dear Lena!” an older man shouted pushing the guards out of the way. My eyes widen when I realized it was the host of the party, Lord William. Then that meant this Lena was the wallflower daughter that was rumored to be sickly. I fell backward, landing roughly. Lord William turned a glare that could have frozen fire towards me. “Arrest this man! See to it that his entire family suffers for this!” 

A few days later

“I swear! I didn’t do it!” I shouted slamming my fists on the steel bars. Not that I could muster much strength. The Lord’s dungeon was well equipped and had magic set up that was dampening my own. 

“I… I believe you, my friend. The problem is that everyone else believes the Lord. He’s on a warpath to destroy anything connected to your name,” Fredrick said kneeling next to the bars. 

“If only I could talk directly to the Lord! Surely then he would see the sincerity in my words,” I said bowing my head against the bars. 

“I don’t see him listening to you,” Fredrick said then suddenly reached through the bars and jerked me against them and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Listen. Your life is over here. I can get you out of the city. It will have to be before the hearing while they take you to the execution site.”

“No! I would be fleeing from a false charge!” I growled but kept my voice down, frowning at the thought of running. 

“I didn’t want to tell you this, but… the woman… she died from being struck… struck by lightning,” Fredrick said his voice lowering with each word. 

“What…” I muttered, not believing what I heard. 

“That’s why the Lord is so sure its you. Everyone knows lightning is your best magic. Please! For the sake of our friendship. Flee!” 

I collapsed to the ground. I was the one that killed her. Maybe from the rush of the event, I clipped her with my spell. That was all I could think. I turned empty eyes to the one person still willing to help me and nodded. 

“Then I shall see you in four days,” Fredrick whispered and quickly left. 

My sense of time was off. There was no sunlight in the dungeon just a single magical torch. The four days felt like four months. I was almost glad to see the guards when they came to escort me to the surface. Tension built in my chest as we made our way to the execution site, an ancient relic of a building that had been around for centuries. It was even rumored to date back to the time of The World’s Curse. 

It looked similar to a temple but had survived more than its fair share of events that should have turned it to rubble. Black pillars held a roof up that showcased the night sky on its ceiling. Symbols of the various gods were etched on the back wall. It was meant to show that the Gods would be watching.

I held up hope all the way until I was led onto a stage and chained to the chair. I glanced around and finally found Fredrick. He was to the side along with several guards of the Lord. I wasn’t sure why, but my stomach dropped. I couldn’t find my parents anywhere. 

“I call this Judgement to start!” Lord William called from his high throne at the back of the room. Silence filled the room. “Step forward!” The guards lined up against the wall all stepped forward one step. “These men found my daughter in the garden. When we found her, she had been… attacked by someone. This man was the only suspect found in the area, even with a through search. The evidence shows that his magic was used to kill her. Do any of you have anything to add?” 

“No,” they all stated at once before bowing and returning. 

“Very well. The laws of the kingdom do not allow me to condemn him on that alone.” Hope filled my chest again. Even if I had to go to jail, at least I would be alive. “Until this man approached me.” He gestured for Fredrick to step forward. “He gave a testimony under the threat of death if he was found to be lying that Theodore was planning to escape and had pulled him into the scheme. Now if a man were innocent, why would he need to flee?” 

Shuffling and whispering overtook the crowd. All I could do was look with an empty stare at the man I thought was my friend. There was nothing I could say that could change this angered Lord’s mind. I just slumped back into my seat in defeat. 

“Do you have anything to say in your defense?” the Lord asked with a tone that I could almost feel the ice forming over my body.

“You wouldn’t listen, so why bother?” I asked with a snort. 

“Very well. Then it is my judgement that you are guilty. Now that is farce is over with send him to execution at once,” the Lord said slamming his fist down. 

Two guards moved next to me and un-hooked my chains as they dragged me in between two black pillars outside. A group of mages gathered across the yard and I vaguely heard them discussing what spells they should use. I almost laughed at the conversation. 

“I am sorry my friend. There was nothing I could do. Besides its better this way,” Fredrick said when he came next to me. “As they say, it dead men tell no tales.” He moved to where only I could see him and pulled part of his jacket down. Slightly charred skin flashed before he moved his jacket back. 

“You!” I growled energy filling my limbs. 

“Indeed, me. I didn’t think it was the Lord’s daughter at the time. I really have to thank you for being the ‘hero’,” Fredrick said with a sneer across his face that’d I’d never seen before. “Let us me in the next life. Old friend.” He laughed before his face morphed into a grief stricken one as he turned around. He took a single step before he turned his head back to me. “By the way. Your parents couldn’t be here… They received a quick and sharp offer they just couldn’t refuse.” 

“Bastard!” I shouted. 

“I won’t help you! Stop trying to drag me down with you!” he said loud enough for everyone to hear and backed away quickly from me. 

“End this man’s life before he causes even more grief,” Lord William said slamming his sword on the ground with a sound of finality. 

“Damn you! Damn you all!” I screamed, straining against the changes. I felt an energy I had never noticed before building inside me. I grabbed it and pulled as much as I could. A wellspring that felt never ending opened inside me. Sparks of lightning danced along the chains that were supposed to suppress mana. 

I felt a thrum from somewhere around me as I poured more mana and whatever the energy, I was tapping into outside my body. The rage was blinding me, I couldn’t think straight. I just wanted to strike at those around me. How could they not see this… this façade for what it was?! They would pay. Even if I had to come back in another life, they would pay!

Suddenly, I felt like my body was compressed to a single point. Then it expanded all at once, throwing me off balance as I tripped on what felt like several stones. I blinked but there was no light. Wondering if I was dead, I just laid there for minutes… hours, I wasn’t sure. Finally, when I completely calmed down, I summoned a mage light and found myself in a temple similar to the one I just left, only it was obviously in a cave. 

“Where the hell am I?” I muttered standing carefully to my feet. Not sure I wasn’t dead yet, I pulled up my status screen. 

Name: Theodore Garil

Age: 26

Race: Human

Level: 56

[Basic Magic Mastery: Adept] [Advanced Magic Mastery: Novice] [Merchant: Adept] [Crafting (Alchemy): Adept]

Sin: [Pride: 10%] [Greed: 5%] [Lust: 10%] [Envy: 3%] [Gluttony: 25%] [Wrath: 90%] [Sloth: 1%]

Curses: 

Boons: 

I almost whistled when I saw my wrath sitting at ninety. According to the academy, if a person reached one hundred percent, they are supposed to descend change into a new form. Usually not a good one. I guess whatever brought me here smacked me over the head hard enough to stop my rage fueled spiral. 

I got up and took a good look around. I nearly panicked when I found a pair of undead standing in the middle of the room. They were motionless so I made sure to not do anything to threaten them. As I stared at the undead a crazy idea hit me. I would destroy that filth myself, along with an army of undead. I cracked my knuckles and got to work.