ONE - Wizard

Somewhere in Nowhere, at the time of No time, there lands The Dream Land...
And there lived an old mighty wizard, who had a power to create almost everything, from almost nothing...
Some citizens of Dreamland were his friends, some were not... He used to fly with dragons, and have long philosophy discussions with the Sphinx. He was scaring the gnomes and was driving the harpies away, but the Fairy Queen, who rules there, always kept some distance of him. Probably because she was afraid of him a bit, or was jealous a bit, since he had a magic power, more powerful, than she had... Who knows... There were some rumors, the reason was in some more delicate matter, but you can't believe much rumors, can you? :)

Anyway, one of the fairies was his friend, and was always around him. She was so nice, so kind, so funny and very very curious, that always was making the wizard smiling. And she had so beautiful name - 'An Angel Tear Fallen On The Rose Bud Just Becoming To Blossom'. "Gee.." you'll say, "How to call her with that so long name?!?". Well, it isn't problem for the fairies, because they do not talk. Yes! They just send images, feelings, concepts directly from mind to mind. No words, different languages, grammar rules etc. Any of human languages seams to be very poor and primitive to express the right impression of all what a fairy can say... And what she say for time you blink with eyes, you'll talk one hour about and around to explain... Actually, the fairies can make some sounds as 'oh', 'ah', 'ih', etc., just to underline the expression, they send. They laugh very sweet, and  even they can cry...
Haven't you met some woman, who can only make such sounds? :))))

GreedyJust not to forget... There were another creature, that was always around that wizard. Greedy the imp. He was called 'Greedy', because he was always hungry and thirsty. The wizard enjoyed to have such buddy, with good appetite on his table, not to eat and drink alone. Greedy was very glad, and in appreciation of this, he always brought some magic items, imps had, or had stolen from someone... Also he always... 'He'?... Hmmm... actually imps have no gender. How they make their generation then? Easy. When it's time and there is need for that, simply a new imp jumps out from the mouth of his 'parent'. Believe me, I've seen that so many times...
Well, since Greedy always behaved as a 'man', I always thought about that imp, as 'He'. :)

One day/night (I couldn't say exactly, because the light and darkness in Dream Land do not depends of some 'Sun', but of the mood of Dream Land inhabitants) the fairy asked the wizard:
"You were so kind to show me so much of your magic, and teach me so much of it. Oh, you can do everything! You know everything! Can you tell me, please, which is The Gre-e-e-e-e-atest Magic in the World???"
The wizard smiled deep in his white big beard, and reply:
"The Greatest Magic in all worlds is called Love, but it belongs to human beings only. And to use it are needed two persons, a man and a woman, to be as one together ..."
"Wonderful!!! You are a man, and I'm a woman! So we could..."
"Ha-ha-ha... You are not a woman! You just look like a woman, my fairy... The women have no your beautiful wings, but they can give the wings to men who love them... Even if they haven't your other po..."
"I'd like to give you all! My wings, and everything you wish!", she interrupted him, "I can transform myself!!! You've taught me, remember? Now see...what about like this?"
"Oh no! Women are not so hairy! And why you make that tail??? He-he... though a woman can make a man to go after her, as he is  her tail...indeed..."
"Not hairy?...but looking at you...well, then like this???..."
"My dear, 'not hairy' doesn't mean like a reptile or like a fish!... And what these fangs are for? Well, sometimes a woman can be more dangerous, than a snake is, and even more venomous..."
"You'll like me more, if I was like this???..."
"As a pink devil? Ha-ha-ha-ha... Oh, you'll make me die from laughing!...The women show their devil horns, sometimes... Ha-ha-ha..., but they use to put horns on men's heads mostly! Well, enough kidding each-other, my friend. Stay quiet for a while, and let us see, if I can make from you a real human being..."

As the wizard said this, he raised his hands, his dark eyes flashed, and everything around illuminated in the strange magic light, just coming from everything's inside... The fairy froze in the air...then under his tender touches she began to change, till the wizard murmured to himself under his moustaches:
"Hmmm... a bit more of this... and less of that... and if I change colors a bit... and if I add... but not to leave..."
And there was a young woman, standing in front of him. Her long hair with color of old gold, covering her only... Her eyes were like mountain lakes, reflecting  a clear summer sky at noon. Her skin was as a pink pearl, you couldn't say, if it was like transparent a bit, or it was shining with its own light. Her lips were as two leaves of rose bud, semi-opened in expectation of a tender kiss, a wish of something unrealized yet, so anxious ...
She's standing there so beautiful, so full of life, so ready just to fall in love... With you? With me? With some other, more lucky guy??? Eh!...

But why the wizard's face became so grim, as he was looking at his last creating?... Why his eyes became so sad?... With deep sigh, so full of suffering, he waved with his hand and broke the magic. Poor fairy just fell unexpected on the ground and said: "Ouch!!!"
"Sorry, my friend," he said "I have to do something important, I didn't do for so long time. Please, now leave me alone, would you?"
"Hey! Why!?! Did I?...Oh, well,... as you wish... But you have to know, I've remembered your last magi-i-i-c!!!... He-he-he..." and she flew away.

The wizard sat behind his table, his hands covered his face, his long white hair streamed down to his shoulders... "I had to make this hard decision long time ago..., not to forget, I'm just a human being. I should be back in Human's world, where was my place, where was my home, and where I really belong..."
He stood up and take in hands a strange thing, containing spheres and spirals, looking like if it was made of green glass. That object become to fill of light, and all around fell in darkness... And there was a big portal. Behind it, the Sun was shining in the smiling sky with fluffy clouds over peaceful green land. Some forest near here, some river serpent far behind it, and over there some houses, and yes, some people were moving there around.
He stepped ahead..., and being deep in his blue thoughts, he didn't notice the blue transparent trembling wings flashing above his head, neither the green ball with a thin tail creeping between his legs...

So, that was the way, this Fairy, and Greedy the Imp appeared in our world...

When the Fairy Queen heard about this, she was mad. You'll ask: "But why???". Eh, the queens has their right, never to tell you, the reason why they are angry or they are glad...
"Oh, wizard, you left us that way!", she cried, " All right! Better you'd never be back again! I ban you, wizard!!! My gates are closed now for you forever!!!"
"Your Majesty,"-said the imp, who has brought her that  news, "one of us is missing too... I can understand about that fairy. She was beautiful and had a good heart, but..."
"Shut up, you stupid imp! First, the fairies have NO hearts! Beautiful?!? She?!? Ha-ha! She was beautiful like... like... like the SCARECROW in the gnome's corn field!!! Oh,... he could not prefer her... He just could not!!!... Oh, no-o-o-o...", she covered her flashing face.
"Hmm...Hmm...Your Majesty, you needed me?...." the darkness dimmed more dark around two eyes of flames...
"The Shadow Demon! Yes! Yes-s-s-s!!! I have a job for you..."

If you have played THE SCARECROW GAME, you already know the rest. :)

But if you ask me, what happens with that wizard...
Well, here is almust the end of this story.

The wizard felt so nice to be again among his kind of beings! This was his people, and he thought, they would be happy, that a man like him  is here. But what he saw was, that no one here needed him! There were no needs for his skills, neither for his knowledge. The people just laughed at him, and usually said: "Don't give me brains ! Just give me money! I know what to do with them."
He wished just to give these people all of what he could ever give, but they called him stupid, sick and crazy, and drove him away of them... And this man realized at last the bitter sad truth. The human kind had lost...the humanity. Since everything was on sell - honor, fame, loyalty, justice, brains, hearts, souls..., and everything you could simply buy...

But once the wizard met a woman. A very beautiful, clever, and kind one, who was interested of other things, except the money. This man, so disappointed of all the others, was so happy with her attention, that was ready to share with her all of his wisdom...
Well, what's happened after some time, was not something too wise of him. When he tried to explain about the greatest magic power, the Power of Love..., he fell in love with her. :) Actually it was not so bad, since it seamed, she gave him her understanding, her tenderness, and love as in return. The woman, was so curious about the magic, and was ready to learn about it. She really had a talent for this, and for the wizard it was a pleasure to give her a key to unlock it. To let her talent bloom and grow, until it reached it's full power.

Two years passed in full happiness for The Wizard of Dreamland. Until some nice night when they walked hand by hand in the garden, he told his beloved: "I'm so proud of you, my Love! Now you know everything I knew. Now you can do everything, you wished to do." he smiled happily, "You really are a true Witch now, even more powerful than me!!!"
"Is that really the truth, my dear???" she asked gently kissing him. "Oh, yes!", he said, "There is no one secret left, but...", and the wizard stepped a little back. Hmmm... he kept his last secret, as his the best gift to surprise her - opening the Gate to the Dreamland!
He rose his hands, and... nothing happened! He try to concentrate again... and he felt, he was...  empty. No energy, not even feeling of it...nothing! He even could not move anymore. He stood dizzy, dumb, staring surprisingly at his beloved. She was smiling in front of him, with flashing eyes. Between her hands rose and grew a big pulsating sphere of fire.
"You, stupid cocksure man!" she said "What do you think, why I wasted my time with you? Why I let you use my body, letting you talk about your stupid 'Power of Love'? Where is your power now? Here! In my hands! I took it all from you! And now..." she slapped her hands and the huge shining of millions colors sphere exploded into millions little sparks. The wind took them and dispersed them high in the night sky. "Ha-ha-ha...That was all... No more Love!" the Witch giggled "All power of love of the Great Mage...The Greatest Fool... Just a fool, like every other man always is!" and she laughed, and laughed at him...
The men just stood unmovable, with empty brains, and empty heart... He couldn't believe in what was happened... He felt his heart was stopped, and there were just pain, pain, pain...until it turned into a cold heavy stone. His full of sadness eyes were watching the last sparks of his love, vanishing among the stars. The only thought flew alone in his mind was: "May some spark of these still be alive! May it fall in someone's heart... who deserves The Power Of Love..."
The Witch stopped laughing, then said: "Well, what to do with you now?", she  knitted her beautiful black brows, "To play once more your favorite game 'turn this into that, but if someone do this, but didn't do that, turn that into this'?... Ha-ha-ha-ha... how many times you made me play that game, and when I cried hopeless, you've said with your so gentle voice: ' Think with your heart, my love! Love gives wings to your mind to fly!' Alright, I was your love. I'll give you wings! I'll let you fly!!!" , with fire in her eyes she rose her hands towards the man, "Now be a bird, an ugly one, that people are afraid to hear it's voice! But... he-he-he... if some nice girl with clear heart falls in love with you, but never asking who really you are, may your power be back...", she smiled tricky, "No-o-o, too easy! Let me add one detail more... since all nice girls do not like the darkness, you'll fly only at the night!!!"
And she turned him into an
OWL...             

© The Owl