Ruby Mage

by Dan Raxor

  He spun his stallion to talk with me. A gremlin troll was hurled into our lines, exploding on impact against the infantry. Loud shrieking cries reverberated the land and two orbs rose from the dead that I ingested.

  “This could get much worse,” Alexi warned.

  I nodded, watching the enemy forces take serious losses as our archer lines fired countless arrows into the ranks.

  I bit my nail in frustration. “What are you recommending?” I asked.

  We both paused to watch another half dozen ogres exit with even more trolls. “This is a battle we should be fighting on our walls,” he said with a tight jaw.

  “I can save the day,” I said and he nodded while both Susanna and Siofra grimaced. “I’m the key here. I need to be in the fight.”

  “We can fall back to the walls,” Siofra protested.

  Alexi shook his head. “It's too late to turn. We would have to backpedal as we fight with losses or face massive losses without magic.”

  Siofra cast an air spell when a half dozen gremlins soared for our infantry. A massive gust of wind had them halting their flight, falling suddenly to the ground to explode away from our troops.

  “I can cast that and recast, and recast it. That is the whole point of why Arenia sent me to Lornia,” I said, nudging Tsar forward.

  Audry spurred her mare forward to keep pace with me as I advanced.

  “I’ll pull back the infantry in short steps. When you hear the heave, step back with them. Seceding ground here is to our benefit. I fear it is already too late to close the portal,” Alexi said and I wanted to complain.

  “There will be plenty of time to close the portal.” Audry smirked.

  I nodded. “Been learning arcane magic. Just watch and see what a mage can do with near limitless power. These foes are pitiful before my might.”

  However, two dozen more ogres exited the forest, smashing down trees as they revealed themselves. Another thousand trolls of various types reinforced those that were rapidly dying in their dash to reach us.

  The battlefield went from my forces in a firm victory to teetering on the edge in mere minutes.

  Without waiting for the tide to turn against me I walked Tsar through the archers for the front line. The twang of bows firing was only heard because of my proximity. The real noise of the fight was both sides screaming at each other.

  As the enemy infantry neared our shield walls I wanted to plug my ears.

  Instead, I ingested the power of the dead within my range. I consumed energy with abandon until I was full, forgetting about the excess magic that would cause me to go over the edge.

  Magic coursed through every fiber of my being as I called upon the tingling sensation.

  There was a crash of trolls smashing into shields, vying for my attention as I bathed in the power of the magic.

  I halted Tsar near the shield wall. He froze so I could stand in his saddle, a balancing act that only his pose helped me achieve.

  Arcane magic flowed along my exterior, crackling with sudden pops as I increased the size of my spell.

  My stomach roiled, telling me that even with the sheer amount of power I held, I was destined to burst into flames if I did not release.

  Bright white magic lanced forth from my left hand. I cast the sparkling magic from left to right, coating the enemy spear wielding trolls in chain lightning.

  The spell zipped from my palm, seeking to burn the hearts of the enemy. The impacts created a boom of energy that sizzled with power.

  As one foe died, the magic left the body, trying to find a new heart. I saw hundreds perish as arcane magic spread through hearts, like a wildfire against bushels of dry hay.

  The trolls fell where the magic cratered their chests and a loud cheering erupted as the tide once again favored us.

  A wafting stench of burnt flesh wrinkled my nose.

  The devastation I unleashed stalled the back line trolls. Even the ogres halted their flinging of gremlin sized trolls. I shimmied down to leave Tsar behind.

  My army flanked me as I walked forward, sparing my horse what was coming next.

  Above the hundreds if not a thousand dead trolls rested purple orbs of delicious energy.

  With a widening smirk etching across my face, I ingested all that sweet, sweet power the dead left behind. I moaned in pleasure before bursting into flames from the sheer excess.

  Carefully placed steps had me walking over the smoking corpses I had created. My arcane magic left black rotting scorch marks where the lightning had bounced between the troll bodies.

  As one the ogres turned to retreat into the forest.

  Flames licked my body. My left hand danced with incredible power as my body felt the internal heat rising. I raised my palm, and paused.

  I felt something. Something like a scratch at the back of my brain that let me piece together a puzzle.

  With a cackling laugh I summoned forth a running horse of flame much like I did for Arenia in Crimm. Except this time I saw hollow eyes looking to me for orders as the flaming beast stood in the field.

  I whispered to my creation, “Find the big ones, and consume their flesh.”

  Over and over I spawned the magical creatures of fire. They bolted forward, lighting the frozen ground afire as they ran.

  The archers never ceased firing at the little gremlins, and infantry I hadn’t killed yet were mowed down. When I expelled every last bit of energy, a dizziness washed over me.

  A rapid pulling of the freshly dead, stabilized my over-use of magic.

  “The elves will probably be pissed,” Siofra said in dismay.

  The fire horses hit the forest of evergreens, bursting the lightly snow covered trees into flames. I watched in fascination at how the trees became kindling. A spreading fire crackled with the power of the flames.

  My horse creations only grew stronger as the further ones back fed on the destruction the front ones created.

  “See, I said I was needed here,” I said in a sassy tone. Massive orbs hovered after deathly screams. “The ogres are -”

  Loud bellowing roars of despair cut my words off. My magical creations killed and killed until there was an eerie silence that hung over the battle.

  Behind me I was cheered on, the great hero of magical slaughter. Except my skin crawled, giving me that feeling you get when everything should be wonderful, but it's not… I had that feeling in spades.

  The air felt dryer suddenly. Whispering winds of power staggered our formations and increased the power of the flames consuming the fire.

  That is not my magic.

  I spun to see none of my mages were casting whatever spell had just occurred.

  A massive creature poked its five dragon heads out of the evergreens, towering above the forest. Magic of an unknown kind burst forth from the heads in unison.

  As if a god snapped, the forest fires halted when coated in a teal spell. The mythical creature ingested the flames, sucking in the tendrils of power.

  I saw my magical horses rise into the air, fighting the sucking power that lifted them that had to be a wind spell.

  Savage mouths clamped down onto my creations, killing the magic I gave them. While it was disturbing to see my fire horses being consumed, they were only magic.

  “Well how do we kill this… five headed dragon thing?” I asked those around me.

  Their jaws hung open, none of them having a clear answer.

  The hydra dragon belched flames after it finished its morsel. There was an agonizing cry of pain and the beast toppled into the ground. The impact was so great when the beast fell that we all jolted as the earth shook.

  Additional cheering erupted behind me. The exuberant celebration over the mysterious demise of the massive beast was contagious. Even I peeled back a smile.

  “That is odd,” Alexi said with a puzzled expression. He stayed a good distance away since I continued to be covered in flames. “Still not one to turn down luck. It has been said the gods grant Arenia’s son infinite luck
.”

  “Maybe it choked on the flames?” Siofra said, questioning her own statement.

  “Do not get your hopes up,” Audry said with disdain.

  “I’m with Alexi,” Susanna grumbled. “A gift is a gift.”

  “Do we shut down the portal or leave it up like they did on Earth to show this area is deadly?” I asked, extinguishing my flaming aura.

  I poured magic into my ruby to recharge the staff. I leaned against the weapon in a confident manner, happy my clothes didn’t turn to ash for once.

  “Well, I -” Siofra was in the process of saying when a roar erupted that was so loud my ears rang.

  The five headed beast rose taller than before, towering over the trees. It snapped at the air and roared in anger.

  I was left transfixed; there was no guide on how to defeat a land hydra.

  Clearly my magic was trivial to the legendary creature because it flipping ate my fire horses and grew bigger. I glanced over my shoulder, deflating at the thought of the defenders trying to defeat this monstrosity, and failing.

  I… I had no good answer.

  Each lumbering step of the beast bounced the dirt below my feet. As it neared there was such a violent action from its mass that I popped up with each of its steps.

  “We need to get you out of here,” Alexi said with an urgency.

  “No,” I said in a dry, serious tone. “Best to send a runner to tell the citizens to start preparing to flee Arenia Port. I’ll hold it for as long as I can.”

  “We talked about this, Master, no sacrifices.”

  “It’s… it’s not that, Siofra. This magic is unique. I can beat it. I just need to figure out how it works,” I said defiantly.

  My foot tapped the exposed grit beneath my feet while I thought.

  I turned to Alexi. “Get me horse archers on harassment, pull the infantry back, spread out the archers, and for all that is holy get scouts on the rest of the enemy forces.”

  “Yes, Master,” Alexi said, running for his trumpeter.

  Blaring toots triggered the army into motion. Even though we were all shocked by the fact that the slow moving monster was still alive, and heading our direction, we adjusted.

  I charged up an ice spell, a small orb about the size of my fist. I hurled it at the leviathan in the distance.

  The magic twirled, leaving an icy tail like a comet as it soared for the land hydra. My bated breath became a disappointed sigh when the monster ate the spell.

  “Maybe overload it and then we kill it when it grows?” Siofra recommended.

  I opened my mouth to comment and realized I didn’t have a better plan.

  Audry patted my head. “Arenia has said this is my moment. Remember me fondly,” Audry said and I furled my brows.

  She snapped her heels into that mare's ribs before I realized what she was doing. The duo burst into a charge heading directly for the towering five heads that eyed us like the little snacks we likely were.

  Audry’s body burned brightly with arcane power as she neared the mighty beast. The five heads laughed at the suicidal human. The middle head snapped at the two closest maws, claiming the prize of my guardian.

  Audry shone brighter, and brighter, and… she never released her spell.

  I stared in abject horror as the middle head jerked down with lightning quickness. The teeth snapped tight, consuming rider and most of the horse in a single bite. The head tilted back to ease the passing clog of the duo.

  Where they once charged, horse legs stood vertical before toppling seconds later.

  Just like that.

  Audry was swallowed and dead.

  There was no spell to remove the head or even slowing of the beast. It ate my friend in a single bite and that was it.

  “Die!” I screamed, unleashing an arcane bolt that sizzled forth.

  The spell built up until it consumed the last of my energy, and it soared true. My hatred for the beast guided the bristling white magic with precision.

  I watched in smug satisfaction as the tip of the arcane white slithered into a head, bouncing around. There was an eruption of chain magic until each of the five heads were webbed in static white.

  There were gasps from those around me at the power of the spell. The heads flexed in pain as they were completely coated in my magic.

  I relished in the power, proudly showing the beast what a mage of my magnitude could do.

  BOOM!

  Each head exploded in a chain reaction.

  There was but a brief cheer from my forces and myself included.

  Instead of toppling over in death, each of the necks shook violently. Magical tendrils of green built the exposed neck piece by piece. I was astonished as the beast shrank in size to complete new heads.

  I saw an opening to defeating the beast. Blow enough of it up, and it’d run out of body to rebuild from. But… I was out of power.

  “Blast you, Audry. We could have defeated it together!” I exclaimed.

  The five heads roared in defiance of my abilities as they finished re-growing. Archers flung arrows that embedded ineffectively into the beast’s skin.

  A mustard colored spell laced forward, coating my troops in a foam of sorts. Those horse archers who were hit, froze and died as the billowing magic enclosed them.

  Hope faded from me. Depression washed over my emotions like a tide leaving the beach. I was beyond stunned.

  When the belly ballooned I figured the monster was growing again.

  Cracks in its skin turned to seams. The seams blared white with radiant arcane power. Suddenly I figured it out.

  Audry was unleashing her spell from inside the guts of the hydra.

  The monster groaned, eliciting a moan of agony that was akin to crying. Each one of the new heads turned to view its blossoming body.

  BOOM!

  This explosion of magical power was ten times greater than what I had achieved. The body rippled as it brimmed with power. Suddenly the sky was a shower filled explosion of blue gore.

  Bits of hydra covered our army in a rain of blue blood. I stood there stunned at the transpiring event.

  Five minutes went by in an odd silence. The troops, myself included, were on edge. There was no cheering this time.

  We waited in trepidation for the next horrific event. And yet, nothing else came.

  Scouts returned to report that the surviving enemy was retreating into their portals for now. This included a second land hydra that was only the size of a horse. The witness said it was fleeing with all haste.

  Hearing that news, I knew we had to close these nearest portals.

  Our forces charged across the field, into the forest, and beyond the smoldering remains of the hydra. When we reached the exploding defenders they rushed home, frightened of my forces.

  The portals, for there were six here now, shimmered and winked out of existence when touched by one of us with magic.

  “They fear that which can defeat their champions,” Siofra said, stating what I was thinking.

  “The question becomes, what do they bring next and will we be ready for it?” I said in an ominous tone.

  “We’ll do our best to prepare, it is the way of Lornia,” Susanna said stoically.

  “I… I’d be lost without this world. So yes,” I said in a pleasant tone. “We must honor Audry, and do our best to defeat the next coming waves.”

  CHAPTER 56

  Lornia - Arenia City

  124th day of the 2nd year of King Partel’s Reign

  Spring was in full effect with birds chirping, flowers blooming, and the days growing longer. Over two full months had transpired since Audry sacrificed herself to win the first battle in what became an expanding war.

  I stood on my balcony looking at the massive city that continued to expand under my watch. I had a rare moment alone to reflect while I inspected my growing southern capital.

  Where farms once stood, structures towered, and defenses bristled with siege engines. Banners and pennants snapped in t
he wind, showing my gold ruby over black with red trim.

  The warm air wrapped me in a lovely sensation. I didn’t miss winter at all and welcomed the glow of the sun on the cloudless day.

  After closing my eyes to take in spring air I shifted to view more of the city. The scene was as chaotic as the interior of my home was. Children chased each other. A dog hid from the children, and parents had a midday drink.

  While everything was smooth and calm here… the rest of Lornia fought for their survival. I chuckled, recalling that the dukes had sent an army south to instate their new southern duke.

  Who was he? Not a clue because he was soundly cut off and then defeated by a troll army.

  Farlake marched out, joined forces with Trimi, and then shut the portals down that army had originated from. Imagine my lack of any surprise when a massive silver dragon helped torch what remained of that enemy force.

  After two early defeats, this section of Lornia went into a lull of sorts. No more portals spawned in the south as the Troll-King shifted his focus.

  Even if there was a lack of fighting, there was never a dull day. We rushed to build ships, sailed to Veno to rescue folks, and moved more stone than ever before. The mission never changed, saving as many people while improving our chances at surviving.

  I even travelled into the elven realms to smash the back side of a troll-kin army that cratered under my magic. I literally opened the earth and closed it around them. Learning Earth magic had been a central focus of mine after my arcane spells hit a peak.

  Since those three defining wins we were the city of refuge that opened our doors to all races.

  After great consideration, well, I formed my own realm. Even stuck blockades on sections that refused to recognize my rule. The only ones who grumbled about the change of leadership were the nobles and the taxes.

  There was no shock when they all wanted to pay less than before. Since I figured if the troll-king shifted his focus they would get swept aside I let them get a reduced rate and the grumbles converted into celebrations.

  I did get a private message from the King himself. About a week ago he arrived in my court as a squire. I welcomed him in and he didn’t seem mad.