Hero of Lichfrost

by M E Robinson

  “Errrr no. Mine blew up when Arthal was teaching us how to cast magic,” Eric said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

  Lucy looked shocked, although she did her best to hide it. “Do you mean to tell me that you’ve been casting wandlessly this entire time? Even in combat?”

  “Um, yes? I didn’t think wands were necessary.”

  Hearing this, it took a moment for Lucy to come to her senses. Shaking her head slightly, she looked at Eric in a new light.

  “Focuses are absolutely necessary for most mages. But most mages use a focus to help them cast spells, especially in combat where a lack of focus could mean death. However, if you don’t need a focus to help cast spells, then you can get yourself a focus that focuses purely on increasing the power of your spells, or one that modifies your spells in some way. Either way, there’s no reason not to use a focus of some kind.”

  “So you’re saying I should get a focus then.”

  “Yes. You could also get yourself some enchanted items, like that robe your friend has. You should be able to afford something with a minor defensive enchant, though it probably wouldn’t be much better than that leather armour you’re wearing,” Lucy replied.

  “Which would you suggest then? A focus or some enchanted gear? I doubt I have enough money for both. And where would I buy them? Vindammer Town?” Eric asked, throwing questions out one after another without pause.

  “For you? I’d recommend a focus. Like I said, enchanted items are expensive, and they won’t be all that much more effective than the leather armour you’re wearing right now. On the other hand, a focus that enhances your wind or arcane magic would improve your destructive power by quite a bit. As for where to purchase them, obviously you’d buy them from me, you idiot. Where else do you think you’d buy magical items in a backwater village other than from the village mage?” said Lucy.

  “You run a shop?” Eric asked incredulously.

  “Is that so hard to believe? I happen to be an enchantress you know,” Lucy replied.

  “It’s just hard to imagine you providing good customer service,” Eric replied, his eyes dancing with a mischievous light.

  “Just for that, I’m doubling the price of everything,” Lucy responded curtly, her face devoid of emotion.

  “Ah no! It was a joke! A joke!” Eric pleaded, clasping his hands together as he begged her to reconsider.

  Seeing this, Lucy’s face broke out into a sadistic grin. “You’d best be more careful with your jokes, boy. Not everyone is as nice as me you know.”

  “No, they’re all far nicer,” Eric muttered under his breath.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.”

  Following his teacher, Eric was led towards a room on the first floor of the manor. Entering the room, he was greeted by the sight of numerous glass display cases, lining every wall of the room. Inside the cases were various items, some glowing faintly with various rune formations visible upon their polished surfaces, while others simply sat inside the cases. Pausing to observe a metal gauntlet with rune formations criss crossing over every available surface, Eric was suddenly pulled towards another side of the shop, an invisible force hauling him over to Lucy’s side.

  “This is where I keep the minor focuses for mages below the intermediate level,” said Lucy, the light fading from the runes she’d used to pull Eric over.

  “There are four focuses here that might suit you. I’ll ignore the two focuses that help with infusing mana into rune formations as you apparently don’t need those. That leaves these two,” Lucy said, taking out two objects from the display case.

  “The first focus is called the Bigflame Wand, it enhances the power of fire magic. It’s best suited to those who specialize in fire magic like myself, and will be of great help in killing goblins,” said Lucy, pointing to a wooden wand, roughly nine inches long with a red gemstone on the end.

  Eric nodded. “I know some fire magic. I don’t tend to use it too much for fear of burning down Stillwood forest though.”

  “Burning down a forest is a rite of passage for fire mages, don’t worry about it too much,” said Lucy, turning to the second object.

  Before Eric could even begin questioning his teacher about this outlandish statement, she’d already begun describing the second focus’ properties.

  “This focus is called the Quickwind Dagger and it enhances wind magic. Unlike the Bigflame Wand which increases the power of fire magic, the Quickwind Dagger increases the speed at which you can infuse mana into a rune formation. It’s a little more tricky to use as a result, but for someone who can perform wandless casting in combat, it’s not a bad choice,” Lucy explained, pointing to an athame, just under a foot long with a shining metal blade, and a white crystal the colour of seafoam embedded in the hilt.

  Looking at the two focuses, Eric’s gaze was inexplicably drawn to the athame. Picking up the weapon, he used it to draw shapes in the air, tracing the form of various runes.

  “How much is the Quickwind Dagger?”

  “Forty Sricks,” Lucy responded.

  Eric winced. “And the Bigflame Wand?”

  “Twenty-five Sricks.”

  Checking his inventory, Eric let out a regretful sigh, putting the athame back. After numerous lessons with Lucy, he only had twenty-two Sricks left.

  “What’s the matter?” Lucy asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

  “I don’t have enough money I’m afraid. I’ll just have to fight without a focus,” Eric said, looking regretfully at the two focuses sitting on top of the display case. “Anyways. Sorry for doubting you. I was just feeling a little hard done by, but I’m fairly sure you have my best interests at heart. Mostly anyways,” said Eric, giving Lucy a smile. Turning away, he began to make for the door, only to be grabbed once more by that invisible force and dragged unceremoniously back towards Lucy.

  “I won’t allow my only student to embarrass me in front of Alistair and those dunces from the Rimestone Circle. It’s not like I’m ever going to be able to sell a piece of junk like this, so just take it,” Lucy said, shoving the Quickwind Dagger into his hands.

  Staring at the dagger, Eric was about to say something when Lucy pushed him forwards.

  “Weren’t you leaving? Hurry up and go! I’ve got important research to do and I don’t need you interrupting me,” she informed him, pushing him hard towards the door.

  With a smile, Eric slid the athame into his inventory, making his way for the front door. As he was about to exit the manor, he turned around, catching Lucy’s eye, as she was still standing in the hallway, watching him leave.

  “I’ll pay you back for sure. And I promise I won’t let you down. Thanks, master,” Eric said, performing a short bow.

  Lucy went scarlet at this. “You’d better not embarrass me, brat. Now get! Before I lose my temper!” she threatened him, raising her hands in preparation to start casting a spell.

  Laughing, Eric left the manor, closing the door and leaving the embarrassed mage behind.

  Making his way back towards the town center, Eric hummed happily to himself as he thought about what he had just learned. It turned out that magic was even more complex than he’d thought, something which made him inexplicably happy for some reason. Even better, he’d made that cute teacher of his blush, an achievement he could be proud of. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an achievement he could brag about, as he didn’t really want to become a scorch mark on the walls of Lucy’s manor.

  Taking out the Quickwind Dagger, Eric admired his new focus. Giving it a closer look, he let out a low whistle in appreciation. The dagger was just under twelve inches long, with a blade made of bluish steel. The hilt was made of wood, with black leather creating a comfortable grip. At the base of the hilt, a large white gemstone was socketed into the pommel, giving the athame an elegant look. Etched into the blade, close to the hilt, was the rune for Wind, which upon close inspection was giving off a faint glow, hinting at its
use.

  Opening the status window for the athame, Eric’s face split into a huge grin.

  [Quickwind Dagger - Rare Focus]

  Attack: 5-8

  Durability: 100/100

  Requirements for use:

  Journeyman 1 or higher Arcane Magic

  Apprentice 5 or higher Wind Magic

  Effects:

  Casting Speed of Wind Spells increased by 15%

  Casting Difficulty for Wind Spells increased by 10%

  Description: One of the lower level focuses created by the enchantress Lucy Morningstar. The Quickwind Dagger is made of materials that increase the speed at which the caster can infuse mana into a rune formation. However, this comes at the cost of making the mana more difficult to control. It is advised that only mages proficient in mana circulation use this focus, lest the user suffer mana rebound from a failed spell.

  Closing the status window, Eric couldn’t contain his smile. Lucy had truly given him a great gift. With this new focus, he was sure to do well in the tournament; in fact, he might even be able to win the entire thing. Still, Eric thought, it paid to be cautious. The threat of mana rebound was a very real risk, especially in a one-on-one situation. If he messed up and failed a cast during the tournament and the mana rebounded, the worst case scenario was him falling unconscious, something that would ensure his swift defeat. In order to avoid that ignominious fate, it was probably in his best interest to practice his magic while using the athame.

  Checking the time, Eric set off for the northern gate, heading for Stillwood Forest. He had almost three hours in game before he was due to meet up with the guys, and he planned to use that time to familiarize himself with his new toy. Twirling the dagger between his fingers, Eric hummed a jaunty tune to himself, already daydreaming about what the view from the winner’s podium would be like.

  Chapter 22

  Three minutes past midnight, Eric sprinted into the village square, skidding to a stop in front of an unimpressed looking elf and a grinning half-orc.

  “Sorry, am I late?” Eric asked, panting as he waited for his stamina to recover.

  “Nope, you’re actually early. After you left, I told the rest of the guys that they could feel free to show up at five minutes past just to account for you,” Mark told him, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

  Eric sighed. “Well I suppose at least I arrived before the rest of them did.”

  “Nah Ryan and Gio are just over there reading the notice. I think Jaime’s there too,” Griffin said. “Also you owe me another ten bucks,” he said, turning to Mark.

  It was Mark’s turn to sigh. “One of these days Eric will be on time, and then I’ll earn it all back.”

  “Unlikely,” Griffin replied with a laugh.

  Eric rolled his eyes. “What about Jun? Where’s he?”

  “Right here, dumbass,” came a voice from behind him.

  Turning around, Eric saw Jun, biting into a sandwich that he’d gotten from who knew where.

  “Hey Jun, that a new bow?” Mark greeted, pointing to the bow slung across Jun’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, just picked it up from Craig’s shop a few minutes ago,” Jun replied proudly, unslinging the bow so that they could get a good look.

  Jun’s new bow was a composite bow, resembling a recurve bow, with long limbs that curved upwards like the horns of an ox. Looking closely, Eric could make out a few different materials layered on top of each other to create the limbs. After a few moments of observation, it was pretty easy to tell that Jun’s bow was of a higher quality than Eric’s Yew Longbow.

  “How much did that cost you? And how did you get it? Aren’t all the shops closed right now?” Griffin asked.

  “Just over thirty Sricks. Craig had to import quite a few of the materials and it took him a few days to make. As for how I picked it up, I have my ways. When you’re not a broke f*****, businesses are willing to bend the rules a bit,” Jun replied.

  “Five bucks says he broke in,” Eric drawled.

  “I ain’t taking that bet,” Griffin said with a laugh.

  “Didn’t Craig give you a key after you became his apprentice?” Rob asked, joining the circle with Ryan and Gio in tow.

  “Possibly,” said Jun with a sly grin. “But yeah, the stats on this thing are insane. Here check it out,” Jun continued, holding out the bow so that they could inspect it.

  [Tonburan Hornbow - Rare Composite Bow]

  Attack: 9-13

  Durability: 100/100

  Requirements for use:

  Journeyman 1 or higher Basic Archery

  Effects:

  Damage of all Archery Skills increased by 10%

  Agility increased by 10%

  Description: A bow made by Craig of Tonbura village. The bow is made of a variety of different woods and other materials, including the horn of a Scaled Hornbear. Craig used a synthesis of Novanalban and his native Barotan fletching techniques to make this bow.

  As a composite bow, this bow is smaller than standard Novanalban bows, while still providing the same level of power. The user is thus able to exert more mobility using this bow than with a regular bow.

  “Damn, that’s a nice bow. My new sword isn’t that nice,” Ryan said regretfully, staring at the shiny new sword at his waist.

  “Yeah, with this bow I’m gonna win this tournament,” said Jun, slinging the bow back over his back.

  “Are you forgetting that the rest of us are signing up too?” Eric asked dryly.

  “Which of you are gonna beat me? Gio? Griffin?”

  “Ouch,” Griffin winced.

  “Yeah. I mean you’re not wrong, but ouch,” Gio echoed.

  Mark rolled his eyes. “As long as all of us get into the elite unit, we’re good. Winning is just a bonus.”

  “Sounds like a loser’s mentality.” “I’m not entering just to do well.” Jun and Eric both spoke at the same time.

  “I agree with Eric and Jun. If we’re entering, we should be aiming to win,” Ryan echoed.

  Mark sighed. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t be aiming for the win. I’m just saying not to lose sight of the real reward. The elite platoon is where we can earn the best rewards.”

  “But won’t we get into the elite platoon anyways if we win? What’s the point of not aiming to win?” Rob asked, an amused smile tugging at his face as he watched the normally calm Mark grow flustered.

  “That’s not what I meant. You’re missing the point- Ah forget it,” Mark grumbled, abandoning the argument. This got laughs all around as the group began to discuss the tournament, joking about how easily they were going to crush their opponents, and chirping anyone who claimed they would finish higher than the rest.

  After a few minutes of talking, the group began to move towards the southern gate, beginning the long trek to Vindammer Town.

  “I just don’t get why we couldn’t have grabbed a cart,” Griffin complained. “I mean there’s one headed there in the morning. Just grab that and we don’t have to walk. We could’ve chilled in town and rested.”

  “We’ll get there faster this way. Plus this gives us a way to practice for the tournament,” Mark replied.

  “We could’ve practiced without walking through the forest after midnight,” Griffin muttered, kicking a nearby stick.

  Ignoring his bickering friends, Eric was discussing magic with Rob.

  “I haven’t really had the chance to fight any PvP matches recently, so I’m not too sure how magic is going to fair at the tournament.”

  “I fought a guy the other day while I was grinding with Jaime and Gio. Dude ambushed me but I was able to kill him with a few spells. It’s easy if they’re not wearing good armour,” Rob confided.

  “Speaking of Jaime, where is he? Is he not coming?” Eric asked.

  “He said he’d meet us there. He wants to buy a new sword so he went grinding to see if he could raise a bit more money to buy it with,” Rob smirked, miming Jaime running with his enormous two-handed sword.

 
; “I know I’m not exactly one to talk, but I hope he makes it in time,” Eric said with a laugh, turning the conversation back to magic.

  Five hours later, the forest began to give way to rolling fields of wheat. Peering through the early morning gloom, Eric could just make out the high walls of Vindammer Town, looming high in the pre-dawn light.

  “This place is way bigger than Tonbura,” Griffin breathed.

  “Yeah. It’s actually pretty impressive,” Gio agreed.

  Walking through the fields, the town began to come into view. Unlike Tonbura, Vindammer’s walls were made of stone and mortar, reaching over five metres high, with arrow slits interspersed throughout the crenellations overlooking the fields below. The glow of a few lonesome fires could be seen illuminating the small guardposts just above the closed main gate that had come into view at the end of the road. Moving closer, the group’s movement caused a head to peek out of the guardpost.

  “Oi. What’re you lot here for at this time?” the guardsman asked, a young man in his early twenties with an impressive moustache.

  “We’re here for the militia tournament. We’re members of the militia from Tonbura Village,” Eric hollered back.

  “Tonbura Village, eh? Who’s the militia captain there?”

  “Captain Alistair.”

  “You might have known that because of the tournament notice. Let me think of another question,” the guardsman shot back.

  “Why bother asking in the first place then?” Eric muttered irritatedly.

  “Who’s the blacksmith of Tonbura Village?”

  “Tom Smith. Our friend here is one of his apprentices,” Eric responded, pointing to Griffin, who gave a short wave.

  With an annoyed look, the guardsman retreated inside. Moments later, the gate began to open, accompanied by the sound of grinding chains. Once the gate was open just enough to allow a person to squeeze through, they stopped, the sound of chains disappearing into the still morning air.