I released the spell as I felt my mana pool bottom out. The burden of the spell had been shared between me, Zed, and Ailsa. Mind had been the first to find bottom. I could tell the others were weakened by the effort.
Congratulations! You have learned a new spell! “Plasma Stream 2” which has been cast with 1 augmentation. Effect: Causes a stream of super-heated plasma to shoot from the hands of the caster directly at a target dealing 200 d8 damage + Fire skill mod (228 - 1628), and 200 + Fire skill mod per 10 sec after initial duration. Cost: 40,000, + 10,000 / 10 seconds added duration to a max of 100,000 mana cost. Augmentation: “Aerosolization” turns 50% of the spell’s destructive energy into jets of aerosolized flame. Total Damage Dealt: 2,371.
“Holy crap, I just… whoa.” My vision swam, but I stayed on my feet by leaning on my staff.
“You meathead,” Ailsa hissed into my ear. “You could have died, your mana pool was too empty for that.” I looked over to Zed and found the old man, beard still braided strangely, shaking his head at me, annoyed.
“Boy, you have done too much today. What made you think you could do this? Aside from the fact that you’re a pyromancer with powers not seen in this region for the last hundred years? I mean, that doesn’t give you inhuman power, kid. Wait, yes it does...” Zed said, trailing off in self-induced confusion.
“Was still reckless,” Ailsa hissed before buffeting me with one of her wings.
“What in the nine hells Wizard...” the Count’s voice was filled with a mix of awe and anger. I followed his gaze and found a hell-scape of a still glowing pyroclastic flow, solidifying at the base of the sorcerer’s tower. The tower itself, which had once been black stone and trusses with snow capping the eaves and tower, was covered in soot and ash. Plumes of steam from melted snow rose in great bouts into the sky above it. The carefully manicured grounds and cultivated gardens of what had been magical materials were now buried and covered by the harsh hell-scape of molten rock. Cooling and solidifying in the winter chill.
Two thick curtains at the top of the tower were pulled back, and a lone skinny figure in pure black robes appeared and began casting. The pulled back curtains made the tower look like a stick topped by a wooden framed skull with empty eye sockets. Empty save for the angry sorcerer, who was about to retaliate. “Uh, we might want to ...” before I could say another word a black miasma rolled down from the ‘mouth’ of the skull-like tower.
Chapter 2: Melted Stones and Sorcerer’s Disdain
"Fire in the heart sends smoke to the brain" - Unknown Proverb
Sorcerers Tower, Outskirts of City of Sowers Vale, 2nd Novos, 2989 AoR - Morning
If I was being honest with myself, what I had done to Jekkel’s house was improve it. Well, only if you were going for that evil dark lord, Skeletor-esq vibe. From what the place had looked like before I began trying to incinerate it, that was the look he was going for. As the purple and black miasma poured from the skeleton looking mouth and eyes, the open windows at the top of the tower, the spell just added to the motif.
“We must go!” Zed said from beside me, his voice filled with fear and urgency. “That, that is a death spell, one I’ve never seen before.”
“Death? Like, the High Power Death Magic? Not just Dark Magic, but full on Death Magic?” I asked in disbelief as the miasma spell poured on top of the now almost fully cooled lava and pooled at the base of the tower. A heartbeat later, it began to spread in every direction at the pace of a slow walk. It sped up with a flare of light from the tower’s tallest windows. The sorcerer had poured more mana into the spell.
“Climb aboard the griffons and gryffs. Get everyone out of here!” came the familiar, authoritative voice of Count Winslow. The plum of purple, black, and brown roiling magic began nearly running at us as I felt a powerful hand grip my shoulder and haul me atop one of the majestic beasts. I looked around me as the creature began galloping and beating its powerful wings. I saw a dozen of the creatures lifting into the air, each carrying two or three passengers, each struggling with the weight of their precious cargo. Below gryffs and horses began galloping away, each of them weighed down with two or even three passengers.
“Fear not Wizard. Gerold here will see us to safety.” The Count said, grinning like a school boy as his powerful mount moved higher into the sky with each wing beat. Someone had thrown me over the Count’s lap. I was no passenger, just luggage for the ride. I looked down and back at where we had been. Ailsa was riding on Tol’geth’s shoulder as the mountain bear of a man sat behind a much smaller knight atop a powerful looking Gryff. The creature would have been twice the size of the Count’s mount if it had wings. Instead, its tiger claws dug deep into the frozen snow and soil with each bound. I could hear Ailsa giggling on the wind as she clung to the barbarian with her one hand while raising the other to embrace the icy winter wind.
Further back, several of the horses were lagging the gryff’s but were outpacing the spell. The lead stallion held Zed in a similarly undignified pose as me. Though the man had somehow held onto his pointy hat. I really need to get me one of those, finish the whole ‘wizard’ look. Back at where we had been were two figures whose horse had broken its leg in the mad dash to escape. One was a knight. His armor shone like chrome at noon. The other looked to be a servant who had accompanied us.
They ran for all they were worth from the wall of Death Magic approaching them, but over the uneven terrain and the increasing speed of the wall of mist they were doomed. I knew it, and apparently the knight did as well. His horse’s last wicker of pain was cut short as it was consumed by the spell. The knight turned to meet the miasma; sword raised. He activated some kind of ability, and his sword and armor glowed like the sun. Not reflecting light but radiating it.
For a moment my heart leaped with hope as his ability or spell or whatever it was, met the wall of Death. As if it had a mind of its own, the wall hesitated. Less than a heartbeat later it surged forward, the knight’s light diminished and the armor that had once held a brave man clattered to the ground along with his now dry meatless bones.
The peasant woman ran for all she was worth. One of the griffon riders tried to circle back to save her on the hurried order of the Count delivered via hand signal. He was only half way to her when her now dry bones collapsed among her clothing. The griffon almost sadly banked away and up, correcting its course. By the time we were approaching the walls a few seconds later, the griffon and rider had rejoined the flock. Pride. Whatever you called a group of griffons.
I shook my head, I cost those two their lives, I thought as the realization of my actions and the sorcerer’s reprisal struck home. The griffon, Gerold, banked slightly left as I refocused, reanalyzing the situation. No, what I did had gotten the sorcerer’s attention. But I did not cast the spell that ended their lives, and I will not take on that man’s sins as my own. Mine was imprudence. Attacking without coordinating with the others so they could prepare a proper defense or for a withdrawal. I put them at higher risk. True. But I did not kill them.
Guilt still riddled my thoughts as we landed atop a tower that flanked the western city gate. The top of the opposite tower was occupied by four massive siege engines. This one could have held as many, if not more. Instead, it offered a flat surface that was swept clear of ice. This is a griffon roost, I thought with no small amount of awe. The count lifted me with a single hand, and placed me on the ground next to Gerold. The creature turned its eagle head around to look at me with a single eye. It chirped in interest as I just stared stupidly at it. Shaking myself again and allowing myself to feel the guilt , I reached a hand out and scratched Gerold under his right wing where I had been dropped. The griffon’s eyes closed, and a powerful purr vibrated up my arm and shook my teeth a little.
“I suspect you already know your blunder, and I nor your master needs to reprimand you for it over much?” Count Winslow asked, his voice imperious, filled with annoyance and if I was right, just a little sadness. I sighed and nodded my head.
> “I attacked too early. I gave away the fact that we were observing his tower, and didn’t give everyone else the time required to raise either a proper defense, or organize ourselves to best escape.” The counts expression changed. From what I could read, he was a mix of impressed and furious.
“You knew, and yet you still acted?!” I nodded my head slowly.
“I didn’t think. I allowed the magic to cloud my judgment.” The count and several knights cast meaningful glares at me, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. A mana crazed mage of any skill level would prove dangerous in a crowded city like Sowers Vale. Realizing what I had almost admitted too I sighed and explained. “It wasn’t mana madness, just a desire for revenge and to end things. After everything I’ve done to help my friends, there is still more to do, and I have responsibilities that weigh on me. Pulling me far from here. Impudence, not madness.” A wave of exhaustion hit me, exhaustion I had not allowed myself to feel, and I leaned heavily on my staff. The count relaxed, and his men followed suit as they went back to the business of caring for those they had rescued. I made my way over to the westward facing wall and looked out towards the tower.
There were a few estates I could see in the vast rolling hills to the south. Just off the road much further west were a couple of small two or three story towers. South was another large thick old wood forest that I had been told was a good place for hunting. But west, not far off the road, the Sourcerer’s home dominated the landscape, towering over the now withered and dying trees to its direct north. The only other major feature was that forest. It wrapped around the cities north western quarter and the work done to manage and harvest its younger sections employed a good chunk of the cities under class. That forest also provided raw resources for building and trading, as well as housed Zeds’ home.
The horses were still a few minutes from the gate house, but beyond them the miasma kept moving outwards. It spread over the light, rolling grassy hills between the sorcerer’s tower and the walls, and then north. Into the forest that held Zed’s small home, tower, and orchard. I turned and found a knight who was not far away from me, cleaning his sword. “Sir, are there any peasants or city folk who live in those woods?” The knight looked where I had pointed, north-west towards Zeds home where the wave of death magic began desiccating the first the hibernating trees then the evergreens as they turned brown, then gray and died in a wave of death that washed out over the forest.
“Not at night, that I know of. There are several work camps that log trees for firewood, even into the deep winter months. Hauling felled trees and old wood from the forest. But they have to get a permit from the logging manager before...” Another man, older with a beard who carried a bow and no real armor, cleared his throat.
“Sire Gregory, my daughter works for the herbalists guild as an apprentice.” Fear gripped his voice. “She often goes into the forest to collect herbs and mushrooms! My lord please, we must see if they are out tonight!”
“I will Yeoman.” The knight, whose armor gleamed like the sun as it reflected the newly arrived starlight in the sky as the sun itself had set before we landed, stood and in a single bound reached his griffon. A heartbeat later and the beast launched itself off the wall and into the sky. As word spread by the yeoman, two more of the magnificent creatures screeched their cries of challenge towards the moon and launched from the parapet. I whispered a prayer that they would succeed, and a small screen appeared in my vision.
Would you like to issue the quest “Saviors From The Sky 1” to the indicated knights and griffons? Yes / No
Not knowing anything about my ability to offer quests, I instinctively hit Yes. I had learned granting quests was part of my class when I first got it less, and I was afraid the knights were going to leave range. Not having time to overthink had forced my hand.
Congratulations! You have issued your first Quest! “Savior From THe Sky 1” Please set the parameters of this quest. How many shall be issued this quest: 1-3 knights available.
I selected all three, and another prompt appeared.
Quest Type: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Heroic, Legendary, Historic, and Epic. Select one.
Historic was grayed out, I could not select it. I chose Heroic, because what could be more heroic than knights flying on powerful majestic mounts to save herbalist students?
Each Quest Type has an associated cost. You have selected Heroic. Cost: 500 XP + 1 Item of Good quality or better per surviving participant. NOTE: You can not and will not lose levels by spending XP in this fashion. But be warned, Wizard, as XP is not easily gained though it is easily spent.
My inventory screen appeared with a big long list of all the items I had available. At the bottom of the list was a “Provide Other Item +1 Quality Step Higher within 10 Days of quest completion”. My inventory only had what I had on me. Knowing I had things that would be perfect rewards back at the Traser estate, I selected that option.
QUEST ISSUED: Savior From The Sky 1. Recipients: Sir. Jagiar, Sir. Bradstone, Sire Gregory. Do you wish to bestow a blessing? Yes / No.
A list of the three names came up, and I watched each name flash green as they accepted the quest. Several prompts flashed up, and then auto minimized in my vision per my settings. I would look at them later, but I had a vague impression they all had to do with my class. I didn’t want to look at them right then. I was too tired.
I selected Yes on that prompt and a list of six options and their associated costs filled my HUD. The costs were all mana related, and all far too high for me to afford. But as I looked them over, I knew they could all be helpful given the right situation. I just had nothing left to give, and so I closed the list with a sad sigh.
Something clicked then, as if the quest had been finalized. I felt more energy leave my body. The 1,500 experience points I had spent seeped out of me in an invisible torrent of power. My brain felt like it was cracking open, my mind stretching and changing in a way that it had never done before. It wasn’t excruciating like the torture at the hands of the Necromancer had been, but it was uncomfortable, like a sudden onset migraine. I gripped the arm of the nearest man to me. It was the yeoman whose daughter was perhaps in danger.
“Help! The wizard has exhausted himself. Get a medic!” People bustled around me as the older man helped me to the ground. I laid back and sighed, closing my eyes. I saw a glow of weak light through my closed eyelids and opened them enough to find one of the counts noble guards had a hand pressed to my chest. It was glowing with a soft, warm and inviting magic. This was no spell, but an ability. Magical in nature, mana using perhaps, but I felt the warmth wash over me without the use of a proper spell form.
I raised a hand to the young knight’s shoulder plate. “Thank you, I think I’m just going to go to bed now.” The surrounding men chuckled. Even the Count who was glowering over the scene put a smile on his face and shook his head. I closed my eyes and pulled my hand back to my chest. As I did, sleep overtook me.
Chapter 3: Planning Meeting
"Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail." - Alan Lakein
The Mage Tower, City of Sowers Vale, 3rd Novos, 2989 AoR
“I swear you keep getting knocked out like this and you’re going to get permanent brain damage.” Ailsa said from my shoulder as I wheezed, walking up the tower steps. Tol’geth behind me sounded like bellows, or a mack truck that had lost its muffler. I might have been huffing and puffing, but he was causing gale force winds to assault whoever was at the top of the tower. I was half convinced we’d get up there and find paintings and paper strewn around the entire office.
“Yeah well… It’s not like... I actually know... what I’m doing!” I said between deep breaths. Stairs, stairs are the enemy of anyone over the size of 6 foot nothing, and over 230 lbs. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, stairs will do you in every time.
“You need to work on your, what did you call it Rayid? Cardio?” Traser said as he danced ahead of us. Even in his armor, he was smaller, lighter, and capa
ble of taking the stairs with no real trouble. I hated him. I hated him deeply right then.
“Try carrying... Me up the...” I motioned up the stairs as I kept pushing on. “And see how... you do!” I stopped and put my hand to my side as I fought a painful sudden stitch.
“Why do magi’s towers need to be so tall? In my homeland, magi live in caves or alone in forests where the nature speakers can check on them.” Tol’geth spoke as if he wasn’t out of breath. But the powerful gusts of wind from the guys’ lugs on my back told a different story.
“City regulation.” Traser said with a smirk. “If they go…” Traser made an explosion with his hands. “... then it’s away from everyone. At least, that’s the thinking.”
“Doesn’t account... For stone shrapnel!” I said, as I began pushing on again. Tegin simply shrugged in his metal armor and took several more stairs with ease.
“There is a reason my people live at the base of the falls, and not their peak...” Tol’geth grumbled as he followed. We came to a flat landing outside a door. This wasn’t even the tallest part of the tower, only the midpoint from my estimations. About six stories up. It was the City Magi’s tower, and it had some kind of enchantment that made it look smaller from the outside. I had asked Ailsa if it was like the Doctor’s spaceship from an old TV show my younger brother Aaron watched all the time and Ailsa had recently been binge watching.
Ailsa snorted and corrected me. She explained it was its actual size and composition. But the tower was just made to seem half the size from the outside through the clever use of angles and a few minor enchantments. What had seemed like a three-story tower when I had first visited a few days ago was actually six, maybe seven stories tall. The tower had rooms at every level for magi of different skill sets during different parts of their training.
Ethria 3: The Liberator Page 4
