Legends of Tarthirious: The Complete Collection

by Zachariah Dracoulis

  Cast Touch of Life on self.

  220 health restored.

  All debuffs removed.

  HP: 3500/3500.

  Shadow-Stal whinnied and jerked against the ropes that bound him to the hitching post, he wanted to be in the fight, but the last thing I needed was for him to get taken out and revived by a necromancer, he was a killer without being imbued with the power of dark magic.

  Ignoring his complaints as best I could, I noticed that the town guards had joined the fray. They were puppies in a dinosaur fight, getting thrown around and beaten down by chunks of earth and the various sigils that were scattered across the battlefield. I made a mental note to be careful of what spells I was going to throw around, the last thing I needed was to be hit up with a murder charge.

  As I watched I started to imagine what a full-scale mage battle would look like. We had less than two dozen there and the environment was getting absolutely destroyed, what would two hundred look like? Or two thousand? My imagination ran wild with possibilities, trying to wonder how I could force such an event.

  It was only at the end of that brief run as a spectator that I noticed Derrian was coming for me, lumbering and smashing all those in his path between us.

  I’m not sure why, but that’s when the lurkers occurred to me and I got an idea. I didn’t even try to think it all the way through, instead I just ran at Derrian again, sword high over my shoulder, and, right as I reached him, sliced for his legs at just below the hip, removing them with a single gratifying Critical Hit!

  +1 Singlehanded Blade Skill.

  Progress: 22/100.

  +10 XP.

  Progress: 1240/3500.

  Thinking I’d outsmarted the undead mage, I turned around with a smug look on my face and was instantly met with disappointment.

  He was there, right where I’d left him, legs off but hovering in place like nothing had happened at all.

  I needed to find that bloody necromancer. Fast.

  Another two mages fell while I desperately ducked and weaved my way through the destruction, but it seemed that hope was fading fast and I was on my way to being the only one left to fight the remaining five necromancers.

  Then I found the bastard controlling Derrian, his eyes rolled back into his head as he moved with another body. Poor prick didn’t even see me coming, least of all taking a swing at his mid-section.

  He was strong though, and with my hit he’d been forced back into his body, but not before I landed another hit to his other side.

  The necromancer was bleeding heavily, and he still had some fight left in him, which was something that I both respected and couldn’t stand.

  “Later Geppetto.” I said as I got ready and took another brutal hack into the first wound, splitting the necromancer like a pumpkin, the electricity doing its work to char his innards while my sword scored yet another Critical Hit!

  It was right about then that I noticed I wasn’t just incredibly lucky, no, instead it was the fact that Vilor had been casting AOE buffs like nobody’s business instead of joining us in the hack-and-slash-and-super-magic-athon.

  Surprisingly, even to me, I didn’t for a second think poorly of him for not joining us in the carnage, Hells, if he had he’d probably have wiped everyone off the map.

  By the end of the exhilarating experience we were four students down, including the dismembered body of Derrian that for some reason had been thrown about a hundred feet in the air when the necromancer died and had landed directly on top of Flari’s garden.

  The necromancers were all dead though, and I felt like I’d been through the wringer and then landed in the mangle.

  End of Conflict Report:

  2x Level 15 Necromancers.

  +500 XP.

  Progress: 1740/3500.

  I gave a pained laugh as I looked at the numbers, “They’re never going to even out again, are they?”

  Armelia: Chapter 12

  Vilor paced in front of the three of us that were left, bloodied but standing we waited for Vilor to tell us what to do next, something that was clearly weighing on him.

  The lesson hadn’t been taught, but how could we go from fighting the necromancers to fighting daemons?

  We’d all been forced to fight our fellow students after their bodies attacked us. I was dealing with it fine, it was mostly a good workout as far as I was concerned, but the others were stressed, and why wouldn’t they be? I was the one who showed up early or late, I never travelled with the herd, and I certainly never spoke to them outside of class.

  “You all…” Vilor started for the second time before trailing off yet again, “Today you each displayed signs of a true mage. In the face of unexpected adversity and incredible odds, you three showed that you are well on your way to becoming masters of the magical arts. I’m proud to say that you have all passed, go rest.”

  Mission Completed: Final Class.

  +1000 XP.

  Progress: 2740/3500.

  Guild Rank Changed!

  Guild Rank: Journeyman.

  “Druid,” Vilor said as I turned to leave, “wait behind would you?”

  I didn’t like the idea of sticking around instead of going to get cleaned up. My sword and robes both needed repairing, which would be hard to do standing with Vilor, but after everything that’d happened I figured he’d at least earned some of my time.

  “Yes Master Vilor?”

  “Just Vilor,” he said tiredly as he gestured for me to follow him, “your actions today have proven that you’re more than worthy of my respect, something that I thought would never happen.”

  So far, so terrible, his compliments left a lot to be desired as far as I was concerned, but I was too tired to argue, “Thank you Vilor.” I said while we walked past the fallen men strewn about the street.

  “You’re most welcome, but I didn’t ask you to stay behind so I could compliment you, or apologise for being so quick to dismiss you based on the fact that you’re a druid,” he said, making me feel something akin to gratefulness before he continued on, “no, I needed you because I wish to talk about what happened today.”

  “The necromancers?” I asked after he fell silent for a few seconds.

  “Yes. The necromancers. For years they’ve attacked our college, it’s almost tradition to throw them back to their filthy caves, but they’ve become bolder, and it appears stronger as well. Nothing should have been able to appear that close to the college, not with the warding we have in place.”

  I was genuinely confused as to where he was going, but continued to listen on patiently as the early morning sun started peeking out from its place in the distance.

  “I would like you to meet the Grand Master. She doesn’t often see strangers, let alone druid strangers, but with a word from me she’ll… well, let us just say she trusts my judgement.” he said with a little smile before turning us back around and walking us toward the college.

  “So what is it that you want me to tell the Grand Master?” I asked, hiding my giddiness.

  Meeting the Grand Master meant that I was less than a few missions from completing the guild, meaning that I was closer than ever to becoming a halfway decent mage.

  “What you saw in the battle, and tell her whether or not you’re willing to fight for our cause. Most of your fellow students, well, previous fellow students, will go on to be alchemists, teachers, or otherwise regular mages and will not stay with the college.” he said with what sounded to be a genuinely heavy heart, “But you? I believe you have the ability to become a master of your craft, whether that be becoming a battlemage or hugging trees is up to you.”

  “I will gladly fight the necromancers Vilor,” I said confidently, “the college has given me a lot, and it’s only fair that I return the favour.”

  Vilor liked that answer, a proud smile going across his face as he turned left of the stairs in front of the college where he came to stand in waiting while I quickly checked on Shadow-Stal on the opposite side, “What I am about to show
you must never be shared with anyone, you understand?”

  I nodded as I gave Shadow-Stal a few calming strokes before walking back around to Vilor’s side, I didn’t like leaving him tied up for so long, and I was worried he’d lose interest in me, but I had to pursue the journey of becoming a mage and completing the guild missions.

  Vilor gave me a final stern look and, when he was confident that I was telling the truth and would keep my word, placed his hand on the side of the stairs, sending an immediate blue surge of lines and runes across the stonework before slowly opening up to reveal a staircase that led downward.

  Seemed like a bad idea to go into the core of a mage’s college, I mean, you have to assume that’s where all the magic’s kept. And I know I was using magic, but I also used the microwave at work, doesn’t mean I want to cuddle a nuclear reactor.

  I realise that microwaves aren’t the same kind of radioactive as nuclear reactors, get past it… nerd.

  Anyway, as I descended deeper into the dark stairway behind Vilor I heard the door behind us close and felt an undeniable sense of dread. Some part of me knew that I was going to be fine, but at the same time the rest of me was screaming that Vilor had just been buttering me up so he could take me into his evil druid torture chamber.

  “The Grand Master likes her privacy,” Vilor said as we passed the hundredth step, “but I can assure you that she is capable of receiving company.”

  I gave him a confused look, at least I thought I did, I may very well have been looking at the wall, “What do you mean?”

  “Most that come to meet her for the first time assume she’s some kind of decrepit hermit. It makes the initial interactions rather awkward when it’s proven that she is far from that.”

  Intrigue replaced dread as I started to wonder what Vilor’s version of ‘far from decrepit hermit’ was. He was a dark elf after all, and I wasn’t exactly sure what his society deemed beautiful, other than the purity of magic of course.

  I heard Vilor stop and tried to do so myself but slipped down another three steps. Looking away embarrassedly, I listened as Vilor commenced an oddly specific knocking ritual that went for a good thirty seconds.

  As soon as the final knock hit the door it flew open and something grabbed Vilor, pulling him into the well-lit room before I could react.

  The plot doth thicken.

  Armelia: Chapter 13

  I started charging up my lightning spell and cautiously but swiftly entered the room, only to discover that the hooded figure who’d grabbed Vilor was actually hugging him, and he was hugging right back. I watched in disbelief as Vilor showed true affection for another person and discharged my spell.

  The space we were in was some form of quarters and study, like a magical laboratory mixed with a royal bedroom mixed with a beautiful forest. Everything was made of wood, and runes decorated every part of the place, including the windowsill attached to the open window that showed a wooded glen that simply shouldn’t have existed so deep underground.

  Sunlight, breeze, for a moment I was convinced that we’d gone so far down we’d actually ended up on the other side of Tarthirious, proving that it was flat.

  I finally returned my attention to the huggers, who stayed together for a long time before Vilor broke the away, but continued to smile at the one under the hood, “It’s been so long, my… Grand Master. But we have a guest.” he said, gesturing to me.

  The hooded figure turned their attention to me and, as she pulled back her hood, had her name appear beside her head, Lyrias Rew. She was a druid, to my surprise, of about six foot and had long, braided vibrant blue hair with a few streaks of almost burningly bright white.

  Her eyes, which were the next thing to catch my eye, were as blue as her hair, and she had the tattoos I had on my body right up to her neck. She was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, and her smile made me want to absolutely swoon.

  “Why hello,” she said in a voice made of silk as she removed her robes, placing them gently on her bed, and revealed a set of tight-fitting leather armour underneath before turning back to face me, “I take it you’re the one who helped defeat the necromancers?”

  “I… how… wha…” I stumbled, her classic elven body and features turning me into a stuttering mess.

  “She’s somewhat prescient,” Vilor laughed uncharacteristically, and I do believe he was slouching slightly, by his standards anyway, “but yes Grand Master, she’s the one. The other students were there of course, but none of them had the mental fortitude to stand what they saw and did, not like Armelia.”

  I smiled internally at the fact he was using my name instead of simply referring to me as ‘druid’, I guessed that it had something to do with his super-secret frau, but was happy nonetheless.

  “Excellent, have you told her what we are planning to do?” Lyrias asked as she started coming toward me.

  “No Grand Master,” Vilor said clumsily, clearly he was used to calling her something different, and I guessed it rhymed with ‘dove’, “I thought it best that it came from you.”

  “Or you were simply too lazy to explain it.” Lyrias joked.

  I was expecting some kind of lover’s quarrel to start, but instead Vilor smiled and tilted his head lovingly, “Heh, I suppose so. Shall I now?”

  “It’s far too late for that,” Lyrias said while walking around me, drinking me in and staring into my eyes as she passed, “I’ll do it. Are you aware that she’s missing some of her memories?”

  Vilor nodded, “Yes, she plans to regain them when she reaches the Ministry of Druidic Affairs.”

  I was starting to feel a bit like a mannequin in an animatronics lab, so I decided to jump in before Lyrias could start speaking again, “He’s right, I’d unlock them here with the help of the other mages, but I just believed it to be safer for me to do it at the MoDA.”

  Lyrias seemed shocked that I spoke, but it was obviously a pleasant surprise, “I can understand that, very well, onto the matter at hand. The necromancers, they attacked at the entrance, near the fountain, yes?”

  Fountain wouldn’t have been the word I’d chosen, but I nodded, “Yes Grand Master, ten of them came through a portal and attacked us.”

  That seemed to concern her as she bit her lip and turned back toward Vilor and returned to him, “The fountain’s actually a large part of what protects this place, it’s meant to keep those who practice dark magic out.”

  “You don’t teach dark magic here?” I asked accidently after my mouse slipped and I clicked the wrong thing.

  Sorry for breaking the RL/in game barrier, my hands were getting tired and I figured the best way to explain it was by telling the truth, after all, no one accidently slips over and asks a weird question.

  “We do,” Lyrias said hesitantly, “all types of magic are taught in the mage’s colleges, but we don’t allow necromancy or other practices of the like. I do hope you don’t plan on learning those things here.”

  I shook my head, “No, of course not.”

  Asking if a place taught dark magic was like asking if they had pictures of dragons doing salacious things to one another, nothing wrong with it, but you’re going to get some weird looks.

  Lyrias still didn’t seem fully comfortable, but pressed on regardless, “Yes, well, did the fountain do anything… odd?”

  ‘Besides float?’ I asked myself jokingly, not wanting to say it out loud and make an arse of myself again, “No, I don’t think so. But the portal did seem to be one-way.”

  “How do you mean?” she asked curiously, all signs of discomfort finally gone.

  Feeling sure I’d cemented I wasn’t a creep, I turned my attention to Vilor, “Even as their numbers dwindled they didn’t attempt to retreat, correct Vilor?”

  He thought on what I’d said a moment then nodded, “She’s right, normally they’d have tried to return to their master, or masters, with news of our weakened defences, or at least to save themselves. Instead they stayed and fought to the last man…
Did you notice that they spoke in unison? As if it were one man doing the talking while the rest merely conveyed it?”

  It was my turn to nod, “Yes, I thought that that was just what necromancers did though.”

  Lyrias shook her head, “Typically they aren’t of a hive mind… Do you think he could be returning Vilor?”

  Vilor’s eyes widened in terror, “No, not possible… We killed him and locked his body away.”

  “He had followers Vilor, many of whom came from here,” she said sadly, “don’t you think they could’ve found a way to bring him back?”

  “No, not after what we did to his body.”

  I silently thanked the Gods that I wasn’t involved in that conversation, because I know for a fact that I would’ve had to ask what they did and that I more than likely wouldn’t have liked the answer.

  “You said they all spoke at the same time, correct? Then is it so unreasonable to believe that perhaps they only brought back his essence and spirit?”

  Vilor went to argue and stopped, slowly coming to terms with the fact that what Lyrias was saying could be true, “How do we defeat him?”

  “With her help,” Lyrias said confidently, putting the spotlight back on me, “you said so yourself, she is capable of being a warrior.”

  “Against the necromancers!” Vilor protested, “Not Aldok Dethrisr!”

  It was my turn for eye-widening, though mine was from a place of pure excitement, “Aldok Dethrisr!?” I practically shouted in glee.

  Vilor turned his attention to me, “You’ve heard of him?”

  “Heard of him?” I said with a bold smile, “I’ve got a contract on him.”

  Lyrias came over hurriedly, a mix of confusion, anger, and despair washing over her face as she did, before reaching me and putting her hand out, “Let me see it.”

  I pulled out the contract and handed it to her, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I wasn’t awa-”

  “It’s fine.” she said to shush me as she read over the bounty before handing it back to me gruffly, “How does some tavern keeper know about the return of Aldok when we don’t Vilor? How is it that not a single one of us felt his presence?”