Warlock’s Wife

Mira opened her eyes.

They were still in the woods, but outside of the cave. She was now lying in the grass, the mage towering over her. In his hand, there were some clothes.

“Put this on, we are going to the village,” the warlock said.

He threw the clothes to her, and she seized them up. A simple white shirt with a string and a long dark skirt. A simple and thin leather shoes just enough to cover her soles. Once she put all her clothes on, he gave her a cloak with a hood, the same as he wore.

“Why are we going to the village?” Mira asked him.

“I need to buy some food from the villagers...”

“Oh, I see.”

“And I need to show them I have a wife.”

Mira put on the cloak around her shoulders. “Is this really necessary?” she asked, crinkling her nose.

“It is not proper for a woman to live with a man if they are not wed,” he said simply. “It is for your own good.”

“Right,” she said. “I forgot I am in a world where woman is a burden.”

He looked at her, surprised by her sarcastic tone. “It crossed my mind many times, while inscribing the spells onto your skin, that you are bold indeed. And you speak with much wit.”

“Did I charm you?” she smirked.

“I hold no desire for women.”

“You won't believe me, but I could guess that,” Mira said dryly. “Now that you made me your walking grimoire, what is your plan with me?”

“To keep you by my side as my instrument,” he said. “I did tell you I have a need for a spell book and a mana well. I still need to pour my mana into you. But that ritual is much simpler and less painful, so it is safe to do it in my hut.”

“Aren't you scared that I will run away, now that I can move? All your efforts will be wasted.”

“Where would you go, my dear vessel? It is clear you have no notion of how this world works, and as you said, a woman is a burden here. You would have to wed someone or start working somewhere to earn your living. In the worst case, someone will take you and sell you as a slave. So I would prefer that you stop using your tricks on me if you have no intention of leaving.”

Mira clicked her tongue. He laughed after hearing her annoyance.

She was just playing with him, and he saw right through it. Of course, she wanted to leave as soon as possible. If she were sure it would be safe, she would have just bolted right as she opened her eyes outside of the cave. But during the previous days, she was locked inside, not able to see or hear anything useful. She had no idea where they were and what kind of world she was summoned to. She needed more information first to be able to plan her next steps.

“What is your name, girl?” he asked her.

“My name is Mira,” she said. “What's yours?”

“I am Severian.”

She shook his hand. She decided to skip the Nice to meet you phrase. It was not nice to meet him, after all.

“So the magic is banned in the Silgorod kingdom,” she said. “That’s why we were hidden until now.”

“Yes, it was now more than a century since the king decided to adopt the religion and punish all magic users.”

“So it is the same as in my world,” Mira muttered.

“Is the magic banned there, too?”

“It was, in the past. But the thing is, the magic never even existed in our world.”

“How can they ban something that doesn’t exist?”

“People from the past believed in all sorts of superstitions. The church decided to stop that. But the witch hunt turned into a hysteria, and many innocent people died in the process. If someone wanted to own your belongings, he just accused you of witchcraft, and you were dead within a few days, maybe even hours. But that was many centuries ago. Now you can do whatever you want, as long as you are not breaking the law.”

“So the magic does not exist in your world?”

“I do witchcraft, you could say,” Mira answered him. “But it is not the same kind as yours. Mine are just… lies.”

“I see.”

“How does your magic look?”

“All magic is banned in the Silgorod kingdom, but I dabble in the one they used to call forbidden, even in the old times when it was allowed.“

“What makes it different?”

“The old mages used their mana to create spells. When their own strength was insufficient, they could channel their mana from the world around them, like from nature itself. Some of those spells were peculiar, but I would say they are harmless.”

“Okay. And the forbidden one does what?”

“It violates the natural order. But the most important thing is that it corrupts its users. If you need to craft a powerful spell, you need to sacrifice something. There were many stories of mages who lost their body or minds while playing around with the forbidden magic.”

“So it was forbidden in the past not only for protecting other people, but also to protect mages themselves.”

“Indeed. Still, many warlocks are trying to find a way to break this rule and leave unscathed, but it has proved to be very difficult. If I could do it, it would revolutionize the whole magic system.”

“You said it violates the natural order,” Mira said. “What exactly is that?”

“It is the magic of the dead.”

“So the dead stay dead even in this world, where magic does exist.”

“Warlocks have only two ultimate goals on their mind. The first is to become immortal.”

“Like the alchemists.”

“Exactly. And as the alchemists are trying to create the philosopher's stone, which would turn everything to gold, we are trying to find a way to bring the dead back to life. That is our second goal.”

Mira has wondered if he lost someone dear to him, which he was now trying to bring back to life. It was a personal question, and she did not care about his feelings, but just as she was opening her mouth, going to ask him this, he hushed her.

“Now enough of this talk. We are near the village now.”

“How is it called?”

“It's Lindenod.”

“Do you live here?”

“Not too close to the other villagers, but yes, this is my home. Now, be quiet.”

They exited the woods. Before their eyes, there were multiple meadows and wheat fields spanning. A small stream was running along their path, its cold water splashing cheerfully. A herd of animals grazed on the grass, bells around their necks ringing softly. Mira could see multiple cows and a big herd of sheep.

Before them, in the valley, the family of old houses built out of stone and wood was standing. A tall tower with a cross on the top was peaking through, the church being the tallest building in the whole village.

“Lower your head and do not speak,” Severian told her. “The aura around you is too different from other villagers, they will get suspicious.”

“I will be quiet like a mouse,” she muttered with a hint of a smile on her lips.

They entered the small village. There was no square in this place, only houses with their gardens and barns. Severian went to one of those homes and knocked on the door firmly.

Mira was wondering if people were even at home at this time of day, as they probably had outside work to do, but the wooden door opened in a moment, and a young woman stepped out. She was dressed in a simple blouse and skirt, and an apron was hanging around her waist. Her hands were white from flour.

“Mister Severian,” she chirped once she saw him.

Mister. Mira rolled her eyes under the hood.

“It has been a long time since you last visited. On errand to buy some things again?”

“I would like some bread and milk,” he said. “And cheese.”

“It will be done at once.”

She disappeared into the house and returned with the basket full of goods. Severian gave her a silver coin he pulled out of his pocket.

“That’s too much, Severian,” she blushed. “You are an important customer of mine. I cannot bring myself to take more money than is fair.”

Customer of mine… How did this oddball manage to woo this woman?

“I believe it is fair. After all, you always put more goods into my basket than I ask for.”

She blushed harder at his words.

Such a good-mannered sheep, Mira thought.

The woman only now realized, someone was standing behind him. He peeked at Mira, but she was properly hidden behind the warlock, not showing herself as he requested.

“And who is this companion of yours?” the woman asked, curious.

“That is my wife, Mira,” Severian said.

Mira raised her head. She could see that innocent smile of hers dropping. The shine in her eyes disappeared, her brows knitted.

Severian was not attentive enough to notice the change in her demeanor.

“Much obliged for your service,” he said. “We will be on our way then.”

They both turned and started leaving, the disappointed girl still standing at the doorstep, looking after them. Mira did not dare to look back.

They exited the village and started walking upwards the hill, where Severian's hut was. When they were too far from the fields and people working there, Mira put down her hood.

“That girl likes you,” she said to him.

“Do not jest.”

“Oh, come on, it was clear as a day,” Mira mocked him. “She calls you mister, she always gives you extra food. And did you see that blush on her cheeks? You have a fine wife waiting there, and yet you are pretending to be mine.”

“I told you I have no interest in women.”

“Shame. Such a fair maiden. Does she own a bakery?”

“Her parents do. She is helping there.”

Mira put her hand into his basket a pulled out a small, round cake with red berry jam and a fresh curd in the middle. She bit right into it. The sweetness spread in her mouth. The cake was delicious.

“She is such a good baker,” Mira commented. “She probably knows how to cook, too. A perfect wife.”

“You want to force another woman on me? Is this your plan? Her parents would reject our marriage for sure.”

“Still… I think she really likes you. You should probably think more carefully when talking to her. Some of your actions could be misunderstood.”

“Like what?”

“Like visiting a naked woman hiding in a cave multiple times per day.”

He stopped and turned to her. The tips of his ears were bright red. He was now getting embarrassed at her words? Making fun of him was much more entertaining than she expected.

“Therefore, you should handle the communication with her properly. There is nothing more dangerous than a jealous woman's heart.”

“She knows we would never be together. She is almost eighteen now, and other girls from the village of that same age are already married. She is probably the last one. If she doesn’t choose someone proper, her parents will do it in her stead. Either way, she is too young for me.”

“How old are you, anyway?” Mira asked him.

“I am thirty.”

Mira choked on the pie she was just chewing and started coughing. She was able to spit out the piece of pastry. She turned to him with watery red eyes. She had to clear her throat multiple times.

“You are thirty?” she yelled. “That cannot be! I myself am twenty-six and look at the difference between us!”

“I am telling the truth.”

“But your voice! And that silver hair of yours! You look at least forty plus! How is this even possible? This is fraud!”

“I told you,” he said quietly. “That my magic requires sacrifice. Sometimes, your body gets corrupted and stops functioning properly. Sometimes it means I have to sacrifice my own lifespan.”

Mira caught on quickly. “If you will use spells on me, will that impact my lifespan, too?”

He didn’t respond to her, but she got her answer already.

So there is no way for her to live peacefully in this world. He will be slowly cutting away at her soul until she is fully corrupted and unable to function. Like a tool, just as he called her.

It looked like she was summoned to this world only to be punished.