A day earlier, Jared and the others had been moved to a new cave under the mountainside. It was a decently sized cavern, about eighty feet on a side and with small side-caves that contained bedrolls and other supplies. The crystal on the ceiling shed light, granting the illusion of day and night, while a riot of edible plants and fruit trees surrounded the large spring in the center of the chamber. The elf who’d led the way had icily informed them that it was their own responsibility to ensure that they didn’t run out of food, then had left them.
There were exactly twelve of them in the cavern, all the survivors of Jared’s ill-fated attempt to capture Princess Phynis Constella again. Five of them had been swallowed by pit traps that had dropped them into pitcher plants. From the descriptions, it sounded like the plants had put those five to sleep, while all but Jared had tried to run, only to end up surrendering to the elves. All the others, nearly forty men and women, had died under the arrows of the dusk elves or to the enchanted fists of the golem.
A golem which blocked the exit of the cavern they’d been moved to. Jared’s eyes drifted to the huge figure and shivered slightly. The golem was a blocky humanoid form, with the surface seemingly melted to glass. Etched into the golem’s surface were intricate runes that glowed with faint crimson light. He’d seen the flames it could emit, and all the damage they’d dealt to the golem was gone now. It was the sight of the golem and how strange the area they were in was that told him they were in the dungeon, a thing he hadn’t thought was possible. How could anyone live in a dungeon?
Shaking his head to clear the extraneous thoughts from his mind, Jared smiled at Derek again, his voice quiet. “I don’t blame you, Derek. I completely fucked up this time. If I’d known we were invading the dungeon I wouldn’t have even have tried. Instead I got most of your company killed, and it was only right that I die fighting. If I hadn’t been offered the chance to surrender, I would have died too.”
“How were you supposed to know, sir? Your ribs are cracked, your arm broken, and to my knowledge, everyone said the dungeon went downward, not west,” Derek asked, looking worried. “I don’t think anybody here blames you.”
“They should,” Jared replied with a sigh, settling back. “Still, we can’t do anything but wait. Once I’m mobile, I’ll see about helping out around the cave.”
“As you wish, sir,” Derek replied respectfully.
“You did what?” Desa asked, obviously startled as she stared at Phynis.
“Some of my thoughts upset me, and the water froze so fast that the mug shattered in my hands,” Phynis replied, feeling a little uncertain about Desa’s reaction. She held up her hands and added, “Sistina healed my hands, so I’m fine, but she said I need training and that she’d be a bad teacher.”
“If you did that, I’m not surprised you need training. I’m just shocked because if it’s enough mana to react that violently to mere emotions, I have no idea how much power it would take,” Desa replied, setting her book down carefully. “I’ve heard of minor indications around particularly talented individuals, but nothing on that scale.”
“Uh, well, she said it was in part triggered when she healed me,” Phynis told Desa, deciding that it would be far better not to mention the fact she’d died briefly. That would just upset Desa, and the mage was uncertain how to act now that she’d resigned her commission in Sifaren’s Royal Guard. Their relationship was slowly on the mend, but… actually, that might have been part of why Sistina had sent her to Desa. Considering the possibility, Phynis slowly grew certain that was the case. She’d seen Sistina share knowledge with Lily, and she suspected that her own connection wasn’t any weaker than the gardener’s. It would be just like Sistina to gently nudge them together to help them reconcile.
“Considering how much mana I felt her gather to heal you, I suppose that makes sense. I couldn’t believe how much mana she was using.” Desa shook her head and sighed. “I never thought healing you would take that much power.”
“I didn’t realize. I felt something while I was unconscious, but it’s hazy, and I can’t really remember much. Mostly a pair of violet eyes,” Phynis mused, shaking her head and sighing slightly. “The question is, will you help?”
“Of course I’ll help!” Desa replied, looking surprised and almost betrayed by Phynis’ doubt, making Phynis feel guilty for asking. “Take a seat. Let’s figure out just how much mana you have and work from there.”
“Thank you, Desa,” Phynis replied softly, taking a seat across from Desa. The library was largely quiet, and she cleared her throat before asking, “How do we check my mana?”
“Hold out your hands and try to relax. I’m going to try to probe you and find the core of your mana. That’ll allow me to measure it,” Desa explained, clearing her throat as she added, “It will feel a bit uncomfortable, I’m afraid. Try not to resist, but it might take a couple of attempts.”
“I think I can manage that,” Phynis replied, smiling a little as she extended her hands with her palms up on the table.
Desa pushed her book to the side and laid her own hands over Phynis’. For a long moment Phynis didn’t feel anything but the warmth of Desa’s palms. Finally, a faint, almost tickling sensation brushed against her palms, causing her to shiver slightly.
“There we are,” Desa murmured, opening her eyes a crack and smiling as she admonished, “Try not to resist.”
Phynis was about to reply, but her words turned into a sharp gasp as it suddenly felt like two needles had just been thrust through her hands and into her wrists. Her hands spasmed, and she almost pulled away out of instinct.
Grabbing her hands and holding them, Desa admonished, “Let me in, Phynis. If you do, it’ll stop hurting, I promise.”
“I’m t-trying,” Phynis gasped, arms almost vibrating as she tried to work through the pain, which wasn’t dulling at all!
“Just relax your arms. Let each muscle grow limp, and just let it flow through you,” Desa urged softly.
Phynis tried to do as she said. It was just so hard to concentrate with the pain. Her muscles didn’t want to relax at all. For several long moments there was no progress, until she felt something relax ever so slightly under her efforts, and the pain eased in response. It was like learning there was a new muscle in her arms, and slowly, she managed to relax the resistance, and the pain subsided until it just felt like two cool veins of ice were in her arms.
“There we go. Was that really so bad?” Desa asked, smiling sympathetically.
“Yes. Yes it was, Desa,” Phynis replied crossly, taking a deep breath. “That hurt more than I expected.”
“Well, maybe I’m just misremembering. I’m sorry it hurt,” Desa apologized. “Now, let’s continue. Just hold your resistance back like that, Phynis.”
“I’ll do my best. This is harder than I expected,” Phynis replied, working to keep that ‘muscle’ relaxed as the cool probes seeped deeper into her, extending up her arms slowly. It was such a strange sensation, feeling them slide through her body effortlessly.
“You can do it, Phynis. Just give me a minute,” Desa murmured softly, her eyes half-closed again.
After a few moments, the probes reached her torso, and immediately reached toward her heart. If Phynis remembered right, there was a potent magical center there, one of seven along a person’s spine. The reason why Kelvanis branded their slaves on the lower abdomen was believed to be because it was right over the lowest one of the seven. The cool veins reached her heart, touched it… and Phynis felt an explosion of warmth, her vision vanishing in a flash of white for a moment as the probes evaporated into nothing.
“Dear gods in the heavens!” Desa’s voice was shockingly loud as her hands recoiled. She was staring at Phynis in shock as the elf’s vision cleared again, jaw all but hanging open.
“What happened, Desa?” Phynis asked, frowning in worry. “Is… is something wrong with me?”
“Wrong? You might say that, but for entirely the wrong reason!” Desa gasped out, shak
ing her head. “You have too much mana. Far, far more than you should have without centuries of training! How… oh. Oh, she gave you the power! When you were hurt… Sistina gathered an enormous amount of mana and pressed it into the open wound, directly into your heart! And you didn’t just heal, you took it!”
“What are you talking about, Desa?” Phynis asked, confused at the excitement and shock in her bodyguard’s eyes. “I thought all the mana was used to heal me!”
“So did I. But it wasn’t.” Desa calmed slightly, shaking her head. “Your body took that mana and used it as a… a nucleus of sorts. Instead of having to build up your mana reserves the way most people do, you instantly gained a supply that is absolutely immense. No wonder you could accidentally freeze water, when most people need a specific spell to manage it!”
“How much mana are you talking about?” Phynis asked slowly, trying to adjust to the concept, and Desa just snorted.
“How much? I don’t know how to describe it. Not even close,” Desa replied softly, but grinned. “On the other hand, I can tell you this much. If you have even half as much talent at learning magic as you had with statecraft, you might be in the running for becoming the most powerful sorceress on the continent, given a few decades.”
Phynis’ eyes went huge at the implication, and she swallowed hard before speaking in a quiet voice. “Oh.”
Chapter 5
Albert grinned as he finally came into sight of the town. He was almost done with the sorry excuse for a trail, and that was fine with him. What a pain in the ass it had been getting through the mud-clogged section about ten miles back… fortunately, steam engines were much less impressed by mud than most horses or wagons. But he finally made it, and that made him happier than he could express. Even if he was in a godsforsaken backwater.
Spotting a few figures near the entrance to the town, Albert grinned and pulled on the rope that activated the steam-whistle and watched them jump as it wailed. It was always so much fun to watch rubes panic at the sound of a mere whistle!
“What the hell was that?” Sayla asked, looking up with her hand of cards as she almost jumped out of her seat. Daniel had to admit that the sound of the mournful, high-pitched sound had startled him as well, but he hadn’t much more than twitched.
“Ah, the Guild’s here!” Joseph spoke happily, setting down his cards and nodding. “I’m bowing out, I’d like to go meet them.”
“And that was a steam whistle, Sayla,” Penelope added, following his example. “You’ve heard of steam engines, right?”
“Only in vague terms. I hear there’s a steam ship that visits the ports around the Medan Sea on occasion, but I’ve never been to that part of Kelvanis,” Sayla replied, hesitating a moment as everyone began to fold around her, then sighing and setting down her cards. “Drat. I had a good hand for once.”
“I’ve seen the steamer before. The White Wind,” Daniel interjected, smiling slightly at the memory. “When I first saw it, I thought it was the most ridiculous-looking ship. But it’s fast, and not reliant on wind.”
“Oh, what type of ship is it?” Darak asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve heard of a few steamers, but they aren’t too common yet.”
“Ah, it was a fairly big ship, about two hundred feet from prow to stern, but with big paddle wheels on either side of the centerline,” Daniel replied, shaking his head. “I first saw it at rest and wondered how it could even work.”
“That would be a sidewheeler. I’m surprised one comes through these parts. Steam engines are pretty damned expensive, even if the Guild does like them a lot.” Darak nodded firmly. “I’m more surprised that anyone out here had seen one.”
“People do travel, Darak. Even if you didn’t like Alcast, that doesn’t mean it’s not a pleasant place to visit for some people,” Joseph chided, leading the way outside.
“Bah. Country fields and forest hunting? That’s for other people,” Darak muttered.
“Where would you like to vacation, Darak?” Eric asked curiously, and Daniel suppressed a spike of jealousy as he saw Eric’s fingers laced together with Eileen’s.
“Me? Skymount. I’ve heard that the architecture in the mountain is absolutely breathtaking,” Darak replied after a moment, the dwarf rubbing his chin in embarrassment. “I’m the worst architect you’d ever meet, but I love seeing well-made buildings.”
“Huh. I’ve never heard of Skymount before,” Eric mused, stepping outside ahead of Daniel. He seemed to be about to continue, but fell silent for a moment before speaking. “Alright, I’ll admit that that’s a heck of a sight. Are wagons like that normal back where you come from?”
Daniel followed him, feeling slightly curious, and his jaw almost dropped at the sight of the three massive wagons sitting outside the gates. It was weird enough that they didn’t have horses and that they had smokestacks, but that each of them was composed of a train of three huge wagons startled him.
“Hardly normal.” Penelope laughed, shaking her head. “Those are unusual, but it explains how the others got here so quickly.”
They watched as the guards finished talking to the first driver, and one by one the wagons pulled into the town square, taking up most of the open space as they creaked into place alongside one another, and the sounds of their engines slowly died away.
The driver of the head wagon hopped down from his perch, pushing up his goggles and removing his gloves. Meanwhile, a host of nearly thirty people poured from the various wagons. They were predominantly humans, but four dwarves and three elves could be seen among them as they began talking and unpacking.
Penelope strode forward toward the lead driver, and she spoke cheerfully. “Albert! What did you do to get exiled all the way out here?”
Daniel saw the man do a double take, blinking several times, and then he grinned and laughed. Wrapping her in a bear hug, she returned it as he exclaimed, “Penny! I never expected to see you out here! Did Kettle keep it from me on purpose, I wonder? And where’s Joseph?”
“I’m right here, Albert. It’s good to see you,” Joseph replied warmly, smiling as the two broke up their hug and he and Albert shook hands vigorously. “Seriously, though, what are you doing out here?”
“Why wouldn’t I be here? I heard that some interesting ingredients were found in large numbers at a new dungeon, and Guildmaster Kettle had nominated me to be the next guildmaster. So, they decided that I should found a new Guild house out here,” the man replied, pulling off his cap and revealing an unruly mess of dark hair. “I just didn’t know any of you were here! And who’re these people? I recognize Darak and Nirath, of course. How are you two?”
“I am well, Artificer,” Nirath replied with a slight nod of her head.
“I’m fine, sir. And these are prospective guild members,” Darak replied respectfully, introducing each of them in turn. “Daniel, Eileen, Eric, and Sayla. They all managed to survive the dungeon and catch our attention, so we’ve been mentoring them a bit.”
“This is my layabout older brother, Albert Windgale,” Penelope told them, grinning broadly. “And by layabout, I mean that he’s actually an extraordinarily skilled alchemist, artificer, and earth mage. I never thought we’d get someone like this jerk out here!”
“Hey, don’t ruin my reputation in front of prospective members!” Albert chuckled, smirking for a moment before abruptly focusing on them, his gaze and voice suddenly serious. “So, you, Eileen, what’re your skills?”
“Um, I’m a scout, sir. I’m better than most of the others at spotting things out of the ordinary. I’m also fairly good with a shortsword,” Eileen replied, seeming taken aback.
“I’m not a sir. Unlike most of the guildmasters, I still work.” Albert brushed the term aside, focusing on Eric next. “You, Eric?”
“I’m the bulky lug of our little group. I’m nowhere near as strong as Darak, but I hit harder than most of the others, but I’m a little slower too,” Eric admitted readily, shrugging. “My job is to hit hard and take the
m down. Hopefully I can get decent armor sometime soon.”
“Hmm. Daniel. Explain,” Albert continued, staring Daniel in the eyes and making him feel very uncomfortable.
“Well, I’m a soldier of Kelvanis. I was primarily trained as a crossbowman, but I’m decent with a sword,” Daniel told the man honestly, shifting from one foot to the other. “I’m not as good at it as Eileen, but I’m fair at scouting, too.”
“And I’m more the sneaky type, and use daggers,” Sayla spoke first, her voice soft as she almost glared at Albert. “I’m not strong, but I’m fast and accurate.”
“Right. So at least we’ve got a trap spotter. Any of you good at disabling traps?” Albert asked, obviously skeptical.
Eileen and the others looked at each other before Eileen spoke, slightly hesitantly. “I have a little training with it, but I really only had to deal with snares or the like.”
“I see. So, we have a group without a healer or a mage. This could get ugly for the four of you.” Albert sighed, shaking his head as he looked at Penelope. “Really, Penny?”
“Shush, you big turkey,” Penelope scolded, shaking her head at him. “There are plenty of groups that don’t start with mages or the like. That’s why we’re mentoring them, dumbass. We’ll help them each get at least a bit of their magical potential awakened, and see where they can go from there.”
“Besides, that’s why the guild has alchemists,” Darak drawled, smirking. “They bring you ingredients, you buy them, they buy minor potions and the like to keep them alive, and you repeat. So leave the newbies alone, Albert.”
Albert rolled his eyes and sighed theatrically, giving Daniel and the others a slight grin as he spoke again. “Sorry about that, you four. Seriously, you need to be careful, though. Until you have a healer, a single mistake could kill all of you. Penny might be a bit sadistic, but she’s really good at her job. Eileen, I think you could learn a lot from her, especially about traps.”
Spells of Old (Ancient Dreams Book 2) Page 5
