Overworld (Dragon Mage Saga Book 1): A fantasy post-apocalyptic story

by Rohan M Vider

  The Disciplines on offer were identical to the ones described in the Trials Infopedia. With the exception of the dragon magic Discipline, of course. That had most definitely not been mentioned in the wiki.

  I had already decided on my levelling strategy before entering the temple, but there were a few things I wanted to confirm first. “Can I please see the Traits and Disciplines I earned from my life on Earth? From before my Induction.”

  Wordlessly, Aurora waved her hand and a new window unfurled.

  The knowledge you have carried over from Earth into the Trials include: the lore and scribe Disciplines, and the Quick Learner and Crippled Traits. Your skill as a scribe is at: level 6. Your skill in lore is at: level 8.

  Trait: Quick Learner. Rank: 2, uncommon.

  After a lifetime spent studying, you are able to grasp new concepts and assimilate knowledge rapidly. This Trait increases the rate at which your Disciplines advance through natural learning.

  Trait: Crippled. Rank: 2, uncommon.

  Your left foot is hobbled as a result of an unfortunate accident during your youth. This Trait impairs your movement, halving the benefits you receive from the agility Attribute.

  I swallowed painfully as I read the effect of my crippling. It is what I thought. With my handicap, I would never amount to much as a warrior. Magic was my only hope of excelling in the Trials.

  Banishing further doubts, I turned back to Aurora and made my first choice. “Aurora, please increase my skill in the life magic and dragon magic Disciplines to nine.”

  “So noted. Your new knowledge will be instilled in your mind once you exit Wyrm Island. You have seventy-two Tokens remaining.”

  I had thought long on how, at even my low level, I could assist the Outpost with magic. I suspected that as a Neophyte mage the damage I could inflict with my spells would be negligible when compared to an army of spearmen. Sadly, until I levelled up much further, even as a mage, my offensive potential would be limited—or so I believed.

  It was behind the lines that I thought I would be of most benefit. After seeing the primitive healing methods Nicholas had used, I believed that there was a good chance that I could help save more lives at the Outpost with healing magic—or life magic as the Trials named it.

  Dragon magic was a wild card. I hadn’t the least idea what it was capable of, but given its uniqueness, there was no way I could ignore the Discipline. I had to learn everything I could of it.

  Unfortunately, unlike knowledge acquired through ‘natural’ learning, the Trials’ gifts were limited by a player’s level. Until I levelled up more, I would not be able to further advance my skill in dragon and life magic with Tokens.

  Briefly, I toyed with the notion of maximising my skill in one or more of the other magical Disciplines as well, but I decided to stick with my original plan. “Aurora, please increase my skill in the fire, earth, water, air, and death magic Disciplines to one.”

  “Noted. You have sixty-seven Tokens remaining.”

  There were other non-combat Disciplines I wanted to learn, but it didn’t make sense to acquire any of them now. First, I would try training them naturally, and only after reaching the Trainee rank would I return to the dragon temple for further understanding. For now, I was satisfied with my choices. “I am done with my Discipline selections. Thank you, Aurora.”

  “Very wise,” the purple woman replied. “Do you wish to use any of your Marks at this time?”

  “No, thank you,” I replied. Constitution was the only Attribute I would consider raising right now, but Attribute, like Discipline purchases, were limited by a player’s level and at the moment, my constitution exceeded my level.

  “Very good, then we are finished here,” said Aurora, seemingly pleased to be done with me again. “Enter the gate and the changes to your body and mind will be made.”

  I turned away and headed towards the gate, but not before an irreverent wave at the purple woman that had her scowling anew. I smiled at her expression. But my humour faded quickly as I considered what came next.

  I still had no spells.

  The dragon temples only gifted players with foundational understanding of a particular Discipline. It did not grant them knowledge of the Discipline’s many and varied specialised abilities: Techniques. Understanding how to channel life magic did not mean I knew how to cast a healing spell. I would have to learn that separately.

  From the wiki, I knew the usual way for players to acquire Techniques—including spells—was through lorebooks and trainers. And while knowledge of the rarer Techniques were closely guarded secrets in the Dominions, the more commonplace Techniques were available for purchase—at least in the cities. Location seventy-eight, of course, had no wizard trainers to tutor me.

  That meant I would have to create my own spells.

  Daunting as the prospect sounded, spell creation was not difficult for common, low-ranked spells—or so the wiki claimed. The higher a player’s magic skill, the better their chances were of discovering a spellform from the related Discipline. It was to improve my chances of formulating dragon and life magic spells that I had maximised my skill in both Disciplines.

  Another factor in my favour was the information I had gathered from the Trials Infopedia. My research meant that I already knew of—even if only in the most non-technical sense—the most popular low-ranked spells from the standard magic Disciplines. It should be no great hardship to ‘rediscover’ them. Or so I hoped.

  But when it came to dragon magic, I was on my own. I had no store of knowledge to fall back on. Nor did I have the least idea if I was capable of creating dragon magic spells. Or even if any of spells would be useful, especially at my low rank. Discovering dragon magic spells, I suspected, would require diligent practice and experimentation.

  I sighed as I reached the gate. I still had a lot of work before me. With a final wave to Aurora, I stepped through the portal.

  You have exited Wyrm Island. Modification request detected. Initiating update procedure.

  Changes analysed…

  Alterations verified…

  Updates approved...

  Downloading new knowledge…

  …

  …

  Download complete. Transfer to Overworld resumed.

  ✽✽✽

  I stepped back out of the temple with new knowledge swimming in my head and Trials notices obscuring my vision. I ignored the messages, preoccupied by something else entirely.

  I was different.

  No, that wasn’t right. I was the same. But some previously disconnected part of me was no longer absent. Connections had snapped into place between me and my mana. I could feel it. Flicking open my magesight, I studied myself anew.

  A small smile stole across my face as I observed the deep wellspring of potential at the centre of my being. It was my magic. The means by which I could exert my will upon the world—and change it. It was both power and promise mixed in one.

  And it was the means by which I would exact my vengeance.

  My smile broadened into a grin. At last, I breathed. At last I have what I need. I returned to my study of the magic at my core. Slow-moving channels of mana extended outwards from it and into my body. They had not been there before my visit to the temple. Or if they had, I hadn’t the understanding to identify them.

  Now though, knowledge of magic—the essence of it, and the weft and weave of its crafting—was mine to use. I closed my magesight. Beginning the trip back down the temple steps, I finally turned my attention to the Trials alerts hovering for attention.

  You have entered location seventy-eight.

  Your skill in dragon and life magic has advanced to: level 9. Mana pool unlocked.

  Your skill in air, death, earth, fire, and water magic has advanced to: level 1.

  You are the first player to have learned: dragon magic. For this achievement, you have been awarded: dragon lore.

  Lore note: Dragon magic is a
universal skill. Unlike other magic Disciplines, which are governed by a single Attribute, dragon magic is affected by all Potentials. Spells from the Discipline may draw from any combination of Attributes and Potentials.

  A quiet groan escaped me as I read, then reread the lore note. Damn it, I thought. Why did dragon magic have to require every Potential? It destroyed all my carefully laid plans for Attribute enhancement. And what did this unexpected twist mean for the Discipline itself?

  If the power of my dragon magic spellcasting relied on my poor Might and Resilience Potentials, then arguably—despite its uniqueness—my dragon magic would be weaker than other, purely magic Disciplines. I bit my lip. Had I made a mistake in choosing the Trait?

  “What’s happened?” asked Tara, sounding worried. “Did something go wrong?”

  I glanced up. I had reached the bottom of the stairway where Tara danced impatiently from foot to foot. I couldn’t tell her about my dragon magic, of course. It was too dangerous a secret to share.

  “I just realised I don’t have any spells,” I lied with a straight face.

  “Oh, that,” said Tara, understanding dawning. “Don’t worry about it. We had similar problems with our own martial Techniques. Spend some time experimenting with your magic and you’ll be sure to discover one or two spells at least. It won’t take long, I promise.”

  “Ah… alright, then,” I replied while trying to keep my face from burning with shame. I didn’t like lying to her. But I had no choice.

  We set off walking again. “What magic Disciplines did you learn?” Tara asked.

  “Life magic and… fire magic.”

  Tara’s eyes shone. “Excellent!” she exclaimed. “The medics will be overjoyed when they hear that. Let’s get you settled down somewhere quiet to practice. The sooner you figure out a healing spell, the better.”

  We were making a beeline towards the tented camp, I saw. I glanced up. The sun was still high in the sky. “Will the murluks attack again today?”

  Tara shook her head. “For whatever reason, the creatures only attack in the hours just after dawn. We’ve not had a single assault in the afternoons.” She tugged at my sleeve. “Move it, Jamie,” she said, almost affectionately, as she hurried me along.

  She seems in a good mood, I thought. My own excitement had been spoiled by the revelation about my dragon magic though. I couldn’t just ignore the Trials information either. If I wanted my dragon spells to be viable, then I needed to alter my planned approach and advance my physical Attributes, too.

  I sighed. “No, Tara. Magic training can wait.” I didn’t require much to practice magic, just a quiet spot and time. I could just as well attempt my spellcrafting at night. Right now, while the sun was still up, there was other training I needed. Especially with my newcomer buff still active. “Let’s go to the training grounds. Its time you took me through my paces.”

  Chapter 19

  391 days until the Arkon Shield falls

  Magic is a manifestation of the caster’s will through the use of mana, but very few possess mana. Only those with Magic Potential are so gifted. —Trials Infopedia.

  Tara laughed.

  “Don’t worry, Jamie,” she said. “No one is going to make you hold a position in the wall anymore. You’re too important. Forget about weapon training.” She pulled at me again, not changing course.

  I slipped out of her grasp. “I’m serious, Tara,” I insisted.

  Tara’s steps slowed and the amusement faded from her face as she faced me. “Why?” she demanded.

  “I’m just a Neophyte,” I replied. “My spells are still weak. I can’t wholly depend on them just yet. I need to be able to defend myself when I am without magic.” That was all true, but not the real reason for my request. I needed to raise as many of my physical Attributes as possible to the Trainee rank. Any martial skills I gained in the process would be a bonus.

  Tara snorted. “You aren’t destined to be a grunt, Jamie. And there will always be others around—like me—to see you don’t come to harm.” I opened my mouth to reply, but Tara held up her hand, stilling my objections. “Now, I know every boy dreams of being a mighty warrior, but that’s not you, Jamie. You’re meant to be a mage. Our mage. Now enough time wasting. Let’s get you to work.” She turned around and began heading towards the tents again.

  I stared at Tara’s receding back. She was completely ignoring my agreement with the commander, and acting less like a bodyguard and more like my chaperone.

  I should have gone with, Petrov, I thought irritably.

  My own face tightened. Tara might think she knew what was best for me, but she was wrong. “No!” I yelled, not budging from where I stood.

  Tara jerked to a halt and swung around to face me. “This is not a bloody game, fish,” she growled. “Quit this foolishness. We need your magic. Desperately. You must spend every waking moment training it!”

  “No.”

  “You goddamn idiot,” Tara replied as she stomped back to me. “Don’t you get it?” she said, shoving her face inches from mine. “You’re crippled. Even with all the training in the world, you aren’t going to be able to hold off the monsters of this world. Not with a spear. Or any other weapon.”

  I swallowed and felt my own face redden. But I refused to back down. I folded my arms and held her gaze. “Be that as it may, Tara,” I said slowly, “I insist. Take me to the training grounds.” I paused. “Or I will find someone else to do it.”

  For a drawn-out moment, Tara said nothing. Then her expression blanked and she threw up her hands. “Have it your way, fish,” she ground out. “Follow me.” Brushing past me, she strode south, fury radiating off her in waves.

  Silently, I followed on her heels.

  I had no doubt I was going to regret forcing Tara into training me, but even if I wanted to, I knew I couldn’t ignore my physical conditioning. I would just have to bear the consequences of her anger.

  ✽✽✽

  We reached the practice yard, with Tara muttering under her breath and me moving at a fast limp to keep up. Hidden by a fold in the land, the training grounds was to the south of the temple and the tented camp. As we drew up to it, I saw hundreds of young men and women sparring, running laps, marching to order, and a few even firing arrows at distant targets.

  East of the practice yard was a separate demarcated area, lit with dozens of campfires. I had seen the smoke earlier but hadn’t had a chance to question Tara about it yet. Fewer people were gathered around the campfires than on the training grounds, but they seemed just as industrious. “Are those the crafters?” I asked.

  Tara scowled, though still answered. “Yes. With none of our fortifications erected yet, the safest place for them to work is near the training grounds.”

  I nodded. “Where do we go, then?” I asked staring at the busy field.

  Tara glanced at me, her eyes still hard. “How is the wound on your back?” she asked abruptly.

  My brows flew up. I had clean forgotten about the injury, and couldn’t recall the last time I had experienced a twinge from it. Tentatively, I twisted my torso. No pull of pain accompanied the movement. The time I had spent in the presence of the old lady must have sped up their recovery. “Fully healed,” I replied in surprise.

  “Good. Follow me,” she said as she strode into the chaos of the training grounds. Ignoring the friendly calls of her fellows, Tara made straight for the fighting circles in the middle.

  Curious looks and loud whispers followed me as I limped in Tara’s wake. I could not help but overhear many of the soldiers’ remarks. It seemed that I had garnered a bit of fame in the Outpost already. My crippled foot made me immediately recognizable, and speculation was rife on how I had survived my brash charge on the murluks earlier today.

  But nowhere did I hear even the slightest mention of magic. To my relief it seemed that the commander had not shared that bit of news with her people yet. As it was, the attention I attracted was alre
ady enough to make me uncomfortable.

  Tara entered an empty sparring ring, marked by no more than two concentric circles cut in the dirt. She stopped at the far end of the ring and turned about to face me. A curious crowd of soldiers formed around the edges. Ignoring the many watching eyes, she asked, “Alright, fish, where do you want to begin?”

  Tara’s face was studiedly neutral, but it had not escaped my notice that since our little spat outside the temple I had been demoted from ‘Jamie’ to ‘fish.’ She’s still angry, then. “What do you advise?” I asked carefully.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Now you want my advice,” she muttered in a low undertone too soft for the gathering spectators to hear. Raising her voice, she asked, “What are your lowest might and resilience Attributes?”

  I gazed inwards and queried the Trials core. “Perception, followed by willpower.”

  “Perception, anticipation, and intuition are all one and the same,” Tara said, sounding like she was giving a lecture. “To train perception, you must anticipate your opponent’s moves. The better you do this, the faster you will train the Attribute. Do you understand?”

  I nodded.

  “Willpower is a measure of your ability to withstand pain, to persevere and to push onwards despite the odds or how much you hurt. To advance it, you must experience the same conditions. Understood?”

  I nodded again.

  “Good. We will train both.”

  I winced. Now why does that sound ominous?

  Tara walked over to the side of the sparring circle and pulled out a spear. “Since you are already familiar with a spear, we will continue your training with it. What is your spear Discipline at?”

  “It’s at the Trainee rank.”

  Tara’s eyebrows went up. “It is? That was quick. It will be a waste of newcomer to attempt training it further then.” She dropped the spear and studied the pile of weapons again.