by Andrew Rowe
While I could conceptualize the idea of a serpent living in human society in disguise, the thought that one of them might have already been doing something like that so close to me... it had never even occurred to me.
How long had Mizuchi been monitoring the academy? It was right outside the spire, so she could have summoned Researcher and left her at the academy at any time she’d been outside. It could have been years before.
Or maybe she wasn’t Researcher’s original Summoner — she’d just made a contract later, like at the time I’d seen Mizuchi leaving.
It didn’t matter at the moment.
What mattered was that we’d been completely outmaneuvered.
“You’re a difficult man to find, Tristan Cadence.” Mizuchi stepped forward. She was still a good twenty feet from us, but that barely meant anything with her speed and ranged attacks. “I was fortunate I detected Researcher’s entry to the spire and summoned her to see what she was doing.
“Imagine how surprised I was to learn that you were planning to meet with your brother! I’d have never reached you if you’d been wise enough to remain in your little sanctum, but you were foolish enough to step outside.”
Tristan stepped out in front of Sera and me. “What do you want, Mizuchi?”
“I think I already made that perfectly clear.” She raised a hand, inspecting it. The hand shifted into a claw. “You have committed the worst sort of treason, Tristan Cadence. I’m certain that you’re aware the penalty for that is execution.”
Tristan raised his off-hand into a gesture to wait. “If you do that, you’ll never learn where Tenjin is.”
“I’m sure I’ll learn to live with my disappointment.”
Researcher stepped forward from the doorway. “I’m...sorry, Corin. If I’d refused to help her, she’d have broken our contract. I’d be gone forever.”
I understood not wanting to die. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”
“Such an optimist. You’re very like your mother. It’s a shame she’s not here to see her children die, but I’ll make sure to tell her all about it before I deal with her.”
Tristan stepped forward again. “Can I confirm who sent you, at least, if you’re planning to kill us anyway?”
“A good try, dear, but no. How about you stop moving and prepare to die?”
I felt my body freeze as Mizuchi’s spell took hold. I was getting really tired of mental compulsion spells, and this one was extremely potent.
Fortunately, I had planned for this.
“Ignore her commands,” I whispered to myself.
That activated the Ring Formerly Known as the Ring of Derek Controlling, which I’d modified to only activate based on my instructions.
The perception mana flooded into me, successfully overriding Mizuchi’s command. Her spell was weaker than what she’d used in the ballroom, most likely because she was still recovering from being banished.
I took a step forward, preparing to draw my weapon.
“Shrugged that one off somehow? Okay, just go ahead and kill yourselves.”
I struggled as her command washed over me, raising my sword. Not to fight Mizuchi, but to follow her order.
“Ignore her,” I commanded myself. The ring activated again, but this time, she’d put more effort into the spell. The ring wasn’t working quickly enough.
My arm continued to move against my will, bringing my sword up to my throat. I struggled to convert my mana into mental mana, but I was failing.
Tristan took a breath, then stepped back and put a hand on my shoulder, seemingly unaffected by Mizuchi’s spell. “Absorb magic.”
I felt Mizuchi’s spell tear out of me, freeing me from the paralysis in an instant.
It was not a pleasant sensation. Still, I was glad to be free.
He repeated the process with Sera. “Absorb magic.”
Sera and I shivered as we recovered from the spells, taking a few more steps back.
Mizuchi shook her head. “That attunement of yours is extremely irritating. I suppose we’ll have to do this the hard way.”
“It can be a lot more than irritating.” Tristan took another step closer to Mizuchi, retaining his combat stance. “Don’t test me. You won’t like the results.”
Mizuchi laughed. “You think you can threaten me?”
“You’re not at your full strength. You were just banished recently. I doubt you can even transform.” Tristan took a step forward. “My brother here fought you when you were at full strength and made it through. I’m willing to bet I can do better.”
“Your brother survived because I let him survive, fool.” Mizuchi let out a growl. “And while I may not be at my full strength, I’m still more than capable of handling a few human children.”
While Tristan briefly had Mizuchi’s attention, I reached into my bag and opened the Jaden Box. “Retrieve: Healing Potion.”
I handed it to Sera. “Drink that.”
She nodded, accepted the potion, and drank it. The wound on her arm began to close.
It wasn’t much, but if we were going to fight Mizuchi, I wanted to be as prepared as possible.
And giving her the healing potion had given me another idea.
“I’m done chatting.” Mizuchi clapped her hands together. “Now begins the killing. After I prevent you from fleeing, that is.”
She whirled around, moving as a blur away from us. Then her claw was scratching a rune into the wall.
I realized what it was immediately — an anti-teleportation rune. She was sealing off our only means of escape.
In that moment, I could have activated the necklace and fled before she finished it. But Tristan couldn’t leave the spire; his brand would kill him.
And I was not leaving him behind to die.
I glanced at Tristan with my attunement active. His aura was still Sunstone. If he’d been hiding his power like I’d expected, he hadn’t made any move to change it.
When I looked at Mizuchi, I saw something far more interesting. Her shroud was shimmering, with several colors, which I recognized as being multiple layers.
Much like me, she had the equivalent of multiple attunements. Or at least multiple shrouds.
Several of them. I couldn’t count the number; it was too much of a blur.
Sera acted in the moment while Mizuchi was distracted. “Wall.”
A wall of ice appeared, crossing the entire room between us and Mizuchi.
“Wall. Wall. Wall.” She layered more walls in our way, knowing they wouldn’t last long.
I turned to Tristan. “Can you beat her, since she’s weaker than usual?”
Tristan raised a hand to his face and laughed hysterically. “Goddess, no. I was bluffing. We don’t stand a chance.”
“Then can you get Keras to us?”
Mizuchi finished her rune, turning toward us and taking a deep breath.
I saw something interesting then, since my attunement was still active; one of the layers of her shroud vanished as she inhaled.
That was fascinating.
“Not from here,” Tristan replied. “Only from the sanctum. There’s no time.”
Mizuchi exhaled, blasting a jet of flame straight through all four layers of Sera’s wall.
Tristan jumped in the way of the attack.
For an instant, Tristan was engulfed in fire, and my heart sank.
Then the flames twisted and converged into a single point — his right fist.
He stepped toward Mizuchi. The flames surged upward from his hand, enveloping his sword. “Thanks. I needed something that could hurt you.”
Mizuchi growled and lunged at him, moving faster than I could follow.
Tristan could, though. He stepped out of the way, swinging and hitting Mizuchi with his burning blade. The flames exploded on contact, and Mizuchi flew backward, cracking into the ice wall.
Sera pointed. “Wall.”
Another wall appeared in front of Mizuchi and curved around her, effectively trapping her
between two walls.
Tristan stepped forward as Mizuchi began battering the wall with her fists, snarling as ice cracked away.
I reached back into my bag. “Retrieve: Healing Potion.”
A healing potion appeared.
Mizuchi burst through the ice.
Tristan jabbed at her again, but she evaded this time, and his sword hit the ice. She slammed him in the chest with a claw, and he flew backward, disarmed.
Mizuchi lunged at Tristan, but Sera raised another ice wall. Mizuchi crashed into it.
Tristan clutched at his ribs, stumbling back. I tossed him my sword.
He caught it just as Mizuchi burst through the wall, then swung it in mid-air and projected a shockwave.
The wave of ice slammed into Mizuchi with no effect.
Then she was right next to Tristan, swinging at him again.
Tristan barely managed to step backward and avoid the blow.
I stopped watching. I had work to do.
“Retrieve: Mage’s Folly.”
The herb appeared. I opened the healing potion and tossed it inside. The liquid changed from red to black.
“Retrieve: Queen’s Crown.”
Another herb appeared. I tossed it in. The liquid bubbled and sparkled.
I replaced the stopper and looked back at the fight.
Tristan was down on the ground. Mizuchi was right on top of him, holding his arms. She was laughing and squeezing, probably with enough force to break bones.
I ran just a few steps closer to make sure my aim was good, then threw the potion at her.
The glass bottle exploded across her back.
She let go of Tristan and screamed.
Mage’s Folly reversed the effect of a concoction.
Queen’s Crown greatly amplified the effect.
I’d hit her with a reversed, amplified healing potion.
Tristan struggled to get out from under her while she screamed, but she was still pinning him with her body. She swiped a clawed hand downward, and I saw blood splatter as it gouged across his face.
Sera hit Mizuchi with a blast of wind, and Mizuchi was sufficiently distracted that the air knocked her away.
Mizuchi was rising again in a moment, though. She took a breath, and flames burst from her body, evaporating the potion before it could do more damage.
That was bad, because I’d hoped the potion would continue to burn through her and deal more damage.
It was also enlightening, however. One of the layers of her shroud vanished when she inhaled, just like when she’d used her breath attack.
That gave me something to consider, but I had something more urgent to worry about.
Scales were beginning to appear across her skin.
She was changing forms.
It would take a few seconds, but that wasn’t enough time for much.
I reached into my bag again, trying to think.
Sera ran toward where Researcher was standing in the doorway. She said something, but I couldn’t hear her.
Tristan was still on the ground, clutching at his face. Selys-Lyann lay nearby.
Think, Corin. Think!
“Retrieve: Keras’ blood. Summon Keras Selyrian.”
Nothing happened.
I’d hoped that being inside the spire, maybe the additional mana and the short distance would be enough to let the box work. But that hope had been in vain.
That was fine. I had other options. “Store: Keras’ Blood. Retrieve: Silverbrand.”
A silver dagger appeared in my hand. I knew that, at least according to Keras, it was a powerful magical item that had once belonged to Wrynn Jaden.
I hurled it at Mizuchi.
It bounced off her scales and fell to the floor without effect.
Note to self: Foreign magical items are not always as useful as the Jaden Box.
After that, Mizuchi was done transforming.
Wings and a tail burst from her back. Horns emerged from her head. Her entire body was covered with scales now.
“Now,” she turned toward Sera, “You’re the weakest one, Summoner. I think you’ll be first.”
Sera whispered, “You’re wrong.”
“What was that, dear? Speak up.” Mizuchi floated a few feet off the ground, then reached up and formed a ball of flame in her right hand.
“I said, you’re wrong.”
“About which point?”
“All of it.” Sera reached out her right hand. She was wearing her bracer, the one I’d given her that enhanced Summoning spells. “I’m not weak. I’m not going to die. And,” she grinned, “I’m not a Summoner. Not anymore.”
Her bracer glowed for a moment, then she brought her hands together in front of her. “Vanniv, I invoke your power.”
Sera’s entire body began to glow as mana burned in the air around her.
Then wings of stone appeared behind her, merging with a suit of stone armor that formed around her body from the neck down.
“An ascended attunement.” Mizuchi tilted her head downward for a moment. “You’re an Invoker now. That’s very interesting. If ultimately meaningless.”
Mizuchi hurled her sphere of fire, but Sera just raised a hand and pointed at it. A gust of wind blasted the sphere, detonating it early.
The blast was large enough that it hurled me off my feet, and I landed several feet away. My silver phoenix sigil protected me from the heat, though.
Tristan wasn’t quite as lucky. The explosion hit him on the ground, and I could see that he’d been badly burned.
I pulled myself to my feet and reached into my bag.
Sera soared upward. Mizuchi followed.
I ran to Tristan. “Retrieve: Healing Potion.”
Tristan sat up, and I shoved the potion at him.
The right side of his face was a bloody mess, and a good portion of his chest and neck were covered with burns. His shroud had stopped the blast from being fatal, at least.
He awkwardly reached for the potion. I put it in his hand.
“Thanks,” he managed, drinking it and coughing. “You should go. Run for the door she came in, then teleport once you’re outside.”
I shook my head. “I’ve been working to see you again for five years. I am not letting you die here.”
Above us, Mizuchi hurled blasts of lightning at Sera, but she shaped them out of the way. They struck the walls and blasted apart chunks of stone.
I didn’t know how Sera was powerful enough to be countering Mizuchi’s attacks. She was clearly still fighting on the defensive, but she’d never been able to counter anything close to the level of Mizuchi’s attacks.
At the moment, I had more pressing concerns. “Retrieve: Healing Potion. Retrieve: Healing Potion.”
I laid out the two remaining potions. “Drink these. I’m going to see if I can help Sera somehow.”
I picked up Selys-Lyann.
Tristan grudgingly began to drink the potions, shaking his head. “You can’t beat her.”
“No.” I shook my head. “But I’m not alone.”
I pointed my sword upward.
It was a bad angle for trying to send a slash in Mizuchi’s direction, and I’d seen that it wasn’t powerful enough to do much to her in her current state, anyway.
Instead, I remembered what Keras had taught me.
I concentrated, forming a mana thread and connecting it to the sword’s runes, then reshaping the ice energy around the blade. I formed it into a single point around the tip, as if I was planning to thrust.
Mizuchi flew toward Sera, raising a claw that glimmered with mana.
Sera flew to the side to dodge, but the claw was a feint.
Mizuchi’s tail snapped upward, tearing off one of Sera’s stone wings.
Unbalanced, Sera fell from the sky.
Mizuchi descended after her, ready to strike.
I struck first.
My ring of jumping wasn’t recharged yet, but the fall from the last room had made it clear that I didn’t reall
y need it.
I jumped, blasting myself upward with transference mana, and jammed my sword into Mizuchi’s wing.
Even with the added force of transference mana pushing me, the sword failed to pierce her scales.
But a physical attack bypassed her shroud, and that meant the ice that I’d been gathering into a single point connected straight with her wing.
Mizuchi hissed as the ice blasted over her wing and began to spread further. She lost her focus on the attack and flew to the side, then descended slowly to the ground.
I flew backward from the force of the impact, but landed on my feet.
Sera landed less gracefully, smashing into the ground on her back. She groaned and pulled herself to her feet a moment later, but with only one wing intact, she couldn’t fly.
Mizuchi shook herself as the ice spread, then groaned, took a breath, and emitted a blast of flame from all around her. The ice melted.
Again, one of the layers of her shroud vanished as she emitted the flames, confirming the pattern that I’d suspected.
Every time she breathed in for an attack, she was weakening her own shroud.
But it didn’t last long. I could already see a new layer of the shroud forming around her.
Still...maybe it was enough.
Sera was standing again. She conjured a ball of lightning and hurled it at Mizuchi, but Mizuchi simply walked into it. The attack hit her shroud and deflected out of the way without effect.
“Is that the best you can do, little girl? You really think that invoking a single monster is going to be good enough to beat me?”
Mizuchi flew forward as a blur, far too fast.
A terrified voice yelled something from the doorway. “Sera, jump!”
Mizuchi swung her tail at Sera an instant later.
Sera jumped over the strike, then swung her remaining wing and smashed it into Mizuchi’s chest.
The serpent staggered backward, hissing. “Oh, I’m going to kill that bitch. Researcher!” She turned her head toward the doorway.
Researcher was cowering there.
Mizuchi tilted her head downward. “I warned you what would happen if you betrayed me.”
“I...” Researcher shook her head. “Corin is my friend. I don’t want you to hurt him anymore. Or anyone else.”
I felt something in my heart give way when I realized what was about to happen.
