by Edward Brody
“We wait for the Queen,” Elloryn said. He looked over to the guard. “Send our fastest elf to Galien. Notify the King and Queen of the situation.”
“Just wait?” I asked, throwing up my hand. “And you crazy? We can’t just wait!”
“We don’t know where the Magi have taken Adeelee, but if they’re looking for a ransom, they’ll send an agent directly to the Vale with their requests. If we can fill their demands before the Queen issues her orders, we will do so.”
“What about the note?” I asked. “They want me to meet them.”
“Right,” Elloryn said. “They want to meet you alone, which is why I have little trust in you. If you ‘go to meet’ these Magi, you can come back here with whatever made up story you choose.”
“I’m not involved with Adeelee’s kidnapping. I promise you that.”
Elloryn huffed. “As far as I’m concerned, you should return to the Mages Guild and stay out of this situation. We’ll wait until the Magi send us their demands directly or until we receive direction from the Queen.”
“What if they hurt Adeelee?” I asked.
“Do you know how powerful the elves are, Gunnar?” Elloryn asked. “If the Magi want any sort of ransom from us, they will return Adeelee unscathed, and this will be a lesson to the Princess to stop going on nonsense missions with humans who can’t protect her. Kidnapping Adeelee is dangerous, but killing the Princess in such a fashion would turn this side of the world upside down.”
“When was the last time we heard reports of a Magi in this area?” the guard asked. “The story is hardly believable.”
“This is true, but do you have a better plan?” Elloryn asked. “Perhaps we should follow this human to meet the Magi, and risk the Princess’ safety? Send our men on a march to the Ivory Tower and demand Adeelee’s return, even if we turn into dark elves?”
The guard swallowed and didn’t respond.
“We wait for direct contact from the Magi or order from the Queen,” Elloryn ordered. “Send a rider at once.”
“We can’t just—“ I began but was also cut off.
“Ambassador,” Elloryn said firmly. “If you truly care about Adeelee, then pray we can fix this mess. If you’re not involved, you will obey my orders. Return to Edgewood until you receive further instructions. I’ll make sure you’re notified if the Queen disagrees with my direction.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
2/10/0001
The last bit of light was fading from the sky, and all the members of Unity were gathered by the campfire as I walked back into our little village.
“Gunnar!” Jax yelled as he stood up from the fire. He walked rigidly towards me, one hand in his pocket and another on his sword hilt. “Adeelee? Is she okay? Where is Rina?”
“Rina isn’t back yet?” I asked.
Jax shook his head.
“I don’t know what’s going on with Adeelee yet, but Rina should be back any time now. She’s fine.”
I continued walking towards my home, not acknowledging all the other guild mates who were eying me in anticipation.
“Well, what do we need to do?” Jax asked as I passed.
“Give me a little time,” I said. “I need to go to the Mages Guild before it gets too late. I’ll be back soon.”
“Hey, you okay, man?” Ozzy yelled out.
I raised my hand and nodded without turning around. I didn’t want to be rude to any of them, but I knew I was pressed for time. “I’m fine. I’ll be back later tonight.”
“You sure?” Aaron yelled as I pulled open my door. “You tend to disappear for ages every time you tell us you’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be back,” I said as I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
I retrieved my rune for the Vale and set it back on the shelf, and immediately began to recall using the rune for the Mage’s Hall sitting next to it. Within a few seconds, I found myself standing in the same room where I did all my studying.
I headed for the door and began my climb up the stairs towards the room where Darion most frequently stayed. When I arrived at his door, I knocked and waited for his slow answer.
“Come in,” Darion said. He was sitting at a desk, writing something with a feathered pen. When he saw me step inside, he smiled and placed the quill in his inkwell. “Ah, you’re back. How did the trip go?”
“Terrible,” I said. “I need some help.”
“Help?” Darion asked. His brow wrinkled, but then his eyelids quickly darted up as if he had a realization. “Is Liam okay?”
“Liam is fine,” I answered. “We found the area that we were searching for and looted a fair number of items.”
Darion smiled. “That’s great. What’s the problem then?”
“Princess Adeelee was kidnapped by the Magi.”
Darion raised an eyebrow and simultaneously lowered his other eyebrow as if he were both curious and amused at the same time. After a couple seconds of processing what I said, he let out a soft chuckle. “The Princess of Mist Vale… kidnapped by the Magi.”
“Yes.” I pulled out the note that that the Magi had left, marched up to the desk, and set it down for him to read.
Darion read the note, looked up, and chuckled again.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“This is ridiculous,” Darion said. “I can’t imagine any Magi kidnapping an elven Princess. They’d kill her and loot her if they could get away with it, maybe. But kidnap? No… This is some sort of ruse.”
I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, trying to find the right words. I couldn’t fault Darion for anything that he was saying; he knew more about the Magi than me. But the fact that he wasn’t taking it seriously bothered me. “Three men in all black robes attacked us as soon as we were returning from our dive. They killed Liam and—”
“Killed Liam?” Darion said. He stood from his chair in alarm. “I thought you said he was okay.”
“A member of my guild resurrected him. He’s fine,” I reiterated. “But they killed him and two of our mounts. I managed to get away to fetch a healer, but when I returned, Adeelee was gone. The only lead I have is this note.”
Darion breathed a sigh of relief and slowly eased his way back down in his chair. “Well…” he said slowly. “That is what Magi tend to do, but—”
“Who are these fucking Magi anyway?” I asked angrily, rattling my head. “The high elves said they are a faction like the Mages Guild. And they said they tend to hunt mages. You never told me about that.”
Darion held up a hand and lowered it. “Relax, Gunnar. The Magi are a faction similar to the Mages Guild, but they are not bound by the same rules as us. As you know, we prohibit the use of certain dark magics for our members, and members must use their magic for good. The Magi, however, were formed for mages who want the freedom to practice whatever type of magic they choose and are not bound to good or evil.”
“And they hunt members of the Mages Guild?” I asked.
“Well,” Darion said. “The Mages Guild is an old faction and the only one with access to the Omnicron. Since the Magi do not have a way to locate magic items the way that we do, some of them will follow other mages and ambush them as they are finishing up dungeon dives and such. For reagents, spells, items. The cost of magic is high.”
I shook my head in frustration. “So why didn’t you tell me about them?”
Darion shrugged. “It’s not a common occurrence in these parts. The chances of you getting ambushed by a group of random bandits are lot higher than you getting attacked by Magi. I couldn’t have imagined it happening to you on your first outing and—” Darion shook his head. “Whatever. The Magi stand nothing to gain from kidnapping a Princess. That’s madness.”
“Gold,” I said. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to get a massive ransom rather than loot a few items?”
Darion pooched his lips and bobbed his head from side to side as he thought. “Possibly.”
“So, then you admit it’s possible?”<
br />
“Possible, but completely improbable.” He looked down to the note again then looked up at me. “It has your name on this. This is someone who knows you!”
“Someone who knows me?” I asked. “No one I know would do this, and the guys who attacked us were using magic I had never seen before. The Princess must have told them my name. That’s the only explanation.”
“Or some sort of identification magic,” Darion mumbled. “But I doubt that too…” He threw his hands up in the air. “Whatever the case, it doesn’t matter. You’re safe. Liam is safe. We’ll continue your training, so you’re more prepared for situations like this in the future.”
I shook my head. “I need to save Adeelee.”
“This is an issue for the elves,” Darion said. “Take it to them and let them handle it.”
“I already have.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Whoever did this wants to meet me tomorrow, and the Queen of Mist Vale is out of town. Nothing will happen unless I do something.”
Darion shook his head. “Stop this nonsense, Gunnar. Next time, don’t take a Princess with you on a mission like this, and you won’t have to worry about it. Why are you running around with High Elves anyway?”
“I’m ambassador between Edgewood and Mist Vale.”
Darion rolled his eyes. “Jeez…” He took a deep breath, looked down, then looked back up at me. “I wanted you to join the Mages Guild because of what you learned in the Eternal Ravine. I imagined a Reborn educated as a master mage might be powerful enough to stop whatever darkness is on the horizon.”
“I know, and—“
“And you’re continually caught up in unrelated nonsense. You want to fight in the Arena. You want to save an elf.” He stood up and placed his hands on his desk. “I don’t care if you want to play ambassador to the elves or whatever, but get over yourself, Gunnar, and look at the bigger picture.”
My shoulders slumped, and I looked down. I nodded slightly as I said, “I understand what you’re saying, but Adeelee is my close friend. I just need a little help—a little guidance is all.”
Darion’s face softened, and he leaned back in his chair. He pressed the hands together at the tips of his fingers, and after a few seconds he sighed and said, “Fine. I’ll help ‘guide’ you, but I’m doing this as your friend, not as your teacher.” He glanced down at the note. “If this is a legitimate note, whoever wrote it will probably ask for a ransom. If you go alone and die, then I suppose it’s not the worst thing that can happen. After all, you are a Reborn. And until you find out what they want, there’s no way for you to proceed.”
I nodded as I took in his words. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was expecting him to say, but it was enough confirmation to me that I’d needed to just show up and see what happens.
You have accepted the quest: Anonymous Demands!
“Any other way I can help you?” Darion asked.
I thought a minute before I gave him a slight nod. “I hit level 27 today. I believe the guild owes me a spell.”
Darion smiled and stood from the desk. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
2/10/0001
“You have a few methods of attacking with magic, but your defense is lacking,” Darion explained as we headed down the stairs towards the room filled with magic scrolls.
When we entered, a buzzcut, heavyset mage with a red master’s belt was dusting off the shelves with a short, feathered stick. “I’m about to lock the doors for the night,” he said as he glanced over his shoulder.
“It won’t take us long, Quagmire,” Darion said.
He stopped what he was doing and turned around. “Can’t wait for tomorrow?”
“My student just leveled up. You know how exciting this moment can be.”
Quagmire grinned and raised one of his shoulders slightly. “Well, alright.” He looked me up and down. “Level 27 huh?”
I nodded.
“Alright, well what type of spell are you looking for?” he asked.
“Defensive,” Darion said. “A shield perhaps?”
I rubbed my chin as I thought. “I do need a shield, but doesn’t the Mages Guild have spells that aren’t easy to find at other places? I feel I can find a shield on my own.”
Darion smiled. “Oh, we can give you an amazing shield, that’s for sure.” He shifted his jaw as he looked at me more closely. “You don’t have many utility spells either do you?”
“Recall? Recall Home?” I asked.
“For battle,” Darion clarified.
“I have Divine Zeal that increases my critical hit chance, but I don’t use it as often as I should. Boiling Blood might be considered a utility spell too.”
“Hmm…” Darion said. “And no summon either.”
I shook my head.
“What magic branch are we looking in?” Quagmire asked.
“Fire, Arcane, Divine, or Mentalism,” I said.
“Four branches?” Quagmire flicked his eyelids up and shook his head as he started turning. “That gives us some options.” He held up his finger as he walked across the room and to a small ladder nearby. He stepped on the lowest rung and plucked a single scroll from the wall.
“Here’s what I recommend,” he said as he handed the spell out to me. “Is your Fire Magic a high enough level?”
You’ve received: Scroll: Scorching Fire Elemental. Summon a scorching hot fire elemental to do your bidding. Requires 40 Intelligence. Fire Magic Level 15. Requires 1 Sulfur’s Ash. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Rare. Weight: 0.1 kg. Price: 5,000 gold.
“It’s at level 14, but I have a skill point I can assign from my last level up,” I replied.
“You definitely need a shield, but I think a summon is a better basepoint,” the man said. “It’ll help you take on multiple opponents at once if you’re alone.”
“That’s true,” Darion said. “I think I agree with Master Quagmire.”
“I like it,” I said, but I grinned anxiously when I looked at the price tag. I had given all of my extra gold to Gerard to store in our treasury for trade, so I only had the small amount of gold that I had looted that day. “I don’t have this much gold on me, but I might be able to round it up after selling some items and collecting the rest from my guild’s coffers.”
Darion sighed. “Don’t worry. I’ll pay for the scroll.”
My eyelids shot up. “You’re giving it to me for free?”
“Pfft,” Darion spat. “It doesn’t work like that. I’ll buy the scroll for you now and give you a few of my spare Sulfur’s Ash to practice. You can pay back the gold within a few days. I can trust you, right?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said.
“So, is this the one you want or not?” Darion asked.
“Yeah, I’ll take it.”
“Good,” Darion said. “Hopefully, this will help you on your wild goose chase.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
2/10/0001
As I walked from the Edgewood mine’s runestone back to the village, I reminded myself that I really needed to keep practicing inscription so that I could one day mark location runes myself. In fact, I needed to figure out exactly what the requirements for marking location runes and how it was done. Recall Home spell was a godsend, but that walk from the mine every time I wanted to get to the village was annoying. Plus, if I bound myself to another rune, the Recall Home spell would send me there, leaving me with no quick way to get back to Edgewood.
“Has hell frozen over?” Aaron said as he caught sight of me. “Gunnar is back on time.”
Jax stood from his seat around the campfire and eyed me as I strolled into. midst of them all. “What’s the news?” he asked.
I dipped my head several times as I moved to sit down in front of the fire and began to retell the tale.
All of Unity—excluding Gerard—was gathered round as I told them how Liam, Adeelee and I were attacked by the Magi as we were emerging from
the gnoll’s den, and Jax seemed particularly disturbed. I explained the actions that the elves were taking and their plan to wait for the Magi to approach them directly for a ransom or wait for further word from the Queen.
“If you do what these guys want, couldn’t that throw a wrench into everything?” Sung asked. “I mean… if the elves are waiting for the Magi to approach them, the Magi might not do that if you show up.”
“What’s a wrench?” Rina asked.
“I don’t know of anyone stupid enough to kidnap the Princess of Mist Vale,” Jax said, shaking his head. “They’d have to be very slick—or very strong—to get away with it without the Queen having their head. It’s the first time I’ve heard of the Magi anywhere near Addenfall.”
“I like Adeelee,” Ozzy said. “I hope she’s okay.”
“She’s hot as fuck. That’s for sure,” Aaron said. “It would be a shame to see her killed.”
Keysia sat silently. She continually seemed to switch from being lost in thought to being genuinely concerned for the Princess’s safety.
“So, what are you going to do?” Jeremy asked.
I shook my head and let out a deep breath as I said, “I’m going to go to the location and see what happens. I feel I have to.”
“And we’ll go too,” Jax said.
“Naw,” Sung said. “The note clearly said Gunnar has to go alone.”
I nodded. “I know you’re all just as worried about her as I am, but—”
“Trynzen not worried!” Trynzen blurted. “Adeezee and Magiz, not care! Trynzen want to eat food. Keysia cook food for Trynzen, okay?”
Keysia broke a slight smile. “I’ll cook something for you in a bit.”
Trynzen scrambled across the ground grinning, then took a seat beside Keysia. Within a second, he was leaning over and trying to put his head in her lap. At first, Keysia looked overwhelmed, but then she just leaned back and accepted his chaotic nature.
