The Wizard of the Marsh

Hynlum was a brave boy. He did not flee from danger. Therefore, when his mother and father both became suddenly ill, he embarked on a fearful quest to save them. He faced horrors that would cause even the most hardened warriors to tremble. However, the first moment that Hynlum discovered his parents, he did not know the severity of their condition, so he went into the local village of Stone Ridge to summon the assistance of a healer. The healer accepted the summons, eager to provide aid. When they arrived, the healer approached the bedside of Hynlum’s parents. Hynlum watched as the healer's face grew solemn.

“I’m sorry, boy. There’s nothing I can do for them. They have only days left... There’s only one man who could save them now, but it would be a fool's hope.”

“B-b-but, my parents. You must do something!”

“You don’t understand, young master. None who sought the aid of the Wizard of the Marsh have ever returned from his terrible domain.” 

“Then I’ll go, you coward!”

“Well, I’d rather be known as a coward than remembered as a fool.” Then the healer shouted as the boy walked out of the room, “Hynlum!” but he ignored him.

Hynlum stormed out of his father's dwelling place and strode into the forest that lay between his home and the marshlands. He barreled through the brush and paid no mind to branches or spiderwebs hitting his face. He was accustomed to the impediments of the forestlands, having spent countless hours running through them. He had never, however, ventured through to the marshes. His heart fluttered, both in fear for the lives of his parents and in anticipation of the trials that lay before him. 

The day was growing dim and the forest became darker. There were noises throughout that wood that meant fear for those who traversed it at night. Such as the sibilant sigh of the trees in their discontent or the menacing howl of wraiths awakening to haunt the sleepless forest. Hynlum did not heed these terrors, for he was determined to save his family. He had two siblings, both a little younger than he and twins to each other. They were old enough that he did not fear to leave them alone. In fact, he would not be surprised if the healer had stayed, feeling obligated to watch over two who might swiftly be orphaned. He was a kind man after all. 

Eventually, Hynlum emerged from the southern rim of the forest to find himself stepping out into nothingness. The stars and moon were obscured by clouds. Darkness reigned over that night. Hynlum could not see and did not know that the forest ended with a steep ridge that led down into the marshes. His whole body tingled as he fell into inky blackness. He tumbled, limbs striking stones and fallen branches until he felt a brief moment of free fall followed by the thick splash of mud. His arms sunk deep into the mud and he struggled to pull them out. He thrashed about, coating his entire body in the foul smelling muck of the marsh until finally, his arms were free and he crawled his way onto a patch of tall grass.

He stood, cleaning himself off as best he could. He used grass to clean his hands so that he could wipe the mud from his eyes. He looked all around himself trying to find the wizard’s house. After a while, his eyes adjusted enough to see the faintly glowing outline of a small cabin in the distance. He set off towards it. The occasional breeze engulfed Hynlum in a cold, damp fog. Whenever that happened, he had to do his best to not stray from his course, which meant trying very hard not to slip or step into the muddy areas. Then, whenever the fog cleared, he would find the cabin again and realign his path. 

Out of the gloomy black, came a deep groaning. A chill ran down Hynlum’s spine and he froze in his place, straining his ears to hear everything around him. For a while, there was nothing but the distant creaking of trees. Then there was another groan followed by the squelching of footsteps through the marsh. Hynlum’s heart began to race and sweat beaded upon his brow. He had heard tales of it before, but had never really thought it possible that draugar wandered the marshlands at night. There was another groan, louder than before and raspy like the grinding of stones. A draugr was approaching. Hynlum frantically felt for anything he could use as a weapon. His hand ran along a sharp rock, opening a gash on his thumb. Despite the pain, he rejoiced. The draugr heard him and began approaching as fast as it could manage through the marsh. Hynlum dug out the sharp stone and hefted it above his head, praying to the gods for a miracle. He turned to face the sound of the draugr. 

Just then, the gods graced Hynlum with a break in the clouds. A beam of moonlight shot down just in time to reveal the glistening dead eyes of the draugr within arms reach. The draugr was nothing more than a thin layer of dry, flaky flesh stretched tightly over an old skeleton, but with eyes that were partly renewed by dark magic. The draugr’s movements were unaffected by its stiff, creaky joints as it lunged for him, but he was ready. Hynlum brought the stone crashing down on its head. The draugr fell but Hynlum wasn’t going to risk not finishing him off. Three wet thuds haunted the midnight air as brittle flesh and bone were broken and beaten into the mud. 

Panting for breath, Hynlum looked around for the cabin. He turned in circles, but saw nothing. The break in the clouds was still illuminating much of the marsh. All around him, there was naught but water, grass, and mud. The cabin had vanished! His breath quickened, and panic crept in. Just then, in his peripheral vision, he caught the glint of polished stone above him. The break in the clouds moved on and darkness swallowed the marshlands once again. Hynlum reached up for the glimpse of stone he had seen and his hands found a short rod that hung in mid-air. 

The stone handle was moving slowly and Hynlum tightened his grip desperately. A stench nearly caused him to lose it, but he held on. The magic which preserved the draugr had been broken, so the corpse began to decay quickly and the sickening smell of death pervaded the night air. Hynlum swallowed back the urge to vomit and looked up. Above him, there was an area that was darker than the surrounding sky and Hynlum presumed that was where he needed to go. He felt around until he found another stone rung higher up. Then he reached higher and found yet another. He climbed higher and higher, but the farther up he got, the farther the dark blotch appeared. He guessed that the dark blotch was the cabin and that the wizard was moving it so that he could not reach it. Yet, the wizard was also making the magical stone ladder.

Suddenly, the stone rungs that Hynlum was holding onto disappeared and he fell. He screamed as he fell farther and farther down. He had not climbed all that far and he was waiting for the ground but it never came. He quit screaming and he flailed about until he was facing down. The air that rushed past him grew hot and a blindingly bright light bloomed beneath him. The light grew into a vast fiery pit. His heart tried to escape out his chest as he careened into that hell. Just as his skin felt like it was about to catch on fire, just before he hit the flames, the fire vanished and he landed hard onto something rather soft. As he tried to catch his breath, he felt the substance beneath him. It felt like a sheepskin. 

Then, he opened his eyes to find that sight could confirm what touch only pondered. He was in a stone room lined with torches and various animal heads mounted on the walls. It was warm and there were lush furs spread all over the floor of the room. Hynlum was glad, finally being able to see and to be warm and comfortable. His thumb throbbed from the gash he had sustained from his weapon.

“Why have you come?” a quiet voice asked. 

Hynlum looked around for the source but found nothing. His stomach twisted as he realized something more. There was no door in the room whatsoever.

“I asked you a question, vermin,” the deep, rumbling voice said with a hint of menace.

Hynlum responded shakily, “My name is Hyn-”

“I know your name, fool! I asked why you are here! You do not belong in a wizard’s domain.”

“I need your help! My parents-”

“NO! I do not help quivering, pathetic, little boys!” the voice boomed.

Then the room began to quake. Hynlum heard growling all around him. He looked around and saw that the heads of bears and wolves were coming alive and staring at him, baring their teeth. 

“No!” Hynlum shouted. “You will help me, you crotchety old wizard!” 

The bear and wolf heads on the walls began to roar and bark at Hynlum and blood began to leak out of the eyes and mouths of all the heads, including those of the other animals. Then the walls began to slowly close in on Hynlum, the bleeding heads getting closer and closer. He began to panic and did the only thing he could think to do. He ran to the head of a stag and broke off its horns. Then he used the horns to stab the nearest bear head. The bears head screeched and its mouth stretched wide but it didn’t stop. It just kept stretching wider and wider. Hynlum backed away, but the wall behind him pushed him forward into the terrible jaws of the bear. Hynlum tried to hold the walls back. He pushed against them with all of his strength but the walls were relentless. They forced him into the gaping maw.

He fell into darkness once again. After a moment of falling, he landed in the marsh, but when he felt around, he found that there were hedges hemming him in. To his right, there was a path and he walked through it. As he walked, it seemed that the path didn’t have any pits of mud like the rest of the marsh. It was all covered in grass, making it much easier to walk, though still damp and soft. After a while, Hynlum reached a point where the hedges seemed to open up and thought he might have reached his destination, but just then, the clouds parted. The moon shone through and revealed his surroundings. Hynlum saw that the path ahead of him opened into a very small clearing with three different paths leading out from it. He walked into the clearing and then turned around to see where he had come from, but the path he had just been on disappeared. He turned back to look at the three other choices, but when he did, he only saw two. 

He cursed under his breath and then shouted, “Quit your tricks wizard!”

Hynlum approached one of the hedges, ready to climb and see where he needed to go. He reached a hand in and grabbed onto a branch but quickly pulled it back, crying out in pain. There were over a dozen thorns broken off in his palm and fingers. He had used his good hand, thus both his hands were wounded. He screamed a long string of futile curses at the wizard while he pulled out the thorns. Once he was finished, there was a long moment of silence. Then the hedges began to sway and long branches emerged to swipe at Hynlum. He ran as fast as he could down one of the paths, trying to avoid being flogged by hedges. Then the hedges erupted in flames, still lashing out at him. 

Out of the flames, the wizard’s voice boomed, “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I AM KUROGWEH, MASTER OF TELLUNE, HOARDER OF THE NECROMANCER’S BLADE, SLAYER OF KINGS! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Throughout the short monologue, Hynlum sprinted through the maze, dodging fiery whips as he did. He made a left and saw a door at the end of a long passage. As he bolted for it, he responded to Kurogweh.

“I will not leave until you help me save my parents!”

Just as Hynlum grasped the doorknob, it turned to smoke, leaving no way to open the door. He turned around and the blazing hedges suddenly extinguished. Smoke slowly curled from the branches. Then the passage expanded into a wide open area. There was absolute silence for a moment, and then the smoke that blossomed from the hedges began to swirl together all around the circular clearing. Slowly, the smoke solidified into a score or more versions of himself. The other Hynlums looked at the real one with menace. 

All of them spoke simultaneously, “Why should I help you?” 

Hynlum shivered when he realized that his own mouth had spoken in unison with his smoky copies. He wanted to vomit. 

“N-no one else could possibly help now. You’re my only hope.”

A cold laugh reverberated from all around and from himself. When he had control of himself again, he rushed one of the smoky copies of himself and knocked it to the ground. It laughed in the same, malevolent way. Hynlum beat it in the face over and over despite his injured hands. Then it screamed.

“No! Stop! Help me! Who are you! Who- Where am I!”

Hynlum stopped and backed away. It had changed into someone else. It was a young boy, about the same age as his own brother. His face was marred from Hynlum’s attacks. Hynlum’s heart began to race. 

“What did you do? Who is  this?”

Kurogweh’s voice echoed unnaturally, “You are not as noble as you would have everyone believe. Have you not done the same to boys like this before?” 

The wizard’s mirthless laugh haunted him. It came through the voices of all those around him. All the copies of Hynlum had transformed into people of various ages. All of them laughing at Hynlum with cruel enjoyment of his fear. Then there was a flash of lightning and the boom of thunder. When the flash of light hit the people, it revealed their decayed flesh. They were draugar. 

Kurogweh was clearly more than just a wizard. He was also a necromancer and maybe many other things. Who could tell? Who in all of Tellune knew where the wizard of the marsh had come from. Fear ate at Hynlum’s insides. He backed away from the draugar. They all began walking towards him. Hynlum’s back hit the door and he turned around to pound on it. The door remained resolutely shut. Panicking, Hynlum backed up and prepared to throw his whole body against it. He ran and threw all his weight, shoulder first into the door, but it turned to smoke at that moment. He tumbled through the ceiling of a dimly lit hallway and landed hard on the wooden floor.

The hall stretched interminably in both directions. Hynlum struggled to his feet. His whole body ached. He heard a faint squeak and looked around. Seeing nothing, he assumed it was from his own act of standing. The floor was wooden and the walls were stone. There were glyphs written in blood all along the walls. Upon gazing at them, Hynlum felt compelled in one direction down the hall. Unsure whether the wizard desired to lead him out or in, Hynlum gave in to the impulse. He strode down the hall. 

After a few paces, he stumbled. His eyes began struggling to focus. He couldn’t keep them open. He was so tired. Thump-thump. How long had he been there, anyway? The hallway never seemed to end. Thump-thump. Something was coming. Thump-thump. He had to get out. Thump-thump! It was almost upon him! Thump-thump! Hynlum tried to run but he was too tired. THUMP-THUMP! Hynlum fell to his knees and began crawling and panting for breath. THUMP-THUMP! THUMP-THUMP! The thumping sound continued to rage and Hynlum’s chest ached. He could hardly think. He fell onto his back, giving up. 

He took several deep breaths, hoping to enjoy his last moment as much as he could. The thumping softened and he was not smitten. In addition, the ache in his chest dulled. Suddenly he realized that he could feel, more than hear, the thumping. It was his own heartbeat the whole time. Then the floor groaned and creaked and his heart began to thump in his ears again. 

Hynlum stood, dazed and exhausted. He stumbled down the hall. A door appeared on his left. He frantically grasped the handle and tried to open the door. He was manic in his attempt to open it, but it was locked. He heard footsteps approaching. He looked and saw a shadow moving towards him. The shadow of a man, slowly walking. Hynlum hammered into the door and it finally gave way. He sprinted through, not looking at the room he had entered. It was a well lit room and there was a door at the other end. That was all he saw before he ran through that door. On the other side of that door, he found a vast throne room with doors along both sides adjacent to where he was. He didn’t stop to question the layout. He ran through one of the doors and found himself in a small storage room. He shut the door behind him. Hynlum waited and considered his position, not knowing what to do. After what seemed like hours, he heard a raspy chuckle echoing through the throne room on the other side of the door. 

The wizard spoke with the same grating as if his throat hadn’t felt the touch of water for weeks. “These games have been fun! Never has an intruder been quite so entertaining.” 

Hynlum cracked the door open very slowly and peaked through. He saw the form of a man with black tendrils swirling off of him. Kurogweh was resplendent in darkness. 

“You are deeply devoted to your task. I can see into your heart. I have not met anyone like you in a long time.” Then Kurogweh turned to face Hynlum and continued, “Quit hiding, boy! Do you really think I can’t see you?”

Hynlum tried to shut the door and back into the corner but the door flung itself open and the room thrust him out.

“You have done all this just to save your pitiful father and mother?”

“They are not pitiful!” Hynlum shouted.

Kurogweh laughed and said, “I see great potential in you, boy. There is only one more thing that you could give up, I think. That will be the price of my assistance.”

_____

Two weeks later, King Derelon and Queen Thilera of Northwood awoke. They were both sore and groggy. The king was greatly surprised to be alive. He thought that he had contracted the plague. He thought he and his wife were doomed. Nevertheless, he was awake and alive. More than that, he felt strong. The vigor of youth returned to his limbs. He looked at his wife and smiled excitedly. She had tears of joy in her eyes. They laughed together. 

The door to their chambers burst open and their twins ran in. When the little prince and princess beheld their parents awake and laughing, they screamed and leapt atop them. The family laughed and rolled around on the bed together. 

“Where is my firstborn? Where is your brother?” the king asked his children.

Their smiles faded to looks of confusion and the boy said, “We don’t know. He left into the woods. The healer said he was getting help, but that seemed silly because he was what the help was, right? You always say, ‘A healer’s a helper that’s here to heal!’”

King Derelon’s face turned grim and he asked his son, “Where is this healer?”

“He stayed!” the princess said, “He’s a nice man. He said he wanted to keep us safe while you and mother were sleeping.”

The king leapt to his feet, feeling the stone beneath and relishing it. He asked his servants and they led him to the healer, of which his children had spoken. 

“What is your name, good healer?” Derelon asked urgently.

“I am Bjorn of Stone Ridge, your highness.”

“What news would you tell me, Bjorn.”

“Master, I fear that I must be the bearer of ill tidings. For, your heir, Hynlum, has been gone two weeks in the marshes of the wizard. He sought the aid of the wizard and he has not returned. But behold, he must have succeeded! I am overjoyed that you have awoken! All those of Northwood should rejoice!”

“You mean to tell me that my son is a captive of the wizard of the marsh?” the king asked with menace in his voice.

Bjorn’s response came quivering in fear, “Y-y-yes, m-my lord.”

Bjorn had bowed his head, ready to be struck down, but no blow came. Instead, King Derelon placed a gentle hand on Bjorn’s shoulder. 

“Rise, faithful servant. My steward will see that you are compensated for remaining to assist while myself and my wife were ill. Then you may go home.” 

The king then sought out his generals and by them, found twelve champions who would invade the marshlands and save the king’s heir. None returned from that journey and the king sent more of his knights after that, but again, none made it back from that fell place. 

Eventually, the king and the queen of Northwood gave up hope of finding their lost son. They spared the lives of their men and their second son was then named heir to the throne.

The twin king, as the second son of Derelon would later be known, would one day go on to launch a daring assault upon the wizard of the marsh in order to rid their kingdom of his presence. That assault failed and many were lost. Those who survived the assault told tales of a powerful revenant who wept as he slew men by the dozens. Some claimed that he was enthralled by the wizard in exchange for the king’s life and that the revenant was prince Hynlum under the effects of dark necromancy. Thus, he became known as the Revenant Prince. Many tales were told through countless years of the Revenant Prince, the beast who wept for the lives that he stole. Many tales they were, but all were tales of woe except one.

The End.