by Sever Bronny
Chaska was near the fire chatting with Haylee, or rather her chatting at him—ceaselessly. About her life, her family, what she’d gone through. Augum had heard her even while he slept. Chaska saw Augum and gave a nod and smile. Augum waved casually. Haylee did not stop speaking, but Chaska didn’t seem to mind, stirring the fire with an air of contented patience.
“Told you they’re getting along,” Bridget said, exiting the tent.
Augum tightened the blanket around himself. “But I thought you two … I mean, you and Chaska—”
“—don’t be silly,” Bridget said, suppressing a giggle. “I like him, but not in that way. Besides …” She glanced at the pair of them just as Haylee let out a giggle, smacking Chaska on the shoulder for a skeptical look he had flashed her. “… I think they’re cute together, don’t you?”
Augum shrugged. What did he know about such things? But he was glad for her. Besides, they had to trust each other to attempt the journey he proposed—carrying her all the way back to Milham. Though he wondered how they’d get along when Chaska could speak again.
A shadow formed at the cave entrance.
“The battle is lost for the Legion, but they shall return with reinforcements,” Raptos said, stepping inside and removing his rucksack. Haylee immediately quieted down as the wolven took a seat at his carving chair and began withdrawing assorted legion weaponry—daggers, short swords, swords, maces and axes. Every single one had the emblem of the burning sword. “It is important to study the weapons of your enemy.”
Augum retrieved his rucksack from the tent and withdrew the horn and remaining two bloodfruits. He placed them before the wolven on the table. “Our debt.”
Raptos paced over and picked the objects up. “This is indeed an Occi horn, and these indeed are bloodfruits.” He placed the squishy fruit into his cabinet before stepping to the entrance of the cave and blowing on the horn.
A shriek came from within the tent. “They’re coming! Run, Aug, run!”
“It’s all right, Leera,” Augum said. “Raptos is just testing the horn.”
They waited for some time. At long last, a single harpy could be seen a ways off, flapping hard to gain altitude in the thin air.
“It appears your debt is nearly paid,” Raptos said.
“Our remaining debt to you was to discover how to get into Bahbell,” Augum said, watching the distant creature slowly near. “I can tell you how to do that, but you’ll need to use the Shine spell to touch the runes, unless you have some other arcane way. Anyway, I’ll write out the shapes for you and the order to touch them in.”
Raptos gave a low growl. “There will be no point to writing them out for me if I cannot use the portal pillar.”
“Well, I suppose we can help you get inside, but only for a price.”
“Learning, are we? But why would lowlander younglings want entry into Bahbell?”
Augum shrugged. “To explore …”
Raptos studied him a moment. “I sense you are being treacherous, lowlander. You are not as cunning as you think you are.”
“Fine, we want to get inside for our own reasons.”
“Hmm. And what is it that you want in exchange for gaining me entry?”
“Twenty days’ provisions for myself and my three friends, and a Legion blade, since we lost our own.”
Raptos thought about it a moment. “Agreed.” He chose the smallest blade in the pile—a dagger in a black leather sheath—and handed it to Augum.
The harpy landed before them, bringing with it the stench of rot and decay. One of its crone ears had been ripped away, the area black with congealed blood.
“It has seen battle,” Raptos said.
Augum spoke while holding his nose. “We had to use it to attack a big Occi man.”
Raptos grunted and turned to the harpy. “You will scout the glacier for me. Return to report when you see the lowlanders in black armor or the Occi.”
“Master …” The thing clicked its beak and took off.
“I shall gather the provisions now.” Raptos dropped onto all fours and ran after the harpy.
Augum and Bridget watched him go before joining Haylee and Chaska at the fire.
“That thing is disgusting,” Haylee said, stirring the contents of a steaming pot. “He better not bring it inside later, it reeked.”
“I thought you’re used to the scent of death and decay,” Augum said. When she gave him a look, he quickly added, “as a former necrophyte and everything.”
“I’m not. It’s disgusting.”
Lunch consisted of salted beef, rice and oats. Augum ate what he could, feeling the fever strengthen despite the warm food. After lunch, he rested, coughing and shivering, preferring the cold fresh air to the dampness of the tent. Leera stayed inside, one flap open for ventilation. Haylee and Bridget eventually resumed their spell studies while he listened, too sick to take part.
Mrs. Stone checked in a couple hours later, passing on the latest news from Tiberra—that the Legion had sacked and razed the town of Erlina, somewhere east of the Tiberran border. She had helped some of the people escape, but many did not make it. It was apparent helping the villagers was difficult for her as she could not stay in one location too long.
Once they told her how they were doing, she proceeded to continue their training. Augum opted out, choosing to rest by the fire, leaving Haylee and Bridget to partake. It was difficult and slow doing it through the orb, but at least the girls had the blue book, something that hindered Augum and Leera’s progress on the slopes. Bridget learned the fundamentals of Object Alarm and Object Track while Haylee listened in. After Mrs. Stone assigned Bridget practice tasks, she told Haylee to focus on the 2nd degree. Haylee complained that she wanted to learn along with Bridget, but Mrs. Stone was unimpressed and gave a stern lecture on why it was important to learn the spells in historical order.
After an hour of remote training, Mrs. Stone broke off communication, leaving arcane exercises for Bridget and Haylee. Haylee had an awful time trying to do anything with a broken leg, however, and gave up shortly after starting, choosing to tell Chaska all about the colorful dresses she used to wear back in Blackhaven. Chaska promptly excused himself, gesturing he had to do something outside. Bridget practiced on, frequently checking in on Augum and Leera, until suppertime. Leera began shivering again, so Bridget and Chaska took her to sit by the fire. They then boiled rice and a few dried peas, the very last of their food.
Augum slumped down beside Leera, who huddled in two blankets. Her eyes were glazed and unfocused.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She only moaned.
Bridget stirred the small iron pot, one of those necessities the girls had not traded for food. The wind whistled as Augum watched it boil, basking in the warmth of the fire.
“Lucky you got back last night,” Bridget said. “Looks like a storm’s coming.”
Augum glanced through the gaping maw of the cave entrance. It was darkening fast. Snow swirled by in twisting sheets, the sight reminding him of the rain he had witnessed as he tumbled high over the Tallows. That was so long ago now … so much has happened since.
“No way would we have survived had it hit us on the mountain,” he said.
“The wolven must have really good hearing because neither of us heard you.”
“Well I thought even the Tiberrans could hear her scream.” He gave Leera a playful elbow. She only grunted.
Soon the food was ready. “I’m surprised he doesn’t want anything for the wood,” Haylee said, feeding the fire before sitting down to eat. “Must be tough carrying it this high.”
Bridget spooned some rice into a bowl and handed it to Augum. “Don’t give him any ideas.”
Time passed. They finished supper, gathering closer around the fire as the air froze and the winds increased to a howl. Raptos eventually returned with two sacks of pilfered weaponry and provisions, all of which he kept for himself.
The cave entrance began
collecting snow, some of it pushing in as far as the table. Haylee and Bridget continued training while Augum and Leera sat motionless, conserving heat. Eventually it got so cold the tent had to be moved near the fire. They went to bed early that night.
The next few days were spent resting, waiting for the blizzard to pass. Augum and Leera slowly got better, while Chaska became irritable, long tired of his forced silence. With a subtle hint from Bridget, Haylee stopped talking his ear off. Training continued via the orb, though Haylee, due to her inability to concentrate past the pain of her leg, was unable to participate. Raptos, when not hunting and surveying the area, quietly carved his figurines or observed the group. He rarely spoke, and the group kept their distance.
In the early afternoon of the fourth day, Augum and Leera were finally well enough for Haylee and Chaska to depart. Mrs. Stone had been unable to fetch them, but Chaska was confident he could make the journey. Provisions were gathered and the group met a little ways outside the cave, where Chaska was able to speak freely.
“You sure you’ll be able to manage her?” Leera asked, squinting from the sun.
Chaska gave a playful smile as he adjusted Haylee’s grip around his neck. “Now I can just tell her to shut up.”
“Then I’ll squeeze,” Haylee said, face scrunched from the pain of her leg, which dangled uselessly.
“And you’ll lose your ride,” he shot back.
“Better hold that tongue, Haylee,” Bridget said with a smile, wrapped in an extra blanket that flapped in the mountain wind. “Besides, you’ll need your energy.”
Haylee swept the bleak landscape with her eyes, settling her gaze on the far east, where the trio had to travel. “I did try, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Augum said. “And we’ll see each other back at Milham.” But when, he did not know. He reached out to Chaska and they shook hands. “Good luck.”
“And you,” Chaska replied. “I’ve watched over you. I’ve killed winged demons. Now I’ll bring word to your friends. It will complete my nemana. When I return to Milham, it will be as a Henawa man.”
“Thank your father for the map he supplied us,” Bridget said as she and Leera gave Chaska a light hug, careful of Haylee’s splinted leg.
Leera gave Haylee the lightest punch on the shoulder. “Hey … I’ll see you.”
Haylee smiled and nodded. “See you, and … good luck.” She swallowed as if fighting back tears. “Be sure you make it back.”
Chaska gave them one last lingering look, nodded, and walked off, Haylee bouncing along on his back.
The trio stood watching until the pair disappeared from sight, then they silently plowed their way back to the cave.
Augum’s heart felt heavy as they sat around the fire. Bridget picked at loose hairs on her fur coat, while Leera poked at the logs with a stick, chin resting on a knee.
Later, Mrs. Stone checked in to say she would like to begin lecturing on their 3rd degree elemental spell, something the trio had been looking forward to, especially since Augum and Leera mentioned how poorly they fared against a warlock. “This lesson is long overdue,” Mrs. Stone said as the trio crowded about the orb, pressing their ears to it. “So we must therefore try to squeeze in as much training as possible prior to your departure. First of all, can anyone tell me the name of the spell?”
“I know!” Bridget said before Augum and Leera could reply, already holding the burnt yellow book on elements. “It’s called the First Offensive.”
“Correct, and it is exactly that—the first offensive spell in your arsenal, but also the most difficult and draining one you will be learning thus far, particularly because I am not able to be there in person. The First Offensive combines Shine, Telekinesis and Push all into one spell. It requires massive concentration but also sacrifice, for it drains your arcane energies at triple the rate. You will therefore have to learn to use it sparingly. The spells you have learned thus far have taken relatively little of your time. This spell, however, usually takes months of rigorous training before a warlock has their first successful casting. Needless to say, we do not have that kind of time. You will have to focus and work hard, much harder than ordinary apprentices. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, Mrs. Stone,” they chorused.
“Augum, can you tell me an example of why this spell is dangerous to the caster and those around him?”
“Um, because it can drain your energy completely?”
“Incorrect. The spell is dangerous because it directly taps into your wild arcane energies. If you are not careful, it can lash out of control, injuring yourself and those around you. You must therefore pay strict attention to the energies involved. It is not a spell to be taken lightly, even during training. Are you all listening? Am I making myself perfectly clear?”
“Yes, Mrs. Stone,” they chorused.
“Good. Now who can tell me the arcane trigger word for the spell?”
Bridget looked at the yellow book in her hand but resisted opening it. She closed her eyes instead. “Wait, I know this one … I just read it—”
“Anyone else?” Mrs. Stone asked.
“—Annihilo!” Augum said, remembering the Occi speak it so articulately.
“No need to shout, I am not quite deaf yet.”
“Sorry, Nana.”
“In any case, you are correct. ‘Annihilo’ comes from the ancient witchery word ‘annihilate’, meaning ‘to utterly destroy’. Now, how many of you consider yourselves proficient at your Shine extension?”
“Shyneo,” Bridget said, attempting to wrap vine around the book in her hand. Instead, she dropped it. “I still haven’t got the hang of mine …”
“I haven’t even tried mine yet because it’s useless,” Leera muttered, coughing.
“I feel all right with mine,” Augum reported. After all, he had shocked Vion Rames, a hellhound, and more recently, a harpy.
“Well you will all have to practice your extensions before you can even hope to cast the First Offensive successfully; and make no mistake—if you lack proficiency in either Shine, its extension, Telekinesis, or Push, you can expect to fail at casting the First Offensive. Many warlocks hit their ceiling at this point, lacking the discipline to follow through on the requirements to cast this spell successfully. Leera, what will First Offensive look like in your element?”
Leera blinked and coughed. Then she forced another cough.
“Remember, Leera, I can still see you through the orb, even if it is a curved image.”
Leera turned red and swallowed. “I … I don’t know …”
“I rather guessed that much by your protracted acting. Augum—what will your First Offensive look like?”
“Um …”
Bridget rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, you two …”
Mrs. Stone sighed on the other end.
Augum winced. “Lightning …?”
“Correct, and it should have been rather obvious. Now, Bridget—”
“—mine’s a vine, Mrs. Stone,” Bridget said with a proud smile.
Leera flashed Augum a she’s such a goody-goody look.
“All right, let us get into the details. Please open to chapter three of the yellow book on elements,” and Mrs. Stone began lecturing on the intricacies of the spell. They were forced to memorize and repeat back much of what she said, for they lacked parchment and quill. Bridget commented she missed her old writing book for just such a purpose, eliciting a disgusted look from Leera.
After four straight hours, Mrs. Stone finally explained the gesture, which involved putting both hands together and shooting them out, opening one’s palms in the final moment—and that was the easy part. Combining four spells into one quick motion was much harder.
“And we still have to practice the other spells today,” Leera muttered as she stood to practice the gesture.
It was an exhausting day, second only in difficulty to the time Mrs. Stone teleported them to the 3rd degree Trainer, and made harder by the fact Augum and Leera
were still recovering from that bout of fever. At one point, she began casting mind spells through the orb, forcing them to defend themselves with Mind Armor. She worked them on every spell they knew as if their lives depended on it, which, they were all too aware, they did.
At least Nana was tuning to the Orb of Orion, Augum thought, realizing that would be incredibly beneficial in Bahbell.
Leera was the first to collapse, and this time there was no feigning involved. Augum was the second. Bridget was the only one with the stamina to remain on her feet.
Mrs. Stone left them to it before supper with the expectation they were not to go to bed until achieving twenty successful castings of each of the following requisite spells: Shine, their Shine extension, Telekinesis and Push. On top of that, she expected five successful castings of Object Alarm and three of Object Track. Luckily, she did not expect anyone to achieve a single successful casting of the First Offensive. Regardless, nobody completed the homework she had prescribed, not even Bridget, though they did their best.
“I must say I am almost impressed by you lowlander younglings,” Raptos said near midnight, sitting at his tall chair while carving a warlock figurine. He did not look up, but it was the first time he had uttered anything resembling a compliment. Not that anyone took much notice, lying around the fire, panting from exhaustion.
Because they had the provisions and because Mrs. Stone wouldn’t let them leave otherwise, they trained like this for ten straight days, from the crack of dawn until dusk. On the seventh day of their grueling regimen, Augum finally struck the cave wall with a successful casting of the First Offensive. The trio immediately celebrated, jumping around in a group hug until almost landing in the fire.
Seeing that it was possible for one of them to actually cast it probably gave Bridget and Leera a boost, for both had their first casting of the spell within hours: a vine snapped out of Bridget’s palm, punching and ensnaring a rocky outcrop in the wall; and a thin but focused jet of water shot out of Leera’s hand. Because the water was arcane, it disappeared shortly after, much to their disappointment (could have made great drinking water in hard times).
