Spells of Old (Ancient Dreams Book 2)

by Benjamin Medrano

  Spells of Old

  Benjamin Medrano

  Spells of Old by Benjamin Medrano

  © 2017 Benjamin Medrano. All rights reserved.

  Contact the author at BenjaminPMedrano@gmail.com

  Visit the author’s website at https://benjaminmedrano.com/

  Sign up for the author’s mailing list at http://eepurl.com/cGPT-b

  Cover Art by Jackie Felix Wei

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental or with direct permission.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  The Story So Far

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  Jessica, I couldn’t do this without you.

  Joe, thanks for helping me with the ideas.

  The Story So Far

  In the midst of a quiet war between the two elven kingdoms of Sifaren and Yisara and the slaver kingdom of Kelvanis, a dungeon was discovered. The heart and mind of the dungeon was Sistina, a tree with a dryad-like body. She rescued crown princess Phynis Constella of Sifaren from magically enforced slavery as well as a number of others, inadvertently leading to Phynis falling in love with her.

  Suspicious due to a decade of war, Queen Calath Constella panicked over this revelation and ordered Phynis’ guards to bring her back to the capital of Sifaren. Her guards brought Phynis into an ambush by accident, in which Phynis was mortally wounded. Only Sistina’s aid managed to return Phynis to life within moments of her death, in which time Sistina fully repaired even the magical change that led Phynis to love her. The upset dungeon chose to give an ultimatum to the guards and other agents of Sifaren, informing them that they were unwelcome unless they chose to submit to an order to not betray the dungeon or any others within it.

  Now aware of the Princess’ presence within the dungeon, Kelvanis’ Adjudicator, Jared Falgrave, came to capture her using his Jewels, a group of seven magically modified, enslaved elven priestesses of the goddess Medaea, to break into the dungeon in his attempt. Sistina ambushed his attack with traps and a war golem she had created, defeating the attack, capturing some of the soldiers, and freeing the Jewels in one fell swoop.

  Unfortunately, while the elves of Sifaren prepare to leave as Sistina demanded, they are not yet aware that Kelvanis has captured the goddess Medaea, and have set plans in motion to corrupt her to their bidding…

  Prologue

  Fate reached out and laid his hand gently on the tapestry. Before him were the tangled lives of mortals and immortals alike, woven together in a breathtaking pattern that few others could even begin to understand. Only his own lady could truly comprehend the breathtaking depth of the tapestry that slowly weaved itself before his eyes.

  Each thread possessed its own purpose, no matter how short it might be. Some threads were those of infants stillborn, their threads cut short almost as quickly as they’d begun, but impacting the fate of their family despite that. Other mortal threads were long or short, as seemingly insignificant threads touched on dozens of others. Those of dragons, gods, and other beings of power were still longer, and touched on countless lives that they impacted. Greater still were the threads of the primal gods, those which formed the edges of the tapestry, giving it form and solidity.

  But it was a single, seemingly insignificant thread that he gently plucked. And at his pluck, the thread shone a bright gold through the entire weave, and the Destiny of that thread appeared in his mind, causing Fate himself to shiver. He looked back through the thread, at the countless lives that the thread had touched. He saw how the thread passed through the devastation of the Godsrage itself, into the long past of the world, and where the ancient magic had once touched that thread ever so gently and changed its path.

  “What troubles you?” A resonant voice spoke in Fate’s mind unexpectedly. The voice was rich with power, echoing in Fate’s very bones.

  “She does, My Lady. I still find myself surprised that you allowed the royalty to cast that spell,” Fate replied aloud, his voice soft as he looked on that thread. “They changed the very weave of Destiny with that spell.”

  “No, they did not.” The voice of the Timekeeper was calm, almost complacent, as the primal deity who watched over Fate gazed on the weave.

  “How did those mages not change the weave? She was destined to die in that tomb, My Lady. It was her destiny,” Fate protested, touching the slight change to the weave, when a single repositioned rock had led a prospector into an ancient cavern.

  “Because Time is not written until it has happened, Fate,” the Timekeeper’s voice spoke, and the word caused reality itself to ripple around Fate, as though the multiverse itself stood still in awe for a bare moment.

  “But—” Fate took a moment, trying to speak, but was forestalled by his lady.

  “We set up Time and Destiny, Fate. We watch over it, and keep it from being damaged.” The Timekeeper’s voice rippled time and the tapestry itself seemed to still for a moment, but her voice was gentle. “But it is the privilege of all mortals to remake their destinies, should they have the power and ability to do so. And for all that has occurred, she who is now known as Sistina did not have a hand in what has happened. Now she is mortal, yet immortal, and her future is her own to shape. Let her go.”

  Fate paused for a moment, tempted to break the strand that stood out for a long moment. But at last he bowed his head and let go of that unimaginably ancient thread, looking over past a point where the thread could possibly break on its own, then potentially stretching out even longer than his own. And Fate replied softly, letting out a faint sigh. “As you say, My Lady.”

  Sistina watched the elves preparing to leave and let herself smile inwardly. She had demanded that when the siege by Kelvanis’ forces ended, those who were unwilling to serve her had to leave. However, those who had chosen to stay were on the receiving end of some anger from a few of those who were leaving.

  Not that many were choosing to stay, thoug
h. Of course, Phynis was staying, but Sistina had been uncertain if any others would choose to do so. Desa had been obviously torn between her loyalty to Phynis and her oaths to Sifaren, and up until the previous night, Sistina hadn’t been sure which way the mage would fall. But in the end, Phynis’ captain had chosen to stay with her after penning a letter to her Queen. Along with Desa had come five other guards, Alissa, Evrial, Helia, Lisa, and Skylark. Of the guards, only Alissa and Skylark hadn’t been branded by Kelvanis, which made Sistina all the more surprised that the women had chosen to submit to something that wasn’t much different.

  Among the civilians, only a handful had chosen to stay. The two dozen guards under Lieutenant Vander were leaving, as were Farlon and most of the researchers. Among the few exceptions were the ones she was watching.

  “What do you mean, you’re staying? You’re going to end up magically claimed, just like the people who get captured by Kelvanis!” Farlon exclaimed impatiently, gesturing sharply to the east in his anger and nearly striking a nearby assistant with his emphatic gesture.

  “No. I will be living in Sistina’s dungeon, and will continue my research in the library. I asked Sistina myself.” Zarenya Threadweaver spoke with quiet dignity, the middle-aged dusk elf standing straight and firm under the demands of her taller colleague. “Ellis has chosen to stay and assist me. We will continue to perform our calling, and she will give us the freedom to do so.”

  “How do you know that she’ll allow that? Once she binds you, you’ll have no choice but to obey her,” Farlon countered, scowling. “You’re risking both your freedom and his on a—”

  “No. Sistina could have simply chosen to kill all of us. She could have never given us permission to come here. She could have expelled us into the waiting arms of Kelvanis’ army after we lost her trust.” Zarenya’s voice was calm as she denied his complaints. “Instead, she gave us time. I trust her, Farlon. I’m staying, and you aren’t changing my mind.”

  “You foolish, pig-headed… fine! Have it your way!” Farlon threw up his hands in disgust and stalked away, leaving the other researcher with a slight smile on her face.

  Sistina thought she liked the researcher. The woman was generally almost silent, and this had almost been the most that she’d heard from Zarenya since she came to the dungeon. In all honesty, Zarenya reminded Sistina of herself a little. The researcher’s assistant, Ellis, was a handsome, loyal young man who had more than a bit of a crush on his mentor. Sistina had no idea how the relationship would develop, but it really wasn’t her business. Instead she turned her attention to the other two from Sifaren who were staying.

  The last two were some of Phynis’ maids. Lady Maria Northbrook had been with Phynis when they’d been captured by Kelvanis, and she was a level-headed, polite woman. Sistina thought she was good for Phynis, even if the former princess spent a lot of time avoiding Maria’s nagging about her appearance. Another surprise was that Jean Dailos had chosen to stay. Jean was a mousy, nervous maid that had come with the group on their trip down, and whom Sistina had expected to leave. She didn’t object, but it was certainly a surprise.

  On the other hand, Sistina felt more than a hint of relief that the others she’d rescued had chosen to stay with her. Ilmas, Lily, and Sina had become something of a reassuring presence in her caves, and without them she’d feel almost empty. She still wasn’t certain about the priestesses she’d rescued, but Amethyst, Diamond, Emerald, Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, and Topaz seemed to have no interest in leaving just yet. In fact, the priestesses seemed almost gleeful about being in the dungeon. From what Sistina could tell, their enthusiasm was more that they were free of Jared, the Kelvanis official she’d captured during their attempted invasion. At some point, she needed to properly interrogate him, but she intended to wait until he was healed a bit more.

  Sensing that Phynis was close, Sistina opened her eyes and smiled at the elf. Phynis giggled, approaching to sit and lean into Sistina’s side with a soft sigh, closing her sky-blue eyes as they sat under Sistina’s tree.

  “I love you,” Phynis whispered, her voice almost inaudible even within the canopy of branches. The elf’s hair was no longer coming in silver, and was instead a metallic pink that surprised Sistina a little. When she’d brought Phynis back from the edge of the grave, Sistina had tried to make Phynis’ body as perfect as she could, and back to what it should have been, but it was possible that since Phynis commonly dyed her hair pink, that Sistina’s unconscious had adjusted the other woman’s hair. She hoped it wouldn’t matter. Wrapping an arm around Phynis’ shoulders, Sistina pulled her close.

  “Treasure,” Sistina spoke softly, forming the word with care. It was easier to speak than it had once been, but it still wasn’t something she was used to. She could understand any language she’d heard thus far effortlessly, but actually putting her thoughts into words was all but an exercise in frustration.

  Phynis giggled, and Sistina smiled slightly at the sound. But something about it felt off, and after a moment, Sistina opened her eyes and studied Phynis’ face. There was a shadow to it, a hint of sadness that Sistina could barely see. It took her a moment of debating, but she stroked a finger along Phynis’ cheek and asked softly when the elf opened her eyes, “Sad. Why?”

  “I’m not sad,” Phynis refuted. At Sistina’s skeptical look, she flushed and looked downward, shifting a little. Finally, after a moment more, she sighed and shook her head. “Fine, I am sad. I’m sad because everyone is leaving, and with it goes part of my past. I was a princess, Sistina, and I was more than that. I was the crown princess, destined to rule Sifaren, and then it was just… stolen from me. Kelvanis captured me, and a stupid brand was enough to take everything I had trained for my entire life. I once dreamed of being a powerful hero or adventurer, but my duty got in the way. Now I’m past thirty years old, without a hint of training that would actually help you. It’s frustrating, and I’m sad because I was betrayed by my own family.”

  Sistina slowly considered what Phynis said, then nodded gently. Her thoughts were racing, and after a moment, they fastened onto the city buried under the mountain around them, the fragments of the ancient capital of Everium. And as she considered them, an idea crystallized in her mind. But for now, she set it aside and instead tilted her head, opening the passage outward as the Sifaren group began to leave, and asked, “Teach? About Everium?”

  Phynis’ eyes brightened at the offer and her frown vanished abruptly. “I’d love to learn what you can teach me, Sistina!”

  The smile made everything better, and Sistina smiled in return. Leaning forward to give Phynis a gentle kiss, Sistina resolved herself. Phynis didn’t deserve what had happened to her. So if she couldn’t inherit her own kingdom, Sistina would just have to create a kingdom for Phynis to rule.

  Chapter 1

  Ducking under the arm of the lumbering vine monster, Daniel brought his full strength to bear as he swung his sword at the creature’s torso in an attempt to cut it in half. The blade cut through several thick vines before slowing, then shuddered to a stop as it got stuck halfway into the monster. Cursing, Daniel almost instinctively let go of the hilt and rolled away as the gaping maw of the creature snapped downward at him, his heart racing as he bounced back to his feet.

  “Sloppy, Danny!” Darak called out lazily as the dwarf stood in the back next to Joseph, the two men watching their fight. “Those things are a damn sight slower than Penny is. You don’t have the strength or weapon to cut through it easily. You need to attack it where it’s weak, not right in its armor.”

  “You could help, you know!” Daniel retorted, weaving past the creature and grabbing his sword. Tearing it free with both hands, he fell back, keeping an eye out for any potential pitcher plants.

  “Hah! Nope, you all need the experience. This is the first room, get used to it.” Darak laughed, prompting a soft chuckle from the cleric next to him. Daniel didn’t waste his breath, instead replying with a rude gesture as he darted away from the monster, loo
king to see how the others were doing.

  Eileen and Sayla had teamed up against another of the big plant-monsters, and he glanced over just in time to see Sayla’s dagger cut a critical joint in one of the massive thing’s legs, toppling it onto the ground heavily. Eileen took the opportunity to take off one of its arms, and Daniel blinked in surprise, wondering how in the blazes she’d managed that with a shortsword. Meanwhile, Eric had just about dealt with the hanging plant that kept trying to grab him, his spear just barely giving him the reach to attack the massive bulb near the ceiling. What was it that Darak had called it, a devouring bulb? He hated the things after what they’d done to Sina, but a crossbow wasn’t much use in these close quarters. Reloading just took too long to be practical.

  “Look for thin spots,” Eileen called out, glancing at him. “Think of them as weak points in its armor! Most of the vines are there to keep you from cutting limbs off.”

  “Right. Thanks,” Daniel replied, focusing on his opponent for the moment and frowning. Thin spots, huh? Well, the joints were thinner, but the clumps forming them seemed thicker, too. Maybe just hit them several times? Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the fight again, mentally swearing about being in melee with a venomous bush.