The Fame, The Magic
Sometimes it’s hard being in the public eye. Oh, there are benefits. I’ve used my social standing on more than one occasion. It is surprising how many establishments let the rich or the famous go behind the scenes or give us free souvenirs. But, there still are drawbacks. If other people are jerks to their hairdressers or if they have problematic friends, people don’t notice. But, if I had a bad day and just so happened to take it out on everyone in my vicinity, people would notice. Also, non-celebrities have to worry about rabid fans a whole lot less. All it takes is one dangerous interaction with one and you begin to carry a gun with you at all times.
Still, no matter what happened, even if I was a jerk or was friends with some unsavory people, I knew that I would still have some fans. That was one of the benefits of being a wizard. Even if people hated me, there would always be a certain grandeur about me. After all, I was able to do magic. I could summon things from midair. But, my specialty was controlling fire. It was so flashy. It was a spectacle. Everyone loved it, and by extension, everyone loved me. (I can also provided power to a couple of dozen homes if really need be.) Because of my magic, I was set for life. Nothing could go wrong.
Well, almost.
I’ve never been the most gentle person. I tend to have a rude and abrasive personality. This brought me in have contact with other wizards with unsavory characteristics. These people may not have been the most well-liked, but, for the most part, people tolerated them. I, and they, were wizards after all. Well, my personality and my connections had to have consequences sometime and said consequences appeared after an interview.
The interviewer asked about an acquaintance by the name of Caleus. Said friend had gotten mired in one controversy or another. The interviewer told me that he had sad many disrespectful, derogatory, and downright offensive things about farmers. He had sent out a few tweets that took credit for all of the farmers’ successes. (He was a wizard who could control the weather and an arrogant one at that.) Honestly, what Caleus had said was insensitive, especially because of worsening conditions for farmers. Still, Caleus was my friend, and I had to defend him. And so I did.
There was a public backlash of course. I knew that there would be. But I knew that it would calm down eventually just as it always did. In the meantime, I decided to go and check on my friend. Though the backlash would be nothing new, it would still have a bit of an effect on him. So, I had to fly through the countryside to Caleus’s mansion. It sat upon a hill, looking at the many shabby farmhouses below. I walked up the long driveway, past the one, tall, lonely tree, and stood in front of the mansion. The mansion was grand and tall, with dark towers the color of the night sky. It made you wonder if it ever stopped growing higher, it scraped the heavens.
I walked across his staggeringly large lawn. One, two, three, four, five, six cars. I found that strange. The last I’d seen, Caleus had only had five cars. And that one car at the back, it was beige, the color of sadness. It wasn’t the kind of car that he would buy.
Still, I walked up to his door, a grand front door which was more than twice my size. Opulence was the first word that came to mind. Looking at it, I felt a twinge of regret. It reminded me of my own home, of my faults. I stood in the grand entrance, looking around. It was so big that it formed a sort of echo chamber. I knew from my time spent in Caleus’s luxurious house that, from the entrance hall, one could hear what was going on in any part of the house. It was something. I was able to hear some people talking.
“You are a bit behind on your payments.” It was Caleus speaking.
“Mr.-”
“Sir”
I rolled my eyes. Caleus always was one to flaunt his status. It was funny at times, but it often became tiring.
“Sir, I’m sorry. I promise I’ll get them too. Just give me a week and a half. As you well know, my crops haven’t been doing so well.”
It was strange. The second person sounded like she was from one of the farms down the way. Caleus seldom associated with them. But the annoyance in her voice was what I had come to expect from people that dealt with Caleus.
“That was your fault. If you hadn’t missed your payments last year, I would have been able to prevent the flash flood that uprooted your crops.”
“We both know that you sent the rain that caused the flood. I was the only one hit, just as I was the only one not able to pay. Besides, I can’t pay you now. If you wait, at least you’ll still get the money.”
“One day.”
“That isn’t enough time. I’ve had enough of you extorting me. I’m leaving for another countryside, another farm. You’ll have hold of me no longer.” It seemed to come out like a low growl.
A woman with soot on her face came down one of the mansion’s seven winding staircases. Stopping to glare at me, she exited the mansion. I really couldn’t blame her. I had stopped in the front hall, stunned. Extortion, I’d never thought that Caleus would stoop to such levels. But, I thought about his, and my, disregard of those not blessed with magic. Was it so much of a stretch to think that Caleus would see them as little more than piles of cash?
I was broken out of my revelry by Caleus walking down the stairs. Though his pace was measured, it was not leisurely. He was walking with a purpose.
“Hello, ” he said with little concern, paying me little attention. “I’ll be with you in a second, just let me finish with my business first.”
He continued past me. I could tell that he was only putting on the air of being cool and unconcerned. On the inside, he was simmering. As he exited the front door, I noticed that his hand was resting on a gun.
BANG!
That snapped me out of my fear. I rushed out through the door and down the hill where I saw Caleus cursing like a sailor. I breathed a sigh of relief, he had missed. But I tensed upon seeing that he was reloading his gun. Without thinking, I grabbed my gun and shouted “Run!” to the farmer that was the victim of Caleus’s vile exhortation.
That was a mistake. As soon as the bullet left my gun, the wind had picked up, throwing my bullet off course. I dove behind the tree as the sky opened up. Caleus had summoned a storm, and it was pelting me with rain and hail. I could hardly see Caleus standing just 10 feet from me. I knew that I was a goner.
Despite that, I tried feebly to ignite a flame. I tried to call upon my magic and smite Caleus as he stood. It was my duty. But, it was no use. Every time even the smallest spark was lit, the wind and rain would put it out. Mud pooled around my shoes, causing me to sink into the earth, rendering me stationary. Luckily though, it did save me once. I bent over to try and unstick my shoes as I bullet came wheezing over my shoulder. Had I not bent over at just the right time, I would have been shot.
More bullets followed. It was akin to a hurricane, with the water, the wind, the rain and the fury. I was pelted form every direction. Things looked rough, I couldn’t hold forever. I knew that at some point I would have to yield. Even as I thought that, I felt a blinding pain in my leg. I had been hit. The pain was unimaginable. It felt the blood pool form my foot. I looked down with horror. Already mood and rain had mingled with my blood. It stung like the devil.
I stood and placed my hand on my foot. As a wizard, I was supposed to be able to heal people. My hand glowed red hot and I let out a yowl of pain. I thought ruefully of all the time that I had spent on my fire, making it brighter and flashier. I had neglected healing. But, looking down at my foot, I saw the skin on my foot slowly knitting back together. It hurt, but I could manage for now. I wouldn’t die form the wound but it wouldn’t be pretty.
Wincing through the pain I reached for and grabbed my gun to return fire. Even though I was stuck, couldn’t see, couldn’t shoot straight, and was bleeding, it was still better to fight. I gripped my gun as hard as I could. Using my powers of flame I coaxed the reaction within my gun.
BANG!
There was a bright flash of blue fire as the bullet sprang from my gun. Even though the flame was out out instantly, I felt sure, I felt hope. But I saw Caleus grin cruelly as the wind easily batted the bullet aside. My hope died. Yet, I still held onto my gun tightly. There was no one else who could try and stop him. I gritted my teeth and shot once, twice, three times, each time missing. Even though I couldn’t see Caleus, I knew that I had missed him.
He kept taunting me, calling out “Is that the best you can do? Is that the best, a soft, weak, stinking, non-magic-loving, fool? I thought you were good, I thought you were strong. Well, now you’re by yourself. No one can help you, and now you’ve proven yourself to be weak. You’re a disgrace to wizards, as weak as everybody else.” He was right. I was failing and I was alone. So, I gritted my teeth as I sunk still further into the muddy earth. I readied my gun for one last shot. There was only one bullet left.
BANG!
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Almost immediately, the sky cleared. I let my gun, still with one bullet in it, fall to the ground with a satisfying squish. I looked up at the farmer, who was standing behind Caleus’s slumped body, holding a rifle.
“Thank you,” I said.
She stood, face white, still holding the rifle. I could tell that she was too stunned to say anything.
I stood up, wincing as I put my weight on my bad leg, I would have to see a real doctor. Slowly, I put my hand on her back. Though the rain had dispersed, she was still chattering, weather from cold, or from shock I did not know. So, I guided her into the mansion. I planned to make her some food, even though my own hands were shaking. After all, she deserved it. I owed it because of all the times that Caleus, or I, had mistreated her and people like her. This was my first step towards being a better person.
This was written by the Public Image Improvement (PII) Company. Our ghostwriters were sure to fabricate the best story for you, ensuring that your association with Caleus will be forgotten and you will be hailed a hero. Your payment has already been withdrawn from your account.
