The Resurection Circle

A warlock on hard times dies twelve times.

Death is unbecoming of a warlock, but I’ve died twelve times. The first was a fluke, killed by an ogre while gathering firewood. The second was an accident, caught in a fire I started in my home. The third resulted from practicing magic I wasn’t ready for. The fourth, I drowned in the lake while diving for black shells. The fifth I was killed by my wife, by poison. The sixth I was killed by the goblin pit for killing my wife. The seventh I fell from the top of a cliff while trying to reach the wise one. The eighth I simply starved to death. The ninth, I walked into the dragon cave and inevitably was eaten. The tenth was the same as the sixth, only this time for returning more than nine times. The eleventh I was smite down by the phoenix goddess. The twelve I walked myself to exhaustion. I’m tired now and I’ve given up on dying.

*

 

Winter was on its way, so I was gathered fire wood to keep myself warm. It was a peaceful activity for me. The forest was quiet, especially in the winter. I listened to the wind blow through the trees and a part of me enjoyed the cold nipping at my ears. I looked forward to warming myself by the fire.

I reached for a log when I heard the snapping of a large branch behind me. I stood up slowly and heard heavy breathing down my neck. It was warm and thick drool fell on my shoulders. I slowly turned around and looked up at a mountain of a beast.

It was an ogre and he was eager to eat me. He held a large wooden club in one hand and he raised it up to smash me. I leapt out of the way at the last second and narrowly escaped being bludgeoned to death in one fell swoop.

I dropped the fire wood and started too run. In my panic, I forgot I knew magic. The ogre followed in lumbering footsteps. He was a lot faster than I expected.

He caught up with me and bashed me with a wide swing of his club, knocking me into a nearby tree. That was the last thing I remembered that night.

*

I came to in my resurrection circle just outside my home, bruised and battered but alive once again. Resurrecting always took a lot out of me.

I went inside and deided to be satisfied with the little firewood I had. I didn’t want to be killed by that ogre again.

I lit the fire and warmed myself. It felt nice and I added more wood to the fire. The fire grew and grew until it became uncontrollable.

It quickly consumed my house and, having locked myself in, I burned alive.

Again, I came to in the resurrection circle, this time scarred with burn marks.

*

Tired of my mistakes, I decided to practice magic. I decided to work on the charm spell. Having nobody to practice on, I decided to cast it on myself. It worked and I became so charmed by myself that I started talking to myself in the mirror but I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to be closer to myself so I walked into the mirror, but of course I bounced right back off. Frustrated, I did it again, and again, and again, until the glass shattered and pierced my heart.

Disappointed at yet another failure, I set down and died once more.

Again, I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

I decided that if I couldn’t be that close to myself, I’d have to find a wife, and to find a wife I would need back shells.

Women loved black shells and I knew just where to get them, the bottom of the lake. It was a hard dive but I knew it could be done.

With hard work and a breath holding spell, I made it to the bottom of the lake where the black shells grow. I gathered them up, one by one, and collected quite a bounty. I was enthralled by my collection and continued collecting.

Unfortunately, I forgot the limits of the breath holding spell and it wore off and I drowned.

Again, I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

Knowing my bounty of black shells was at the bottom of the lake, I cast yet another breath holding spell and retrieved them, this time making sure not to stay for too long.

I brought them to a beautiful lady and she liked them very much. She agreed to be my bride and we were wed.

Though she liked the black shells, it turned out she wasn’t such a fan of me. Disappointed, I cast the charm spell I had been working on, on her. It worked.

She was absolutely in awe of me, hanging on my every word, following my every move. It was nice at first but it got sickening. I got so tired of it I had to take of the charm spell to feel free again. She didn’t like that and she once again only liked my for the black shells.

One day she cooked me dinner and I ate it. It was poisoned and I started dying. She took the shells and left and I died.

Again, I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

I tracked her down shortly after and killed her with a fire spell. I was angry to say the least and believed she deserved it, but the kingdom disagreed. They sentenced me to the goblin pit.

I was thrown inside and the mauled me and ate me and I died.

Once again, I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

Tired of death after death after death, I decided to consult the wise one. He lived at the top of a very high mountain and I knew it would be a long climb. I climbed and scrambled up the mountain, but I grew weary and careless.

I lost my footing and fell onto the rocks below and died.

I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

Depressed, I stopped eating and starved to death.

I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

I didn’t want to wake up, but I did. I don’t know why and I was sad that it happened. I walked to the dragons lair, walked in and was eaten.

I woke up in the resurrection circle

*

That was the ninth death and was supposed to be the legal limit for a warlock. A tenth life was strictly forbidden and the kingdom punished me for it be feeding me to the goblins, once again.

I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

As soon as I resurrected, the phoenix god smite me down.

I woke up in the resurrection circle and started walking.

*

I walked myself to exhaustion and I died.

I woke up in the resurrection circle.

*

I’m tired now and I’ve given up on dying.