A Mage Rising: (The Chronicles of Herst 2: A LitRPG Saga)

by Thomas Whipple

  Grondar smiles to this and nods. “Yes, though this lady here says that you spoke to her last night about its use as well.”

  I take a seat with them at the table and wave a waitress over to order a breakfast of eggs, bacon and something like hash browns. They aren’t potatoes since they are a purple color like an eggplant and called flarens. They taste just like potatoes though. Timbre lays down off to the side as I order and get her a steak, rare. After the waitress leaves I turn to the two sitting with me. “I want to help the people here, and that means they should all have the opportunity for growth while they live on my lands. For that reason I want you, Grondar, to set up a training schedule for the guards so they can rotate into the dungeon to train and get stronger. You should be responsible for creating balanced teams that are able to handle the dungeon.”

  Grondar has a contemplative look on his face. “This is big. In essence, you are starting a new kingdom here. You can be ignored for the most part by the human kingdom, but with a dungeon to train people and draw more to your banner you could become a threat.”

  “That is true, and why we should make sure this knowledge does not leave here. I plan on building something good here, but we are a new community and we need time to grow further before we can truly defend ourselves from others. It’s why we need anyone that wishes to become specialists in their professions. I won’t force anyone to put themselves in danger but I want you and the adventurers to help guide volunteers through the dungeon and help them grow. A wide variety of specialized professionals could be the key to becoming a safe place for people of any race to live.”

  Grondar has something to say at this point. “ Do you want to allow anyone to enter the dungeon if they wish?”

  To that I laugh a little. “Yes and no. I don’t want to feed my dungeon unprepared citizens. Set up most of the day for your teams to use the dungeon and become stronger. Part of the day should allow those free agents who have formed parties to use it. I leave it to you to vet the people who enter and make sure they aren’t just throwing their lives away. I’ve gained control of the dungeon so it won’t be spewing enemies from the entrance into our town, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to enter.” With my mention of enemies flooding our town Grondar’s eyes got big. I wave it off and he regains his composure.

  From there on the discussion evolves to the dungeon itself. I tell them both what we experienced and what they may have to expect. They asked me if the level of the dungeon was fixed or if it scaled to the team entering. I had to ask IMA about it which turned out to be interesting. The dungeon was set to fixed but I was able to adjust it as the Dungeon Master. I then set it to automatically adjust to the average level of the group that entered. The max level it would adjust to was twenty though. According to IMA this would increase as the dungeon grew in power. When I told Grondar and Nickie they practically glowed.

  Done with telling them everything I thought they could expect to encounter in the dungeon Grondar voices a concern. “My Lord, I don’t like that everyone will need to go through the crystal room on the way to enter the dungeon. If we are planning to take anyone that wishes down there we shouldn’t bring everyone through that room.”

  He brings up a good point. In my mind I bring the issue to IMA. “Is there a way you could create a new entrance to the chamber with the dungeon portal?” The response is no, but there is something I can do. IMA sends an image of me creating a new entrance with my Earth shape spell. She can help direct me and then hide the old entrance that leads back to the keep. Done with breakfast I take Grondar and Nickie to a spot north of the keep near the training grounds and I create a bridge over the canal. “This will be the entrance to the Dungeon from now on” I tell them. Then I get to work. Following IMA’s instructions I’m able to create a tunnel that leads down to merge with the one going to the dungeon. I redistribute some of the stone I’ve been moving in order to block the old tunnel leading back to the keep.

  When I’m done I head back out of the tunnel. Standing there is a team of five veteran guards with Grondar at the front. I recognize all of them as people that joined us to retrieve the kidnapped villagers back in Efftin. “Heading out for your first try?” This question I direct to Grondar.

  “Yes my lord. We gathered supplies and now we plan to get a good idea of this place so we know first hand what our people will face.” His face is grim but I can see a hint of excitement there.

  “Very well. Have a good time, but above all be safe. Everyone comes back.” I give him a dead serious look at that statement.

  “On my honor, all will return. Even if we have to retreat.” The other four nod in agreement of this statement from Grondar as well.

  With a hand shake we part ways as they head down into the tunnel and I walk off toward Bolden’s shop. I still have a little time before lunch and Bolden should be available now. Plus IMA said this is where I would find him. When I get there his son is at the counter but steps through the back door after seeing me. A minute later he comes back with Bolden. “Friend! What can I do for you today? Looking to buy more skill or spell books?” I can see a little flash of greed pass his eyes with that last statement. Can’t blame him really. I did spend a lot of money here for such things.

  “Not today.” I can see he is a little disappointed at this statement. “Something of a side project has brought me here.”

  A new kind of interest fills his eyes now. That of a professor interested with the unconventional point of view from a foreign student. “And what would that be” he asks carefully.

  “Music” I tell him simply. Then I elaborate. “I have an idea on how to magically alter an instrument. I don’t have any sound altering enchantments and I was wondering if you did so that you could assist me.” At his skeptical look I finish with “I can pay.” Properly motivated he takes me into the back where his workshop is. Turns out he had already been playing with a few ways to alter instruments and had a few stored there. When I tested what he had it was amazing! I mean amazing in the sense that he had not used every available means in his possession to destroy those instruments. My ears literally bled and I had to use Reverse Pain to heal them.

  We spent a long time in the workshop of his as we determined the issue. His enchantment changed the sound the instrument made when played, but since he had no idea what he was looking to make it sound like the result was terrifying. Truly on the level of a weapon instead of entertainment. Taking a few guitar like instruments I was able to guide the enchantment on what it should sound like as Bolden did the enchanting part. It took a few tries but eventually I had two instruments that were much like an electric bass and electric guitar. I also had Bolden add a switch to each which allows the enchantment to adjust the distortion.

  They still used the shape of the instrument to amplify the sound but I gave Bolden a few ideas on things like a magically powered speaker that could be attached to the instrument through an enchanted cord. He wasn’t too happy that I insisted on a portion of the profits for such items before describing its working. I obviously adapted the idea for magic. I even described the parts that would allow him to put a socket into the instrument that the cord could snap into. I also ordered a couple more of the instruments since I didn’t plan on keeping the ones we worked on today.

  Bolden was so happy at the help I gave him that he gave me the instruments we created for free. Yeah right. He still made me pay! At least he gave me a pretty big discount. Now, I can play the guitar, which helped immensely with the creation of the enchanted instruments. I won’t say that I’m amazing, but I have a few songs memorized. With that I got an idea for some fun tonight. I ate some fruit as I walked since I missed lunch and headed out to the soon to be arts district. When I got there I started paving the road, heading to the plot in the north east corner near the wall.

  When I get there I start the work I have been thinking of since the idea for an arts district tickled my brain. Drawing on the saved mana of the town I raise a large half dome of stone whi
le lowering the whole baseball field sized, and shaped, area. The half dome would be where home plate should be, creating a stage for musicians and other performing arts to take place. I then raise stone steps and seats increasing in height the farther away from the stage they are. The highest seats become level with the rest of the ground in the town creating a inset theater with a shape that will amplify the sound to the seating area and limit what escapes. I also create a hall that goes around the back side of the stage’s half dome. Connected to this I create a number of separate rooms that I will have soundproofed through enchantment for people to practice and warm up in before a performance.

  Last I raise pillars of stone at even intervals in a manner that should allow for people to attach large tarps in case of rain. They are also inclined and would allow water to run down and fall on the half dome.

  There the water could run off to the sides. Thinking about it I now have another problem. Where will the water go when trapped in the amphitheater. I need to create some sort of drainage, and I don’t want to use something that requires a magical component. It just seems unnecessary.

  Using Earth Shape and the sense it gives me of the earth around me I start creating drainage slots like you might find on the street in a modern city back on Earth. I create stone tubes underground and start walking south. I want to empty the drains into the river but the problem is that the river is too high where the theater is built. If I connect the river to my drainage it will just flood the theater constantly. Thankfully the land drops pretty quickly and by the time I reach the area where the fields are to be planted it’s below the theater I built. That is where the drainage exits and then can flow through the already existing exit. A series of grated pipes going through the wall to empty into the river. I created this for the farms irrigation. This has taken hours, even with the massive amount of extra mana the town could provide.

  Tired, but feeling accomplished with what I was able to complete today I head back to the main square. Throughout the day Timbre followed me in wolf form, to which I was thankful for the constant, if silent, companionship. Azzaria was waiting for me in the square when I arrived though. “Hey babe, what’s up?”

  “I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner at the Golden Feather again. I had IMA tell me where you were so I could meet you” she answers.

  “Good idea.” With a thought I send Thia our plans. A moment later she joins us in the square. Timbre and her both take their humanoid forms and we walk to the inn. As we approach I can hear the same girl from the night before. She is performing again but has a couple others accompanying her tonight. There is one of the guitar-like instruments that I was experimenting on earlier in the day and what is most closely likened to a cello, but with a thinner base. We take a seat again and order something to eat. The music is similar to the night before and I’m enjoying it, but I can’t help to feel like it’s missing something.

  The guitar player is good and the cello-thing player is picking away, but the melancholy in my soul for the music of my past world only increases. When we’re finished eating we have a few ales as the band plays. I had a few myself and was feeling it a little when the band went on break. Suddenly I had an idea, like often happens when one has had a few drinks. No one is playing right, why not me? Thankfully I wasn’t that far into my cups to think myself a rock god, but I had enough liquid courage in me to get out there. Walking over to the bartender I asked him if he would mind me playing a song while the band was off stage. Obviously surprised by my request he takes a moment to respond. Answering me with a shrug he tells me to knock myself out, so I head to the stage. Looking over I can see the girls looking at me with curiosity but they hang out at the table and let me do as I like.

  Stepping up onstage I take one of the stools and pull it to the center of the small platform. Taking my seat I can hear the crowd quiet down as they wonder why the lord of the land is on stage. I even hear a few people comment that there is trouble and I’m hear to announce the problem to everyone. To dispel this sort of thing I quickly remove my new electric sounding magical guitar. I also take out a sound stone that I bought from Bolden and slot it into the receptacle on the side of the guitar. Taking a second to compose myself, I start to strum. Hotel California is the song. I start out slow then get up to speed as I become familiar with the instrument again. I picked this song because it’s one of the few that I know the words to and is played on an electric guitar originally. That and House of the Rising Sun.

  After I get up to tempo I start to sing. A moment later I’m deep in memory and camping trips with singing around the fire. Listening to the radio while taking a drive and many more things. I’m so absorbed in my song and the memories that it invokes in me that I don’t even notice the whole inn is deathly quiet. The only sounds to be heard there are the tune I play and the lyrics I sing. Playing the final chord I’m released from the trance my memories had me in to see a room full of people just looking at me. No one is talking or even drinking. Looking out at the crowd I get a little embarrassed despite my buzz and wonder if my singing was that bad. Before I can get up and leave the stage though, the silence is broken by a yell from the back.

  “Wooooohhhooooo! That was great Vol.” Then there was a wolf whistle from an actual wolf sitting at the same table. The call from my girls seems to break the spell the rest of the room is in and everyone jumps up at once. The people are clapping and cheering me on and I’m a little embarrassed for the opposite reason as before, but the alcohol blunts that. Standing up I put away the guitar, take a bow to the room and head over to sit at the table with my girls. Soon after, the band that was there before came back to the stage and played a few songs.

  During their performance the bar tender came over to the table. “My Lord. Kalliel, the singer for the band on stage, asked me to talk to you. She wants to speak with you when they have their next break and she begged me to ask you to stay until then.”

  He looked a little nervous to ask anything of me so I tried to put him at ease. “No problem. I wanted to talk with her anyway. We will wait.” Happy with my response he heads back to the bar.

  Done with their latest set, the band heads down from the stage and Kalliel breaks off to come and sit at our table. I wave the others over though and we snag a few loose chairs from nearby so they can sit too. “My lord” Kalliel starts, a little unsure “I wanted to comment on the unique sound of your instrument. I’m very interested in where you acquired it.”

  I point to her and smile “It was actually you that gave me the idea. I saw you perform last night and I thought that what you could really use as an accompaniment is an instrument from my previous home. I worked with Bolden here in the village and we were able to create a reasonable facsimile. Might I ask about the rest of your band? Are they a permanent addition to your performances?”

  Excited, she responds. “Yes they are. I usually perform with them but sometimes I take a short night on my own to try new lyrics. That is what I was doing last night. We’ve been together for a while and are all friends.” Pointing to a female snow elf that was playing the odd cello Kalliel tells me her name is Marysil, and the male dwarf playing the guitar is Harin. I shake all their hands and we sit down again.

  Looking at the band I smile and take out the guitar I played on stage. I hand it to Harin and pull out one created as a bass, handing it to Marysil. “Here you go. I made these so that Kalliel might be able to test them out. If you need another or to get more magic stones for prolonged use you can talk to Bolden.” I then explained how the sound stone, which is really just an earth stone slotted into an enchantment to have it alter vibrations, slots into the instrument. I also mention that there may be something to help project more sound for larger audiences. Pointing out the knob on the bottom of the instruments I show them how to adjust the distortion too. Last I tell them about the practice rooms that I created as part of the new theater and give them permission to use them.

  Our discussion has gone on for long enough tho
ugh and the band has to get back to work. We all say our goodbyes and my group leaves the inn as the band goes back on stage. After getting some practice in I use Spatial Door to get us back to our room. In the bedroom we all get ready for bed and I tell them what has been on my mind since we left the dungeon. “I’m thinking that we should leave soon.” I look to the girls and see I have their attention. “I figure we can get ready tomorrow and finish up whatever we need to. Then the day after we set out for the human capital. What do you think?”

  They all come to sit next to me on the bed and Timbre just shrugs her shoulders and Thia sends a sense of companionship. Azzaria sums it all up with her words though. “We are with you. Where you go we go. I don’t have any reason to delay the trip. Plus, with your new ability to travel, getting back won’t be an issue.”

  “True. Thanks for being with me, all of you” I say, making eye contact with each of my companions. We get under the covers and sink into slumber.

  Chapter 10

  “Find anything?” Comes the gruff voice of Major Brown.

  Varl, The Frozen Shadow, just looks back at him and shakes his head. “They used magic to cover their tracks. I can tell that it was used but it was done well and long enough has passed that I can’t track it.” The frustration is thick in his voice.