The Trapped Mind Project (Emerilia Book 1)

by Michael Chatfield

“How are things in the administration?” Dave sipped on his beer.

  “Piss off. I’m a gnome,” Bob said, his eyes closed in bliss.

  Dave snorted, his lips opening slightly as he held his left hand out. A pipe of shadows formed—slowly at first, and then rapidly—and dropped into his hand, the pipe already filled and lit.

  “Well done.” Bob took another sip of his drink.

  Dave had the ability to conjure. It was a tricky power and a lot harder than Dave had thought. To just get his pipe to form, he’d had to imagine the pipe, then the balance of various leaves and berries and finally an ember in the middle of it all.

  It still tasted a little off as he didn’t know everything about the mixture of plants he had.

  Shadow conjuring was powerful, though the knowledge required to create something was more than Dave had thought at first. His first shadow creations had been crude. The first items were like balloons. They had looked impressive on the outside, but they were filled with Mana.

  He had started playing Emerilia, thinking of it as a way to get away from his life and responsibilities as a massive corporation head. He’d found out the truth about Emerilia and what he had thought of as reality. Still, he had memories of being an engineer and he loved to build things.

  Bob had given him a few hints and he’d started thinking of shadow conjuring as creating from shadows. The best way to make a powerful sword was to forge it. To understand the metals, the way it had been shaped by hammers or heated by forges, the mix of elements, the binding and Magical Circuits.

  Dave concentrated and held out his hand. A simple dagger fell into it.

  When he created something from shadows, he could conjure it from anywhere, though things like gravity and physics still acted on it. If he conjured a blade in the air, it was going to fall.

  He studied the blade in his hand. It was made of steel, with elegant carving along its curved blade. Dave didn’t need to pull out the identical blade from the small of his back to compare the two.

  “You’re like a damn walking magic show. Should rent you out to kids’ birthday parties.” Bob snorted.

  With a thought, the conjured blade in his hand disappeared. It had taken a fraction of the Mana he had needed to use for his initial conjurings. Dave glanced at his stats; it had been awhile since he had.

  Character Sheet

  Name:

  David Grahslagg

  Gender:

  Male

  Level:

  3

  Class:

  -

  Race:

  Human/Dwarf

  Alignment:

  Chaotic Neutral

  Unspent points: 65

  Health:

  1800

  Regen:

  1.00 /s

  Mana:

  610

  Regen:

  2.30 /s

  Stamina:

  460

  Regen:

  1.85 /s

  Vitality:

  18

  Endurance:

  50

  Intelligence:

  61

  Willpower:

  46

  Strength:

  46

  Agility:

  37

  Affinity levels

  Dark

  33

  Light

  28

  Air

  29

  Water

  24

  Earth

  37

  Fire

  28

  He was working on upping his Agility and Willpower the most. Willpower would allow him to conjure more items due to his level. His Agility would allow him to move faster; he was strong but Deia had been showing how speed was a crippling weapon. All of the strength in the world didn’t matter if you couldn’t hit shit.

  “So, what are we going to do today?” Dave asked.

  “Today, I’m going to teach you about healing,” Bob said.

  Dave nodded. He still knew he had a ton to learn about Emerilia. Healing and the ability to look after his friends was a good skill to have.

  “What do I need to do?” Dave asked.

  “Go and watch some damn television shows about people getting hurt and take a damn break at some time. I know you’ve got that increased Endurance and you’re circulating Mana through your body. You’re going to need that power soon enough.” Bob’s voice was old and filled with foreboding as he held Dave’s eyes.

  Dave nodded. Bob wouldn’t come straight out and tell him what was going to happen, though he would give some pretty blatant hints.

  Bob had created Emerilia, a planet made to hold humanity and imbue a few with special powers and boons in order to make them think that they were in a game so that they could eliminate the species that were a perceived threat to the Jukal Empire.

  Bob’s creation had become his prison. The man didn’t seem to mind. Until Emerilia stopped being about killing off species that would destroy the universe, and started to be a source of entertainment to the Jukal Empire and its species.

  It had become Bob’s Australia. He had been exiled to it with his prisoners; after a while, prisoner and guard seemed to wane. The Humans who were on Emerilia, called NPCs by the Players, had become his people.

  Dave was the first of the travelers, what the NPCs called the Players to give half of a crap about them. It had turned him from a Player into a bleeder.

  A bleeder was a person who had integrated so well with the NPCs of the world that the system thought that he was a person of Emerilia.

  Dave had thought of himself as Austin Zane, engineering trillionaire. Then he’d spent nine days in Emerilia. When he awoke, he’d been wandering around his house instead of in his VR capsule, something that should have been impossible. Dave had come to hate being Austin Zane; there was little left for him in that life. So, he put all of his efforts into becoming David Grahslagg and hadn’t looked back more than a few times.

  Even if they were NPCs, he couldn’t give a damn.

  “With that, I will bid you adieu. Someone’s pissing around up there. Gods.” Bob shook his head and an umbrella appeared in his hand.

  Before Dave could say anything, the gnome clicked his heels together twice and flew off into the sky.

  He had a shit-eating grin on his face as he drank his Scotch. “Those aren’t even the same movies! And they’re like fifty years old!” Dave yelled. “Mary fucking Poppins and Dorothy. I swear my mind’s just going to implode on its own with these screwed-up movie connections he comes up with.”

  Chapter 3: Ruuumble Pantheon Style

  Fire looked over the other five who sat in their distinctive seats. Dark and Light were trying to put holes in each other. Air and Water looked bored. Air fidgeted in her seat, a bundle of energy while Water played with his interface, stroking his long beard, Earth looked grumpy.

  Wouldn’t you if you looked like a troll screwed a boulder? A small smile crossed over Fire’s features.

  It got her annoyed glances from the others.

  “Whaddya want?” Neut asked, his gnome size making him a fourth of their respective heights.

  Fire could see the lofty expressions in their faces.

  “Watch your tongue, Neutral,” the Dark Lord said.

  Neutral nodded his head at the Dark Lord, as if acquiescing to his point.

  The cold sweat that had traveled down her back made her shift warily. She was the only one who had even glimpsed at Neutral’s power.

  Still, he allowed the six lords and ladies of the Pantheon of Affinities to walk over him. Neutral wasn’t just another obstacle to Fire; he was a friend. She had largely removed herself from the political situation by being too weak and not caring for it at all.

  “We desire to speak about the dragons,” Air said.

  Fire felt a sliver of fear in her chest.

  “Please continue.” Neutral stood at the bottom of his chair instead of trying to clamber up it.

  “They will increase Fire’s powe
r tenfold and upset the balance,” Light said.

  Fire didn’t glance over. She had liked Light, but in her fight against Earth and Dark over Dark’s newfound citadel, Light needed allies. It seemed that her backing was solidifying their alliance.

  “First of all, it won’t. The dragons are largely reclusive creatures and to offset any possible massive extra power that Fire gets, she has elected to barter away her paladin slots. Also, the dragons are made from all of the Affinities. You will all get some additional power from the creatures,” Neutral said.

  This left them musing in interest, looking at Fire to see what she was scheming.

  Fire rolled her eyes and sat in her chair without a care. She was more interested with what Neutral had been up to.

  “Why can’t I have my water creatures back then?” Water asked, sounding like an angered and petulant child.

  How many centuries old are you again? Fire kept herself from rolling her eyes.

  “If you too disband your paladins and instead move to just using creatures with the same restrictions as Fire, it will be allowed,” Neutral said. He always made it sound as though he was not the one passing judgment, just the conduit through which information was passed.

  With that, silence fell over the room, as the Pantheon thought about what he had said.

  “What…have…you…been…doing…near…Boran-al’s…Citadel?” Earth accused Neutral.

  “Observing that your woodland creatures are becoming rather meddlesome. I was making sure that there was nothing extra about them.” Neutral shrugged.

  Everyone in the room had tried to sneak something past Neutral. It worked a good number of times. He was only one person, after all, without any beasts or paladins to call his own.

  Earth grunted and the Dark Lord seemed to shift in interest.

  Fire disliked the Dark Lord a lot. The prick loved death and being an absolute asshole. She knew that he sacrificed people in a number of ways, including in her flames. The power she gained from a death in her flames made her mouth move in disgust. Tainted by its purpose and source.

  “Very well, any other issues?” Neutral asked.

  Light gave Neutral a disgusted look. “Next time, come in your true form.” Her lip curled in disgust as she disappeared.

  The others disappeared until there was just Fire and Neutral.

  “Beer o’clock?” Neutral asked.

  Fire nodded and transported herself back to her volcano.

  Neutral appeared in his recliner with a book in front of him.

  Fire was back down to human size so that she and Neutral weren’t widely disproportionate. The others wouldn’t have changed their size, using it as another means of deception.

  “What were you really doing down in Cliff-Hill?” Fire asked.

  Denur, sensing their presence, uncoiled her massive form and moved across the volcano so its head rested next to Fire’s chair, its slitted eyes looking at Neutral.

  *Good to see you home, Master.*

  *Hello, Trickster.*

  Denur’s voice was powerful. In a mere mortal’s mind, it would have been overpowering. In theirs, it was calming. Neutral grinned and waved, still looking over his book.

  Denur snorted and closed its eyes.

  Fire grew a fire hand of blue flame. Denur’s purrs reverberated through the volcano as Fire scratched Denur, the first of the dragons.

  “So?” Fire asked.

  “I was teaching.” The book disappeared from Neutral’s hand. He looked pensive as Fire tilted her head.

  “Teaching?” She had seen him do a good number of things with the People of Emerilia: Taught them skills to survive. Brought them magic. And constantly worked to reduce the fighting within the countries and continents so that the people could focus on the true threats that lay beyond the portals that dotted their land.

  He had not taught anyone in the time she knew him. A careful push here; a suggestion there. The rest of the Pantheon loved grand items, working in the dark only to bring around some great triumph. Fire had come to imitate Neutral. He used the smallest actions in order to create the greatest change. He didn’t even need paladins or to use his magical reserves.

  “I found something rather interesting.” A grin spread across Neut’s face.

  “I’m surrounded by liars and sealed lips,” Fire complained.

  Neutral looked at her, studying her.

  “What? Do I have food on my face?” Fire asked.

  “Nope, just thinking of one day introducing you to him.” Neutral shrugged.

  “You must have high hopes for him.” Fire smiled.

  “One can only dream.” He smiled. “Want to come with me down to Emerilia next time? I’ll be going to Cliff-Hill, though.”

  “Ah, I was getting a little stir-crazy up here and Denur’s interested in finding Akatol. Seems that her husband has been off pestering the kids.”

  Denur snorted and a grin spread across Fire’s face.

  “It shouldn’t take that long. Maybe we can check out Omal or go on an excursion,” Neutral said.

  “Sounds like a right adventure.” Fire smiled.

  Neut grinned. It was always better to go on a trip with a friend.

  Chapter 4: Patrol

  Deia put another arrow into the large forest wolf. It didn’t move.

  The Dwarves moved out of their shield formation, moving to the big beast.

  “Damn things are getting more powerful and there are more of them,” Joko said.

  Lox grunted in agreement.

  Max was looking over Gurren, who’d been hit in the side. His armor had stopped the wolf’s claws from doing much damage other than bruises.

  They’d wanted to bring Dave but Kol had made it clear that Dave’s time was better spent working on his conjuring ability. The halfling was showing great promise. Dave wanted to go as well but Kol and Lox had denied the request.

  Dave hadn’t been best pleased but Lox had pointed out how useful Dave’s skills were.

  Deia looked over the five-dwarf strong warband.

  They all missed Dave but they knew that his time was better spent improving his skills. He was becoming a powerful conjurer.

  Having him back in Cliff-Hill also gave them a powerful healer. His fighting style had improved with the Dwarves’ and Deia’s teachings. With his double-handed style, he was better suited to fight solo than with a warband.

  “Man, it feels weird without Dave here,” Tounk growled, voicing Deia’s thoughts.

  “Well, we’ll see him soon enough,” Lox promised. “I miss the odd halfling as well.”

  Dave had certainly made an impression on them, with his easy smile and his ability to joke at himself and drive himself constantly. When it was clear that they were under threat, instead of running or staying to the sidelines, he’d thrown himself into his work, feeling guilty for the actions of the other Players.

  There was a howling in the distance, distorted in pain and anger.

  Level 62 Forest Sprite

  Deia called out the information as the Dwarves moved by training turned instinct. Deia took off into the trees and pulled out a magically imbued arrow from her quiver.

  “Shields!” Lox bellowed. The shields crashed together around him as the magical sprite appeared.

  It looked to be made from tree, flowers, and other forest plants with a green glow emanating from its womanly body. Its roots floated above the ground as it screamed at those who dared to attack the creatures of its forest.

  Deia’s Elven instincts told her that it was a protective spirit; to her eyes, she saw nothing but an angered spirit. They were not supposed to attack those who were defending themselves or their family. She had communed with a number of sprites. This one just wanted to destroy them.

  Something is wrong.

  Even if she sensed that the sprite was supposed to be good, she raised her bow and pulled back on the string. It was something that Dave called a compound bow. It was the first of its kind, made from a rubber plant a
nd Escal tree sap. She aimed and fired as the sprite brought its hands up to unleash power on the Dwarves.

  A green torrent of energy lit up the forest as its Mana bolt struck the shields. Their enchantments worked in concert to support one another and bleed off the power.

  Trees and vegetation started to move to attack the Dwarves.

  Deia’s eyes widened as the arrow struck the forest sprite. It hit much harder than she thought it would have. The sprite floated back a few feet as its chest was opened, showing the pure green Mana that animated the creature. It let out a scream of breaking trees as Deia strung another arrow. She’d taken out twenty percent of its Health with her sneak attack but now it was turning to her.

  Evo-mash-kifo-nar!

  Deia jumped from her tree as Earth-aligned Mana tore into the tree that she’d been perched on. Her face was pale—not from the sprite’s attack, but from what it had said.

  The tree groaned and transformed; rocks and dirt moved to create an Earth atronach.

  “Mother fucker!” Gurren said Dave’s curse as he hacked away at the vegetation that was trying to attack the warband’s rear.

  “Come on, you tree-born hussy! We got plenty of love for yah on my blade!” Lox yelled. “Forr-ward!” The Dwarves moved forward, their shields rising and slamming back into the ground, their spikes finding purchase together.

  “Hurh!”

  “Hurh!” The Dwarves moved forward as one. Shield up, step forward, yell, stab, shield down and repeat. Their movements were born from training and trust in their fellow shield bearers.

  Deia let loose another arrow; it flew straight and true. The forest sprite screeched. It tried to get out of the way but its side was still hit. The Earthen Mana imbued in the arrows made them stronger and more powerful as they crashed into the Mana that animated the sprite.

  The sprite once again turned to face her. The Earth atronach was nearly done forming. The sprite was only at sixty percent Health.

  Deia strung her arrow, calling on her sacred arts, uttering words of power under her breath as she aimed upward instead of at the sprite.