The Two Sons Of A Wizard

"The Two Sons Of A Wizard" is a mini-story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series.

The Story
It was at least 20 years before Empath returned home for good from Psychelia there were two boys being raised solely by their mother Grisella after their father had moved out. They were both twins, with one of them wielding a magic wand and the other wielding a flute. The boy with the magic wand was having fun zapping various creatures that he came across, chuckling with malicious delight at seeing the creatures flee before him. The other boy just simply watched while he played his flute.

"Oh, I can't wait to be a powerful sorcerer just like our uncle Lord Balthazar," the boy with the magic wand said, holding his magic wand high into the air. "Then the whole world shall fear and tremble before the great and powerful Gargamel the wizard."

"I'm sure that you will be, Gargamel, I'm sure that you will," the other boy said, sounding rather disinterested.

"Just you wait and see, Gourmelin," Gargamel said. "With his sponsorship, I have already become an early-grade level apprentice at the sorcerer's guild. By the time I graduate, there should be a wonderful future for me where I can finally succeed in fulfilling our daddy's dream."

"You mean the creation of the Philosopher's Stone?" Gourmelin said. "Many a wizard have tried to create it before and failed, including Daddy, which is why he ended up moving out. What makes you think you'll find the elusive ingredient that will complete its creation?"

"It's going to happen, Gourmelin, trust me," Gargamel said. "I'm just surprised that you're not interested in becoming a powerful sorcerer like I will become when I graduate."

"You know that I like music more than I like magic, Gargamel," Gourmelin said. "I want to be able to explore the world and become a great poet, not get tied down with having to support Mummy in her old age."

"Mummy deserves to have a great sorcerer support her for all the hard work she's put into raising us, Gourmelin," Gargamel said. "Daddy may not have been the greatest, but I don't intend on being the same kind of failure that he is when I'm his age."

"Have you ever wondered what kind of creatures exist in this forest that we happen to live near, Gargamel?" Gourmelin asked.

"Actually, I don't," Gargamel said. "Why are you asking me such a question like that?"

"It's just something that I hear from folklore, about these tiny blue creatures that live in this village that nobody can ever find...the same blue beings that protect this forest from outsiders like us," Gourmelin said.

"Tiny blue creatures?" Gargamel scoffed. "I don't believe a word that you're saying."

"I'm not saying that I believe it myself, Gargamel," Gourmelin said. "But I would sure love to see if it's true what they say about these creatures. The thing is, their village is so well hidden that you can search the entire forest and not be able to find it."

"Is that so?" Gargamel said. "Well, then, I do hope that I'll be able to find these little blue creatures so that I can put them under my control as the great and powerful Gargamel the wizard, so that they can serve me."

"Boys, it's time for your supper," the voice of their mother was calling out from inside the hovel.

"Coming, Mummy," Gargamel called back. He then turned to Gourmelin and said, "If being a poet is what you want to be, then I hope you'll be happy with yourself for how little money it will bring you when people hear your stupid poems."

"I don't care about money, Gargamel," Gourmelin said. "What I care about is being happy by making other people happy. Besides, that Father Tobin says that it's more blessed to give than to receive."

"That Father Tobin recites words of a dead person who claims to have come back to life, which I don't see any proof of, Gourmelin," Gargamel said. "You want to be foolish and follow the words of a dead person, then that's your choice."

"I hope that you'll be happy and that you'll make Mummy proud with the choice you're making to become a wizard like our uncle Balthazar," Gourmelin said as they both headed back to the hovel for their supper.