The Trapped Mind Project (Emerilia Book 1)

by Michael Chatfield

Dave felt the energies of the gems. The black were not filled with the souls of humanoids. Instead, they were filled with the power of the inanimate.

  He had always been told that soul gems held—well, souls. Here he could see that they were not just for capturing the power of a creature. They were like batteries: if the power came from hydro, solar panels, or a nuclear facility, it didn’t matter as long as it was electricity.

  It was harder to get power from anything other than living creatures. The more Dave looked at the magical circuits, the easier it was to see how it was spread out like a spider’s web, absorbing energies for kilometers around and channeling it into the prison.

  “Dave, we don’t have time to dawdle.” Wender was irritated.

  “The magic and power—all these magical circuits.” Dave shook his head, letting out a breath. “It’s like we’re standing in the middle of a nuclear bomb and it’s forgotten to go off.”

  Wender didn’t look happy by this as Dave continued to follow.

  His notifications were blinking again.

  Active Skill: Magical Circuits

  Level: Apprentice level 7

  Effect: 37% chance of creating better Magical circuits and understanding them.

  Cost: Dependent

  Looks like that engineering degree is paying off after all.

  They met Jules, Esa, and Mikal at the door. The Dwarves moved past them and faced the door.

  Dave closed his eyes.

  “What are we looking at here?” Wender asked.

  “There was a magical shield between the door and the cultists. It seems that was keeping them back. Without the door there for a while, the cultists were able to disrupt some of the magical circuits. They fed soul gem energy right into themselves,” Dave said, shocked. There was a ton of energy in soul gems. The cultists had linked together and shared the power. “Some of them used their power to attack the magical circuits. It wasn’t much damage but they knew where to hit. The magical circuits will start to fail in three months by my guess.”

  Wender made a noise. “Quis, go tell Astaur and Lox what Dave just said.”

  “The hell are those things?” Jules asked.

  “Dunno what they are now, but in a past life, apparently, this place used to be some kind of worshiping center for a necro-demi-god. This whole place is filled with a massive amount of energy, nearly as much as the Altars,” Dave said.

  Mikal physically shuddered. He’d become close with the NPCs, unlike Esa and Jules. He seemed to hold some legitimate fear. The other two looked as if they were planning for a new raid. What they said next confirmed it.

  “We got some readings off them. They’re level 130. Pretty damn high, but if we had a big enough party, then we might be able to take them out.” Jules looked to Esa and Mikal and then back to Dave.

  “You want to send out word to the other Players, tell them that there’s a raid here and go up against these guys?” Dave asked.

  “Yeah. These guys are going to be Evolvers instead of the preset mobs, though people will be interested in getting in on this. I know a few people who would be happy to go on a new raid and be the first to take it,” Jules said.

  “Do it,” Wender said.

  Dave looked at him in question.

  “The door has been opened. We don’t really know what is behind it. Though level 130 plus? You said it before—travelers can die and come back. We can’t. I’d prefer to use your people with your stronger abilities instead of my own people. There’s only one person I know who is even above level 80. The other is 103 but he’s three hundred years old.” Wender shook his head. “If my people die, then their bodies can be used against us. With travelers, your bodies disintegrate as you revive. The necros might get a few minutes or hours out of you.”

  “I’ll send out the request and any information we have,” Jules said.

  Dave nodded. He continued to study the magical circuits, looking at the damage. He did what he could to cut off the power to the cultists and divert it back into the massive prison. Not even his Touch could get past the wall of magics that entombed the cultists.

  Chapter 21: Making Circuits

  It had been three days since the discovery of Boran-al’s citadel.

  Dave put down his hammer on the steel. He was repairing a cuirass that had been damaged in the fight with the troll.

  Word had gone out and the forums were teeming with people who wanted to get in on the “Boran-al raid.” Some of the solo Players or elite groups doubted the information until Mikal put up his information on the cultists they’d seen.

  Dave still felt a chill down his spine at seeing those screenshots.

  Necro-lord

  Cultist of Boran-al

  Level 137

  People were talking about how such a high-level Evolving-based group was in a single raid. There weren’t any groups half as powerful, even in the deep reaches of the Alturaran lands.

  Evolving skillset Players were signing up and heading en masse.

  There wasn’t a limit on how big a raid could be but Jules had a friend in one of the higher-up guilds. The guildmaster had happily accepted the honor of running the raid. Five guilds, and various solo and small groups, were all making their way across Emerilia, using any means possible.

  Dave felt the pressures of his life. Ever since Bob had opened his eyes, he had accepted Emerilia as his home. He had no thoughts of returning to his simulated life. The only person he missed was Suzy, but then he wasn’t sure whether she was just part of the simulation or not.

  He let out his thoughts, fears and doubts, tapping the heated steel cuirass’s side and bending it flat. He inspected his work and moved to the forge, taking a strip of steel that he’d heated up. He brought it to the cuirass, hammering the steel piece into the armor, spreading it out and sealing the tear.

  He felt the dent and bumps, taking time to hammer those out as well.

  I just wish that whoever wore this wouldn’t get hurt so bad. Dave thought of the magical circuits that had been throughout the ground around the citadel. How they used the world’s Mana in order to power the prison. How it used soul gems as power sources. He pulled out a common soul gem he’d taken from the ruined cabin in the woods so long ago.

  He studied it, thinking and wondering.

  Dave placed the soul gem on the armor, closing his eyes, and he put his hand on the armor.

  ***

  Kol felt something that he hadn’t felt in a while. He didn’t need to turn to see Dave.

  Other smithies were looking as the halfling leaned on the armor at his anvil, a soul gem under his one hand.

  Kol let them keep watching instead of berating them for their stares.

  Come on, laddie. Kol moved toward Dave. The man’s eyes were closed, completely at peace as a shimmer started to move away from the soul gem.

  Kol touched the anvil, feeling the magical circuits. He felt Dave’s consciousness move through the different patterns, unsure but curious. Kol inserted his own power, guiding Dave’s attempts.

  Dave relaxed and allowed himself to be given hints.

  Kol moved back from the anvil a few minutes later.

  Dave said something in a language long dead, his voice soft but powerful. The soul gem flashed brightly; runes that made the magical circuits were filled with rainbow light. Dave opened his eyes, looking thoroughly drained and pleased.

  “Might be hope yet for you, lad,” Kol grumbled, proud of the young man but too much of a dwarf to admit it.

  “It’s just like doing circuitry. The power source is the soul gem. The runes are the power lines and the enchantment is the lightbulb. All of it together creates one single circuit.” Dave blinked.

  Kol didn’t know what a lightbulb was, but he guessed it was similar to the magical orbs powered by magical circuits. Kol didn’t care as the corner of his disformed face twitched. He could feel the power radiating off Dave. It was as if he could see the young man making connections by the second. He’d cracked the bar
rier between him and his knowledge, and now it flooded through like an open dam.

  Kol left Dave looking over the steel armor. Runes, lit with the power of the soul gem Dave had used, were traced down the sides of the armor.

  “Remember—you’ve got four sets of chainmail to fix!” Kol grumbled, grabbing the greaves he’d been working on with his pliers. He put it under the magical flame torch and heated up a steel leg panel, a grin on his face the entire time.

  They were both bone-weary but the energy of discovery and pride kept them working well into the night. Dave had a hard time trying to hide his grin.

  The other Dwarves gave him a pat, congratulating him on his hard work. Dave talked to them about it. They might never be able to enchant anything but they were Dwarves; learning anything about their beloved metal would always get their attention.

  Chapter 22: Check Up

  “Hiya, Dave,” Bob said as Dave walked around to his porch.

  Dave jumped about four feet into the air as he realized who the hell was talking.

  Bob was clearly enjoying Dave’s reaction as he smoked on a long pipe.

  “Dammit, Bob! ’Bout near crapped my pants!” Dave’s tiredness from working in the smithy only served to fuel his irritation at the annoying little gnome.

  Forty Dwarven warbands were now camped at the outpost. More woods had been cleared inside the walls. The smithy was in constant use as people worked on gear and prepared for whatever happened at Boran-al’s citadel.

  Another force of ten warbands had moved to the citadel just a week ago. Wender and his group had pulled back to the outpost and were getting the rest of the Dwarves up to date.

  Dave gave the link to Esa, Jules, and Mikal to pass on all the information he could. The threesome was not held in the highest regard. They had put a lot of people into danger with opening that door.

  The nearest Players were just getting to Omal. There were already new Players coming to the outpost to see what was going on. The forums were filled with pictures and exciting tidbits.

  Lox had been talking to them, putting down edicts about the outpost. The people in the outpost were making the most of the Players being there.

  Wagons had been making their way from Mithsia and Kufo’tel to the outpost. The roads weren’t complete but the trees had been cut down at least. Warehouses were filling up. The Players had ready cash; the Dwarven and Elven gear interested them and they were buying all they could.

  “I see things in Cliff-Hill have heated up,” Bob said, using the name that had been picked for the outpost.

  “Well, having the biggest raid yet with smart creatures is sure to bring a crowd.” Dave sat on his seat.

  He hadn’t smoked in five years but right now he was keening for a cigarette. He smelled the herbal mixture of Bob’s pipe.

  “Well, times are a changing.” Bob grinned.

  “What you smoking there?” The mix of berries was tantalizing.

  Bob handed over the pipe. “Knew that you couldn’t stay cold turkey forever.”

  Dave grunted and took a puff off the pipe. It wasn’t harsh, nice and mellow and relaxing. He felt some of his nerves falling away as tensions eased away from his shoulders.

  Bob snickered.

  “Shut up, Bob.” Dave closed his eyes in bliss and sat back in his chair.

  “You know, you could just conjure one up,” Bob said.

  Dave opened an eye and looked at the man.

  “Seems I’m not the only one who likes a smoke.”

  Dave handed the pipe back and conjured one in the other hand.

  Bob hid his amusement as he puffed.

  Seems you did take my advice serious about training.

  “It was never the nicotine for me—it was always about the actions,” Dave said. “You know, pulling out a fresh cigarette, putting it to your lips and lighting it. I hated the taste and the smell, but damn if I didn’t like the actions.”

  Bob nodded, leaning against one of the porch roof’s support beams.

  “So, what do you want, Bob? Other than to break my smoking sabbatical?”

  Bob looked at Dave. “Nothing. I was just bored. You know, being an admin isn’t always running around putting out fires. I do have a bunch of AIs for that.” Bob gave a wry smile.

  Dave rolled his eyes and snorted, smoking on his pipe. “So why are you helping me? Aren’t you supposed to be neutral and all?”

  “Well, see, neutral is interesting. I can balance things out or let them go until a new neutral is found. Personally, I see myself as a protector of the People of this land. The NPCs as you call them. You mess with a few—that’s okay. You start messing with more…” Bob’s tone was light but his eyes hardened as he thought of some of the things that the various lords and ladies had done over the ages in order to try to gain more power and change the world into their image.

  “Boran-al was an annoying creature that a Lady of Dark gave power and instructions to. In her name, he created a following in the Dark. The kind of following that created one hell of a problem for me to solve. I had to personally enhance the magical circuits on that accursed prison. Then, the Lady of Dark’s successor accessed the prison and used the cultists. It was only until recently that I figured out why Boran-al’s people were out here and why the lords and ladies and Darkness have been interested in this area.” Bob looked to Dave.

  Dave held his stare.

  Bob looked away and sat back in his seat. “Do you notice anything different?” Bob asked casually.

  Dave closed his eyes for a moment. “No.”

  “What about below us?”

  Dave’s eyes widened. “It’s not there, whatever it is.” Dave looked at his feet.

  “It’s still there, waiting. Yet it is one thing that neither myself nor any of the lords and ladies should play with,” Bob said.

  “What is it?” Dave asked.

  “It’s called a seeder, one of hundreds that terraformed Emerilia and provided portals and Altars of Rebirth. They created the lines of magic across this planet and created what Emerilia is today. Cliff-Hill gives it a good cover. With all of the powerful Dwarves who might come through here, it would make sense that they could find a big-ass block of metals underground.” Bob snorted, smoking.

  “Why are you telling me this?” Dave asked.

  Bob sat there, taking in the late-night view as he rolled smoke around his mouth. Memories across dozens of lifetimes flowed through his mind.

  “I’m old, Dave. When I started this, I was a few hundred years old. Now I am so damn old that mountain ranges are young to me.” He kept looking in the distance. “Humanity is a fractured race. You squabble among yourselves and somehow you get stronger. You’ve got millions of different viewpoints, beliefs, and ideas. You can never seem to agree on anything. The Jukal Empire is vast and powerful. The most powerful Empire in existence. Do you know why?” Bob looked to Dave.

  “Because they’re smart?” Dave asked.

  “Because we know how to use people. I am the greatest sinner for that little bit.” Bob’s smile was sad. “The idea was to use humanity to push back the aggressive species that were raging at our borders and threatened to destabilize the Empire. Get you to think that this is a game and we get a force that will do anything to win. Perfect—problem solved. What we didn’t take into account was how humanity worked best in conflict. You’re always looking to one-up one another. You’re looking for the constant advantage. When Emerilia came online, everything changed. Humanity created soul gems; no one had thought of that before. With your fractious nature, you are downright innovative. Emerilia became the Empire’s center for research and development. Then people started getting interested in Emerilia.

  “They saw how you Humans were looking for gods and such. I had actually created the six gods just to give you lot some guidance and balance. Made it easier when a new lot was introduced to the game and they had needed to learn everything new.

  “Well, the People of the Empire started to look
at Emerilia as not only a prison and solution to the aggressive species. They saw it as entertainment. With humanity’s creation of entertaining magic, people wanted more to fill their lives than just working.” Bob smirked.

  “Even imprisoned on a planet, thinking it was a game, you lot of apes managed to influence an entire Empire and make them understand the concept of boredom!”

  Dave snorted. In his hand, two beers appeared.

  “I knew I gave the right guy the ability to conjure.” Bob took a beer and sipped from it. “You’re getting close,” Bob said. “Fuck, that’s strong.”

  “Yeah, the yeast isn’t quite right. I’ve got the barley and hops down, though.” Dave looked at the beer. Adding nitrogen was the easiest part. He’d thought making beer would be easy. Making terrible beer was easy. Making a fine brew that had been alive for hundreds of years for its tastes, colors, and flavors—it was becoming quite a pain in the ass. He would not be deterred.

  “I’m impressed. It’s hard to make a good beer but you’re giving it your all. You’re not just conjuring item after item; you went to the root of the issue and you’re working through the steps.” Bob raised his glass in salute.

  “Thanks.” Dave smiled. “I was thinking about giving up. With Kol and his teaching about ores, mining and then finally using the smithy, I started to understand. It’s easy to conjure something; to build it and create it with your hands and tools is damn difficult. When I conjure now, I’m not just making an axe. I’m forming metal, tempering it and bending it with my will. The more I know, the better I can create. I’ve taken to conjuring only to make prototypes and experiments. They might break but it’s more of a learning experience to see how little Mana I need to pour into it for it to hold its state.” Dave drank from the beer. It was a shameful copy of the real brew, but it was proof of his work.

  “Now you were talking about entertaining,” Dave asked, looking to Bob.

  “Never told anyone this story, yet here I am with your sorry ass.” Bob took another mouthful of beer.