COMPLETE DUOLOGY - According to the prophecy, Phillip is an impetuous young wizard who is born to save the world from destruction. He is saved from death by the wizard Juan who cares for him. Warlock Klaus who helps the inquisitors to pursue the wit...
Juan decided that he and the child should leave the cave immediately. The creature of darkness had already uncovered their hiding place; it was no longer safe to stay there. It was just a matter of time before they were attacked again. So, he took the baby and went to an old and forgotten cabin inside the Dark Forest. Once they had settled themselves there, they would be safe, at least for a while. The mage needed some time out to find a home for Philip, somewhere he would be safe.
After walking for miles, they arrived at the place that would be their hideout. It looked like an abandoned cottage, hidden by the trees, that the old man had discovered during his walks. Inside, there was only a wooden bed covered with dry straw. A few meters away there was a creek, which would provide water supply.
The first thing that Juan did was to clean up the place. He made a broom out of sticks and fallen leaves; then, he dusted the place off. The animals watched the surroundings and observed him at work. A cloud of dust rose around him, and he got nervous. It didn't matter how much effort he put into cleaning up, in the end it seemed that the dirt had doubled in size. After a while, and feeling impatient, he said to himself:
"I think I'll weave a spell to quickly transform this place into a clean one." He thought for a moment, before remembering an unpleasant fact. "Damn it, I remembered I can't make magic around here, or that dreadful warlock may notice it and discover where we're hiding. What should I do to arrange this never-ending mess?"
He looked at the baby's lovely face and then smiled.
The wizard had changed a lot since he found the baby... Keeping a place clean and neat had never been something that he worried about, for instance. Even his will to live seemed to be returning little by little. The wizard looked at the book and thought:
"I must look after Philip and find him a home with real parents, a safe place where he will have the opportunity to grow up, and become an independent young man. We can't spend his life on the run. Later, he will have to learn how to fight with a sword, so that he'll be able to defeat the evil creatures that will cross his way... An idea has just crossed my mind, but I'm not sure if I'll have the courage... However, if necessary, I will use the incantation of Immortality on myself. This way, I'll dedicate my life to be by his side, and to protect him to his last breath. Will I, who have flirted with Death so much during the last years, have the courage to flee from its grasp? Now, when my final rest seems to be close?"
His heart was battling inside, torn between two desires. On one hand, he wanted to protect the child. On the other, all that he craved for was to reunite with those he loved. Depression had rooted itself very deeply inside the mage's heart, and it made him man tears fall from his eyes whenever he thought about his past. He shook his head, sending away the idea of making the potion. If he chose immortality, he would torture himself day after day, in an eternal suffering.
His soul just wished the end, and the child he had saved was the remedy to cure him from that urge or, at least, delay his intents.
The wizard also considered using the magic to turn the child into an immortal, but decided to wait for a while. A decision of such importance could only be taken by the boy himself when he grew up enough to choose the best for his own future.
He kept on pondering over the situation, as the animals watched him; the idea of protecting the boy was still on his mind.
"If I became immortal, would I bear to protect the boy and his descendants for all my life? What would it be like to watch the little one die one day? Would I be able to deal with death, day after day? At the same time, if I lived forever, I would be able to face these powerful enemies that were able to annihilate the most powerful mages and wizards of the world. No! I won't stand living for all eternity visualizing the scene of my family in the hands of the inquisitors every time I close my eyes. I need to find a home for that child somehow. Not even supported by the animals I will be the best option to look after him. He needs a father and a mother, perhaps a family. He needs to live in and peace, under a new identity. How will I solve this problem? A king, maybe..." He thought for a few moments, and then an image came to his mind. "That's it! The King of Germania, Albert."
The mage knew the King's palace like the palm of his hand. He had worked there for a long time as Royal Counselor. Through the years, he had been informed that the King longed for heirs, but the Queen had suffered consecutive miscarriages. Nothing would be better than the royal family to raise the boy. They could provide Philip with everything he needed, and he would be educated like the prince that he really was. If Juan traced a good plan, the little one could also be the heir of the humans, uniting once and for all both worlds.
But how would the mage manage to achieve that goal?
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