A Children's Tale
by
Kevin Wasser
Here is the tale of the Nightwalker, as traditionally told in the Kingdom of Kadish.
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Many lifetimes ago, before the time of the first Dungeonmaster, there once stood a city named Azial. In the language of the old ones, Azial meant Prosperity, and its name was fitting. In these ancient times, many monsters roamed the land. But the city of Azial was founded by a powerful wizard, who ruled the city wisely for untold years. But as the monsters that roamed the land grew more frequent and more powerful, the Wizard King became fearful for the city's protection.
The Wizard King began to worry about whether his city would withstand the tests of time, or whether it would be destroyed like so many other cities come and gone. Azial's army was small, and not prepared for war with the various monster races. And though the King was powerful, he knew he could not defend his city alone forever.
So the Wizard King set out on a secret quest, to find allies to aid in his keeping his city prosperous. None of the people of Azial knew, for if anyone were to find out, a panic would quickly spread through the city, one that might leave it vulnerable.
The Wizard King journeyed high into the mountains for many days, until he came upon a golden tower. Upon entering, he found himself in a gigantic library, the likes of which he had never seen.
The Wizard King cried out, "Whoever owns this library, I ask thee to present thyself. Surely a keeper of this much knowledge is wise, and I wish only to gain from such wisdom."
From the far end of the tower, there emerged an old man, who was followed by many servants. He presented himself formally to the Wizard King.
He proclaimed, "I am the Keeper of Knowledge, Wizard King. I know of your plight, and as you come with many questions, you may use this library to ascertain answers. Such was my purpose in creating this library."
Delighted, the Wizard King settled into the tower, going over the many tomes of lore in search of an answer for his troubled city. The King was pleased to find many magic books, which provided knowledge and spells to add to his arsenal in defending the city. The Wizard King was also pleased to be aided by the Keeper's daughter, a woman named Bela, with whom the Wizard King found himself falling in love.
The Wizard King one day found a powerful spell that would summon forth a creature from one of the Lower Planes. "The Beast", it was written, "could be made to serve as a protector, but only if one was prepared to protect it in turn." Armed with this spell and others, the Wizard King decided it was time to return to his city. That night he asked the Keeper for his daughter's hand in marriage.
The Keeper proclaimed, "May you be blessed a thousand times over for loving my daughter. Take her back to your city and marry her, but heed my advice: The knowledge you have learned is only good if you know when to use it. It may bring you power, but it may not bring you wisdom. I hope that you will be wise, for your city's sake, and for my daughters."
The Wizard King thanked him profusely, and left with his bride to be the next day. Many moon cycles had passed since his departure, and he returned to find Azial in chaos. Monsters were running rampant outside the gates, and it seemed they would breakthrough any day now.
The Wizard King put his new spells into affect, and fought the monsters single handedly for many days. The monsters were finally beaten back, and the Wizard King entered his city with a triumphant welcome. In a blissful ceremony the next day, the Wizard King was married to Bela. The whole city was in celebration for many days after that, but these celebrations were cut short as the monsters returned to attack the city again.
The Wizard King was forced into battle again, and fought back the monsters yet again. But the monsters always came back within a few days. The people of Azial cried out to their King, who would then have to fight off the never-ending swarms of beasts. The people would then rejoice in their brave leader's powers. But the Wizard King was slowly growing tired of the constant battles. He wanted only to spend more time with his new wife.
"How can I enjoy my city's new found prosperity if I am always having to defend the city from these creatures? There has to be a way of safeguarding my city!" The Wizard King proclaimed.
To this, his wife Bela told him that he placed too much of the burden on himself, and that he must train the people in how to defend Azial. But the Wizard King considered the people incapable of defending against such powerful monsters. Then he remembered the last spell he had learned while in the Golden Tower, the one about summoning a beast who could protect the city. He immediately rushed to the highest tower in the city to prepare for the casting of the spell.
It is said that the casting of the spell took many days, for to gain access to this beast, one had to make contact with the Lower Planes, also known as the Land of the Dead. Finally, one night at midnight, he managed to summon the beast to the tower. The creature had a jackal head, a human-like torso, clawed hands and feet, a reptilian tail, and blood red eyes. Most fearsome was his size, which was almost 3 times the size of a human.
The Wizard King said, "I have summoned you here to protect my city from the monsters who attack it."
The beast responded in a hideous mockery of human tongue, "I can protect your city, but only if you protect me. I am unable to walk abroad during your Realm's sunlight hours. Gladly will I defend your city at night, if you will only give me sanctuary during the day."
The Wizard King thought about this for some time. It was not all he had hoped for, but since many of the monsters that plagued the city attacked only at night, the Wizard King determined that the beast could only be of beneficial use.
So from then on, the beast stayed in the tower during the day, and was let out of the city walls at night, where he would do battle with any creatures that attacked the city. The citizens of Azial became thankful for this new guardian, and soon took to calling him the Nightwalker.
This went on for sometime, until the monsters soon stopped attacking the city during the night, but quickly learned it was better to attack during the day. The Wizard King and Bela during this time had had their first child, a baby boy. The Ruler of Azial found it bothersome to have to deal with the monsters during the day. He came to the Nightwalker's Tower one night, (a tower which had now been fitted with a giant clock to keep track of the time of the Nightwalker's comings and goings). There, he beseeched the beast to go out during the day.
To this the Nightwalker said, "It is beyond my power to travel out during the day. But perhaps if you were to cast one of your spells, one which would grant me power to fight during the day, perhaps then I could be of some service."
The Wizard King thought on this long and hard, and decided it was best for his city to also have the Nightwalker serve during the day. He cast an elaborate series of spells, which granted the beast more power. From that point on, the Nightwalker fought the monsters during the day and night, and the people of Azial were grateful.
Time passed on, and the Wizard King was content. His city was safe, and he now had a wife and child to take care of. But one day, Bela came to the King, with much concern on her face. She then proceeded to tell him about a great evil that had descended secretly on the city. The Wizard King at first scoffed at this, for surely his city had been safe for sometime. But Bela persisted in her warnings until the Wizard King felt the need to see if there was truly an evil loose in the city.
Disguised as a simple commoner, the Wizard King set out through his city in search of an evil monster. But he stumbled onto something more sinister. No longer were the markets thriving with customers. Nor were the gardens or flocks being tended too. At first, he thought that a monster had come and stolen all of the city's citizens. But he soon found many of the people in the entertainment district, carrying on and getting drunk in such a fashion as that he had never seen before. It was as if they had gone from the rational people who had built the magnificent city of Azial, to being a breed of carefree animals who had no regard for anyone or anything other then their own pleasures.
But the worst site was yet to come. Traveling down into the main center of worship, (an area dedicated to philosophical pursuits and meditation) the Wizard King found many of the citizens acting out the Ways of War. They were fighting with swords and spears, much like the monsters that had attacked the city from outside. He was astonished to see one man strike down another, and the be praised by the other men, one of whom would step forward to combat the winner, only to see the process repeated again.
It was then that the Nightwalker emerged from the other side of the square, greeted by cheers. The Nightwalker stopped in front of the Wizard King and proclaimed, "Greetings to you Wizard King. I am glad you grace us with your presence."
There were many gasps from the crowd, as if they had been caught by a father who would punish them for misbehaving. The Wizard King dropped his disguise and spoke to the Nightwalker, "Why have you taught my people such things? And why are you not out defending the city as I commanded?"
The Nightwalker replied, "Your city has been free of monster attacks for sometime, my lord. They gave up after I fought them back so many times. Now the people have me to thank for being free of danger. They only wanted to be just like their hero, and I was more then happy to show them how to fight. They have much passion for life, and I wished only to help stir that passion."
The Wizard King replied, "What you have done is poisoned their hearts with evil and corruption. And for that I will send you back to the Land of the Dead." But try as he might to reverse the spell, he suddenly found he could not.
The Nightwalker cackled with hideous laughter. "You no longer have control over me Wizard King. Such is these people's worship of me, along with the additional powers you saw fit to grant me, that I am now more powerful then yourself."
The Wizard King then realized what he had done in allowing this creature to reside in his city. He had unknowingly let loose a poison which had seeped into all of his city's citizens. Amazed at these revelations, the Wizard King fled back to his palace.
Once back in the safety of his palace, the Wizard King gathered his wife and child, and put his guard on alert. But the Wizard King knew that he and his family would not be safe here forever. His eyes having been opened to the truth, the Wizard King now noticed how many members of the Royal Palace eyed him coldly, and he could tell his own guards had murder in their hearts.
The Wizard King set about casting a spell of teleportation, (the mysterious method of travel used by the unicorns). He sought to get out of his city without having to battle through its streets. But the Nightwalker was quick to enact plans of his own. With his followers, he burst into the palace as the Wizard King was preparing the final moments of his spell. In an effort to save her child, Bela stepped in front of the Wizard King and her son. The act cost her her life, as one of the Nightwalker's minions stabbed her with a spear. The Wizard King cried out in anguish, but the spell was now complete, and the King and his son disappeared in a flash of light.
Standing outside the city, the Wizard King mourned the loss of his wife. But he knew what must be done. The Wizard King set off in search of the Golden Tower, carrying his infant son along the way.
Upon returning to the location where the tower had stood though, he discovered there was not a trace of the building in site. He stumbled around the mountain in vain for a few days, before discovering a Golden Book lying on the ground. Recognizing it as part of the Golden Tower's library, he flipped through the pages looking for an answer to this mystery. But inside, only one page had words on it, and these words were this:
"Knowledge will bring you power, but not always wisdom."
Remembering now the words that the Keeper of Knowledge had said, The Wizard King finally came to realize that what he had stumbled upon was the magical domain of one of the Realm's Original Gods, the nameless entities who had created the Realm. The Wizard King knew that for the loss of his wife, (the God's daughter) he would not be able to seek help from the deity. It was then that the Wizard King broke down for his plight. By using his powers for his own benefit, and leaving the care of his city in the hands of an evil beast, the Wizard King had brought about his own suffering. But he knew now what must be done.
Casting another spell, the Wizard King summoned forth several denizens of nature to watch over his son. He had to return to the city and finish what he had inadvertently started. His son would be safest here. Then, taking the Golden Book with him, the Wizard King marched back to the city of Azial.
Standing outside the walls of the city, the guards quickly took notice of him. It wasn't long before the city's people were standing on the walls, mocking and jeering the king they had formerly praised. Then the gates opened, and out walked the creature behind this evil, the Nightwalker.
"You are very foolish to show your face here Wizard King." The monster chuckled. "I will now fight my final battle outside these city walls, and with your death, I shall rule this city forever!"
The following battle was one of the most powerful ever witnessed in the Realm. At the heart of it was not just one man against a beast, but a battle between two ways of life: one in which people lived in harmony with one another, another in which people allowed their base passions to rule their lives. For many days, the battle raised on, but it soon became clear that the monster was gaining the upper hand. The crowds upon the city walls gloated at what seemed to be their master's inevitable victory. In desperation, the Wizard King picked up the Golden Book, (which had been laying on the grass) to deflect one of the Nightwalker's spells. In that instant, the book seemingly came to life.
Surging with newfound power emitted by the book, the Wizard King blasted the beast back into the city, and enveloped all of Azial in a sphere of light. Gasping in amazement, the Wizard King realized that once more the Keeper of Knowledge had come to his aid. This powerful Golden Grimoire, or spell book, was the mysterious God's final gift.
From the very book itself, the voice of the Keeper of Knowledge filled the city, whose citizens were now in utter terror. The voice spoke these words: "For your transgressions against all that is good, I command that the people and the city of Azial be cast into the Land of the Dead, for this is where the evils that you have learned came from. As for the creature known as the Nightwalker, since it was at the stroke of midnight that you first appeared and brought your evil upon this city, I command that at the stroke of your tower's clock at midnight, shall you be destroyed, never to plague any land again. And finally, to the Wizard King, who set all these events in motion, you may go free, but you are never to set foot upon these plains again."
And with that, the city and the Nightwalker were cast into the Land of the Dead, otherwise known as the Abyss. The Wizard King took one last look at the plains wherein his magnificent city had once stood, and then went up the mountains to collect his infant son, with the Golden Grimoire in hand as well. (In later years, the Wizard King would start compiling his own spells and knowledge within the book, and it would later be passed on to other wizards to record their own spells, but eventually the Golden Grimoire would be lost, at some point in the passing of time).
The Wizard King and son would soon set out on another journey. In time, he settled and founded another city, and this one he named Helix, which in the language of the old ones meant Redemption. And so in Helix he spent the rest of his days.
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King Rahmoud looked down upon his daughter Ayisha's bed. She was now fast asleep, had been for some time, but Rahmoud had felt the need to finish the ancient tale. Telling the story was somewhat of a tradition in his family. Covering her up gently, the good king left her side, and softly stepped out of the room. Outside, his close advisor Ahmet greeted him. Taking one last look back at the child, a wave of sadness washed over the King's face.
"Is something bothering you sire?" the humble advisor asked.
The King sighed. "She looks so much like her mother, Ahmet. It is such a shame that Ayisha will never be able to see her."
Ahmet stood there a moment before continuing. He wouldn't bother his king at all if he had a choice.
I am sorry my lord, but there are some final papers I need you to look over before you retire for the night. The latest of the treaties with Turodh is being signed tomorrow, and I would humbly ask that you would look over the papers beforehand. We of course hold the upper hand in the negotiations as usual, but I simply-"
"Of course, my friend. There is no need to explain."
As they walked down the hall, Ahmet felt the need to converse with the king, if only to help take the king's mind off of his deceased wife.
"Was that the last part of the tale of the Nightwalker I heard my Lord? I must confess I haven't heard it in years, but you told it very well."
The King grunted, "Yes, well, it is one story that I remember well, if only for the fact that I remember the real ending that my father saw fit to tell me as a child. I must have lay awake at night for weeks after hearing it!"
Slipping into his gifted orator persona, King Rahmoud saw fit to finish the tale for his friend.
"The Wizard King's new city flourished, but a few short years later, on last dreadful thing happened to the ruler. Late at night, just before the hour of midnight, the Nightwalker appeared for a brief instant in the Wizard King's son's room. The creature had enough power left to steal the child and take him down to the city in the Abyss. The creature left a scroll for the Wizard to find as well. The scroll stated that since he was doomed to have died at the hour of midnight, he set about making sure that the Clock Tower never struck that dreadful hour. He had the people, (which had now been turned into the foul beasts they truly were) work to stop the clock, but now the Nightwalker would use what was left of his own power to steal children for the mortal Realm, and to use them as labor in his city. Try as the King might, he could not find a way to reach his son, for his powers too were lessening as the years went by.
From that day forth, tales have been told of children being kidnapped at midnight by a hideous monster. It is believed that that creature is the Nightwalker, and the place that the creature takes them to is the monster's city, which is now called simply, the City at the Edge of Midnight."
Upon hearing Rahmoud finish, Ahmet felt a chill go up his spine. Of course he had heard this tale before, but being told by the strong voice of Rahmoud gave the story a depth he had never heard before.
"Such stories should not be told to children," Ahmet said. "Especially since it is a children's tale, and nothing more then an Ancient Myth."
Rahmoud replied more to himself then to his friend. "I don't know about that. After all, my father made sure that I knew the full extent of the tale. His reason's why were simple. He said this: 'In every myth, there is always a bit of truth…'
The End
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