The aged wizard jumped up from the desk and quickly scaned his chambers, until his gaze fell
upon his young apprentice, who was snuggled up to a tome of spells that had been laboriously
written by hand more than two hundred years before.
“Come, Jubee, we must speak with the king,” the old man said as he pulls the tattered cowl of
his well-worn robe over his lengthy white hair.
“What is the matter, Master?” asked Jubee, as he closed the old, leather bound volume.
“I must inform the king of a vision I have seen.”
The two exit from their quarters, to find themselves in the main hallway that snakes its way
throughout the weathered castle. Without another word being said, they rush down the hall at a
brisk pace, until they arrive at the throne room.
The pair push past the double wooden doors and are met by two guards armed with halberds,
poised to strike.
“Sturbious the White, here to speak with the king on urgent matters!” he calls out.
The two guards remain lodged in front of the man until a voice calls out, saying, “Let the wizard
through, but the pup must wait outside.”
The mage turned to his ward and saw the disappointment in his eyes, for he had never seen the
king, nor ever been in the throne room, until that day.
“The law be the law, lad. Only royalty or servants to the crown may enter,” he said. “Now go
and wait for me,”Sturbious added with a slight smile. “ I must speak with the king.” With a
small nudge Jubee headed for the exit, and Sturbious moved forward to greet the king, who is in
the midst of his evening meal.
“What can I do for you, Master Sturbious?” asked the King.
“I have come to give warning to you and the kingdom, my lord.”
“Warn me?”
“Aye, my lord, “ replies Sturbious. “I have envisioned a great host of enemies heading toward
the Kingdom of Terrence.”
The King looked up from the freshly cooked leg of lamb that sat before him, to get a better view
of the wizard. “You know as well as I do, nothing can get pass the great wall,” the King said just
before he took another bite.
“You do not understand, my lord,” responded Sturbious.
The king once again looked up from his meal, but now with an unpleasant look for Sturbious. “I
do understand. You are old and only half sane. Now, be gone with you!”
There was a long period of silence, but it came to an ear-stinging end when a loud crash rang
throughout the King’s chamber, as Sturbious the White slamed his Staff of Elders to the cold
flagstone floor. The king uttered no words as he glared at wizard, until he had finished chewing
his food.
“Wizard, no human can pass the great wall of Terrence,” the king said as he waited for his
steward to replace his now empty trencher with a new bowl of decadent fruit. “And for god
sakes pick up your staff. You are, after all, a white wizard. There is no need to toss the symbol
of
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