The Sorcery of Aphlar

"The Sorcery of Aphlar" is a fantasy short story by H. P. Lovecraft and Duane W. Rimel first published in the December 1934 issue of The Fantasy Fan. At the time, it was credited just to Rimel.
==Synopsis==
The wizard Aphlar is exiled from the city of Bel-haz-en for spending too much time alone, brooding instead of working, and consulting the papyri of Elder aeons far too frequently. He moves to the mountains and becomes a cave-dwelling hermit, but continues to study the scrolls he brought with him, and preaches his wisdom to the wind, the birds and the snails.
Aphlar knows that other exiled intellectuals have been secretly assassinated at the orders of the council following their exile, and expects a similar fate. Over the course of many seasons, he converses with the snails, who seem to understand him, and spends the nights making offerings to the moon-god Ale and communing with nocturnal "winged things".
One day, Aphlar walks down the mountain and deliberately retrieves a small object from the river bank. He takes the object back to his cave and spends the day studying it. At night, he remains in his cave.
A few days later, seven assassins sent by the council arrive, only to find the cave empty, with no sign of Aphlar. They shudder at the sight of the magic scrolls and pick up a round stone covered in unknown symbols.
When they throw the stone over the cliff into the river, the assassins are surprised to hear no sound, as if the stone has floated away instead of falling into the water. After they leave the place, which they believe is cursed, a snail crawls over the grass and watches the river, as Aphlar used to do.
Category:Lovecraft Circle Works
Category:H. P. Lovecraft works
Category:Duane W. Rimel works