Legends of Tarthirious: The Complete Collection

by Zachariah Dracoulis

  Flari appeared to want to say something for a few moments, but eventually resigned himself to silence and stepped back into the crowd.

  I wanted to say something to the effect of ‘Suck it’, and almost did too, but I too chose the less inflammatory of the options and simply said “Unless someone here right now wants to go up against me, I will be taking over as Grand Master.”

  “She has my vote,” Joliv chuckled loud enough for the crowd to hear, “not that she needs it.”

  The crowd hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to decide whether to take their chances with a riot or to accept me as their leader, and then, out of nowhere, someone started clapping, and before long all the mages were applauding.

  “So, this is how liberty dies,” I chuckled to myself as I looked over my new disciples and pet Fluffy like the villain I truly wanted to be, “with thunderous applause.”

  Mission Completed: Path of the Necromancer.

  +2500 XP.

  Progress: 7120/7500.

  Guild Rank Changed!

  Guild Rank: Grand Master.

  ‘You have proven yourself as a Master, and, in doing so, have attained the rank of Grand Master. You are a scholar and a genius of the magical arts. With this rank comes responsibility though, and you will be expected to take on the duties that come with the prestigious title, including returning the mages to their former glory.’

  Custom Journal altered.

  Learn magic.

  Go to the MoDA.

  Work on increasing:

  Archery (22/50)

  Singlehanded Blade (37/50)

  Speech (15/50)

  Enchanting (1/50)

  Smithing (51/100)

  Armelia: Chapter 17

  I was flicking through my quest log, tossing up between going after the Likbrogs and finding somewhere safe-ish to use those weird gloves I’d picked up a while back, when I noticed Flari approaching Joliv and I in front of the library.

  “Good day, Grand Master,” the healer said with a smile, earning himself the attention of the hungry looking Fluffy, “glad to see you had such a high level of support.”

  For a good long while I didn’t do anything but stare at Flari blankly, waiting for him to attach some kind of snarky or outright aggressive note to his apparent support, but no such bitchiness came.

  “You did well,” Joliv chuckled from behind me before I could say anything, “didn’t think you’d be able to fool everyone.”

  “I spent some time with a troupe of bards, picked up a trick or two.” Flari replied with a little bow before returning his full attention to me, “I apologise for not being able to let you in on it, but Joliv was rather insistent that I both leave him in the library and put up as much of a fight against your leadership as possible.”

  “And why would you do that?” I asked the crippled librarian after shooting him a confused look.

  “To ensure that you had the full support of the college.” Joliv said matter-of-factly, “The only way we were going to be able to weed out any potential uprising was by making those who would stand against you feel like they had the support of one of the higher-ups in the college.”

  I didn’t appreciate the deception at first, but I quickly got over the slight feeling of betrayal that I felt and smiled, realising in that moment that the college had apparently been waiting for quite some time to have a leader who would promote somewhat darker tactics.

  “Good to know that you don’t actually want my head.” I said before clearing my throat, “But, let’s try to avoid keeping me out of the loop from now on, eh?”

  “Oh, but of course,” Flari replied with a little laugh, “I sincerely doubt anyone at this school, or even in this town would consider deceiving you after all you’ve done, especially with the way you did it.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  Joliv scoffed with a small amount of amusement at that, “Are you serious? You looked willing to tear everyone here to pieces, and prepared to as well. That’s not something these students are going to forget any time soon.”

  “Heh, I suppose you’re right.” I chuckled, “So, what’s the plan from here? I know I said I wanted to repair the college without the aid of magic, but what do you two suggest?”

  “I think it’s a brilliant idea,” Flari said before Joliv could open his mouth, “my only request would be that we temporarily shut off the magic blocker, so we may heal those who are in danger of dying before the day’s end. People like the Master Librarian here.”

  “Bah, I’ve survived worse than this,” Joliv laughed, “and I’ve-”

  “Fought battles, yes, I’m aware,” Flari interjected dismissively, “but who’s been the one who always ends up patching you up after those scrapes?”

  By some weird and perhaps even evil power, Flari managed to shut Joliv up with that, and not only that, but also made him go an odd shade of red that distinctly contrasted with the almost complete lack of colour that remained in his face.

  “I take it that that means we have Joliv’s support than?” I light-heartedly mocked, before looking to Flari, “If you think that that’s what’s best, then I trust your judgement, but make sure the students don’t start using magic to repair anything they shouldn’t be. We must have them learn how to defend themselves without magic.”

  “Agreed.” Flari said with a nod, “I shall get to work at once.”

  Mission Started: Responsibilities of Leadership.

  Objective added: Repair the Mage’s College.

  Objective added: Facilitate the Reconstruction of Girit.

  Objective added: Choose a Path for the Mages.

  Objective added: Find a Warrior Trainer.

  “Well…” I trailed off as Flari disappeared into the library and I stalked my way toward the exit of the college, “that’s gonna be a fun one to keep track of.”

  I knew there wasn’t much for me to be complaining about, after all, repairing Girit and the college would undoubtedly have its benefits, but at the same time I felt like there were better ways I could be spending my life.

  A little chuckle escaped me at that, and I spent a few seconds reminding myself that I was not, in fact, doing anything with my life, and that I was not Armelia.

  It’s funny that, how quickly immersion can take over and make you feel like you are the hero when in actuality you’re just sitting there, rolling around in the same chair and working on the same keyboard hour after hour, day after day.

  I wasn’t ready to get out though, no, there was still so much to do, and that’s how I realised that the extra quest was a blessing in disguise.

  It was going to be a big project, and big project meant big distraction, which was the entire point of me sinking myself into Tarthirious.

  As I narrowly dodged a mage rushing someplace, I started to think about what direction I actually wanted to take them in.

  I know I’d decided that I wanted to ride the middle road before, but that didn’t really seem like it was one of the options available, much less one that would lead to me completing my objectives.

  You notice a magical pulse.

  “Do I now?” I mocked, “And how exactly have I noticed that?”

  While it certainly didn’t help immersion, poking fun at the pretty random notification seemed like a good way to keep my spirits up.

  I mean, that’s why bullies exist, isn’t it? Punch little Johnny in the head so you can forget about the fact that brother-daddy beats you with a belt and makes you wear a fairy costume?

  “Grand Master!” one of the student mages shouted as I started patting the very clearly depressed Shadow-Stal, coaxing Fluffy to slither off my body and onto his, “Grand Master, wait!”

  “What is it?” I asked without bothering to hide my irritation with the young woman who came bumbling down the stairs toward me.

  “It’s just that… do you really think it’s wise for you to leave?”

  “Do you really think it’s wise to be questioning my co
mings and goings?”

  The student seemed pretty stunned by my quasi-threat, but not so much that she wasn’t prepared to puff out her chest and clear her throat, “You have a responsibility to this college,” she said, the words seeming to catch in her throat a few times before she reached the end, “and I don’t think that you should be leaving us in our time of need.”

  “And I think I need to go and ensure we aren’t going to be attacked by a group of bandits,” I replied, surprising myself with the fact that that was even a speech option, and mounted Shadow-Stal, “I’ll be back in a day. In the meantime, just do your best to follow Master Joliv and Master Flari’s instruction, alright?”

  The young mage didn’t seem altogether convinced, but she also didn’t seem like she really wanted to put up much more of an argument, “As you wish.”

  I rolled my eyes at her as she turned away while at the same time taking note of her key characteristics so that I would be able to find her when I came back.

  “She’s a bold one, huh?” I asked both Fluffy and Shadow-Stal before giving his reins a tug and aiming us toward the town’s exit, “I reckon we’ll have to keep an eye on her.”

  Armelia: Chapter 18

  The journey to Underburg was slow, painfully slow, and almost unbearably boring, but as we trotted toward the massively huge gates built into the mountain that led to the city, I couldn’t help but feel like it was all worth it.

  “Bloody Hel,” I huffed in amazement after sending Fluffy back into dormancy and climbing off of Shadow-Stal, “would you look at this place?”

  It was truly awe-inspiring, the ornate carvings in the stonework, the two dragon statues on either side of the gate, Hel, even the pathway that led to the testament of dwarven crafting was inlaid with beautiful crystals and carvings.

  “And to think we only had to ride for an hour to find this place,” I chuckled as I looked back at the dense but apparently unpopulated forest we’d had to come through, “whoever’s in there definitely doesn’t wanna be found.”

  I spent another few seconds just staring up at the gates, and then walked up to them and slammed my fist against the stone.

  “Tough shit.” I chuckled right before a slot opened at about eye-level, “I come to trade.”

  “Trade what?” the one-eyed man labelled as ‘Bito’ growled as he peeked through the hole, “You’ve brought no cart or slaves, and I doubt you’d be able to service all the men here.”

  I briefly took offence to being basically called a prostitute, but quickly got over it when I realised there was a lot worse he could have said, “Only a fool would bring their wares to the gates of Underburg.”

  “And why’s that?”

  “The Likbrog Gang,” I replied with a sly grin, “they aren’t exactly known for being generous in their… purchases.”

  That was enough to make Bito laugh, but not for long as he was undoubtedly stared down by some kind of superior, “Step away from the gate,” he ordered sternly, “welcome to Underburg.”

  Underburg discovered.

  Journal entry made.

  I did as I was told and took a few steps back while breathing a sigh of relief that Bito had bought into my faux-friendliness.

  Nothing happened for a few moments, the stone gates did as stone does and sat still, but then there was the unmistakable sound of a war horn being blown and, with an unearthly grinding sound, the gate began to rise.

  Now, that doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re expecting something to split in the middle and it instead decides to ascend into an apparent void in space, well, let’s just say my tired brain, which I hadn’t really thought about until that point, damn near crapped itself.

  I was peppered with small pebbles and dirt as the gate lifted into the mountain where it most definitely did not have room to go, though I was unable to tear my eyes away from the spectacle that was unfolding before me, not even when I started to get bathed in the orange light of a thousand torches.

  “You comin’ in, or what?” Bito barked while I continued to stare up at the gate, utterly dumbfounded by what I had just seen.

  “Dwarven magic,” I muttered as I started to look down toward the city, “never ceases to amaz…”

  That’s when I saw it, Underburg.

  The city was, in a word, astonishing.

  Vast sections were built into the walls of the hollowed mountain, and some structures stretched so tall that they were actually built into the roof of the cavern while others hung like stalactites with rope ladders dangling from them.

  “Oi!” Bito barked from his little box, “This gate shuts quickly, and if you aren’t in here then I can’t guarantee your safety.”

  “Oh, right, sorry.” I stammered out before leading Shadow-Stal across the crushed section of dirt where the fifteen-foot-wide gate normally sat.

  Progress made in mission: The Likbrog Gang.

  Objective completed: Go to Underburg.

  Objective added: Get Information about the Whereabouts of the Likbrog Gang Hideout.

  “Heh, if Gerry were here he’d just use Life De-” I said then stopped as the gate dropped down behind us, shaking the entire city with its cacophonous sound and throwing up enough dirt to coat the small stalls that I’d just noticed at the edge of the sprawling metropolis.

  Alright,” I started again, swallowing a lump the size of a cue ball as I waited for another bladder-emptying sound, “I vote we take it easy in here. No need to draw any unwanted attention.”

  I was mostly confident that I’d be able to beat back any attacker, but there was still a part of me that erred on the side of caution.

  “Where do you think we start?” I asked after giving Shadow-Stal’s reins a little tug and walking us toward the nearest avenue available, “My mind always leans toward the tavern, but I may very well have a debilitating drinking problem, so…”

  Shadow-Stal clearly didn’t get my sense of humour, and remained stoically silent as we did our best to avoid the gazes of the few players I saw getting around.

  It was weird seeing players again, like running into a dodo at the beach, especially considering the fact that Underburg seemed to be one of those places that was really out of the way.

  My slightly misanthropic self got silenced by my ability to block people out though, and before long they were no different from the NPCs that were wandering from building-to-building with no rhyme or reason.

  “No, I’m not going to make a new friend,” I muttered to Shadow-Stal, who was definitely giving me a look, “that’s the last thing I need. Can you imagine me being responsible for what I say or do right now? I guarantee nobody wants to be dealing with that, least of all me.”

  I was so obviously beyond tired, but I wasn’t quite ready to accept defeat yet, and as we found the nearest of what I was sure was going to be one of many taverns, I smiled.

  “Now, that looks the kind of place that’s just going to be teeming with fun, doesn’t it?” I asked before hitching Shadow-Stal up to the stone post around the side of the well-lit and almost too loud tavern, “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

  Looking back on it, I probably shouldn’t have made that promise before at least taking a peek into the tavern.

  Armelia: Chapter 19

  Progress made in mission: The Likbrog Gang.

  Objective completed: Get Information about the Whereabouts of the Likbrog Gang Hideout.

  Objective added: Defeat the Likbrog Gang.

  I’d barely read the objective by the time I’d opened the swinging doors of the tavern, and I most definitely hadn’t absorbed what it meant before I realised I was surrounded by enemies.

  “Hello…” I trailed off nervously as I looked around the split-level tavern at all the snarling faces and growling men, brandishing various weapons as I struggled to decide between legging it and accepting the fight, “I don’t supposed we could resolve this peacefully?”

  I narrowly dodged an axe that was thrown my way in response, its slightly b
lunted edge crashing into the door behind me so hard that it damn near made it swing right off its hinges.

  “Alright,” I said as I finally made my decision, “let’s do this then.”

  Equipped Sparky McStabby-Stab.

  A full five seconds went by where nothing happened, the Likbrog Gang stared at me like I was a glass of water and they were dying of thirst, and then a ponytailed man with a tunic descended from the stairs beside the bar.

  “Ah, if it isn’t the little mage who decided to go ahead and kill our brothers-in-arms,” Lio Likbrog, as shown by the name beside his face, said as the crowd parted for him, “and you’re, what, here to finish the job?”

  “That’s the plan, yeah.” I replied boldly, my fingers flexing around the hilt of my weapon, “So, who wants to get it first, eh?”

  Lio chuckled at that, having finally reached spitting distance from me where he stopped and started rolling up his sleeves, revealing a series of rather intricate tattoos, “Feisty, aren’t we?” the bold little shit laughed, “I think it’ll be fun taking you down.”

  “Oh, I have to disagree with you there.”

  “Well, of course you would.”

  There was some part of me that wanted to smile at his quick-witted retort, but at the same time that part of me was mostly unconscious.

  “What’re you doing?” I asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from embarrassing to fashion, “Do you plan on laying some fisticuffs on me? Because I’m not putting down this sword.”

  “Why, I’d expect nothing less.” Lio replied with an evil grin before letting down his hair and getting into a fighting stance, “Might just make this an even fight.”

  I went to mock his seemingly foolish ego, but before I got the chance his arms became engulfed with roaring blue flames that grew and shrunk in size as he flexed his fingers.

  “Crap…”

  Lio Likbrog is attacking.

  1x Level 18 Rogue Mage, HP: 7500/7500.

  Armelia: Chapter 20