[ WP ] You are a `` hero '' in a fantasy world , but as you `` adventure '' , you are slowly realizing YOU are the antagonist .

The castle was long abandoned by some ancient King, who one day must have realized the advantages of not living on a hill in a forest in the middle of no-where. *But it had it's perks too*, Valerius mused when choosing it as his hideout. The towers made a good lookout over the valley, the interior gave him enough room for training and the townsfolk kept a distance that can only be described as `` superstitiously careful''. Also, the wine-cellar still had a few full casks in it. It was the perfect place for being left alone. 
 
 `` Igor?!'' Valerius called into the staircase leading to the maze that made up the castle's interior. 
 
 Igor was the one who told Valerius about the castle in the first place. He had met Igor in a small tavern, half a days ride west. He did n't notice him enter the tavern and after Valerius heard about his future hideout, Igor only told him to meet him there. How he got there before Valerius was a mystery, but who was he to hold that against someone? 
 
 `` Yees Master?'' It came up the stone halls of the stairway, accompanied by the sound of shuffling footsteps and the emerging light of a candle. Igor looked like Lady Luck had spat him in his face right before his mother dropped him on it. He had short, slim legs that did n't match at all to his round belly and the hunch on his back. The squint teeth and the lazy eye did not help his appearance but he had a gentle soul and was so very eager to help Valerius in his studies, the mage just could n't refuse. 
 
 `` I told you not to call me that.'' 
 
 `` Call you what, Master?'' Igor asked in his usual cheerful tone. 
 
 Valerius rolled his eyes while Igor made his last swaying step to reach the top of the stairs. 
 
 `` Good, you brought up those vials. I need you to fetch me a leaf from the Elm in the courtyard, it needs to be fresh, so best take the twig it is hanging on too.'' 
 
 `` Of course Master, and afterwards I shall bring you dinner,'' Igor said cheerfully. 
 
 `` I still do n't see why you insisted that I take to highest room in this tower, does n't it get to you, to climb up here?'' 
 
 `` Not at all Master, I am very light on my feet,'' Igor said while setting the small bottles he brought with him on a nearby table. `` You told me you had important studies, so naturally the best place for this is'the study'. If you were going to bake something we would have used the castles bakery, Master. Its just the proper way to do these things, Master.'' 
 
 `` I have not earned the title of'master' yet my friend, first I need to finish this spell. After that you can call me Master as much as you want.'' 
 
 `` Understood. I shall bring the rest of your flasks up, so you can continue you work, Master.'' 
 
 With that Igor turned and began his painfully slow descent back down to'the infirmary', a small room full of bottles and instruments. In the beginning, when Valerius arrived, he had Igor show him every room, scouring them for anything useful. What Valerius had not expected was that Igor would get him everything *up here* in the exact same order he pointed everything out, those weeks ago. 
 
 Valerius was a tall man with his shoulder-long hair tied behind his neck. He wore a long green cloak and a black shirt. The combination gave his seamstress wide eyes and all she said was `` stunning''. Now, a good year later, the best he could hope for would be a `` not too bad...'', but he liked it anyways. In one hand he held a book titled *'' Alchemic Reasoning'' *, in the other hand was a glas of wine Valerius deemed worthy for a king. 
 
 His studies were of the supernatural sort: magic, alchemy and their correlation. With magic you could, for example, heal a wound no doctor could fix in an instant and with alchemy you could make a potion to heal the wound in half an hour. The problem with magic was, that only few people could use it. A grievous wound ca n't get treated if you never met a mage in a lifetime. Alchemy on the other hand could be learned by anyone, but the ingredients were expensive and the process of most recopies involved very nearly blowing your house to pieces. So in the end it is very hard to get a healing potion, let alone enough to help more than one person. Valerius' studies tried to combine the two. what if he could make a small flask with healing potion and magically transfer it's alchemic properties to a baller full of water? If he could make this work he would become a Master, maybe even a Gand Master if *the Circle* saw fit. 
 
 `` Master! Come quickly, Master!'' Igors voice shrieked up into the tower. Valerius set the book down and hurried down the stairs as fast as he could without spilling his wine. He found Igor by a window in the gallery. The window faced south, usually giving a view of the forest and the castles dry moat. Now it also gave a view of a mob of townspeople behind the moat. 
 
 `` That's quite the gathering, what do they want from us?'' 
 
 `` Not *'us'*, Master. *You. *'' Igor said without hesitation. 
 
 `` But what have I done to deserve pitchforks and torches? How do they even know I am here?'' 
 
 `` Well because I told them, Master. The vermin must know about the new Dark Lord, otherwise they would have no respect.'' 
 
 For an instance the muffled shouts from outside were swept away by the sound of glass breaking of the cold stone floor. 
 
 `` You did WHAT?'' Valerius asked incredulously while shaking the small man a hand-span above the spilled wine. `` Why would you do that?!'' he shouted before turning back to the window, dropping his minion. 
 
 `` It is tradition Master. Rule them with an iron fist, the way it is supposed to be,'' Igor announced in a much too happy tone. `` Do n't you meddle in the Dark Arts? It was why fate brought you here, Master.'' 
 
 `` *Rule* them? Why would I do that? I have more important matters to attend! And fate? It was n't fate that brought me here, it was YOU!'' The louder Valerius got, the more Igors crooked but happy smile faded from his unshapely lips. 
 
 `` But Master, I am only here to help. I bring you your trinkets, I clean the castle, I collected the taxes, I ma-'' 
 
 `` *TAXES? *'' The mage roared. `` Why would..'' He was both angry and at a loss for words. 
 
 `` I got them yesterday, with the full moon. This is the proper way, Master, it is how it has always been. How it should be.'' Igor said with less certainty. With more strength he then said `` I help the Master, I am a good servant.'' 
 
 `` No Igor! You have been a bad servant. I'll go upstairs to talk to them, you go and get them their money.'' 
 
 And as the Master of the castle hurried away, Igor was left there, standing in a puddle he suddenly had no desire to tidy up anymore. 
 
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 Hey, first promt I did. I hope it's not too filled with mistakes and that you enjoyed reading it.
