by D. R. Rosier
“They won’t have the authority to gainsay the highest, but the highest won’t be able to hide anything in the dark either. That should go a long way toward keeping people honest.
“Obviously, it will be generations before we have that many masters again, I may be the last once Jerrold is done in crown city, but it should be within my lifetime. In the meantime, I’ll depend on you, my friends, to keep my sense of proportion. That, and I’ll be the first highest down in the dirt getting things done, we don’t have enough people for me to sit apart on a throne and just give orders. For now, we serve, build up trust with those our leader betrayed, and train up the next generation. To do that, we must find them.”
Diana said, “Perhaps we can get even more of the next generation from Jennesar, if we’re sending some of us to convert the towns and cities to worship of our pantheon.”
He nodded, “If they are willing. Keep in mind though that we’ll be rebuilding our church in both kingdoms at the same time, if we’re truly to convert them we must. We’ll need to train and raise the new generation of light affinities there in Jennesar, or most of them anyway. So, it will be hard at first, and we’ll be spread very thin, but if we persevere we’ll be stronger than ever before. Which is why I want to make sure that strength goes in the right directions. So… let’s talk rules and laws, checks and balances.”
Carlton was encouraged that they all seemed to see the same dangers he did. Probably not a surprise, he had a personal hand in training each of them, not only in power, but in duty and responsibility. It would take a long time, but he had a good team, and they were off to a good start.
I had to take a moment to get my bearing. There was a stiff breeze as we walked out of the building. Most of the soldiers moved in many directions to get people off the streets just in case, and to prevent anyone from blundering into the temple district, which was about to be a war zone. The sun was still low on the horizon, and made looking in that direction difficult. I was overwhelmed for a short time with the scents and sensations of the real world in a large city.
I had thought Tenemin was large, but crown city dwarfed it. My other senses were also stretched to their limits, as I felt everyone and everything within my sub-dungeon aura. So many people, objects, pets, buildings and even detritus. If not for my greater will, I would have been overwhelmed.
Lila looked excited, and I returned her smile as we started out for the temple district boundary that was just two blocks away. We heard cries of alarm as we started to take out any paladin or cleric in sight. There was no point in asking for surrender, because they wouldn’t give it. Insurrection and treason only had one penalty, which meant they would fight to the death. Winning was their only chance for survival, surrender wasn’t an option.
Lila informed me, “Going to hunt masters.”
I nodded in approval, and she disappeared in a burst of speed, though I could still sense her just fine. As for me, I stayed away from spells of fire, all it would take was a stumbling burning corpse against the side of a building to cause horrific collateral damage. I stuck to, perhaps ironically, light bolts cast at a level higher than a master was capable of. No mess, no collateral damage, just dead enemies.
I wasn’t the only one, there were several master mages with us who took them out with tightly contained magic, but some damage was inevitable from the air, earth, and water masters. We’d left the fire masters back in Tenemin, no one wanted to see the city burn down on accident.
The temple district held eight temples, each one dedicated to one of the four goddesses and the four gods of Nysten’s pantheon. There were also barracks, nicer homes, and church government buildings to clear. We were swift, brutal, and quickly overcame any futile efforts of organized resistance. As Carlton had supposed, most of the high ranking and most powerful must be in the castle with Verin.
In truth, it was a slaughter. They outnumbered us, but very few were masters, where we had over a dozen of them including myself and Lila.
It still took time to sweep the place, it was a large area with lots of buildings and rooms. Then there were the patrols that rushed in from the city, those were taken down too. Afterwards, we swept the city, and the city walls of any paladins on guard duty. Of the original city guard, we found none, and could only assume they were killed yesterday during the battle at the southern border.
We’d lost several soldiers, and an adept water mage, but other than that we’d brought the overwhelming power. Truthfully, Lila was mostly responsible for our low losses, as she tracked down and killed the few masters of light affinity left in the city. She was deadly, beautiful and mine. She could also be a bit bloodthirsty, but only against our enemies. She may not have been a demon anymore, but she was still a higher being of power who fought for me zealously and gladly.
Once that was done, I opened another portal and several thousand soldiers came through to secure the walls, restore order in the city, and patrol. I figured Jerrold would retire a few hundred of them from the army for the new guard when this was over. No doubt they would be in need of training for the differences in jobs, but it wasn’t my responsibility or even my business, so I wasn’t all that worried about it.
I hoped when we took the castle we’d have similar results, but I doubted it. The last section of the city we’d liberated from the church’s betrayal, was the mage school. Then we stopped to take stock of things, and make plans. The castle was large, and had its own walls, gates, portcullis, and kill boxes. It wouldn’t be possible to just stroll in, and it was the one place in the city Ebony hadn’t been in yet so I couldn’t just open a portal inside.
Well I could, but not without giving away what I was. After all, I could reshape and see anything I wanted within a hundred yards, more than that after yesterday’s growth. My reach seemed somehow to be a percentage of the dungeons reach, which had gone up a whole bunch after that battle. So, at the very least I could easily bypass the walls. Too many of the masters would call bullshit though, they knew the limits of magic, and I wasn’t about to expose myself. I was helping enough as it was, so that they’d help me with my goals in Jennesar.
Jerrold said, “Excellent work everyone. One nut left, and it’s the hardest to crack. The walls, gates, and kill box are highly enchanted against earth magic, so we can’t get in easily by modifying them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Verin hasn’t added more anti-magic enchantments using light magic as well. I believe our best chance is to go around to the north wall, take out the paladin guards on the wall there, and then go over the wall. That still won’t be easy, the northern towers have siege engines, and they can of course, cast magic down at us.”
Lila said, “I can take care of the towers, at least so they have trouble aiming. A simple but strong darkness spell, and they’d be blind. I could probably even give it a bite, but the enchantments are strong there too, I assume?”
Jerrold nodded, “Once we go over, we’ll split our focus. Warriors will rush forward and take out the paladins in the siege towers and on the walls, and the mages will defend them and keep their attention on the castle itself from attack in that direction. Maybe Verin will try to flee, so watch for that as well. Let’s move.”
I suppressed a smile, I taught him pretty well didn’t I? Of course, I couldn’t exactly take credit for the dungeons work, could I? At least, not publically.
We moved quickly through the streets while circling the castle’s walls, which was dead center in the city. Lila effortlessly fired off several darkness spells which surrounded the towers with dark shadows so thick it was impossible to see through. Since she cast it around the towers, and not on them, their protections didn’t affect the spell. It made me regret for a moment that I couldn’t use dark magic in my avatar form, but I still believed I made the right decision in choosing the magical affinities of light, fire, and earth elemental spheres.
When we got around to the other side, ice, air, earth, and light bolts were fired into the paladins on the walls, killing them instantly.
Apparently Verin thought masters were too good to be on guard duty. One of the earth mages cast a spell which created a steep ramp up to the walls, and we all charged up it. There was a three foot gap we had to jump, or the enchantments on the walls would have destroyed our ramp. Several large siege bolts were fired blindly, but never got close to us. There were no light magic attempts to break out of the darkness, perhaps there were no clerics up there, only paladins. Which was a stupid oversight on Verin’s part.
I kept watch as asked, both on the castle’s rear garden entrance, and on the windows on the upper floors, as Lila gleefully led the other warriors along the wall and up into the towers.
“Jerrold, I’ve seen several people peek, but not one of them has cast a spell. Maybe they’re setting up some kind of last stand, or looking for an escape route?”
It hadn’t ever occurred to me that the traitorous masters of the church of light might be cowards. Their best chance was to attack now, when our efforts were split and we were distracted by the paladins on the walls and in the siege towers. Based on the progress, I thought it would probably take a half an hour to cover the whole wall and clear it of enemy forces.
Jerrold grunted, “Probably, but stay alert.”
It was easy to mark the warriors’ progress, every few minutes the dark spell would fall from a tower, and we’d see the soldiers we’d brought manning the siege engines, and holding bows. The castle was very large, but not bigger than a hundred yards across, and I could feel that twenty paladin and cleric masters were grouped in the throne room. I even heard their panicked arguing and whining if I concentrated on it enough. I started to wonder if Verin would even be alive when we got there, or if his own people would tear him apart for getting them into this mess.
I kept looking toward the windows, though I knew no one was there anymore. Appearances and all that stuff. Little did they know I could feel the flies and ants in the kitchen larder, nothing would escape my attention.
The last tower fell, and I couldn’t feel any light affinities in the courtyard, or anywhere outside the castle, except mine and Lila’s of course. Once we were all together again, minus the normal soldiers on the walls, Jerrold advanced the plan.
“Alright, let’s split up, surround, and converge on the throne room.”
It took a minute for him to make assignments, Lila and I would be going in with him and Suzy, and another two warriors and two mages. The rest would take the royal entrance, and the kitchen entrance, and converge on the throne room from three directions. It should be enough to cut off anyone that breaks and runs. Of course, if they all break and run they may overpower the split off group.
That’s what they should do of course, but hopefully they’d remain frozen in cowardice and fear.
We moved quickly around the castle to the front entrance. We had the longest walk from the back, so Lila immediately gave the signal to the other two groups. She shot a fireball high in the sky that exploded harmlessly. Then we rushed the door.
The entryway was huge, and two stories high. It was meant to impress, and we moved down the wide marble floored hallway which was well appointed with artwork and other extravagances, which led straight to the throne room. I felt the rest of the castle, it was nice, but not this nice. The entry hallway and the rest of the public part of the castle was all meant as a show to those who came to see the king in the throne room.
Humanity was so strange.
Lila and I subtly stood in front of Jerrold, he was a good warrior, but not an adept yet. I went through a lot of trouble to make him an ally, and the last thing I needed was for him to die from a random master level light bolt. It was a good decision, as both the protections on my robes and Lila’s armor, deflected a great number of attacks as we returned the favor. They’d obviously decided to target Jerrold in an all out effort to kill the king’s family. Which was stupid, because until Jerrold had a kid the royal family and heir to the kingdom was Duchess Catalina. It wouldn’t have saved them.
Maybe, they were just that spiteful and evil. To be fair, they may have been ignorant of the truth, and hoping that Catalina was dead.
Earth, water in the form of ice, light, air, and even dark magic from Lila shot at the group of masters from three different directions. Only a couple of the clerics died straight out, and Lila stepped forward with the two other warrior masters in our group to meet the charge of the master paladins.
The fighting was fierce, and short, as Lila didn’t hold back at all and then went to assist the other warriors against their paladins. The mages and I were in a spell fight, the master clerics were not weak, but they weren’t me either. Each of my light spells ended a life, and they were quickly overwhelmed as we started to outweigh their numbers.
When we were finished, we’d only lost three of the warriors, and two mages. Verin and all the conspirators were dead, the church of light was gutted, cleaned out, and reduced to the faithful, but so was the throne room. It was a damned mess, and I resisted the urge to fix it, like I would a dungeon room...
Chapter Three
“You know you totally cock blocked yourself, right?” Ebony teased.
It was true, things had just been getting interesting in our shared fantasy when my avatar had needed a destination in the city. Of course, it was all me, so I was quite aware of what I’d been doing, as him and me, all at the same time. Separate body, extension of the same will and constantly connected. At the same time, my avatar was less capable and able to operate on its own if we got separated for any reason. If that makes sense?
Then to top things off, Ember had arrived with her team of three level five masters including herself, if indeed they weren’t stronger than even that. I had my suspicions, but they were as always, far too protected in enchanted protections for me to get a perfect picture of their life force size. I’m sad to say that not even the two forest levels and dark elves were a challenge for them, but my targeted ratings that I’d shot for on the new levels were correct. I’d also heard Ember complaining that they should just live here, because no doubt they’d be back soon. That was true too, it would only be a week or two before I could expand again, and tie up the rating scale with some floors that went up to master level five.
I had a feeling though, that wouldn’t stop them either, or even do more than slightly slow them down. As usual, their visit to my dungeon was just plain embarrassing, for me I mean.
In the meantime, I’d rebuilt the dark elves’ bodies so they could exceed the normal mortal limits of power as we’d agreed, but they were still mortal and wouldn’t be close to my avatar’s or even Lila’s strength and ability. No added affinities, just the ability for their bodies to hold more life force and channel more dark magic than a normal mortal body could safely contain. They’d also probably live quite a bit longer.
Of course, they were still where they used to be at, both in skills and power wise, they wouldn’t reap the benefits of what I’d done until they earned the power through study and practice, which was probably years from now. All I’d done was make it possible, they had to do the work.
“I suppose I did sexy,” I grudgingly admitted, “Did you want to try again?”
She shook her head, “Nope, I finished without you, when you were so focused on the guild team, and rebuilding the elves, after I delivered the enchantment.”
Her face was twitching mischievously, as she struggled to hold a straight face. Adorable and sexy just didn’t quite cover the reality of my little imp lover. I also loved the fact she felt brave and secure enough to actually tease me at all, this was a new side of her.
Still, someone obviously needed a spanking, and it wasn’t me. She squealed as I cast the spell…
April said, “We’ve talked about this, I know it’s dangerous but the people that figure it out get wickedly cool equipment, usually tailored to them somehow.”
My focus shifted to April’s, Selene’s, and Timothy’s party.
Ebony was passed out in her home, getting some sleep
after we spent some intimate time together, and before she’d return to the mage library tonight. It was wonderful as always, but I really wanted to sleep with her in the real world where things were more intense. Not only pleasurably, but also where the little pinches and uncomfortable sensations out in the real world came in. In dreams, only pleasure existed, which was less pleasurable somehow.
Problem was, my avatar would be going to Jennesar soon, and I didn’t want to insult Lila by telling her to go away for a night. So… it might not happen for a while.
They were on the fifth floor, April’s party I mean, and approaching the mage death puzzle room.
Selene said, “I know, but I don’t like it.”
Timothy gave her a look, “Of course you don’t, because if she does it so am I, the warrior puzzle I mean, on eight.”
Selene glared at him, and then ignored him totally as she took April’s arm and walked forward.
She whispered, “He’s right, but wrong too. I’m terrified my best friend won’t come back out too.”
April nodded, “It is an all or nothing thing, but as far as we know it won’t ask for the impossible. Everyone that came out said it was a stretch of their knowledge, with some kind of trick about it, but well within the abilities of their power rating to identify and map out the spell form puzzle.”
Selene sighed, and the two of them watched their friend go into the puzzle room.
When April reached the halfway point of the room, she jumped and grabbed her heart when the door slammed down, and the walls turned white. She laughed at herself, obviously nervous as she moved toward the far wall, where a spell form was written on the wall, with five blank spots. There were also five small metal plates with spell form carvings in them, and a matching number of pedestals in a row, with levers on them when she was ready to commit to the order she’d placed them in.