Akashi's Will

by Kaden Reed

  Nodding slowly, “okay, but what about my white mana?”

  Akashi sounded somewhat apprehensive, “white is the affinity for the arcane. Pure mana. It encompasses all other affinities and is therefore, all affinities and none at the same time. It is able to exert some form of influence on all affinities.”

  “How is that possible?” I asked.

  “That is a question that I have been searching for an answer my entire existence,” Akashi responded, “you see, every Dungeon has a natural affinity for the arcane and I’ve found that it increases very, very slowly. In the last couple of millennia, my affinity has increased by less than one hundredth of a percent.”

  “So how do you grow your arcane affinity?” I inquired distractedly; his deep voice was starting to lull my mind into relaxation.

  “I don’t really know,” he caged, “I do accrue a very small amount from each kill you Khanri make in my Dungeon.”

  “How did Dungeons come to exist on Ignotia?” my eyes drifting closed.

  “That kiddo, is a legend even among the long-lived Dungeons,” he intoned, “we have tales of a Prime Dungeon that we all spawned from. The tale says it was pure arcane mana, the absolute pinnacle of our kind. I think it is a myth though, since Amorak is the eldest Dungeon that I have been able to speak too and even he has not found any truth in the mystery.” He paused in thought, “perhaps it is a mystery you and I can find an answer too one day.”

  “I would like that,” I murmured and was asleep within moments.

  Chapter Twelve

  Eli’s Hand

  Within a week’s journey of the northeastern border of Glasden with Thieria lies the racial home of the Lunasti elves and the Dungeon Selanora, Luna Asari. A new visitor to the city is often found staring in awe at the delicate weaving of the giant boughs that were somehow shaped into a lattice, that serves to form both home and roads that connect the trees perhaps a hundred feet above the forest floor. Preferring the boughs of their ancient oaks, the ebony skinned elves, an aloof race of near immortal beings, rarely descend from their trees. Some are even said to have never touched the ground at all.

  Upon first sight of Luna Asari, it is easy to believe that you are in the presence of near perfection. The graceful curves and dancing lights in the canopy above always calls the eye to return and feast upon the splendor. However, all one needs to do to banish the spell is to look down and see the squalor the Lunasti have relegated the rest of the sapient races too.

  - Excerpt from The Three Nations, by Raine Royce, University of Glasden Historian

  Rising out of bed when Jax called for us to get ready, we stumbled into the showers and returned to our rooms. Finding our armor and weapons on racks next to our sleeping areas, we started equipping ourselves for our patrol.

  Jax handed out a ration bar to each of us, instructing us to eat while we were traveling, “it will help with the energy deficit when we come back from patrol.”

  As we ran, I pulled up next to Jax and told him about the information regarding the affinities Akashi told me yesterday. Although he appeared to be distracted this morning, he said he would pass it along to Thorn.

  “I have been thinking about what you said about how we can be killed,” I spoke to Jax offhandedly, “if the Aku always invade our Dungeons, does that mean that when we kill them they have a chance at dying permanently?”

  “Yes,” Jax replied succinctly.

  “They must be suffering a high attrition rate compared to us then,” I continued, “why do you think they are willing to do that?”

  We ran in silence for a few minutes before Jax replied, “from the few conversations I’ve had while fighting Aku over the years, they worship their Dungeons.”

  Taken off guard by the statement, “how could anyone think of a Dungeon as something to worship?”

  Jax shrugged, “I don’t know.”

  I ran in silence for some time more, pondering the revelation. I’ve spoken with Akashi and even supposedly seen his true form. He was powerful and intimidating sure, but I’ve never thought of him as something to worship. He hasn’t indicated that he needed or even desired it either.

  “Get ready,” Jax called while sending out a wave of energy like he did the last time we were hunting, “we are coming up on the training section.”

  Within seconds an echo returned down the hallway and he called in a hushed voice, “something is very close.”

  A large bipedal creature covered in scales like a lizard could be seen in the hallway ahead, advancing towards us at a slow trot.

  We slowed to allow Glazmir to pass us. I blinked into mana sight and saw the lizard was filled with brown mana with a glowing E8, which I passed along to the rest of the party and reminded them that it was the earth affinity.

  Hefting his shield and hammer up in a combat stance, he advanced on the scaly lizard bellowing, “come on you overgrown iguana!”

  I watched a blast of brown mana engulf the lizard’s head, but only partially finding purchase. Most of it seemed to impact then rebound off to dissipate in the air, “Glaz, do that again. Only part of your ability worked.”

  “Nah,” he said dismissively while swinging his hammer at the beast, “this be me other part!”

  With a loud clang, the hammer blasted into the foreleg of the lizard, screeching in pain it fastened its eyes directly on the diminutive dwarf. Reaching its long head back, it whipped it forward with tremendous speed and exhaled a pungent vapor directly into the dwarf’s face.

  “Gah!” He took several steps backwards and dropped his hammer to hold his hand over his nose, “that be the worst!” Gagging and spitting, he barely got his shield up in time to block the blow from the thing’s tail as it whipped around to strike at him.

  Seeing an opening between the lizard’s legs, I shot forward and sank my blades into its front legs. Ripping them free, the lizard stumbled and, seeing the danger, I jumped to the side and rolled a short distance back to my feet as it toppled to the ground.

  Glazmir waded in and delivered several blows to the head of the creature as it flailed its limbs limply in a vain attempt to defend itself. After a few moments, it fell silent.

  “Well that wasn’t so bad,” Marty cheerfully announced to the group.

  “What was that breath attack?” I asked Jax.

  “It could have been anything, but from what I saw of Glaz’s reaction, it was likely some form of toxic cloud,” Jax responded.

  “Eh?” Glaz sounded concerned, “is me beard going to fall out or something?”

  Jax unconcernedly shrugged in response to the question as he walked over to the floating brown orb that materialized and collected the runestones.

  “Healer,” Glaz turned a frantic gaze to Marty, “do something to save me beard!”

  Marty glanced nervously around at the party, “I’m not sure my magic works like that.”

  Glaz scowled, “you owe me for that trick in the showers gnome.”

  Marty chuckled reflexively before schooling his face in response to the glare he was receiving form the dwarf. He nodded with a serious expression and intoning with confidence, “I know just the thing.” Waving his arms enthusiastically, he spoke in a dramatic tone in a language I had never heard before. The crystal shard at the tip of his wand glowing a brilliant gold, his spell reached its climax and he pointed directly at Glaz.

  Still seeing through mana sight, a shaft of golden energy flew into Glaz and rested in his core. By all estimation, it seemed to be just a normal healing spell he has cast frequently on the party.

  “I feel it working already,” Glazmir nodded in satisfaction and tucked his beard back into his belt to keep it out of the way.

  Hiding a smile, I turned to Jax, “off to the next hunt?”

  He nodded and cast the same spell as before when we started jogging. Minutes passed with no return echo, frowning Jax cast the same spell again.

  “What does it mean when you don’t get a response?” I asked Jax.

  �
�You can see me using my sonar ability?” He looked at me askance.

  “If that is the ripple of energy you send out and occasionally get a response from, then yeah,” I nodded at him, “I can see that.”

  “That is a neat trick,” Jax returned to focusing on the path ahead, “it doesn’t mean anything necessarily. It is possible that something could be using a skill that can counter my spell or it means nothing is there.”

  “So, we just keep running?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Jax sounded disgruntled, “we just keep running.”

  After several minutes, Jax again used his sonar ability.

  Shortly after, several echoes returned in rapid succession. Holding up his hand for everyone to stop, “enemies, several hundred yards ahead.”

  “Plural?” Marty questioned, sounding alarmed, “like more than one?”

  Nodding, Jax gestured for Glazmir to take the lead, “we will approach slowly in battle formation. Be ready for anything.”

  Following Glazmir, I made sure my blades were extended to their maximum reach and walked on the balls of my feet, ready to spring in any direction at the slightest provocation.

  After traveling for some time, distant sounds of battle could be heard. Voices calling out to each other in anger and pain, echoed haphazardly down the long hallway, distorting their words to make them unintelligible.

  “Another Hand is in combat,” Jax came to stand at the front and listened, “let’s go. Quickly now.”

  We all started jogging, readying our weapons in our hands with a new sense of purpose. Someone was in trouble and needed help.

  As we neared the room, the flashes of spells and the sound of steel on steel resounded.

  Shouts could be heard, “behind you!”

  “Got it!” followed by a scream of pain.

  “You bastard!”

  “Die Khanri scum,” a voice spat in a clipped cadence, unlike any I had ever heard.

  “Jacob!” this voice sounded oddly familiar. The clang of steel rebounding off armor followed this shout.

  We burst into the room and saw seven humans locked in combat. After scanning the room, I could see that two were laying still on the floor bleeding from multiple stab wounds. All of the people locked in combat were wearing different types of armor and looked the same as any I had ever seen before. I called to Jax, “who do we fight?”

  “The Aku,” Jax’s voice trembled in rage as he focused his gaze on a man dressed in robes with a gruesome scar across his neck near the back of the room, which a glowing B8 formed next to as I focused on him, “we fight the Aku.”

  As soon as Jax uttered the dreaded name, a spike of anger drove through my consciousness. Although I felt the rage pass, I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth unconsciously as I scanned the room.

  Both Jax and the scarred man started waving their arms in arcane gestures, steely eyes staring at each other.

  I had no idea what was going on, but I knew that whatever I did, standing in the way of those two would guarantee I would be roasted in the crossfire.

  As I was beginning to wish that the Aku would make it easy by identifying themselves, I recognized one of the combatants, “Eli!”

  Glancing up at me, he staggered as his opponent used the opportunity to slip his sword passed his guard and slice him across the ribs. He promptly returned his attention back to the fight, “a little help please!”

  I could hear Marty starting his healing incantations behind me as Glaz and I ran up and flanked Eli’s opponent.

  Glaz let out his customary taunt at the enemy, “hey you Aku pansy,” he smacked his hammer on his shield as he approached, “come and give this dwarf a try.”

  I watched as the brown mana folded onto the man and then dissipate into the air, “it didn’t work Glaz.”

  “Bah,” he grunted as he swung his hammer at the man’s legs, “this way might be a bit more fun anyways.”

  After seeing the blinking C2 that formed next to the man’s core, I realized that this wasn’t an opponent I could take head on. Between the three of us, the Aku didn’t know who to counter. Working in turns, we would dart in and slash at the enemy, sometimes scoring a hit or two before backing off to allow the next a turn.

  Glaz stepped into the Aku’s sword blow, catching it squarely on his shield. Seeing an opening, I darted in behind the Aku, and while using mana sight a flash of inspiration hit me. Shifting my aim slightly, I struck directly at his core.

  As my mana blade pierced his chest, it seemed to meet some sort of resistance when it came into contact with the raging mana at his core. Grunting in gleeful determination, I pushed with all of my newfound strength. Reaching a critical climax, my blade abruptly slammed through and in a wave of satisfaction, I watched as his core shattered like glass into hundreds of pieces.

  The stored mana, suddenly released in a wild torrent, ripped through the Aku’s body and violently tore it apart. Glaz, Eli and I were thrown by the force of the explosion, rocketing through the air to impact with loud crunches on opposite walls.

  Dazed and confused by what happened I worked myself back onto my knees and promptly threw up the ration bar I had eaten for breakfast.

  All that was left of the man with the ruptured core was a pink mist that hung in the air to slowly rain onto the floor.

  Trying to focus my addled mind, I vaguely tracked the flow of the combat. Jax and the Aku Magus were throwing spell after spell at each other. Neither finding a way through the other’s defenses to end the duel. I could see the lump of one of the other four combatants lying face down on the floor. I wasn’t sure if I should cheer or mourn the loss. Damn I wish there was a way to tell who was on which side.

  Marty was busy chanting another healing incantation, which I hoped was directed at me because the way the floor seemed to wobble made me feel like being sick again.

  A handful of seconds later though, Eli, a glowing C9 next to him, sprang back to his feet, obviously recovered from the worst of his injuries. He pulled out a handful of throwing daggers as he charged the Aku Magus. Throwing them in rapid succession as he advanced.

  The daggers ricocheted off an invisible force around the caster. Sneering the Magus reached out his hand at the floor between him and Eli lost his feet on the suddenly glassy surface. Sliding uncontrollably right past the Magus, Eli yelled in furious impotence at being so casually dismissed by his opponent.

  Unexpectedly I felt a rush of healing energy shoot into me. Since the damage to my body was pretty much everywhere, I didn’t adjust my channels to compensate this time, instead just letting the energy do its work. Within moments the world had stopped spinning and I was able to lurch to my feet.

  Studying the situation, the fight between the three combatants was still going on near the fringes of the room. If the sole fighter in that group was being ganged up on by two Aku, he will definitely need some help. However, the only person out of the group that I knew for sure was on our side was Eli, and he attacked the Magus. Sighing in resignation, I blinked into my mana sight and charged at the caster.

  I stayed near the perimeter of the room, hoping to go unnoticed for as long as I could. I watched as Eli fumbled his way to a sitting position, still sliding on the slick surface and aiming a tirade of curses at the back of the caster.

  The Magus looked up and sneered at me when I was within twenty paces. Waving his arms in my direction, a ball of glowing blue mana shot towards me. Acting on pure instinct, I held out my mana blades in the path of the oncoming spell. Yelping in surprise as I was suddenly engulfed in a short-lived inferno, my mana blades cleaved the oncoming spell in half, diverting the majority of the energy to my sides.

  I was taken aback over the fact that this spell was a fireball, since it was blue in my mana sight. Shaking my head in realization that it must not matter what element a spell was because the mana from the Magus class is always blue. I imagined that whether I’d be able to repeat this trick depended on what type of spell was being flung at me. That added
a bit of unwelcome complexity to my newfound ability to deflect spells.

  Filing that tidbit away to be studied at another time, I started sprinting around the glassy patch to get to the Magus, “nice try ugly,” I laughed as I taunted the Aku.

  With the Aku focusing on me, Jax was able to get a spell passed his wards. A shard of ice about a foot long slammed into the left shoulder of the Magus. Staggering under the blow, the Aku cried out in surprise as he fell backwards.

  I reached the end of the glassy patch and angled directly at the fallen enemy. Raising himself onto his knees, I saw nothing but pure hatred in the man’s eyes as we locked gazes. Staring into his eyes, I noticed for the first time that his irises seemed to be entirely black. I could still see the white surrounding them, but the effect unnerved me.

  As he started casting another spell, the sound of the words that were dripping off his tongue was full of growling vowels and guttural consonants. The cacophony was reminiscent of when I saw two dogs fighting each other when I was a kid. It tickled a primal sense in me that spoke of wrongness - of evil.

  Extending both of my blades to their maximum reach, I pierced the Aku in the abdomen and smiled in grim satisfaction as he stuttered. Ending his spell with great heaving gasps of air as I slowly slid the blades in even further. My heart racing with fear that his spell seemed to amplify, I pulled out both of my blades and watched his body flop on the floor.

  Just defeating him wasn’t enough though, something deep in me stirred to wakefulness as I stood over his prone body. It called for his death. Examining his still form in mana sight, I could see that his core was slowing down but was still active. Deliberately, I positioned both blades above his core and plunged them downward. The power in the core causing my blades to buck wildly, I screamed in defiance and pushed with all of my willpower. After a heart stopping moment of stillness, the mana in the core parted and I snarled in victory.