I put my annoyance aside for the time being and turned to Morogan. “You can control it and you're still you?” I asked.
He nodded slowly, not trying to lose his concentration. “Yup. Morogan complete control. Squirrel not strong like Ydru.”
“That's great, Morogan, keep it up,” I said. He smiled as a rat ran past, and he sent the squirrel chasing after it. “Garstil, what about you? Any luck with that Rune Smithing skill?”
Garstil beamed at me. “Well, I've enchanted Morogan’s shield to dissipate impacts, Sai's blades to stay sharp for longer, and your off-hand sword to be a little lighter.”
I looked at my old sword, and sure enough, just past the blade guard was a shiny new glyph carved into the blade. I swung the sword experimentally, and it definitely felt a bit lighter and more agile. “Wow,” I said. “You're really getting into it, aren't you?”
Garstil grinned proudly. “Yeah, I'm liking this a lot. If I level it enough, apparently, I can get damage increasing runes. And get this: I can upgrade the runes later. So, when a new rune is unlocked, I can just add new symbols to it or even link them.”
“That'll be amazing, I can't wait.” I turned to Thasgrin. “You willing to teach everyone some basic healing spells?”
“Aye, but only the very basic of spells. Jus’ like the lightnin’, they take quite a bit of mana to cast.”
“I assumed as much. I'm ready,” I said.
“Okay le’s start with some basic theory. Ye will be channelin’ nature magic, so keep that in mind while ye focus. Visualize the green healing energy flowin’ from nature and will it into a ball of energy around yer hand. Ye will know when ye get it right. Now, go practice that, and then we can try it out. I'ma go practice with Sai an’ see if I can pick up some of that fancy footwork he's been showin’ ye.”
“All right, thanks. And good luck, he can be kinda rough sometimes.” Thasgrin chuckled and stomped off, as his kind usually did.
I began by concentrating just as Thasgrin had said. After several tries, I was getting nowhere. It dawned on me that if I was going to make this skill mine, I would have to do it my way, but how?
My bracer beeped. “Why not use the phase emitter and reconfigure the energy output?” asked SADA.
“Uh, how?” I asked.
“Just feel it. Visualize what effect you want, and will it into existence,” said SADA.
And so I willed energy into my hand and gave it a purpose. This would not be destructive energy, but healing energy. My healing energy, from deep within my soul. This energy would heal, because I willed it so and for no other reason. Bright energy suddenly enveloped my hand. I could feel the warmth emanating from it.
Thasgrin landed on his back at my feet with a loud exhale of air and an “Ummph” as his breath left him. I placed my hand on his chest and let the energy flow into him. His eyes flew open, and his mouth was agape. “Laddie, how in the hells did ye do that?”
“I just made it my own since your way wasn’t working,” I said. “You seem surprised, how come?”
“Because that isn’ just any healing spell. Ye’d have restored half my health with that, had I needed it. How is this even possible?”
I shrugged. “Hell if I know,” I said. “I just willed energy into my hand and willed it to heal, and I got this.”
“Well, I’ll be damned…” Thasgrin said, in shock. “Ye could probably learn almost any magic ye wanted if tha’s the case.”
“Uh, Thasgrin, why are you laying over here?” I asked.
“Well,” he said, “I ran at Sai to hit him, and then I was lookin’ up at ye. I've no idea what happened.”
I laughed. “Been there, buddy. Pretty sure he's waiting for round two somewhere out in that fog.” I instinctively ducked as Sai flew over the top of me. His hand sailed through the space my head had just occupied as he vanished into the fog.
Thasgrin laughed. “Nice,” he said. I smiled, proud of myself. And then a ball of dirt hit me.
“Aww, come on…” I complained. “I dodged the slap, was that really necessary?”
“Quite,” he said, voice echoing from every direction. “You did well to expect the unexpected; however, you became complacent. And that can be just as dangerous.” I grumbled. Thasgrin had another laugh as he stomped off into the fog once again.
We barely slept all night. Strange and unnatural noises made my hair stand on end. Something was out there in the darkness, moving. Breathing. Churning the fog. During my watch, it was even creepier. Shapes in the fog were toying with me. Taunting me. I fought the urge to stray from the light of the fire to investigate.
Normally, I'm not afraid of the dark, but tonight… Tonight was different. Tonight, I felt like we were on the menu. I argued with SADA about movement in the fog. He said it was my imagination playing tricks on me. That he detected no life forms or undead within his ten-mile radius. I told him he was full of shit.
I was glad when Sai took over on watch, but I barely slept. We were all on edge, ready for a fight.
Morning came without incident, much to our relief. However, when we were clearing the camp, Morogan hollered over to us.
“What this?” he asked. We all made our way over to him. An arrow pinned a note to a tree dead center in our camp. No one had heard anything last night.
I read the note, growing more annoyed at every word.
Don't bother following us: If you know what's good for you, head back to Bridgeport. Otherwise, we will kill you and torture your families.
Heed our warning or suffer eternally.
Cult of the Dead Hand
20
“What in the Hells is this malarkey?” demanded Thasgrin.
I willed heat into my palm and vaporized the note. The arrow. And a chunk of the tree. “We have a fan club,” I said drily.
Sai laughed. “That is an understatement. How is it you Americans say it? He wants your balls?”
Morogan looked puzzled. “What is American?” he asked.
“It's what a citizen of the country America is called. That's where Garstil and I are from.”
Morogan nodded. “More Earth stuff,” he said.
Thasgrin’s eyebrow shot up. “Laddie, isn't that where Noslen, Slag, and Flint are from as well?”
“Yup,” I said. “The country is huge. And is a mixture of every kind of culture on the planet.”
“Where Sai from?” asked Morogan.
“Japan,” said Sai. “It is also an Earth country.”
“It's a shame you guys can't visit,” I said. “The food is amazing.”
Thasgrin laughed heartily. “We've enough problems right here, laddie. Don't need to add more to our already full plates.”
“Earth lost track of how many different ales and lagers exist,” I said.
“Lost track, ye say? That's a cryin’ shame and a downright crime! Someone oughta do somethin’ about that. If'n I could, I would help out with that.” Everyone laughed.
“What happened to ‘too many problems’?” I asked.
“Never mind that. Gotta save the ales from obscurity. Your people should be ashamed of themselves, they should.” Thasgrin stormed off in a huff, mumbling. “Losin’ track of ale. What the Hells kind of people loses track of ale… A bloody barbarian tribe, thas’ what.” We laughed even more as Thasgrin stomped off down the path. “Are ye comin’?” he yelled back at us.
I'd been experimenting with the focused energy from last night, trying to use the same method to get different results. So far, ice and electricity had been added to the list. The other issue was every time I tried it would fully deplete my minuscule mana bar. I need to get some sort of mana-boosting gear.
“What Aba think about?” asked Morogan. “Aba think hard. Look lost.”
I chuckled. “Just trying to figure some stuff out. I'm all right.” He nodded and turned his attention back to the semi-heated conversation Sai and Thasgrin were having about different alcoholic beverages. Garstil added his two cents now and then, and
even Morogan added his own opinion about Orcish grog being superior. Perfect. They won't know what hit them.
I willed ice into my left hand. Electricity into my right. I had to wait for the recharge between the two, but the focused ice didn't dissipate. As the group walked through a particularly large puddle, I reached down and touched my right hand into the water.
They screamed like little girls as the lightning arced through all four of them. Just as they jumped for the edge of the puddle, I added my left hand. A sheet of ice suddenly formed from the water, freezing everyone in place.
I stood and walked past them, whistling innocently. “You guys coming or what?” Scowls met my surprised and very innocent expression. “By the way, we're even for last night,” I said. I focused heat into my hands and thawed out the popsicles before me. “Let's get going.” I smiled and skipped along for a few paces. Apparently, I was the only one amused.
“Yer an arse, Abalonious. But still, that was a mighty impressive feat you accomplished,” said Thasgrin. “Noslen was never able to do what ye jus’ did.” I smiled at that.
A few miles up the road, a peculiar sight interrupted our travels.
“What is that?” asked Sai, pointing up the road ahead.
“What, the speck? I can't tell from here,” I said. Garstil shrugged as well.
Morogan shaded his eyes with his hand. “Look like horse. No rider. It walking this way,” he said as we continued along toward the horse.
Thasgrin examined the fully armored steed that stood majestically before us. “Royal Guard. Probably from Laencaster. I heard someone was goin’ to be visitin’ a village in this province.”
Sai pointed at the saddle pommel. “There is a note.”
I grabbed it and read it out loud.
Will Try To: Hold Them Off
SEND HELP!
“Huh… How descriptive. Do you know which village?” I asked Thasgrin.
“Likely Goldenleaf. It's a tiny little village jus’ a few miles from here,” said Thasgrin. We grabbed the reins of the horse and led it with us.
As we crested a small hill, we could see the village of Goldenleaf nestled in between the split of the crossroads. To the side of the road, several villagers tended to a burn pile, which emitted putrid purple smoke. Their faces were covered as if to ward off the smell.
“They burn bodies,” said Sai. We picked up the pace.
As we neared, we could smell the bodies in earnest. The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. The horse grew uneasy as we approached.
“Hail,” said Thasgrin. “What news have ye?”
“M- Master Dwarf,” stammered one of the younger villagers. “We burn the bodies of our loved ones, risen again after the passings-by of several cultists.” He looked at the horse and grimaced. “They also took the young prince. He fought bravely to save our village, killed one of the cultists and most of the undead which they had brought. They overwhelmed him and took him against his will. As they left, several of our loved ones rose from their graves. We fought them off and put them to rest once again.”
Thasgrin nodded. “Thank ye for the information. We'll leave the horse in yer care. Please send word to his family. We will do what we can to save the prince.”
As we entered the heart of the village, we decided to split up to make it a quick visit. Thasgrin and Sai went to the inn while Garstil and Morogan went to the church. That left me to check out the shops.
As I'd expected, there wasn't a lot to choose from. I stocked up on random foodstuffs and also found a glyph diagram for Glyph of Sudden Speed. Garstil should be able to make use of it and enhance our gear some more.
We met back up at the inn and had lunch while we discussed what we had learned. Thasgrin set his ale down with a little too much force, startling some of the patrons. “And the prince was visitin’ in order to set up a deal to build some kind of outpost. So they could keep an eye on Accreton. The Hells does the king need to keep an eye on the Dwarves for? We’ve been keepin’ him safe for centuries!” he bellowed, slamming his fist hard enough to topple his ale. He didn’t seem to care. Several patrons picked up their plates and moved to the other side of the small dining area.
Garstil scowled. “Could it have been for some other reason? The raider activity around Aspen had been getting pretty bad until I stepped in…”
“Maybe, but I had to threaten the mayor to get him to talk. And when he did, he was pretty specific about what the prince had said. If he hadn’ been, it wouldn’ seem so bad,” said Thasgrin. “Makes a Dwarf worry that his allies maybe have their own plans churnin’ in the shadows.”
“All right,” I said. “We have a shifty king sending his son to scout out a base to spy on the Dwarves. We have a group of cultists on the move. A kidnapped prince that… wait a minute. The memory crystal!” I stood up quickly, startling everyone in the room. “That's what Noslen wanted me to see!”
“Aba, what are you talking about?” asked Garstil. Everyone stared at me expectantly.
“Royal blood,” I said. “The necromancer in Noslen's vision said that they had needed royal blood. They must use it as some sort of catalyst for their spell.”
“More blood magic,” said Sai. “It would make sense.”
Morogan frowned. “What if prince tricked. If bad mans trick prince. Then steal prince? Then bad mans get prince blood for bad magic. And Humans fight Dwarfs. And more deadmans.”
Thasgrin’s mouth hung agape. “Odin's beard… That makes too much sense. Two hundred years ago, the necromancers did kidnap and kill a prince. That must'a been why.” He stood, toppling his chair. “Aba, we have to save the prince. If he dies, it'll give them an army, kill off another city. And frame my people for his death, which would start a war…”
I projected my map across the table. “Looks like there's a fort of some kind, maybe a day or so ahead of us. It would make sense if that's where the prince was staying. We should check it out.”
Thasgrin nodded. “Aye, there's a garrison there three hundred strong. I've fought alongside their commander. Might be he has some information for us.”
“Let's get moving then. They aren't that far ahead of us,” I said.
The landscape grew more barren by the mile. We walked across a tundra of dead grass, shrubs, and rocks. The constant rains didn't seem to reach this area very often. Here and there, cacti sprouted from the ground in small clusters. We were almost truly in the desert now.
I looked over at Garstil and arched an eyebrow. He was holding one of his leather shoes and etching a glyph as he walked. His whole body bobbed up and down with every step. I chuckled.
Without looking up, he smiled. “You'll be shitting your pants instead of laughing when I'm done,” he said. A few minutes later, he put his shoe back on. The glyph flared momentarily, and Garstil took off running at a jog.
“Fancy a run?” I asked with a laugh.
“It works!” exclaimed Garstil. “You get a five-second speed boost, and you don't feel any stamina drain.”
“Awesome. Will have to have you enchant all of our shoes then,” I said. He grinned.
The old legionnaire fort loomed in the distance. From where I stood, it looked like shit. A massive hole decorated one wall. “I thought they said it was garrisoned with three hundred troops at all times. It looks like a ghost town from here,” I said.
“Fight happened. Morogan see bodies outside wall. Maybe fifty,” he said.
As we neared a bit closer, I could make out the bodies. And the pieces of broken men and women. I inspected a few body parts and realized both tooth and claw marks marred everything. Even weapons and armor. The legionaries had put up a brave fight but, ultimately, were overwhelmed.
Sai shook his head. “The carnage is brutal. There is no honor in this style of combat.” We all agreed.
We entered through the hole in the wall and were greeted with what looked like Armageddon. Buildings had been crushed or torn apart, and refuse lined the streets.
Morogan ch
ecked a nearby well. “Huh. Water still clean. Bad mans not poison.”
“Tha’s something at least,” said Thasgrin. As we spoke, our voices echoed in the eerie silence.
“Something is not right,” said Sai.
Morogan nodded. “Too quiet. No birds. No bugs. No nothing normal,” he said. “Only whispers.”
“What do ye mean, whispers?” Thasgrin said, growing extremely concerned. “We don’ hear a bloody thing. Could ye be hearing spirits?”
“Morogan not sure. Feel weird. Alone. But not alone,” he said.
We cautiously searched the town finding no signs of life. In fact, we realized there wasn't a single body inside the wall beside ourselves.
We stopped at the mess hall and noticed the food was still in decent shape.
“Must have been attacked during chow time,” I said. “Didn't even get a chance to die on full stomachs.”
Thasgrin smelled the tray on the table next to him. “This was really recent. Maybe a day at most. The food is still edible.”
We continued on upstairs and found a bedroom door which was locked. Morogan planted his size thirty in the middle of the door and unlocked it with a kick that made the whole building shudder. That's when we found the first body. And he was still alive. Just barely.
Thasgrin was at his side in an instant, already casting a healing spell. I joined him as well, willing healing energy into my hands and pouring it into the dying man. I nearly collapsed from the effort, but Sai caught me.
“Thanks,” I said, head spinning.
“It takes much more out of you to use non-class skills in a survival situation. Something to consider for future upgrades.” I nodded.
The man opened his eyes and groaned. He tried to sit up, but he could barely move.
Thasgrin laid a massive hand on his chest and easily pushed him back down. “Easy, yer among friends,” he said.
“You fools,” said the man as he wheezed. “The whole fort… It's a trap. Get out. Leave me here to die.”
Legend of the Sword Bearer: Tempest Chronicles Book 1 Page 20