Contest #21: Writing challenge

[Silverthorn]

Verdict (Click to View)

Throughout the ages, humanity has craved for knowledge. In this world, the few omnierudates have taken the burden to travel across the lands, to teach others. I am one of them. A scholar who shares his wisdom with the others. Immortalized by my own spell, I have educated countless wizards and witches during the past centuries. A little watch has always accompanied me on all my travels. It was a present from my great-grandfather, a well-respected man at the court of King Arthur, whose last wish was that I become the bearer of it. I call it the “Dreamweaver’s Charm” for it fulfills anything it is being asked for. However, until the opportunity arises for the wish to come true, one is locked into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The watch runs on its very own time. Whereas hours, days, and even years pass, it just shows a change of minutes. I have wondered countless times what would happen once both hands point towards the twelfth hour. So far, they have never reached the time. Legends tell of the “Great Aberration of Kismet”, a tale which predicts that any wish that comes true at twelve o’clock results in a complete distortion of time and space. It might reinforce a prayer but it might also turn it towards the opposite. Little is known for no case has been reported so far.

Weary and tired from today’s wandering, I reached a small village at the outskirts of a larger city in the vespertide. The smell of death and pollution wafted through the streets. Most lights were out. Destroyed, apparently. Trash seamed the pavements. This was definitely not the place I would like to spend even a single day at.

On my daily checks, the Dreamweaver’s Charm read “11:59”. “What a twist,” I thought, “yesterday, it said ’10:42’”. In my anticipation to the impending hour, I did not pack it away as usual but rather just placed it in a bundle. Little did I know about what was going to happen on this very day, Friday, June 13th, 2031.
From far away, I saw two shady adolescents, carefully watching my very steps. Uncomfortable as I was in this situation, I began to pace up. As if this was a sign for them, they approached me. In a few seconds, they had reached me. The next minutes are blurry in my memories. It all happened so quickly. I remember that I got struck on the head and sank to the ground.

“Anything valuable?”
“Nah, nothing. Why on Earth does he carry around a stick?”
“Don’t know… Hey, check this out!”
“Oooh, a package! Guess we’re done here.”

When I recovered, I noticed the bundle was gone. The Dreamweaver’s Charm has been stolen. Little did I know about the consequences this would cause for the next decades.

I was robbed and fatigued. I had nothing to lose anymore, so I decided to find a place in this town for a rest this night. Eventually, I found one. The night was short.

Early the next morning, I was wakened by soldiers marching through the streets. They broke into people’s houses, looking for two young men. A place closeby caught their attention. I heard them discussing:

“Is that the one?”
“Yeah. He has it.”
“Wonder how he got into possession of the Dark Crystal. After all, it’s the most guarded object.”
“Don’t ask, get him out of here. And his friend, too. He knows too much. We need to make him disappear as well. As if he was invisible.”
“This reminds me of that serum we’ve got lying in our stash. Have we tested it before?”
“Not that I can remember. That dude would be the perfect guinea pig, though.”

A few minutes later, it became quiet again. But not for long. The sky darkened and thunder roared from far away. Rain started to fall. I decided to depart and to continue my journey. When I looked up, I noticed the clouds forming strange patterns. Was it just me or did I really just see a skull veiled in purple flashes?

The next events happened to fast, I can barely recall them. Rumors have spread about a Dark Lord that has risen straight from hell to teach mankind a lesson. To make them suffer under the hand of an almighty despot. And so, conditions worsened severely. Society deteriorated and underwent a transition into sheer anarchy. Suppressed by a villain, anything we have loved and cherished decayed and gave way to hatred and despair. I recognized my former students fighting alongside the tenebrous side. Young sorcerers I have once taught now used their knowledge against us. There was just one way to end this: to find fellow minds, capable of destroying the oppression forced upon us.

The search took several decades but has now been completed. It is the year 2099 and we are finally ready to strike.

There is one thing that I vividly remember which my great-grandfather told me on his deathbed: “John, the Dreamweaver’s Charm might look like it can solve anyone’s problems. But always keep in mind that a pendulum swings two ways.”

Until this day, I have not understood what he meant. The revelation has finally come. The verdict has been spoken. We are darraigning our troops to fight a battle that will decide upon the fate of the world. The Great Aberration of Kismet has caused magnificent chaos but it will be unmatched to the cataclysm that will follow. In a virtually apocalyptic carnage, order and righteousness will be restored.
The pendulum of justice has started to swing back.

You were right, Az