Bio + short story for contest

Bio:

Name: Grand Wizard Zirlan
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Location: Dogmar City, Cinitar Island, Planet Ramonna

About Me

My name is Randin Zirlan. I come from a long line of Grand Wizards, going back to the First Wizard on our planet Ramonna, Trammyne the Great. I am the Grand Wizard of the Island of Cinitar and a member of the king’s Council.

Magic did not exist in our world for many years. It had begun when the dragons were at long last driven away. The king, his physician and a small party went up the mountain to check the Dragons lairs. They found the dragons’ treasures in a cave. In the deepest vault, a magnificent shiny meteorite lay covered with piles of sheep’s wool.

The meteorite was made of a strange looking substance and had bumps all over its surface. When the King touched one of the bumps, an apparition appeared and told them that he was the Great Mage from Planet Soriba who had been incarcerated inside the crystal for hundreds of years. As a reward for releasing him from the stone, he was going to grant them Magee powers. He addressed the King’s physician Trammyne and with one gesture of his hand put him to sleep. Moments later, while reciting a chain of spells, the Mage woke the man and he became the first Wizard in our world.

Official duties

I am a man of influence in my country, second only to the king. The Patriarch is a man of religion and the present one in office is a spineless man with no vision and no aspiration. He has little knowledge outside his narrow world of religion and his contribution to the governing Council is minimal. The burden of guiding the king rests on my shoulders.

Under the umbrella of the Wizard’s administration, 120 Sorceresses create a wide net of ears and eyes to report back of any disturbances in the country. The king is the first to know when ships arrive at our port with unique merchandise, or with volumes of citizens from other islands.

The school for Sorceresses and Enchanters is part of our Magic world. Only the most talented boys and girls are chosen and they spend 12 years in our school, under the protection of the king.

The Enchanters are low-grade sorcerers with limited magic powers. They wear a Crystal necklace, slivers cut off the ancient meteorite. This necklace radiates invisible rays which connect all the persons who deal in magic and lets them see everything all the way to the nearest necklace wearer. My responsibility is to see that enough Crystals are chipped off the meteorite and that the cave is guarded by the best guards from the Royal Guard. The highly sensitive Crystal must not fall into hostile hands. It could mean trouble for the kingdom.

Since Magee is an inherited trait, Sorceresses and Enchanters are not allowed to marry outside their circle. One of my most sacred duties is to approve marriages between my apprentices and make sure that no unfit blood soils our heritage.

Among our sorceress, there is a woman who is the most important person on our Planet. She is the Keeper of the Seeds of Knowledge and Wisdom. In here mind, the Maker had installed the accounts of all the past years, the ways of Nature and people, the ways of religion and the know-how of living. Her identity is concealed and only the Council members know who she is.

In order to keep the “BINA” which was the Divine Wisdom and Knowledge from diminishing and disappearing with the pass of time, a young sorceress was elected to carry in her mind the seeds of Knowledge and Wisdom. She was specially trained for her role of keeper and had great mental powers. The keeper’s services were called upon by all Cinitar inhabitants, whenever a disputes regarding religious rituals, rules of governing, laws of man and remembrance of ancient history. Her identity is known only to the king and his council. She pretends to be a simple midwife and lives with her husband and daughter in a small village. I am personally responsible for her well-being.

Her husband is a sorcerer too and his calling is similar to his wife’s - he’s the keeper of the Sacred Scrolls. These scrolls were given to our people at the time of creation. In order to keep streaks of Evil that are found in any living creature, the gods created these Light Scrolls. As long as they were present in their world, they prevented the Evil serpent from rising. The moment the scrolls, which were indestructible, would be removed from our planet, a gradual change will take place and some people would turned evil. My duty was to protect the scrolls by means of spells and constant watch.

One other important responsibility of a Grand Wizard is keeping the lights and heat going in the island. Since the days of recovering the meteorite and finding large deposits of Cinnabar ores at the feet of Dragon Mountain, our previous Wizard had perfected a system of using Cinnabar for light and heat. By means of magic spells, I grant glass globs filled with Mercury gas the energy to be heated until the gas emits bright light. The spell turns the heat off as soon as the sun comes up. A monthly trip to the Mercury wells where the globes are filled with gas is all that is needed from me in order to keep the lights on throughout our island.

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PROLOGUE (Word count 2,030)

Grand Wizard Zirlan stood by the window in his den and studied the children playing in the garden below. They were the chosen candidates for the next Tournament of Minds which took place on the Island every five years. The children are the future of this kingdom, he thought. The results of careful matching of the best Magee talents available. They will be trained to become Enchanters and midwives, Sorcerers and medicine geniuses.

He turned and went back to his clattered desk. It has always been clattered. He wouldn’t let the servants clean his room, except for occasional dusting. He could remember every piece of parchment he received or wrote and knew where to find it. He remembered every glass bottle in the cabinet under the desk, its content, and purpose. He had an excellent memory. Servants moved things around and couldn’t care less if bottles broke or if a parchment was buried under other items. He needed to know where everything was so he could find it in time of need.

At that moment, his need was to send an invitation to appear before him to Shauna Devin, the Sorceress who was the Keeper of the Seeds of Knowledge and Wisdom. He had an important issue to discuss with her. He wrote the invitation, sealed the parchment and called his aide Benion.

“See that Sorceress Shauna gets this today. Wait for her and bring her back with you.”

“Yes, Sir. Must I take a carriage for her?”

“No need. She can ride her own horse. Now go. And not a word of this to anyone.”

Zirlan was a tall man, broad shoulders over narrow hips. He was not a good looking man but had an imposing presence. His long grey hair was gathered at his nape in a braid and his short beard was always groomed. People used to say his eyes were the color of the grey wolves roaming the mountains, and indeed, his eyes had an unusual grey color, sprinkled with tawny spots.

His eyes never missed a thing; Always alert, always open. They said he slept with his eyes open, but that was only one of the things they said about him. He held the highest position in the country let that of the king. Grand Wizard of Cinitar Island, member of the High Council and in charge of the Magee. He knew he was mostly liked, but those who crossed him were severely punished and after many years in position, he made many enemies. He never worried about those. He was powerful, rich and controlled the country. Yes. I control the land and not that stupid king who sits in his palace and drinks himself to sleep every night.

He left his room and went down to the kitchen. Fredda, the housekeeper was known to serve meals for him and everyone dwelling under his roof at set hours, and crossing her was an unpleasant matter, even for him. She was a large woman, always wearing a blue dress with white trimmings at the collar and sleeves. On top of it, she had thrown a woolen scarf held by a golden broach which he had given her after 20 years of service.

The dining room was built in one corner of his house, having windows in two walls, all opening to a magnificent garden. On hot days, the windows were kept open and a soft breeze cooled the air.

Zirlan found the table set for the midday meal and about twenty of the Enchanters, clerks and musicians gathered around the table. He sat down and signaled the servants to start serving the food.

Rich foods were never served in his home. “Fat meats and too much honey make the mind blunt,” He used to say. “What we need is lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables.” He also never drank beer or fermented fruit juices. He couldn’t stand drunken people and thought that wine was a curse. He ate little, never had heartburn and was always trim and fit, unlike the King and the Patriarch who were both overweight and could hardly walk.

Zirlan was unusually quite at the table and his Head Clerk gave him a curious look now and then. He knew his master for many a year and keeping quite at the table meant that something was on his mind, something that meant trouble for someone. He tried to talk to the Wizard a few times, only to be hushed or ignored. I wonder what he’s planning,” thought the man. “I didn’t summon anyone today, and there’s no trouble with anyone I know. He sighed and when the Wizard got up and left the table, he went looking for Benion, the Aide. He couldn’t find him anywhere.

Back at his den, Zirlan locked his door and went to the small library set in one corner of the large room. He moved his long thin fingers on the books until he found the one he needed. He took it out and went back to his desk. The book was leather bound and heavy. He opened it and started to go through the pages. “Oh, yes, that’s the one. This is what I need!” He read aloud the words. Ancient chants were written in the old language and he had to recite it several times until he could remember all the verses.

A smile appeared on his thin face. He was seemingly content. He closed the book, placed it back in the library and dropped himself into the armchair at his desk. Leaning back he closed his eyes and thought about the future. He wanted to marry the young sorceress who worked at the Dogmar Healing Center. She was pretty, clever and came from a good family. It was time for him to produce a son. A future Grand Wizard. It was required of him to prepare his successor. He would call on her after he’d conclude his business with Shauna Devin. Yes, he will bring her some flowers from his gardens. She wouldn’t take gifts. She was modest and well bred. He couldn’t wait for her to become his wife.

A knock on the door woke him. He fell asleep in his chair. He got up, stretched and went to unlock the door. I must have been uptight, he thought. But I’m not nervous at all. I know what I have to do. My plans are flawless. I will succeed.

He opened the door. His Head Clerk stood there, crushing his satin sash between his fingers. He dared not look into the Wizard’s face. He moved his weight from one leg to the other and said nervously, “We need to finish the report about the light globs and order some more Cinnabar gas. Next week is scheduled for the globs spells. I want everything to be ready when we go there.”

Zirlan looked at the old man standing in front of him. They were the same age, one an ordinary man who studied to become a clerk and the other a wizard. The ordinary man looked twice the age of the wizard. His body was soft, no visible muscles to hold him erect. His hands were plump and pink and his hair completely white and short. He always wore silk tunics with a sash and light sandals.
“Yes. I know. We’ll finish the report tomorrow morning. You can make the order for the Cinnabar tonight. Anything else?” Zirlan was impatient to return to his chair and finish his plans.

“No, Wizard. I’ll send the order out. By the way, I was looking for Benion. Have you sent him somewhere? I can’t find him.”

“Why do you need him? I’ve sent him to Dogmar to the Healing Center. He won’t be back before the nightfall.”

“The Healing Center? What on earth for? I thought---“

He’s on a private errand for me which is none of your business. Now go. I’m busy.” With that he closed the door, locked it again and went back to his chair.

She will be here any moment now. I hope that stupid clerk has left like he’d been told to do. I don’t want him to see her.

Zirlan touched the necklace he was wearing. On a silver chain, a crystal pendant was hanging. It had a deep black/blue luster and was warm to the touch. He held the crystal in the palm of his hand and closed his eyes. “Shauna Devin,” he said quietly. An image formed behind his closed lids. Shauna rode her black horse and Benion was accompanying, riding alongside. They just entered the inner yard. He let go of the crystal and tucked it into his shirt.
He got up, went to the door and left the building through a side door.

Benion’s orders were to bring Shauna to the old stable which was not in use anymore. Zirlan didn’t want anyone to see her.

He reached the stables at the same time as Shauna and Benion. When she saw him she greeted him with a bow and stood quietly, not uttering a word. Zirlan knew her well. She was the Keeper of Wisdom and Knowledge. She was the wisest person among all beings. She knew the past all the way back to the day of Creation. She had answers for every question. Religion and magic were engraved in her mind. Laws and customs were present in her breath. She never forgot anything. But there was one thing she couldn’t do, and that was foreseeing the future. She could give advice based on the past, but she couldn’t predict the future. Not the country’s future and not her own. On that fact he based his simple plan.

“Thank you Sorceress Devin for coming so promptly. There is a matter of great urgency concerning the king that I need to discuss with you. Let’s find a place to sit.

He moved closer to her, guiding her with a hand on her back. With his other hand he motioned to Benion to leave and walked calmly with Shauna to the back part of the stables.

Shauna was a young woman, about 25 years of age. She was tall, slim and good looking. Her face was strikingly beautiful. Golden eyes set in a perfectly carved face. Her long black hair was done in ringlets and gathered at the back with a ribbon. She wore a simple dress and a green apron, for officially she was a midwife.

At the back room, Zirlan found an old barrel and offered it to her as a chair. She sat quietly, just looking at him quizzically.

“What is this all about, Wizard,” she asked. “Why are we meeting here? Is there danger to the king? Have you told him?”

“So many questions, Shauna. I’ll answer them all in but a minute. Just bear with me.”

His eyes shone. His breath coming with hardship and his hand trembled when he took out a small purple bottle out of his pocket and poured the content on the unsuspecting Shauna. Her eyes widened in her face, her mouth began to form a cry but then the liquid poured on her was breathed in and she fell asleep, sitting on the barrel.

Zirlan looked at her and was pleased. Step one was accomplished. He lifted the sleeping woman and laid her on the floor. He stretched her hands to the sides, straightened her legs together and released her hair, arranging it around her head. Perfect, He thought.

He stood at her feet, found his Crystal and put it into his mouth. Then, he raised his hands and started to chant the ancient verses which he memorized earlier. He sang in a quiet monotonous voice, emphasizing each word. He sang the last verse twice and spat the Crystal from his mouth.

The world stood still. A vapor began to rise from Shauna’s body, engulfing her, covering her, decomposing her. Zirlan could not see a thing. The vapor turned blue and in an instant disappeared. Shauna disappeared with it.

The Grand Wizard of Cinitar had just sent all the Wisdom and Knowledge of his world to another planet.