The Trapped Mind Project (Emerilia Book 1)

by Michael Chatfield

  Quality: A

  Charge: 10/1,000,000

  Durability: 783/783

  “That’s—what is that? Like twenty million Mana?” She was numb, looking at the information in front of her as if not understanding what he was saying or what her eyes were reading.

  “Yep!”

  “Well, you certainly don’t like thinking small,” she muttered, slowly shaking her head.

  He laughed and kissed her again.

  “Now you’ve got that done, let’s go back home. It won’t take you long to get your armor put together,” Deia said.

  “Bu—”

  Deia held up a finger to silence him. “And I want to have you to myself.”

  They’d announced their engagement but they’d had little time to properly celebrate it. They’d been both training and working to improve their skills for when Boran-al’s Citadel would rise. There was just a month to go until the last runes would start to fail and Boran-al’s cultists could once again walk Emerilia.

  Dave bit her finger lightly and tossed her into a princess carry. Deia giggled at his silliness. He was a driven man with his work, but she was the one person to get him to focus on something else. She nestled into him, scared for the future but reassured with the fact that they would stand together to face it.

  ***

  Dave wiped the sweat from his face as he looked at the final breastplate. He pulled the heat out of the metal with his simple Fire magic. He pulled it off and put it on one of the two mannequins, one for him and one for Deia.

  The whole smithy seemed to have stopped as they looked at the pieces; even Malsour, who was translating the Abyssal, looked up from his work.

  Dave stared at the armor, reading the description associated with it.

  Abscondita Armor

  Forged by Dave Grahslagg, this armor is more than meets the eye.

  Quality: B

  Defense: 523 (Magical shield with enough power)

  Abilities: Magical shield

  Automated Mana Siphon

  Automated Soul Siphon

  Automated Self Heal

  Increased Agility and Strength (base 10%)

  Grows in strength with user

  Manipulation possible (Associated values liable to change due to creator’s changes and level of charge.)

  Armor Link (Users of this armor can share their power and link capabilities. If one armor is fully charged, then it will feed power to the other to charge it.)

  Charge: 13/2,000,000 (Linked Armor 231/4,000,000)

  Durability: 259/259

  The armor was about a half-inch thick along its front and back. Dave had formed and reformed it and all of its inner components once or twice to get it exact.

  Kol looked over the work, running his hand over the shoulders and plates.

  “I did not think that I would see something like this built in my age,” Kol said. The whole smithy was quiet.

  “Return from Boran-al’s Citadel and we shall talk about your future as a smith.” Kol smiled and clapped Dave on the shoulder. “Well done, my boy.” He moved on.

  Dave stood there, looking at the armor with a tired smile on his face.

  Quest: Of Anvil and Fire

  Kol has asked you to return to him to talk about your future as a smith.

  Will you do so? Y/N

  Dave thought Yes and looked at his blinking notifications panel.

  Active Skill: Alchemy

  Level: Journeyman Level 9

  Effect: Combine up to 7 ingredients together. Creations gain a 61% boost in effectiveness

  Required: Alchemy tools

  Dave’s skill had increased with his constant meddling with permutations, from his making alcohols to how he formed the soul gems with different combinations.

  Active Skill: Builder

  Level: Apprentice level 8

  Effect: 39% speed making items with more than one material

  Required: Tools

  Combing all of the items together into one larger creation had allowed him to level up his skills nicely.

  Active Skill: Magical Circuits

  Level: Expert Level 8

  Effect: 79% chance of creating better Magical Circuits and understanding them.

  Cost: Dependent

  Active Skill: Smithing

  Level: Expert Level 6

  Effect: 75% improved quality of smithing creation.

  Stat Increase

  +4 Strength

  +6 Intelligence

  +6 Willpower

  +4 Endurance

  Level 37

  You have reached level 37; you have 170 stat points to use.

  Dave checked his overall stats, which had jumped up with the completion of the armor.

  Character Sheet

  Name:

  David Grahslagg

  Gender:

  Male

  Level:

  3

  Class:

  -

  Race:

  Human/Dwarf

  Alignment:

  Chaotic Neutral

  Unspent points: 170

  Health:

  1900

  Regen:

  1.28/s

  Mana:

  780

  Regen:

  3.05/s

  Stamina:

  600

  Regen:

  2.35/s

  Vitality:

  19

  Endurance:

  62

  Intelligence:

  78

  Willpower:

  61

  Strength:

  60

  Agility:

  47

  Dave looked back at the armor with bleary and tired eyes. Deia wrapped her hands around him as they looked at their new armor.

  “It looks amazing,” she said in his ear.

  “Almost as good as you.” He grinned and looked at her; she kissed him with a smile that had an edge to it.

  In less than a week, they would be marching toward Boran-al’s Citadel.

  Dave looked at the armor. Deia’s had dragon scale armor that would go over her legs and upper body, with a form-fitting cuirass. Dave had the same except his had layered shoulders and additional plates over his legs. The breastplates weren’t light but the dragon scales—although a pain to make—gave them the ability to move freely with a high degree of protection.

  “So what are you going to call it?” Kol asked.

  “The Abscondita armor,” Dave said.

  Kol nodded. “Very well, now give me your hand.”

  Dave did so.

  He felt power building as Kol muttered words of power.

  Soul Bound

  Do you want to soul bind the Abscondita Armor to yourself?

  Y/N

  Dave accepted and a screen popped up on the side of his screen. It showed his layout of clothes on his body with different sockets. Now a gray outline of the Abscondita armor lay over his body.

  There was also now an option to equip his armor. He pressed it. The armor disappeared from its rack and appeared on him, overlaying his clothes underneath.

  “Despite death and rebirth, your armor will follow you through your lives,” Kol said.

  “That’s pretty damn useful,” Dave said, admiring the armor. It moved like a second skin. The cuirass might be a bit heavy but he had been training with carrying around his loaded bag of holding for months.

  “Deia, do you wish to become soul bound to your armor?” Kol asked.

  “Yes.” She stepped forward slightly.

  Again, Kol recited words of power.

  Deia’s armor appeared over her body as she moved, checking her reach and ability to move. “You were right with how much mobility you get.” Deia stretched.

  “I told you—better than leather.” Dave grinned.

  With a command, the armor disappeared again, moving into Dave’s storage. Deia did the same.

  “Thank you, baby.” She rewarded him with a smile. “Tomorrow we’ll give them a prop
er test run. In the meantime, you need to get some sleep. You haven’t slept for three days!” She pushed him off in the direction of their home.

  “I’m going, I’m going,” Dave said. Now that the armor was complete and his adrenaline high that was keeping him upright was wearing off, he was getting rather sleepy.

  Chapter 31: War Drum

  Deia looked at Dave’s sleeping form. He looked so peaceful.

  Today the plans would be finalized, guilds given their objectives, and the last of the Dwarven forces would move toward Boran-al’s Citadel.

  Dave must’ve sensed her being awake and stirred. His arm clenched, pulling her close as he settled down, as if her presence reassured him.

  She kissed his chest.

  “Mmmm,” Dave said, surfacing from sleep, pulling her fully on top of him as he wrapped both his large arms around her.

  Within his arms, she felt as if everything would be all right, that nothing in the world could affect them. He was the strength to keep the world at bay. She knew it wasn’t true, but she still let herself enjoy it, breathing in his scent.

  Light came through their windows, the embers of the fire from the night before glowing. It was chilly; the snow had started its melting as the worst of the winter had abated.

  They laid there, comfortable in each other’s embrace.

  In the distance, a solemn drum started to beat, announcing the movement of another group of warbands and their Elven rangers up to the citadel.

  A message arrived in Deia’s vision.

  Private message

  Lucy Vernia> We’re about to start discussions on the guilds’, Dwarves’ and Elves’ tactics and finalize plans.

  Dave opened his eyes, apparently reading something on the ceiling. “Looks like it’s time.”

  Deia squeezed him one more time before she slid out of the bed, pulling on her clothes.

  Dave got out of the bed, turning her around as she tried to pull on her pants.

  “Hey!” She yelled as he caught her, kissing her and stopping any more words.

  She kissed him back, their hands pulling each other tight. They separated a few moments later, breathless.

  “Well, I think I need a cold shower after that,” Deia said.

  Dave laughed and stood, going to wash his face.

  In the months she had known him, he’d grown in strength and height. She was still taller than him by a few inches but he had grown at an alarming rate and he was quickly getting to her level of strength. She still beat him hands down with her agility. Most men might be self-conscious that their fiancée was stronger and a bit taller than them. Dave couldn’t give a damn.

  And we’re all the same size when lying down. A blush came to Deia’s cheeks. He’d certainly had a corrupting influence on her.

  He was still short for a human and his large muscles served to make him look shorter still. He’d trained himself into a warrior, but in his heart, he was still that engineer who had done anything to turn his ideas into a reality.

  He pulled on a shirt; seconds later, his armor appeared.

  Deia opened her menu, selecting her armor. It appeared over her. Much easier than having to put it on every time.

  Dave checked her straps and made sure it was a snug fit. She checked his armor as well.

  “Well, it seems that the raid is almost upon us.” Bob appeared in the middle of the house.

  “Come to wish us luck?” Dave asked.

  “Ahh, you two will win or lose by your own efforts. I came to give you something.” Bob held out two hoods.

  Hood of shadows

  People cannot pull up your information when using the skill Analyze on you. People are unable to see your face.

  “Well, these will be useful,” Deia said, making to reach for it.

  Bob seemed to throw it at her; suddenly, she was wearing a hood.

  “It attaches right to your armor. It will only come off if you want it to,” Bob said.

  Deia looked to Dave. He pulled up the hood, shaking his head wildly. It seemed as if it were glued to him, moving with him but not getting in the way of his face or coming free of his head.

  All she could see was his gray eyes beneath the hood.

  Deia pulled hers on, using a mirror. She couldn’t see her face. There was just a gray murkiness that suggested a person lay under the hood. Her ears were covered but they didn’t seem hampered by the hood. The only thing one could see was her red eyes.

  She grinned at the look.

  “Babe, you look bad ass.” Dave’s face lit up, his hood down around his neck.

  Deia laughed, thinking much the same as she pulled down her hood.

  “Well, go and kick Boran-al’s ass.” Bob smiled at the two of them.

  Deia thought she saw a mix of sadness and pride in his gnomish features before he disappeared.

  “Well, let’s go to the meeting.” Dave held up his bag of holding. It disappeared from his hand, being added to the armor’s own holding slot.

  Deia’s bag was already secured in the armor’s inventory.

  “Okay.” She smiled. Holding Dave’s hand, she pulled the fire from the embers, using the heat to create warm air around the two of them as they left their house.

  She and Dave waved to the others they passed, heading toward the warband’s headquarters. Other guilds were sending their representatives as well.

  “Damn cold out here,” Lox muttered as they met up with him and Joko. The other Dwarves were readying their gear to move up to the front once the briefing was completed.

  “Just need someone skilled in fire manipulation—makes things a lot nicer.” Dave squeezed Deia’s hand.

  Deia was already working to warm the air around the other two. Dwarves were hardy creatures but in their mountains, it was a lot warmer due to the magma flows they found and the heat from the depths they mined.

  “Going to be a great loss losing you to a vagabond like this one,” Lox grumbled.

  “Ahh, but I’m just so much more fun!” Dave grinned.

  “Pain in the ass, more like!” Joko added.

  Deia laughed at the good-natured ribbing. The Dwarves were sad to see her leave the rangers and pair off with Dave but she had served her time and then some. They saw that staying a ranger would just limit her. After this battle, she would be freed from her duties as a ranger.

  Her grip tightened, thinking about the upcoming battle. She hadn’t seen anything like this in all of her life.

  They walked up the hill, meeting up with Malsour and Induca.

  Deia and Dave had become close friends with them. They only gave short greetings, all of them tense.

  They walked into the warclan’s headquarters. The entire hall had been turned into a viewing area with maps and other information across multiple walls.

  People were greeting one another and talking. Smiles were rare as tense nods were given and hard eyes looked to the briefing table where Wender stood. Off to the side, there was a magical communication spell, which showed Koda at the forward camp as well as his advisers and senior warband leaders.

  “Quiet.” Koda’s voice carried through the communication spell and into the headquarters.

  People grew quiet.

  “Josh.” Koda looked to the leader of the Stone Raiders, who was off to the side of the communication spell.

  “Okay, as you know, there is only one entrance into the citadel. Now, through our investigations, we can ascertain that it used to be above ground rather than below it. We believe that it will rise upward through the ground once the last of the Magical Circuits are broken. All of you have seen the plans of what we think that citadel will look like.” Josh’s playful demeanor was gone, the Stone Raider’s antics wiped away.

  All of them had been over the plan multiple times; this was just a confirmation for everyone and detailing any large changes.

  Deia checked the sketch that had been created from the prison’s layout.

  There were grand stairs leading up through the g
ully that the troll had lived in so long ago. Past it was a square fighting area, three hundred meters by three hundred meters. At the edges were columns of some kind. Another large creation rested in the center of the square, four spikes with a large gap between them.

  It had taken the most powerful information-gathering techniques to even figure this out. They didn’t know what the spikes or columns looked like, other than their general size and positioning. The farther in, the less detailed the plan got. Although they knew of the four spikes, they didn’t know their true heights or anything else.

  “These are sentient fighters. They will not follow a mob mentality. They will come at us with everything they have. Players, if you die, go to auto-res immediately. We’re dealing with necros here, so they get one of your bodies and they’re going to make the rest of us have a really shitty day. We will all be blessed and buffed, but these cultists have had hundreds of years to build up their spells and have even cheated death by keeping their souls bound and their bodies active. If you go down, go to Omal, and rush back.

  “We’re going to be operating in guilds. Stone Raiders will take the right of the stairs, Sabres will take the right; the other guilds will move around to the side opposite the stairs, boxing in the cultists and using us as cover. Dwarves will move up to hold positions at the stairs.

  “Shield walls and tanks front; rogues and DPS behind them to use the tanks’ defenses.

  “Mages with healing spells are to focus on those who are directly engaged with the cultists. Long-range casters and archers will be working to take out targeted opponents.