Book One Chapter Twenty One: Token Evil Teammate

Book One Chapter Twenty One: Token Evil Teammate

Oh yes, for your curse! The Exiled Princess said. Well, there are two Mages powerful enough to break a powerful curse. This first is the Healer Mage, who you will find in the infirmary.

The second is a secret ally of ours, the Mage Advisor to the Evil Emperor. The Exiled Prince said. He specialises in fire and curses.

Qube stared at the royals, feeling there was something very wrong with them having a magical secret ally who was advisor to their greatest enemy, but unable to articulate why. The Chosen One scratched his chin.

Well Ive already got a Healer, so Ill go for the fire guy. He said. The Prince smirked as the Princess pouted.

You will find him in his Wizards Tower. The Prince said. Speak my name and he will help you.

Without even saying goodbye, the Chosen One turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Qube took one last look at the two royals, amazed at her ability to withstand their royal-ness. She felt a warm glow inside of her - she really was becoming an even better Companion. Soon she would be able to withstand anything or anyone that tried to get in the way of her guiding the Chosen One!

AH! What! How did you get stuck in here? No! Move DOWN the stairs! She heard the Chosen One yelling. Sewer Bard, pull her towards you!

I always knew you couldnt wait to get your hands on me, darling.

Qube just wished she knew how to control her own companions.

---

The Wizards Tower was tall, dark, and poorly built. Qube wasnt even sure how it managed to stay upright, it had so many bits of it sticking out at odd angles. Even if this Mage Advisor was using magic to keep the whole thing upright, he could have at least put some thought into the aesthetics of it. Part of it also looked like a dragon had sneezed on it, as it had soot in some kind of blast pattern on the side.

Qube eyed the castle next to the tower nervously. Even though the Evil Emperor technically could appear anywhere around the kingdom, in reality he spent almost all his time in the castle that dominated Cobbletown, gathering each day to give a speech to the troops, watch them parade around the inner courtyard of the castle and then spending the rest of his time sitting in his throne room doing whatever it was that Evil Emperors did.

Since the Mage Advisor was frequently required to go speak to the Evil Emperor, it made sense that his personal tower would be right next to the castle. However, it still made Qube uneasy to walk from the line of houses through the exposed courtyard around the tower. If the Evil Emperor happened to look through the castle windows, he would be able to spot them easily!

When shed mentioned this to the Chosen One, hed just laughed, and said that it wouldnt be an issue. Was this because the Evil Emperor had let them go once already? Hed said it was because he wanted to see how they would progress, but Qube wondered if he was following his own Evil Prophecy (she wasnt sure what colour that would be. What was the opposite of golden? Blue? Purple? Was he following his own Purple Prophecy?) and this was all just an elaborate trap.

Even if it was though, it wouldnt matter. Because they had the Golden Prophecy behind them, and that was undoubtedly stronger than any Evil Emperors' traps.

Down the very bottom of the tower was a large dark door. As soon as the Chosen One approached it, a face appeared on it.

Speak. It commanded.

The Chosen One ignored it, and tried to push the door open.

Speak! The wooden face commanded more sternly.

The Chosen One kicked the door, which squawked at him, then turned and looked at Qube thoughtfully. Qube resisted the urge to pull a face at him.

Please dont try and break things. She said.

But its who I am! He exclaimed, his eyes wide and innocent. Dont you think we should test this Mages power?

No. Qube replied. I think he should cure me.

But hes the Advisor to the Evil Emperor, shouldnt we make sure hes good by having you secretly go into his base? The Chosen One stopped abruptly. Wait, why am I actually negotiating with you on this? He rubbed his face, suddenly looking tired. This game is messing with my head way too much.

Did he think their back and forth was a game?

Whatever, whatever. The Chosen One said, waving his hands. Prince dude sent us. He said to the door. The door, still glaring at him with its wooden eyes, opened. It must have some kind of truth spell woven into it, Qube thought, or else that would be a serious security risk.

The inside of the Wizards Tower made even less sense than the outside. Qube barely had time to take in the sheer size of it before the Chosen One groaned.

Seriously? Stairs? You couldnt have a teleportation spell? He asked the face on the front door. The front door sneered at him, then went to sleep. You had better stay here, I dont want you getting stuck. He said to Sexy Screamy Spider Lady. Sexy Screamy Spider Lady pouted.

Are you implying that I wouldnt fit? She asked, insulted.

Good point. The Chosen One praised Qube, making her beam. Definitely Bad Guy, can you make her visible?

Definitely Bad Guy looked at Sewer Bard, noting his long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and his puffy shirt. I see no curse.

Sewer Bard bowed. There is another - possibly in this very room, he looked at the Chosen One, who nodded, who is afflicted with a curse most foul. I beseech you, Definitely Bad Guy, to bring her back into the sunlight that so befits her beauty.

Definitely Bad Guy looked around the room, puzzled. Still seeing nothing he closed his eyes and muttered a brief spell. His tattoos pulsed red for a second. When he opened his eyes the veins had become visible and his pupils looked like deep pools of blood.

He scanned the room, not even pausing as he looked past Qube. He turned back to the Chosen One, looking extremely annoyed as he released his spell. He blinked a few times as his eyes returned to normal.

Where exactly is she? He asked Chosen One.

The Chosen One put his hand in the middle of Qubes back and shoved her forward. Right here! He said cheerfully. Definitely Bad Guy picked up a handful of white powder from his pocket and blew it towards Qube.

Argh! Why? Qube asked as she got hit in the face with flour? Why did he have flour in his pocket? How would you even keep it loose like that without it clumping? She started coughing as she accidentally inhaled some.

Definitely Bad Guy steepled his fingers together as he examined the flour covered Qube.

I cant see anything. He admitted eventually. My reagents just disappeared. Qube looked at him, then at her flour covered self. Sewer Bard squinted at Qube.

I think I can almost see her. He said, awestruck.

Definitely Bad Guy's look of annoyance deepened.

It makes no sense that you would be able to see her and not I. This is clearly a very strange and powerful curse. He said. Did you say this was done by the Evil Emperor? When was this?

The Chosen One looked rather sheepish, for some reason.

Im not a Mage, he said eventually, but shes invisible to people. Look can you fix it or not? I dont actually care-

Hey! Qube interjected angrily.

-but she complains about it a lot. Like, more than I would have thought shed be able to.

Use this salt to draw a circle around her. Then I will need to conduct some experiments, He looked at Sewer Bard and Chosen One, without interference.

Chosen One raised his eyebrows in surprise.

You want me to leave? He asked incredulously.

Your auras interfere with my tests. Definitely Bad Guy said. Its magical, very difficult to explain.

Im not walking down those stairs. The Chosen One said firmly. Definitely Bad Guy sighed.

Use this pendant, it will take you wherever you want to go within my tower. He handed out a dark red teardrop shape to the Chosen One. Do not disturb my experiments.

Qube didnt remember seeing any other rooms that they had passed while climbing the tower. Instead it had just been a giant spiral of stairs leading to the very top. Why Definitely Bad Guy had felt the need to build his room on the top floor was, admittedly, a mystery to her but she assumed it was to reduce the risk of harming anyone if an experiment went wrong. Where, then, were these test subjects and experiments he was referring to? Theyd already taken everything out of his room, so it couldnt be that.

Qube felt the familiar pain behind her eyes she got whenever she tried to think about such things too much. While it wasnt the mind-breaking power of the Prophecy that used to grip her, it was still a gentle-ish warning from her brain that trying to apply logic to magic led mostly to madness. It was probably pocket dimensions, similar to the pocket magic used in her backpack.

Oh! She perked up. Now they had an actual Mage, as opposed to her limited Healer knowledge, she would be able to ask him all kinds of questions! Like the key magic! And how pockets worked! She beamed at Definitely Bad Guy in anticipation. He had studied magic his entire life, and was good enough at it to become a trusted ally to the Exiled Prince and Princess, as well as being good enough to trick the Evil Emperor! And at such a young age as well! She would finally have answers for all the questions that burned inside of her. She hugged herself so she wouldnt move from the salt circle the Chosen One was drawing around her.

Ill be back once Ive finished checking out the other rooms. The Chosen One said quietly to Qube once hed finished encircling her with salt. Hes a party member now so I can take all his stuff. He paused and rubbed his forehead. And once again Im explaining things to you. I think I need a break after this before I go completely insane.

He raised the pendant and instantly teleported away. After a few seconds Sewer Bard also popped out of existence. Definitely Bad Guy sat on his dark red wooden chair with horns twisting from the top of it and once again drew on his sight spell, focusing entirely on the space Qube was standing in. Even though she knew he couldnt see her, Qube smiled at him encouragingly.

She just couldnt wait until they could talk to each other. She had a feeling they were going to be the best of friends!