I start to follow him, but Kate stops me in my tracks. She has that very serious look in her eyes again.
“Stillwater,” she says in a low voice, in order to avoid being heard by Daren. “I saw you ‘fighting’ back there. You may have managed to convince Daren and that bearded fool that you are an ordinary human, but I am not so easily deceived. I don’t know what your game is, but I’m going to keep my eye on you.”
“I’m not—” I start to say, but Kate cuts me off and grabs me by the shirt.
“You owe me, stillwater,” she says. “I saved your life during that battle and you owe me. And I intend to collect that debt sooner rather than later. Are we clear?”
“Don’t worry,” I tell her. “I always pay my debts.”
The look in her eyes has lost a bit of its hostility. It seems she is willing to take my word for it, for the time being.
“Very well, then,” she says, as she releases my shirt. “Let’s be off. We need to catch up to Daren.”
As we approach the forest, I see a female deer and her fawn appear from behind the trees. When the fawn opens its mouth, I realize it speaks in one of the ancient languages my stat device has taught me.
“Mommy, there are more outlanders this way!” the fawn says.
“Don’t worry, child,” the fawn’s mother tells him. “We’ll find a safe way back to our cave. I promise.”
They then begin heading back towards the woods.
“Wait,” I call after them in their own language.
The two deer stop and look towards me.
“You can… understand us?” asks the doe.
“Yes, I can,” I tell her. “I overheard you talking about a cave. We are looking for shelter as well. We could offer you protection on your way back if you promise to let us share your cave for one night.”
The female deer is measuring me up with her eyes. She isn’t sure what to make of my offer.
“We mean you no harm, I promise,” I tell her.
“No,” the female deer says. “You don’t. Otherwise I wouldn’t still be alive, having this conversation with you. I thank you, outlander. We accept your generous offer. My name is Elaria, and this is my child, Molan. I believe this is how humans make their acquaintance?”
She approaches me, and she extends one of her front hooves towards me. I realize she wants me to shake her hand. I grab her hoof and I shake it lightly, before letting it go.
“I’m Barry,” I tell her. “Pleased to meet you!”
Daren and Kate are looking at me, dumbfounded. It occurs to me that the two of them probably didn’t understand a word of what I’ve been saying. This must all sound like weird animal noises to them.
“Barry, what the hell?…” Daren asks.
“I’ll explain later,” I tell him. “They said they can lead us to their cave, in exchange for our protection. We’re still looking for shelter, aren’t we?”
“Well, I guess, but…”
“Then come on, she says it’s this way,” I say, as I follow the deer into the woods.
Daren is clearly very reluctant about all of this, but he follows me regardless. Kate looks more puzzled than skeptical, as she decides to follow me as well, into the depths of the forest and towards the mountains.
Chapter 3
“So, Barry, let me get this straight,” Daren says. “You’re saying that trinket you’re carrying with you is in fact a device that amplifies your physical attributes, which is powered by the magic all around us…”
“Right,” I answer.
“And this device taught you an ancient language that made you able to communicate with the two deer?” Daren says.
“Correct,” I say.
Daren, Kate and I are sitting in a circle, on the rocky floor of our deer host’s cave. Our trip here has been rather uneventful, save for a few more dead bodies we’ve seen along the way. Daren has gotten out of his heavy armor since we arrived and is now wearing more comfortable clothes.
“Barry, there is no such thing as talking to animals,” Daren says. “I’ve heard you ‘talk’ to them, and it’s nothing but weird animal noises. Just because you got lucky and they actually brought us to their lair doesn’t prove you right. Kate, could you knock some sense into our dear companion, here?”
“No,” Kate answers, curtly.
“Because you won’t be bothered to—” Daren starts to say, but Kate cuts him off.
“Because he’s right,” Kate says. “The device he’s carrying is indeed a stat booster, and one of those stats gives the owner knowledge of the ancient languages.”
“What?…” Daren says. “Weren’t you the one saying I shouldn’t trust him just a few hours ago? Why are you defending him, now?”
“I’m not defending anyone,” Kate says. “I’ve known the true function of these devices for a long time. I don’t need to trust him in order to know he’s telling the truth.”
“Fine, I give up,” Daren says. “You win, Barry. So what are these stats of yours, anyway?”
I show him my device’s screen, where all of the nine stats are shown. Daren gives the device a long, pondering look, until he decides to speak.
“Alright,” he says. “Here’s my two copper pieces. I think that if we’re to keep travelling in our current formation, and if that device of yours really does what you say it does, then what would help us all the most would be if you maxed that observation stat.”
“Observation?…” I say. “Why observation of all things?” I ask him.
“Because if you’re good at observing details, you’re far more likely to detect illusions,” Daren says. “Usually, the best way to know you’re in an illusion is to notice something minor that changed in the environment around you. No illusion is perfect. Sometimes there are a few leaves that disappear from the ground, some other times the sun is higher in the sky than it was before you entered the illusion. I’m really bad at noticing these kinds of things. Usually, I only see it when it’s too late. That hasn’t killed me yet, but then again, I’ve never had to fight against the strongest mages in the world before. Even if you max all of your physical attributes, I doubt you’ll ever be on par with me and Kate, let alone all the other mages that joined this tournament. But with good observation skills, you might well end up saving our lives when we enter our first illusion.”
Daren pauses.
“Well, anyway, that’s just my opinion,” he says. “You can take it with a grain of salt. That little trinket is yours to use, so feel free to do whatever you want with it!”
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” says Elaria, the doe, as she approaches. “I thought you might be hungry after such a long journey.”
She pushes a big plate of cooked meat towards us with her front hoof. Judging by the looks and smell, it appears to be… deer meat.
A grim thought occurs to me. I look at the deer meat in front of me and realize I haven’t seen Molan in a while. No… She wouldn’t… Would she?
“Molan!” I call out, jumping to my feet and looking all around me. “Molan!”
“Yeah?” Molan answers from one of the darker corners of the cave.
I slowly start to calm down as I hear the fawn’s voice. Gods, what was I thinking? I’m really letting this afternoon’s events get to my head. Elaria was surprised by my outburst, but it only took her a few seconds to understand what happened.
“By the great fox, you didn’t think I would… Molan is my only son, I would never…”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I’m letting this tournament get to me… I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“There’s no need to apologize, outlander,” Elaria says. “Assuming the worst is only natural, given our current situation. Perhaps my choice of deer meat was uninspired, but I assure you I did not kill any of my kind to make this. Our protector, the great golden fox has taught me the art of food conjuration. I’ve also taken the liberty of conjuring a plate, since I know humans are not used to eating off the ground
.”
“You can… cast magic?” I ask her.
“Yes,” Elaria says. “Many animals on this continent can. It is a gift offered to us by our protector. Molan’s father used to be a lot better at it than I am, but I try my best.”
“What happened to Molan’s father?” I ask her.
“He was killed a few months ago by some humans, while he was defending us,” Elaria says. “He managed to hold them off long enough for us to escape, but he didn’t make it.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s no problem,” Elaria says. “You couldn’t have known.”
Oblivious to the meaning of our conversation, Daren decided to stop waiting for me a while ago, and he began to eat his meal. He is now offering Kate a morsel of deer meat.
“Barry is busy talking to his animal friends,” Daren says. “He’ll join us when he’s done. Eat up, or your food will get cold.”
“Shush, I’m trying to listen,” Kate replies.
“You’re kidding,” Daren says. “You mean to tell me you actually understand what they’re saying?
“Only a little,” Kate says. “Which is why I need some silence in order to concentrate. So be quiet.”
Kate’s words seem to have caught Elaria’s attention.
“There is no need to be embarrassed about your poor grasp of our language, woman outlander,” the deer tells her in the ancient language. “I believe your name is Kate, is it not? Feel free to join our conversation if you want. I will try to use only words that are more commonly known in order to ease your understanding.”
Kate was caught off guard by Elaria’s proposal. She’s now struggling to form a coherent sentence in the deer’s language.
“I… did not… know that you… spoke Common,” she says.
“I can understand it,” Elaria says, “but I am not allowed to speak it. The great fox has forbidden us to speak in the humans’ language ever since the hunts of Olmnar began, a few decades ago. Humans and animals on this continent had been living in harmony for hundreds of years, but it all changed when the people of Olmnar started hunting animals as a sport some forty years ago. That is when the great fox decided to sever all ties between the animal kingdom and the humans, and forbade us to speak the Common language ever again.”
“So… not allowed… speak… us?” Kate says, in the ancient language.
“Technically I shouldn’t be talking to humans in general,” Elaria says, “but the only rule set in stone is that I’m not allowed to speak in the Common language. The great golden fox is a very old spirit that has guided all animals on the continent for thousands of years. She is our protector, our shepherd and our teacher, and we all aspire to be like her. I respect the great fox, and her decisions, but that does not mean I agree with all of them. I fear that the rift which has grown between our two races will only further amplify the conflict between us. Most humans have forgotten the art of food conjuration, and without us to help them, they have started turning to more primitive methods of acquiring food. What used to be only a sport practiced by Olmnar, has now become a means of survival for many humans. This war has already cost us so many lives, including Molan’s father, and I am getting more and more tired of it with each passing day…”
She pauses.
“But I digress,” Elaria says. “My friends, I thank you once more for your help. Our home is your home until you decide to take your leave. Please, eat to your heart’s content, and do not hesitate to ask for more! I will be over there if you need me.”
With these last words, Elaria bows her head, and she goes to sit near her offspring, who is sleeping in a dark corner of the cave.
Daren, who has been eating all this time, is now looking at us and shaking his head.
“Ok,” he says. “I only have one question for you. Did you ask her if she’s got more of these?”
He points at the plate of food in front of him.
“She said we can ask for a refill whenever we want,” I answer him.
“Perfect!” Daren says. “Then there’s no need to hold back.”
After the three of us are done feasting, Daren decides to pick up our initial conversation where we left off.
“Alright,” he says. “Barry. I’m going to need you to decide now, and tell us how you’re planning to use that stat booster of yours in the immediate future, so that we can prepare our tactics accordingly. We can’t afford to go into our next fight without a plan.”
After taking some time to consider my options, I give Daren my answer.
“I’m planning to focus primarily on avoiding attacks and drawing opponents’ attention from now on,” I say. “Last time we fought, we almost died because I couldn’t hold my own in a battle, and I don’t want this to happen again.”
“So I’m guessing that means you’ll be maxing your speed and reflexes, then,” Daren says. “And maybe premonition and combat technique for added versatility. Just make sure you don’t put yourself at risk too much. Let me and Kate do the actual fighting. You just distract their attention.”
Daren shifts his gaze towards Kate.
“Now, for the two of us,” he says. “As you said after our last battle, I would rather not fight against weapon enchanters unless I have no choice. That’s why I’m going to ask you to take care of them when the time comes.”
Kate nods at Daren, as he continues to talk.
“As for myself,” Daren says, “I am particularly good against elementalists, summoners and shapeshifters so I’ll focus on them if we meet any.”
He is speaking about mage specializations. Most mages will pick a certain type of magic and dedicate their life to perfecting it, instead of trying to learn as many spells as possible.
Weapon enchanters use their magic to make their gear as strong as possible. Since they mostly rely on their weapons for combat, they will likely also train themselves in at least one martial art.
Elementalists are mages born with incredible talent at manipulating one of the four elements: water, air, fire or earth. However, they are born with the affinity for only one element, and they usually have problems mastering other spells, since they rely solely on their talent for casting their elemental spells, and generally have very little inclination towards learning magic from books.
Summoners are mages who concentrate on summoning other creatures to fight for them. Since that leaves them vulnerable to surprise attacks, they will usually also focus on defensive spells, to keep them safe while their summoned creatures fight for them.
Shapeshifters on the other hand go for a more personal approach, transforming themselves into other creatures instead of summoning them. This solves the vulnerability problem that summoners have, but it also limits their powers, as they are unable to cast other spells while transformed.
“What about you, Kate,” Daren asks. “Do you have any weaknesses against any particular kinds of magic?”
“Yes,” she answers.
“But you don’t plan on sharing them with us,” Daren says.
“I do not,” Kate says.
Daren shrugs.
“Suit yourself,” he says. “Well, I think that’s all we needed to discuss for now. Time for bed. Barry and I will take first watch. Come on, Barry!”
I follow Daren out of the cave, and together we start climbing the mountain, to reach a good vantage point. The moon is high in the sky, and the stars are bright. We won’t have any trouble spotting enemies if they approach.
As we stand guard, Daren starts telling me stories about his travels around the world, and about the adventures he’s had. He tells me of the fifty foot giants that live in the far east of the Northern Continent. He tells me how he’s cured the dreaded Iknar plague of the Eastern Continent by himself, and how he defeated the green wyvern of the north.
Listening to him tell me all these stories made me realize why I defended him instinctively from Cutthroat Dave yesterday. Even though I never really thought about it before, I guess I alw
ays kind of admired him. He’s like all of those heroes from the fairy tales I used to read when I was a kid, and he’s a living example of what I’ve always aspired to become.
“I’ve been in a lot of places over the years, Barry,” Daren says. “But everywhere I go, it’s always the same. The weak are oppressed by the strong, the few are killed by the many. Everywhere I go, there’s people dying from starvation, plague, war, or some monster invasion. I’ve seen death all my life, but I never get used to it. Seeing all of those dead bodies just lying there, lifeless, yesterday… It made me feel an intense pain in my chest. It was as though I could feel the suffering of each of them, and the fear that went through their hearts as they took their last breath. What about you, Barry? What did you feel when you saw all those dead people?”
“I felt sorry for them,” I say. “But I guess I came here prepared for the worst. I knew I’d be seeing a lot of death along my way. So I’ve decided to not let it affect me.”
“Then you are stronger than I am, Barry,” Daren says.
He then pauses for a few seconds to gaze into the distance before he continues.
“You know,” Daren says, “when I heard about this tournament, my first thought was that finally, after a lifetime of good deeds, after a lifetime of trying to make a difference, someone was sending me a sign. I’ve tried all of my life to save the world from its misery, but no matter how hard I tried, my efforts were never enough. But with the help of the Magium… Maybe, just maybe I might have a chance.”
Daren looks at me, and he notices that I’m a little worried.
“Don’t worry, Barry!” he says. “I promise that I’ll help you get out of here. Even if it puts me at a disadvantage in the tournament. I won’t rest until I’ve repaid you for saving my life.”
“I, uh… Thanks.” I say.
I had forgotten about his plan to help me get off the continent. I’ll have to think of an excuse to remain here before reaching one of the cities.
After yet another pause, Daren decides to change the subject.
“So, how’s it going with Kate, then?” he asks me. “Are you making any progress with her?”
Magium: The Mage Tournament: Book 1 Page 3