by Jez Cajiao
The spell he’d been summoning died as soon as his fingers abandoned their gestures, and he found himself unable to speak. He tried to twist away from it, reaching for something in a pouch, but I increased the pressure and he froze, blood seeping down from his new necklace as I spoke.
“Ah, ah! Let’s not do anything we might regret, eh?”
My left hand grabbed one of the hidden throwing blades in my bracers and I turned. Toka was bending over Esold, oblivious to the change in our relative positions and reveling in the obvious pain the warrior was suffering. I threw the blade with a slight grunt of effort, watching it sink into the creature’s back below the neck, leaving Toka to collapse twitching to the floor with a cry of pain and surprise.
I turned back, looking at the mage to make sure he was behaving himself, before turning to the dwarf. He looked worn out, old before his time, with a salt and pepper beard, ill-fitting armor, and light spots on his hands where rings were missing. The armor was clearly missing decorative touches, it appeared as though they’d been pried off, leaving just the bare metal behind.
“I take it you don’t want to fight me?” I asked him, and when his eyes widened, and he began to shake his head. “Good. In that case, put my weapons down, and go sit over there out of the way. You and I will have words later.” I gestured with a flick of my chin to a pile of rubble off to one side where the slaves were all huddled, and he ran to them, dumping my weapons as he went. Then he froze as Bob came thundering out of the stairwell and ran across the open floor toward the doorway out onto the marshalling yard area.
“No!” he screamed, gesturing wildly and grabbing at a mace nearby. “Get away… leave them alone!” With that, he set off running after Bob, screaming wildly at the people outside to run. They’d already paused in loading and most had retreated to the ship, but when they saw Bob, one of them screamed out in panic and spun around, leading a sudden rush of people up the gangplank.
“Spore creatures!”… “Run for it!” … “Get aloft!” These things and more were screamed as the sailors fled, with a sudden increase in power from the ship’s engines as the steady hum grew to a roar.
I felt a change in the razorwire and looked back in time to see that it was unravelling itself, the far end floating in the air as the mage took advantage of my distraction. I growled and kicked out, Sparta style, catching him in the chest as I pulled on the wire, but it was too late, and the wire came loose.
One hand was pressed to his own throat, trying to staunch the flow of blood, while the other lifted towards me. The familiar blue lightning spell I’d already encountered began to build up as he fell back.
I dove to my left, hitting the ground and rolling, coming to a halt behind a stone pillar that took the brunt of the spell fired at me. I felt my muscles lock up as pain flared, but it only lasted a second and I was back on my feet, one hand tugging free and throwing my hidden blade from my other bracer as I moved to Esold. He was barely alive now, his guts torn open by my earlier attack. He continued bleeding heavily as I ripped my naginata free from him and spun around.
I searched for the mage. He’d pulled a potion from his belt rather than start another attack and was hurriedly biting the cork as my flying blade bounced off the wall by his head. I’d missed, but the flinch as he spat out the cork made it clear he knew how close he’d come to being hit.
I ran at him, and he threw up a barrier of sparking light, hunching behind it as he gulped the potion down. I slammed my weapon into his glowing shield. It flared, but I was the one that fell back. Electricity flowed up my arms from my weapon and shaved off even more from my health pool, leaving my arms feeling numb.
“Use your weapon, Jax! Cast through it!”
I heard Oracle in my mind, and a flood of images and knowledge accompanied her sending, how to channel into a weapon, rather than around it, how to funnel it to the point I wanted, and how to counteract lightning. It was simple really, just match it, lightning shield…meet lightning bolt…
I grinned at the sneering mage as he crouched in perceived safety. Slamming the butt of my naginata down on the floor between us and locking my hands together with it held tightly between them, I summoned the ‘feeling’ of the spell, the desire, and I spoke the words, forcing the mana down my arms and into my weapon as I twisted my fingers into the accompanying gestures. I set no limits on the mana to take, flooding all I had into the weapon, which sent my mana bar plummeting even faster than Oracle had been using it up.
The length of the weapon flashed to light, carvings and lines seeming to appear from nowhere as it took on the spell, making the air around me crackle and hum.
With a scream of effort, I flipped the naginata over, changing my grip until it was suspended over my head, point down. I lunged, driving it with all my strength into the barrier. The mage’s sneering expression turned to one of shock as I pierced his barrier with surprising ease. A cascade of sparks rained out as my blade punched through, sliding almost effortlessly into his chest and out his back, neatly bisecting his heart as his barrier collapsed, and I felt the collar around my neck give a twitch before settling again.
I drew my weapon back from the dead mage. Something hissed as the blade came free, and I twisted around. Bob had pinned the dwarf to the wall with one hand while the ship took off. I took two quick steps and threw my weapon with all my might, watching as it hurtled through the air to slam into the left hindmost engine of the ship before ricocheting off to bounce across the floor. The engine exploded, making the ship list to one side, losing altitude and exposing a second ship on its far side, which was trying to get enough power to lift off as well.
The first ship twisted to the side before its captain could compensate for the change in power and smashed into the second, tearing both of the second ship’s engines on one side free with a scream of tortured metal.
The first, larger ship flared its engines again and unfurled its sails, dipping as it fell off the end of the yard before catching itself and limping up into the air. The massive vessel headed away to the south as fast as it could go. The second ship twisted in the air, half its engines gone, sails and rigging torn from one side and it began a dive off the end. The crew were screaming, fighting against the engines as they powered the dive faster, and as it disappeared, it began to tip over, rolling and spiraling to the ground.
“NOOOOOOOO!!!!” the dwarf screamed, slapping ineffectually at Bob as he was held in place. I collapsed to one knee as the combined pains of the mana drain headache and slave collar reasserted themselves.
I grunted in pain and forced myself to my feet. The slaves huddled off to one side, staying as far away as possible in one big bunch. Toka and Esold had collapsed together, steadily bleeding out.
“Keep him there, Bob. Oracle, come see what you can do with this collar, please.” I whispered, closing my eyes against the brightness of the sun as the migraine started to get worse. I sat down roughly on the floor and covered my eyes with one hand, trusting my companions to warn me if anything happened.
“Jax? Can you hear me?”
I recognized the ‘feeling’ of the contact and responded to it wearily.
“Yeah, Seneschal, I can hear you… what’s up?”
“I’ve managed to lock down whatever is blocking my senses. It’s coming from the balcony floor. Something out there is causing it, and I expect the ship that just crashed into my already damaged courtyard is your work?”
“Hah, yeah that’s us, trashing the place as usual. Sorry, mate. How bad is it? I’ll get to whatever is causing this as soon as I can.”
“The damage is minor; more a heavy landing than a crash, I suppose but only just, still, more debris for our golems to clear.”
“Any survivors?”
“I am unsure of the original compliment of the ship, but there are at least a dozen creatures moving around on it currently. They seem concerned about the golem I have watching them.”
“Ha! I bet they are! Keep an eye on them, and I’ll take
care of those fuckers as soon as I can. Does it look like they can take off again?”
“Definitely not. The keel has snapped in half, and while the impact was slower than I worried it would be, it was still considerable. Many repairs will be needed.”
“Great news. Okay, as I said, keep an eye on them, but get the golem back to work. I doubt they’ll be coming inside, given any choice, and Bob and I will be down once I’ve asked some questions of the survivors.”
“As you wish.”
I felt Oracle’s fingers at work on the collar, tugging and pushing sections, but after a minute she huffed and gave up.
“I’m sorry, Jax. I think we need a key. One of them must have one, surely?”
“We can check…” I said, before automatically adding, “and don’t call me Shirley.”
“What? But…”
“Dammit!” I groaned, knowing I’d just given Oracle a new line of questions that would come back to haunt me. “It’s not important okay, Oracle? Just a bad joke.”
“But…”
“Please, just leave it,” I groaned, forcing myself to my feet and walking over to the pair of assholes bleeding out on the floor. Esold was unconscious now, and probably very close to death, while Toka was unnaturally still, the hilt of my throwing knife still jutting from between its shoulders. It moved its head slightly as the sound of my approach, wincing in pain before licking its lips and grinning up at me. I grimaced upon seeing that its teeth had been filed to points. The androgynous features flicked between terror and excitement as it laid there paralyzed and watched me approach.
I knelt down next to it, looking it in the eyes and trying to ignore the frenzied sobbing and shouts from the dwarf as he struggled with Bob, who held him effortlessly.
“So, want to explain why I should spare you?” I asked Toka as I looked into its eyes.
“I…I’ll serve you…I’ll serve you well, yes, serve you in any way you like! Just heal me and use me, Master! I’ll give satisfaction…oh yes, I will!” The voice changed as it spoke, at times wheedling, then excited, then pleading.
I looked away from the excitement in its eyes and focused on the outfit it wore, strange strips of leather wound together, and large studs and spines pinned it all over, piercing outwards and inwards with equal measure. Something about the leather looked wrong, and I frowned, summoning Bob and his prisoner with a thought. Once Bob was standing over me, I called out to the dwarf without looking up, a horrible suspicion filling my mind.
“Tell me about this one, and about the outfit…it…wears.”
“Ye bastard! Ah tried to help ya! I wanted to free ya! You’re one o’ THEM! A creature of the dark! Ye killed ma men, destroyed ma ship! Ma family! Oh, gods, ma poor family! They’re all gonna starve, all because of ye!” He sobbed as he spoke, consumed with horror and pain.
“Don’t be such a fucking idiot. Look at Bob, he’s not DarkSpore.” I snapped at him. “The second ship crashed below, but there are survivors, and there’ll be a better chance of them surviving if you answer my GODDAMNED QUESTIONS! Now… tell me about this fucking creature!”
Silence reigned for a few seconds, then the dwarf spoke up quietly, his breathing ragged. “They’re alive? Ye promise? Wait…No, I canna believe the word of a creature like ye…”
“Bob, take him outside and let him look over the edge, then come back in here with him. Make it quick.” I said, deciding to grant Esold a quick death in mercy. I drew a dagger from Toka’s belt and stabbed the warrior through the throat, which generated a death notification.
Congratulations! You have killed a Level Twenty-Seven Dark Paladin! You have gained 420 Exp. Progress to Level Seven stands at 7460/14000 Exp.
I pulled the dagger free, noticing the serrated edge and hooked tip dragging out a gobbet of flesh as I did. This wasn’t a weapon meant to kill cleanly; this thing was a fucking torturer’s delight. I looked down at Toka. Excitement and fear were etched deep on its face, and I wanted to be sick. The more I saw of this creature, the more bile rose as my first reaction. I verified that it would live a few minutes more at least, and I turned to find where Oracle had gotten to. She had flitted across to the mage’s corpse and was busily rifling through his pockets, throwing things aside as she went and muttering about the crap she was finding.
I left her to it and made my way over slowly to the huddled slaves, seeing the way they’d all drawn in to form a protective circle around the little elven girl as she crouched behind the remains of a section of wall, sobbing.
“I… I’ll not let you hurt her! You can’t! Just… you leave us alone… okay? Or else!” a young boy said, straightening up as far as his chains would allow and trying to step between us. I focused on him and felt my heart ache. He must have been nearly ten, scrawny and barely decent, covered in rags with weeping, open sores where the chains had rubbed his skin raw. Short dark hair looked like it’d been cut as close to the skin as possible with a dagger, and healed scars on his scalp showed it had not been the first time. He glared up at me, blue eyes puffy with tears and nose streaming with snot.
“Jesus, kid, calm down.” I whispered as I looked him over. The group that had huddled behind him slowly moved around, a couple of adults coming to stand with him between me and the girl. I shook my head and called over my shoulder to Oracle.
“You found that key yet?”
“No! The shit this guy had in his pockets!! I swear; what use is there for a dried human ear?! I…wait! I think this is it!” Oracle was up and flying toward me in an instant, landing quickly on my shoulder and shifting the collar around until she found a specific spot. She pressed a small triangular metal part to the collar, and I felt my legs weaken as a wave of dizziness flooded through me. I grabbed at the wall nearest to me as my head spun, until I felt hands holding me upright.
When my vision cleared, I looked into the face of a catman… person… whatever. He stood as tall as I was, even with his back half bowed from years of working with a collar on. Thick lines creased his face and his fur was streaked with grey, and his clothes were as bad as the rest of them, but he at least met my eyes as he helped me to stand.
“You are not like them, yes?” He said, a faint thrumming noise underlying his words. “You will help us?”
I straightened up and he let go, retreating a few steps, but stood with his hands half outstretched as though ready to catch me, should I fall. I shook my head again to clear it of at least some of the dizziness and looked him in the eyes.
“No, I’m nothing like those dicks,” I said, reaching up and tugging my collar free as Oracle finished whatever she’d been doing. The thing hinged open easily now, and I felt my mana begin flowing again, refilling at its usual rate. “Let me see the girl,” I said, and the cat dude turned, gesturing to the others to step aside. All moved, save the boy, who stayed where he was, little fists raised as though to fight anyone he had to.
“Step aside, Caron…you do no good here. Either he will help us, or we will all die. There is nothing left to lose.” With that, the cat reached out and forcibly drew the boy aside, gently but firmly holding his arms close to his chest. I stepped around the wall and crouched down until I was level with the girl.
She cowered away from me, turning her face to the stone, and I could hear the stifled sobs that shook her tiny frame. Her meager woolens were stained with fresh blood, and worse.
“Oracle, I’m going to need your help here. I can heal her body, and the others, but I’m going to need you to help heal her mind and soul.”
“We will help, Jax. We live to serve the Tower’s residents, after all.”
“Residents…yeah I guess they are now. Fuck knows they’ve obviously got nowhere better to be!
“Seneschal, I need places for them to sleep sorted out, somewhere safe, with water and food, I guess. Heph, get the golems built as fast as possible.”
I sensed agreement from all three wisps, and then they were gone, save Oracle, who settled to the ground next to me. She reach
ed one small hand out to the girl and stroked her hair back from her face, exposing the remains of an ear. Someone had taken a knife to it long ago in an attempt to disguise the distinguishing pointed elven upper half. It’d been done badly, and the wound had healed looking like she’d lost a fight with a hedge trimmer.
“I need you to keep your eyes closed for me; can you do that?” I whispered, gathering the healing spell in my mind. I had more than enough mana to heal a handful of the group, but I didn’t hesitate in altering the spell as I reached out to her with it, feeling Oracle’s knowledge guiding me. With her help forming the mana threads into forms that hovered in the air, I slowly shifted them to surround her, before allowing them to slide down into her damaged body. As each level overlaid the last, a complex matrix of spell forms began to build up. At its base was the same simple healing spell I’d used dozens of times, but each layer was repeated time and time again, each with a slight variant. A touch of earth here, to strengthen and straighten her bones, a pinch of fire and water there to replace the lost blood, air and dark mixed just so. Each section of magic slowly built, until I felt the last dregs of my mana bottoming out, and I knew I’d done all I could. I released it with a long exhalation, sagging backwards to sit on my ass on the floor. The spell activated, lifting her from her feet and suspending her several inches above the ground. She arced her back and took in a deep, whistling breath, opening her eyes in shock. Light flowed around her, into her, and buoyed her up. The spell form was visible to all as it wove in and out, gently forcing her crooked limbs straight, then fixing them. Her eyes were wide in wonder as her feet finally touched the ground, all traces of injury gone from her body. The only evidence remained in her battered, bloody clothes, and deep in her eyes, reflecting the shock of new health.
