“Fae Ailsa, thank you for helping my father,” Ma’vone said bowing towards Ailsa who was happily swinging her feet together on my shoulder.
“Yes, thank you for helping my uncle. He was badly hurt, and now it looks like he will make it.”
“How was he injured?” I asked.
“Bone sword, straight through the plate armor he was wearing. Still have no idea how it overcame the magic in that armor though, must have just been an unlucky blow.” Ailsa said and she began humming softly and happily to herself. “That's where I was when you woke up.”
“Yes, we are both glad to see you are alive and well,” Ma’vone said, again bowing towards me. Which meant he just bowed in the same direction twice in a row. We all stood there awkwardly for a moment.
“How are those children we rescued doing?”
“They are doing alright, your concern for them wizard speaks highly of you. The knights Sir Trestin and Sir Garin are still looking after them. It seems there will be at least a few happy endings for families in the region.” Tegan pointed towards the far end of camp. “They are over on the far side of camp should you wish to visit them.”
I did, I really did. We said our goodbyes and went in search of the children and the knights who looked after them. They were all packing up around a small, hastily constructed handcart with two barrel braces for wheels. Sir Trestin and Garin were happy to see us, and we all exchanged embraces.
When I asked about the young boy and the girl I suspected was his older sister, Garin beamed even more. “They are doing great! Angelia has been a huge help in getting the other children organized and in looking after them. She’s the oldest one among the bunch.”
“She can do a bit of magic too!” Sir Trestin chimed in happily. “A little bit of dark and light magic, but nothing as powerful as a wizard, like yourself. With proper training she might be though, one day.”
I immediately grew suspicious as to the reason the necromancer had started writing the book in my satchel. When I had asked about my bag, Ailsa had made it appear with a wave of her hand, she had somehow saved it while I was on fire.
“Ailsa? How common is it for a necromancer to take on an apprentice?” I asked quietly once we had begun moving among the children and away from the two knights.
“Um, I honestly don’t know. Why?”
“Remember that Magic Book that you identified for us?”
“Yeah?”
“It was an unfinished Magic Book of Dark Magic.”
“Oh. And you suspect she was preparing this young girl, Angelia, to be her new apprentice?”
“Or slave, or body host, or anything really. I have no idea how dark magic works and what it can do. But you understand what I’m saying right?”
“She can’t be trusted fully?” I nodded. “Agreed, but let's not jump to conclusions. I’ll analyze her first thing when we meet her. See if she has any affiliations listed.”
“Isn’t that an invasion of privacy? Particularly on a young girl? Like, the hanging type of invasion of privacy?” Ailsa nodded.
“But it's needed. No one, once we explained it to them, would bat an eye. Besides, I’m a fae, we do strange things all the time.” She giggled, stood to her full eight-inch height, and took off flying in circles above as I walked.
We found the girl, Angelia, helping a young boy into a pair of shoes that were obviously a little too big for his feet. She couldn’t be older than eleven or twelve. Thirteen would be pushing it. She had black hair with bright streaks of blond, something I hadn’t seen before. Her skin was a light sandy color, and she barely came up to my chest when she stood full height to greet us.
When I shook the girl's hand, Ailsa hit her with analyze. The girl went rigid, every muscle in her body tensed and the veins in her neck and forehead began to bulge as she fought the Analyze. “Don’t fight it. It's okay, it's a medical thing. We’re not sure if you’ve been cursed by the necromancer. A few others have, so we're just checking everyone we think might have been, out again.”
“Deceive check, verbal passed. Moderate success. The subject believes you, but still feels the natural emotions of the drastic actions you have taken against her. Subjects current attitude of you: Aggressive .”
The girl relaxed slightly as she stopped fighting. After a second or two she was able to take shallow breaths. The redness in her face lapsed, and her brothers growing worry for his sister subsided slightly. The analyze took another fifteen seconds before Ailsa released her.
“She’s clean. Affiliations are to her clan, family, and brother.” I sighed in relief and the girl hurled herself at me, biting, scratching, and kicking me. Ailsa cackled as she floated above me in the air. I was able to eventually grab the girls arms, and hold her steady.
“Relax, please! Ouch, that bite hurt! Right on the nipple too! Who taught you that? That's just dirty!” I complained as I took both of her wrists and held them together with one hand, while I rubbed at my left nipple where she had bitten me with the other. Ailsa laughed even harder as my face went beat red.
“What's going on here!” Garin demanded as he came up behind us. I turned letting go of the girl's wrists, which was a big mistake.
“Ouch! Really with the biting again?!” I yelled as I tried desperately to pull her off my back. Her teeth had dug deep into my back right shoulder and would certainly leave a scar. Strong hands pulled the woman off me, and someone else knocked me to the ground, yanked my staff from my hands, and threw it to the side and pinned my arms behind my back.
“I said, what is going on here?!” Garin demanded. The man was royally pissed off. “Why does one of my charges attack the wizard who saved her?!” My face was firmly planted in the ground and I was unable to see anything.
“He had his little fairy lady analyze me! It hurt so bad!” She yelled and began to cry. My head was pushed even harder into the dirt.
“You better have a good explanation for this wizard! Or so help me, it's the headsman's ax! I don’t care what you’ve done!”
---
Ten minutes later, after Ailsa and I both gave lengthy explanations as to what was going on and why we had to do what we did, along with lengthy and full-blown apologize from both me and Ailsa to the girl, and Angelia to us, we were free again.
Sir Trestin and Garin were still angry, but not about our actions. They were upset we had not brought our concerns about their charges to them first.
“I fully admit,” I said as I rubbed feeling back into my wrists and shoulders. “It was a mistake. I apologize. However, in our defense, we needed to know quickly, and leave her no opportunity to cover her tracks or escape if she did have any proper training.”
“Sir Garin is a fully trained Crosarian knight,” Tristen said as if that explained anything. When I gave him a blank stare for a good thirty seconds the man's composure broke and he gave me a sheepish look.
“Oh, right. I forget you’re not from anywhere close to here. Crosarian knights are anti-magic users. They are essentially immune from most magic. It means they will never be able to wield the forces of ethria like you do Rayid, but it means they are also protected from all but the worst and most direct of spells.”
We could have really used him fighting that nightmare instead of on babysitter duty, I thought annoyed. “Alright, well I didn’t know that. Though it makes more sense why you were able to stop me from casting my spells so effectively.” I bowed slightly at the man who nodded back to me. “Well, it is noted for the future.”
I looked over at Tol’geth who was grinning from ear to ear. “And where pray tell, were you this entire time?” I asked accusation dripping from my words. Tol’geth just shook his head and visibly tried not to laugh.
“You knew this was going to happen, and just watched didn’t you?!” He nodded and couldn’t hold it back anymore.
In between laughing fits I made out the words “Every mage needs humbling from time to time.” Ailsa began laughing along with the giant oaf, then the knights, and
the children. Finally, a smile crossed my face.
After saying our goodbyes, and setting things right with Angelia by allowing Ailsa to cast a spell to perfectly size the shoes of all of the children in the group, we all went looking after our own gear.
---
The next few days, where a bit of a blur of activity as we marched all the way back to Laketown. On the first day of the march, I addressed my prompts and experience that I gained from the battle as I rode one of the now fallen knights horses. There where so many that my screens abbreviated everything down so it was by far more understandable.
“You have slain,
291 lvl 2 New and Weak Skeletons. 291*12 exp= 3492 exp gained.
39 lvl 3 New and Weak Skeletons. 39*17 exp = 663 exp gained.
35 lvl 4 New and Weak Skeletons. 35*24 exp = 840 exp gained.
21 lvl 5 New and Weak Skeletons. 21*29 exp = 609 exp gained.
01 lvl 1 Giant, New, and Weak Skeleton. 52*1 = 52 exp gained.
07 lvl 3-5 Black Undead. 7*51 exp = 357 exp gained.
15 lvl 3 Goblin Workers. 15*5 exp = 75 exp gained.
1 lvl 13 Professed Goblin Shaman. 1*157 +( 140 exp bonus for slaying a Professional Enemy) = 397 exp gained.
2 lvl 1 Dark Abominations. 2*1,237exp = 2,474 exp gained.
7 lvl 5 Black Goblin Undead. 7*42exp =297 exp gained
Total Experience Gain: 9,573
I whistled softly. “ You know Ailsa, we killed a lot of things in that fight back there,” Ailsa grunted and nestled deeper into my satchel. She was completely spent after having cast so many spells in such a short period of time.
“You have leveled up! Current level, 10. As you are now level 10 you gain access to a Profession! You may choose a Class and a Profession. You can select your Class under the Class tab, and a Profession under the Profession tab of your Characteristics Sheet. You must select a Class before you will be can grow to level 11. However, the longer you wait to enter your Profession the better rewards await. Your profession grants bonuses and strengths that will enhance your abilities greatly. Choosing when to take your Profession will be one of the greatest decisions of your life. Choose wisely! As you are level 10 and are currently Classless, you gain 1 randomly selected characteristic point (randomly selected characteristic: LUCK), and 1 free characteristic point to spend as you please. Additionally, you gain 2 characteristic points put into the characteristic that is most useful for your Class and/or Profession. As you have not yet selected a Class and a Profession, you may now choose how to use them without penalty. This grace period ends at level 15, where they will begin to be randomly selected for you. Experience points needed to next level, 10,240. Current Experience, 5,946.”
I was halfway to level 11 already! Also, I had access to my profession, whatever that was. I will have to ask Ailsa about that and ask her thoughts on the situation before I decide what to do. Screw not giving advice, I need it now more than ever.
But that wasn’t all. I also gained another level in my Healing skill, bringing me up to level 3, and another point in Fire Magic, bringing me up to level 13. My help in creating Ra’thin’ax must have tipped the scale on that one, I thought as I read over the prompts.
I gained two skill levels in Shields: Light, and Armor: Light, as well as one level in my swords skill. Then I received one that I found frustrating as it was understandable.
“Attention: As your current magic skill level in Light Magic is a mid-level journeyman rank, and you only know two light spells, you must learn more Light Magic spells in order to further increase your Light Magic level. An inability to do so will stagnate this skill at its current level.”
That is kind of understandable , I thought with a mental shrug. Y ou shouldn’t be able to progress by just spamming one spell over and over again, even if you think of new ways to apply that spell. I opened my characteristics sheet, I had three free points to spend however I pleased!
I immediately put one of them into Dexterity and another into Constitution. I had neglected my physical characteristics for far too long. That brought up my defensive scores and bumped up my HP to 130 from where it had been at 112.
The level up and the increase in my Constitution helped, but I still felt far too vulnerable, which is why I chose to increase my Dexterity. If I can’t take a hit, might as well try to dodge more of them.
There where other things that I needed to get to with regards to character matinence, such as equipment, and understanding, practicing and learning more spells. But those things could wait for another time. I was both physically, spiritually, and mentally exhausted. I used the remaining time on the trip to relax, reflect on what had happened, get myself right with the old guy upstairs, and get to know my friends better.
That four-day trek back to Laketown saw us really bond. We finally showed Tol’geth “movies” on Ailsa’s screens, and told him it was all entertainment magic that my people created, which wasn’t far from the truth. I explained them like plays and showed them the original Star Wars trilogy. Tol’geth was amazed by all of it, and by the third day he wouldn’t stop talking about what would happen next in the saga. He had more fan theories then kids in the 70s and 80s.
Though every time the love story between Luke, Leia, and Han came up, the big guy got quiet and melancholy for a while. I was sure he was missing Pina something fierce.
Eventually, we got to town, and were received as only returning heroes from the war could be. The party the townspeople held in our honor lasted nearly three days! Sadly, we were only able to stay for one. Friends come before parties every time, I told myself as we prepared to leave the morning of the second day.
A group of Pervolin refugees from Winters Rest showed up just as we were preparing to leave, hoping to trade. They had not realized that the town had just survived an attack, and then a war against the undead. They knew the goblins had been causing some trouble but didn’t know the full story.
I met with them briefly in passing. They all seemed like perfectly normal folk. Hard-working, and rugged, perfectly suited to life in the outdoors tilling good land, and working hard to pay for their keep. I was sure they would be successful no matter what happened to them out here on the frontier.
Most of them were farmers, but one of their numbers was a Priest of Kiertoss named Father Ruderal. I hadn’t even known that Kiertoss has started recruiting a priesthood, but I suppose a goddess has gotta start somewhere.
We didn’t have long to talk before I and my companions had to leave, but he told me that a few caravans had made it to the settlement. He told me that there were plenty of places for the caravan travelers to rest their heads, for now. And that new longhouses and blocks were springing from the ground almost like “weeds at high summer.” Whatever that meant.
He also told me that the people there were trying to figure out a name for the place, and I gave him the one that Ailsa had suggested, “Winters Rest.” The priest, a good man by all accounts, if a bit grey-haired and long in the tooth, promised he would take it under advisement. I don’t think he realized exactly who I was until Ailsa appeared, but at that point I was nearly dragged away by Tol’geth, who was eager to get on with what we had to do.
As we were leaving we were stopped by Sir Tegin Traser, who rode up to us on his uncles massive, pure-white steed. “Hail!” he called as we were making our way to the docks to take a skiff over to Winters Rest. According to Ailsa Winters Quarters was far too “emotionally charged” for me. I didn’t see it but Tol’geth seemed to agree.
We were going to meet up with Lisander, and Salina there, before Salina did us a major favor we had practically begged her for via the magical communication stones that the Elves had left with Laketown. She agreed to send us right to the very doorstep of the Twins. From there, we would make our way south to Harvesters Bounty, and find wherever this sorcerer was, kill him, and save Tol’geths lady love. Or colleague he had a crush on. I still wasn’t very sure about what their relationship was exactly.
“Hail!” I said in response, as our group slowed our pace so the dismounting knight could catch up to us. “Come to see us off?” I asked, smiling at a group of militiamen singing very poorly, clearly drunk, on the other side of the street. A smaller group of Pervolin farmers looked on longingly at the drinking from our side of the street.
“Well actually, I was hoping I might join you. I and Laketown owe you and your friends a deep debt. One we have only just begun to repay. My uncle has given me leave to accompany you south, to resolve what he called a diplomatic issue? I’m lost on the details, but what I understood was that there is a woman you seek to rescue from the clutches of a vile sorcerer. Is this true?” I looked at Tol’geth.
“She is a shaman of my people, an earth speaker, wood talker, wolf whisperer. Your people might call her a druid. She was, my companion, and she was lost as we protected our charge the Varidian Ambassador to Tor.” Tol’geths voice was somber, despite the jovial atmosphere around us.
His cursed arm was in a sling, wrapped in healing bandages with magical runes on them. Ailsa’s purple spell still encased the arm, but the holy magic of the priest worked to help Ailsa’s spell, not hinder it. Or so I had been told.
“Oh! That's even better! A beautiful warrior maiden, trapped by an evil sorcerer, who sacrificed her own freedom to keep her charge and friends protected. There is no woman more worthy of rescue, be her maiden, dame, or crone.” Tol’geth grunted in agreement and annoyance.
“So, can I come?” The over-eager commander of the what was now known as the three-day war asked. Practically pleading for the opportunity to save a helpless damsel in distress. I rolled my eyes.
“I see no problem with it, do either of you?”
“Another blade, even if a talkative one, is always welcome,” Tol’geth said.
“I like his armor, it's shiny.” Ailsa played giggling as she twirled, looped, and revealed in the light and jubilant atmosphere around us.
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