Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #17 August 2015 | Page 42

Doctor Symonds turned his upper body toward
the woman and looked at her, his black eyes like pitch
against the pale skin of his face, the whites of his eyes
no more than a narrow sliver around the darkness.
“This is Europe, we don’t kill people here just because
their powers are...” He paused dramatically. “Inconvenient. He must be taught to control his power, and
where better than the world’s finest university of the
arcane and magical arts. Or would you rather he be
cast out, to wander the alleys of a city, to raise every
dead creature and leave them un-controlled, free to
attack the living. Would you rather he be drawn to a
graveyard, where he would kill himself with the need
of his power to call to the dead. He would kill himself,
and then his power would raise him as a Lich. That is
a far more dangerous prospect. No, he must be taught
to control himself.”
A thought came to the woman. “And if he
can’t, control himself that is, then what?”
“One way or another his power will be controlled. No need to worry yourself about it, he will
learn or he will be, dealt with.”

“Was that a gargoyle?”
“Yes.”
“Gargoyles are lesser demons, they require
human sacrifice to summon. Is it very old, I know this
place dates from the time before the five laws. Is it
from the dark times?”
“They are