I was gathering my things as the school day ended and was about to leave when I passed by a classmate, Liam Brison, who looked a little grim.
“Anything wrong, Liam?” I asked.
He looked up. “Oh. Hey, Colin. What’s up?”
“Nothing much, but you don’t seem like your usual self.” I remarked.
Liam sighed. “Nothing gets past you, does it? Well, something odd’s happened.”
“Odd? In what way?”
I–it would take too long to explain and I–I doubt you’d believe me, anyway.” He stammered.
I smirked. “I’ve seen many strange things in the last few years. Try me.”
“I might as well.” He began. “You see, there’s this table clock which has been passed down in my family for centuries, and was usually kept on a side table.”
I nodded. “Ah. The one seen in vintage photos of your family and house?”
“Correct.”
“Judging from the way you said usually, can I assume something happened to it?” I asked.
“Yes, and this is the strange part. My family was having dinner about a week ago when my sister and I noticed a strange glow coming from the clock.”
“Oh boy.” I sighed. “A glowing object is never a normal sign.”
“I’ll say. My parents didn’t know what we were going on about until they saw the glow as well. Before we knew it, there was a blinding flash and the clock vanished. In it’s place was an unconscious boy maybe a little older than me, and clothing were from the same period as the clock.” He explained. “Still with me, Colin?”
“I am, but I agree about this being odd.” I responded.
“I’d glad we’re in agreement on that.” He admitted. “Anyway, we asked him who he was when he came to, and he told us his name was Edmund Brison.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Brison? He’s a relative of yours, then?”
Liam nodded. “He is. For one, I have a strong resemblance to him, and family records mention a couple of Edmund Brisons. Including one who lived around the same time we got the clock and was reported as missing.”
I looked down for a moment. “This is quite an intriguing situation, Liam. Almost unbelievable.”
He groaned. “See? Didn’t I tell you?”
“Almost isn’t the same as not believing it.” I said. “Quite the opposite. I’m more inclined to believe it than most.”
“You are?”
“Yes.” I answered. “Now where’s Edmund at the moment?”
“He’s staying in an older part of our house.” Liam replied.
“Ah. Think you can bring him to Welgorlinz Manor?”
Liam stared at me. “Isn’t that where you stay during the week, Colin?”
“Yep.”
“Why would you want us to go there?”
“Because my friend Scarlon, the owner of the manor, is a specialist in this area.” I answered. “I’m sure he’d like to listen to both of you.”
“If you say so.” He shrugged. “I’ll bring him around later this afternoon, if that’s alright.”
“Perfect.” I replied. “I’ll let my friend know.”
“Thank you I don’t know if anything will come of it, but it won’t hurt to give it a shot.” He paused for a moment. “Wait. Your friend isn’t one of those nutty supernatural enthusiasts, is he?”
I smiled. “He’s an enthusiast, though you can take off the nutty part. He knows his stuff.”
Liam sighed. “Coming from you, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Well, see you tomorrow.”
I told Scarlon about my conversation with Liam when I arrived at the manor a short time later.
“So a centuries old clock suddenly turns into a boy who disappeared long ago? This sounds like an intriguing matter, Colin.” He commented as we took our seats behind his desk.
“I thought so as well.” I replied. “Why do you think I invited Liam to come here with Edmund?”
Scarlon smirked. “A good call, my student. Did your classmate say when he’d get here?”
“Yeah. Liam called me a few minutes ago and said he was on his way.”
“Excellent. I trust he’s bringing Edmund along?”
“Of course.” I answered.
The doorbell rang a few minutes later and I ran off to answer it. Liam and a boy a little older than us were standing on the other side of the door. The latter bore a slight resemblance to Liam, and his clothes were in a centuries-old style style.
“Welcome, Liam.”
“Thanks, Colin.” He began. “It was a bit of a walk, but I hope your friend’s help will be worth it.”
“I can guarantee it will be.” I turned toward the boy. “You must be Edmund.”
“I am.” He said as he shook my hand.
“It’s a great pleasure, sir. This is my first time in the presence of a Renaud.” Edmund stated.
“Oh?” I asked.
“Indeed. I remember hearing about a few Count Renauds in my time who held some lands near this town.” He commented. “I was a little surprised when Liam said you were of their line.”
I nodded. “I get that every now and then.”
“Do you still hold those lands?” Edmund asked.
“We do have most of them. Or rather, my grandfather does since he’s the current title holder.” I explained. “Anyway, let’s not keep Scarlon waiting.” I said before leading the way inside.
Edmund glanced around as we went down the hall. “Isn’t this the old Welgorlinz place? When did the Renauds acquire this?”
“We didn’t.” I answered. “My friend owns it, and he acquired it from the Welgorlinz family a few centuries back.”
Liam glared at me. “A few–not human, I take it?”
“Nope.” I replied.
“Ah. Then again, neither are you in part.” He remarked. “It’s easy to forget.”
“True.” I admitted, chuckling a bit as I brought them into the living room. Scarlon looked up as we arrived.
“Is that him?” Liam asked.
I grinned. “Yep.” I led the way up to the desk and took a seat.
“Welcome. You must be the members of the Brison family I’m expecting.” Scarlon said, motioning toward some chairs in front of the desk.
“That’s us. I’m Liam.”
“Edmund.”
Scarlon shook their hands as they took their seats, and looked at Edmund. “So you’re the one a little out of time?”
“I guess that’s one way of putting it, but yes.” He answered.
“But how did this happen?” Liam asked. “It’s an odd situation.”
“It is from what Colin told me.” Scarlon remarked. “You said an old family clock vanished and Edmund here appeared in its place, correct?”
“Yes, er…Scarlon, right?”
“Yes. Scarlon Demalgo.”
Liam nodded. “I saw him appear right before me.”
Scarlon faced Edmund. “How about from your perspective?”
“I don’t know. It’s strange.” Edmund began. “I have no recollection of the last few centuries. I just remember being in a dreamless sleep before waking up on a table in my old home, surrounded by strangers.”
“Not surprising. Just about every human you knew in your time would be gone by now.” Scarlon said.
“Yeah, and I didn’t know many orcs or elves.” Edmund admitted.
“I suppose you wouldn’t since it was uncommon at the time.”
“You speak as though you were around then.” Liam remarked.
“Because I was, though I was living in the Okiukuth region at the time.” Scarlon explained.
“Ah. What are you, then? Even elves don’t look as young as you do after many centuries.” Liam pointed out.
“Long story.” Scarlon faced Edmund once more. “So Edmund, I gather you have some memories from before?”
“Yes. I remember my childhood in this town back when it was a village,” he pointed to me. “Your family, my own, along with many friends and villagers as well. Then one day I sort of…fell asleep until a few days ago.”
Scarlon nodded. “I’ve been looking through some old newspapers since Colin told me about you. There’s a couple of Edmund Brisons in the records and I think I know which one you are, but I want be sure. When were you born?”
“1452 AW.” Edmund replied.
Scarlon grinned. “Excellent. Then this checks out. Newspapers from the time reported your disappearance on Novgrillon 1, 1468. Just over four hundred years ago.”
“But how did I lose four centuries, or even live this long?”
Liam looked over.”Maybe because you were a clock for all that time?”
“I–but how could a person become a clock?”
“I don’t have the full picture yet, but this looks like a fairly standard case of transformation.” Scarlon answered. “Someone turned you into a clock which ended up in the possession of one of Liam’s ancestors, and I doubt both of you being Brisons is a coincidence.”
“Transformation did cross my mind since I’ve read about many strange cases, but who would turn someone into a clock?” Liam asked.
Scarlon smirked. “I’ve seen stranger transformations, my young friend.” He brought out a picture which he showed to us. It was about a century old and depicted a dining room in an old and well cared for house. A clock sat upon a side table in the background. “Is this the right clock?”
Liam nodded. “It was quite a good one. Always accurate, and never broke down or needed repairs.”
Scarlon raised an eyebrow. “And nobody in your family thought it was odd to own a clock which has lasted for centuries without maintenance? How did your family first get it, anyway?”
“According to some family records, it was a holiday gift from a local boy named Oliver.” Liam answered.
Edmund flinched, which caught Scarlon’s attention along with mine.
“I trust that name’s familiar to you?” Scarlon asked.
Edmund nodded. “Yes. Oliver was the name of a boy I had an argument with several times, including on the last day I remember. Always a weird one and a source of trouble.” He paused. “Funny thing is, the argument’s the last thing I remember before waking up in the family dining room.”
“What was the argument about?” I asked.
“We were shouting at each other after questioning him about some local kids who’d disappeared while under his care.” Edmund began. “He said he’d had enough and wanted me out of the way for awhile. Then nothing for centuries.”
“This Oliver. Were there any stories of strange occurrences with him?” Liam questioned.
“Lots of them.” Edmund replied.
“Sounds like he was a magic user of some kind, but why would the spell break now?” I asked, turning toward Scarlon.
“There’s a few ways such as the caster deciding to break it or if the right conditions are met to break a curse.” My teacher explained. “The latter’s unlikely in this case since the clock had been sitting on a table for centuries.”
“Maybe this Oliver died?” Liam asked. “I remember hearing some time ago that spells are often broken when the caster dies.”
“You heard correctly.” Scarlon Affirmed. “In most cases, curses on people and places are broken when the caster dies, unless something happens to the subject of the curse in the meantime.”
“That’s…informative, and probably good to know.” Liam replied.
“I agree. We just need to find out who the caster was.” I said.
“Indeed, though it might take some time since I’ve known several magic users named Oliver.” Scarlon lamented.
“I’m sure you have, but how many have died recen…wait a second.” I paused and went over to Scarlon. “I just realized something. Remember those estate sales you sent me to last week?”
He nodded. “I sure do.”
Liam stared at us with a confused look. “What do estate sales have to do with anything?”
“Whenever I hear about the passing of a magic user, I always try to look through whatever they had to ensure nothing dangerous ends up in circulation. As a result, I often end up at estate sales.” Scarlon explained. “I’m sometimes invited to check out what the person had before it’s put on sale.”
“It saves us from future headaches.” I added.
“I don’t know much about this stuff outside of as an occasional passing interest, but I can understand where you’re coming from.” Liam commented. “Though what does it have to do with this?”
“Possibly everything.” I began. “I knew I’d seen the name Oliver recently, and I just remembered one of the sales I went to last week was set up by the family of a man named Oliver, though I don’t know if he was the right once since the sale was on the other side of the country.”
Scarlon’s eyes widened as he groaned. “Of course. Oliver Hardel! This sounds like something he’d do.” He smirked as Edmund gasped. “Is he’s the one you had the argument with?”
Edmund nodded. “Yes. You know him? Or did since you said he’s gone now.”
“I did, and the man was a prankster who liked moving to different regions every few decades.” Scarlon explained.
I smirked. “Like someone else I know.”
“Point taken.” My teacher replied. “Anyway, I had several dealings with Oliver since he had a habit of casting spells and curses like this and forgetting about them. He was one of the most irritating people I ever knew since he was a troublemaker, but was never a bad person.”
Edmund sighed. “That sounds like the guy I knew. He was always a little forgetful.” His eyes widened. “Think all the ones who disappeared around him suffered the same fate as me?”
“Probably, but I’ll have to look into it to be sure.” Scarlon answered.
“Then I wonder if he just forgot to change me back or something?”
“I doubt it since the clock was given to my family.” Liam said. “He probably had no intention of changing you back.”
“I agree.” Scarlon looked at Edmund. “One of the major gift-giving holidays in this region is at the end of Dekalear, which means Oliver held onto the clock for almost two months. If he wanted to change you back, he would’ve.”
“Good point.” Edmund looked up. “So when did Oliver die?”
“A few weeks ago.” Scarlon got up to look at a calendar sitting on the table. “Let’s see. He died on the 21st of Oakiloris, just missing one of his favorite days for his tricks, and was 410 years old. Quite an impressive age for a human magic user.”
“Ah. This is the 6th of Novgrillon, isn’t it?” Edmund asked.
“It is.” Liam replied. “You first appeared in our dining room on the 24th.”
“So three days after Oliver’s death.” Edmund turned to Scarlon. “Is that normal?”
“Yes.” He replied. “When a magic user dies, their spells fade within a few weeks.”
“Then mystery solved?” Liam asked.
Scarlon nodded. “I think so. Your relative here was cursed by a known prankster, and the curse faded as a result of said prankster’s passing.”
Edmund looked up. “That’s all there is to it?”
“I believe so.” Scarlon stated.
“Thank you. I really appreciate your assistance.” Liam smiled. “You’re the real deal, Scarlon Demalgo. Nothing like some of those nutty enthusiasts I’ve met, and I consulted a few of them when Edmund first appeared.”
Scarlon grinned. “Thank you. I always do my best.” He faced Edmund. “So are you just going to stay in the Brison house?”
“Probably.” Edmund replied. “Liam’s folks aren’t sure if I am who I say I am yet, but they have no problem letting me stay.”
“Perfect.” Scarlon said. “I’ve been to the Brison house enough times to know there’s enough room.”
Liam glared at him. “You have? When?”
“A few times over the last century.”
“Then you must’ve seen the clock in person.” Liam remarked. “And you didn’t notice anything odd?”
Scarlon shook his head. “I regret to say I never sat foot in the dining room, so I never had a chance to see it. If I did, I would’ve sensed something was off and reversed the transformation some time ago. Followed by meeting with Oliver.”
“Ah.” Liam sighed. “Bit of a shame the guy’s forever beyond our reach.”
“Yeah, but at least we figured it out.” Edmund looked at Scarlon. “Thank you, sir. I’ll never forget this.”
“No problem. I just hope you’ll enjoy this age.” Scarlon replied.
“I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all I can ask for.” Scarlon stated.
“Indeed. Your knowledge is unmatched.” Liam looked at Colin. “We’ll see you later.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
“One last thing, Edmund.” Scarlon began. “Thanks for mentioning those kids who disappeared around Oliver. If they did indeed meet the same fate as you, then it’s likely most of them have regained their original forms or soon will. Think you can send me a list of their names?”
“I can.”
“Excellent. I’ll check up on them at the earliest convenience.”
“Thank you, sir.” Edmund replied.
We shook hands before the Brisons left, I turned to my teacher once they were gone. “This Oliver must’ve been a real piece of work.”
“He was, Colin.” Scarlon sighed. “You’re lucky you never had to deal with him, and you would have if he’d lived just a little longer. It was rare for a couple of months to go by without his pranks going too far or out of his control. I’m not at all surprised to learn he turned someone into what became an heirloom clock.”
“Then he must’ve had quite a grudge against Edmund, and a skilled magic user as well.” I said.
“He probably had a grudge against him, but we’ll ever know for sure. He was a skilled magic user, though.” He chuckled. “I thought his passing meant I’d never have to deal with his trouble again. Leave it to Oliver to cause trouble from beyond the grave. And here I thought we were in the clear since I didn’t anything dangerous in the photos you sent from the estate sale.”
“Something could’ve slipped past our notice.” I pointed out.
Scarlon patted me on the shoulder. “Knowing him, I wouldn’t be surprised. Though it means we’ll have more trouble to deal with in the coming weeks.” He sighed.
“True.” I began. “Think others will approach us with similar incidents related to Oliver?”
“Absolutely. Why do you think I want that list from Edmund?”
I remained silent for a bit before nodding. “You want to cross reference names.”
“Yep.” Scarlon he got up. “Now come on. With any luck, we can get some training in before anyone else comes.” I followed him to another room for some training, which kept us occupied until evening.
A few days later at school, Liam handed me a list of names he got from Edmund. Good timing, too. Relatives of the people on the list, along with those of others Oliver had transformed at later dates, got in contact with us and described cases similar to Edmund’s. Some even helped expand Edmund’s list of names. Though I never met Oliver, I developed a strong dislike for him after spending almost a month running all over the country with one or both of the Demalgo twins to ensure everyone he ever transformed had been restored to normal, and I’m thankful I’ll never meet the guy for both of our sakes.
