The Bending Sight
For three days, Sir Toven had been wandering the globe, looking for something, anything.
Any way to free himself from this prison.
I should’ve known better than to approach the sorcerer…
The sorcerer, a nobleman formerly known as Viscount Quentin, came to Elsanstrance for a meeting. Though the sorcerer denied any involvement, witnesses in the House of Mathas recognized Quentin as the abductor of Autumn Mathas, Duke Mathas’s daughter. The sorcerer agreed to meet with the king and Duke Mathas to talk, clear his name, and offer any assistance he could in finding the duke’s daughter.
After the meeting’s conclusion, Sir Toven found the sorcerer at the capitol’s well in town square. Toven approached and asked the sorcerer what he was doing, and the sorcerer claimed he was lost and didn’t know the way back to the stable where his horse had been tied.
Another knight led the sorcerer away, but Toven stayed and examined the well. Something didn’t seem right, but he didn’t know what. The well looked as it always did, but just beneath the breeze, Sir Toven could feel a buzz of magic emanating from the well.
Toven leaned into the well to look closer, and the magic sucked him inside.
At the bottom of the well, a magic portal took Toven here—a new, small world, outside of his own.
In the three days since he’d been dropped here, Sir Toven covered every inch of this world, a small globe, not even half a league around.
The world boasted a small castle, fit for one person. Also, there was one river that had no beginning or end, but simply flowed as a band around the world. There were also several meadows and few hills.
There were enough natural fruit and vegetables to keep Toven alive, besides the fish in the river and a few non-threatening woodland creatures. As he survived, he also festered. Toven looked frantically for a portal or any way to get off this world and back to his own.
First, he looked for another well, but then his search broadened to everywhere.
During his search, he found bones. Several sets of bones.
“I’m not the first one here,” he said to himself. “If I can’t get out of here soon, I’ll be next.”
By the end of day three, he’d come to another startling conclusion.
I’m not the only one here.
He felt that he’s being watched. He’d been suspecting it the whole time, but he could only ignore his suspicions for so long.
Someone or something hunted him, and he felt like the powerless prey.
He hadn’t seen anyone else the entire time he’d been in this world, but he could still feel the eyes on him.
Is my foe invisible, or is he hiding just out of sight?
Sir Toven was thankful that his bow and arrow quiver had been on his back when he fell into the well.
He was an expert archer. He’d even won every archery contest in the Elsanstrance Tourney for the last three years. Plus, the arrows currently in his quiver were enchanted for both distance and precision.
For the last three days, he’d also been setting up fortifications in the castle. Sir Toven even made a makeshift shield.
With the third day drawing near to its end, Sir Toven finally found the first clue to the answers he’d been searching for.
First, it appeared as a ripple in the sky.
Sir Toven for a moment thought it was a portal, and he contemplated how he might get to such a height to leave this place and his stalker behind. Then, the ripple formed into a face.
“Sir Toven, how do ye fare?”
Toven knelt on one knee but kept his face to the sky. “Do my eyes deceive me, or are you who I think you are?”
The face smiled. “I am the Enchanter of Elsanstrance, yes.”
“Enchanter, I am glad to see and hear you. I hadn’t seen you around the kingdom for awhile, so I didn’t think to expect you here.”
“Indeed, I’ve been preoccupied in further reaches of the kingdom and beyond to others. But I know of this sorcerer, and once I heard that he was going to meet with the king, I started moved towards the capitol.”
“Enchanter, can you get me out of here? Can you free me from this prison?”
“The curse that Sorcerer Quen put on the well was a strong one, and the world he sent you to is nearly impenetrable. It’s taking most of my magical strength to speak to you now in this limited manner.”
Toven frowned. “How then may I escape? Is there hope for me?”
“Yes, Sir Toven, there’s hope. If only you could see how the entire kingdom works on your behalf. We will capture the sorcerer soon. But I won’t be able to penetrate these spells for at least four more days, if not longer. You must hang on until then. To help you, I have a gift. I—”
“Enchanter, please, I need to leave here, the sooner the better. I’m afraid I’m not alone here. Something stalks me just beyond my sight.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible, Sir Toven, unless the sorcerer is more adept at magic than I feared. This world appears to be a magical, one-man prison.”
“I’m telling you, I’m not alone.”
“Either way, all you need to do is survive until I can break through. I know you’re capable of as much and more. But I would like to gift you a gift in the meantime. This will help you wait.”
“What gift, pray tell?”
“It is the Springing Sight: A magical ability for you to see the world you’re from. When you close your eyes and open your Springing Sight, your perception will spring out of the world you’re trapped in. You will see Elsanstrance and all of us here working to set you free. You’ll see those who hunt the sorcerer. You’ll see those who miss you and wish you well. You can be comforted by the knowledge and presence of your home, and they will be glad to know that you can see and hear them.”
“But…how will I defend myself?”
“Against what?”
“The one who hunts me. I know he’s here. If I use the Springing Sight, I will be powerless. Defenseless. Please, may I have another gift?”
The Enchanter sighed. “The Springing Sight is the only gift you need, Sir Toven. It is more than sufficient for you. When you can see beyond your prison, you’ll have the strength to hang on until your rescue. This is a useful gift, and the wise would snatch it.”
“Enchanter, with all due respect, it’s no use to me if I’m caught unawares. If I may be so bold to ask, may I have the Bending Sight instead?”
“The Bending Sight? Dear knight, what would you need the Bending Sight for?”
“You know the magic of which I speak, Enchanter. Surely it’s an easier request to grant than the Springing Sight. The Bending Sight would simply extend my vision here. It would let my vision bend with the curving of the globe. In a matter of minutes, I can search this entire world for my hunter. Then I’ll be safe for you to rescue me.”
“Sir Toven, the Bending Sight will keep your eyes on your prison. You will be disheartened. It is not a wise request.”
“I’m being hunted! It is the only thing I require, if I am to live through this. I can’t stay awake and alert forever. He will find me!”
The Enchanter’s face dipped into a nod. “Very well, Sir Toven. You will have your wish. The Bending Sight. Expect rescue in four days. I hope to see you soon.”
The ripple in the sky disappeared, and a bright white orb hovered in its place. The orb flew down to Sir Toven and it absorbed into his skin.
Sir Toven celebrated. “I will be victorious. I will not be hunted!”
Newly invigorated, Sir Toven climbed the nearest hill, and he looked into the distance. He squinted his eyes and he felt his vision lengthen.
He pushed his sight further and further, bending with the globe’s topography.
Finally, Sir Toven found his prey. A confident hunter, standing with his back to Sir Toven. He appeared to be a knight and an archer, just like Toven, for the hunter had a bow in his hand with an arrow already nocked.
“He’s not going to know what hit him.”
Sir Toven raised his bow, his vision focussed on the hunter. He released the enchanted arrow, and waited for it to traverse the long distance.
When the arrow stuck into his back, Sir Toven finally understood his folly.
