Alexa Drey- Hero Hunting

by Ember Lane

  “Not a craft,” she said, looking at me over the orderly pile of rocks. “The line between crafting and magic is blurred, but essentially crafting is the art of changing to make. So, if you take a piece of, say, hide and make a pair of gloves its…”

  “Crafting, yes, I see that.”

  She smiled. “And if we make these rocks red with heat, what is it, as we’ve technically made a fire?”

  “Magic,” I said, nodding so as to reinforce my answer.

  “Why?”

  “Because we haven’t altered the rock permanently.”

  “Exactly that. What would healing be? That is the question I would ask you.”

  Cathelina has granted you the spell Red Hot Coals. Red Hot Coals enables you to heat rocks up and then feed them mana to keep them warm. Cost = 15 mana/min. Minimum cost 150 mana.

  I saw the spell settle within my Earth Magic and picked it straight out, subconsciously digesting its instruction. Wanting to carry on talking to Cathelina, but realizing this was a test of sorts, I began concentrating on the pile of stones. I felt their coldness, their dry core, and could see no warmth within them. I dribbled in some mana, trying to blend it with the rock, trying to coax the rocks to warm up. Then an odd thing happened. The spell actually scolded me, altered its channel and bent my will to its way, and it threw my mana into the pile of rock, a good portion of my entire pool, agitating it, spinning it around, pushing it from one rock to the next until they all glowed dusty red, and I felt the heat on my face.

  “A strange spell and another magic way that neither Cronis nor Shylan like. Those two are far too precious about their mana pools—or lakes, if a comparison to yours is needed. It is a spell that needs a boost of mana, which then dissipates over time.”

  Mezzerain grunted. “I’m used to them.”

  Cathelina stared at him, and then nodded. “Damage over Time works in a similar fashion, as does Heal over Time, though the initial price is not quite as steep as the body just needs nudging to heal itself.”

  The chill began to ease, and though not warm, the cave became bearable. “Why are there so many types of magic?” I asked.

  “Why are there so many languages, races, even ways to cook a broth? Everything grows how it wishes, and magic is no different. I can see by your stats that yours is yet another concoction of differing disciplines. Just add in the entirely pathetic magic of Shyantium, and you’ve probably got a little bit of all of them.”

  “Pathetic?” Sedge said. “That curse looked pretty impressive, and the banshees were awesome.”

  “That wizard was a level 51 before I started draining him—trust me, for that level, it was mediocre.”

  “I’ll consider myself told,” Sedge said, with his usual grin on his face. “So, Groarg, what are they, mountain goats?”

  Cathelina burst out laughing. “Close,” she said, but said no more.

  Sedge opened his sack and brought out a metal tripod, a bowl, and a water bottle, and placed it over the stones, pouring in some of the water and then tossing in a string of meat chunks, green leaves, what looked like a squash, and a few things I didn’t recognize. He took out a ladle and a couple of bowls. Winking at me he said, “Always be prepared.”

  It confirmed my thoughts that he was probably military, something I decided must be personal as he hadn’t mentioned anything about it. The broth was little more than a few spoons of watery soup with the odd chunk of tough meat, but it filled a hole. The conversation petered out, and my eyes grew heavy. One by one our wakefulness faded, and we each found a spot to stretch out and soon slept.

  Dreams evaded me despite the ominous feeling I’d had the afternoon before. My sleep was a canvas of black, a deep sucking darkness, a void, and though when I awoke I felt refreshed by it, I immediately wondered whether the blankness of my sleep was some kind of vision. Was this bleakness the future that ShadowDancer wanted for this world? Shaking my head, I tried to rinse that thought away. Why question a good night’s sleep. Cathelina was watching me, and then I noticed everyone else was still asleep. She raised her finger to her lips and rose, creeping to the back of the cave. I followed her as she ducked out of sight and then saw she was walking along a narrow passageway that led to a door.

  “Where—”

  She turned and shushed me, opening the door and bidding me through. Inside, an oval-shaped room was shelved from top to bottom with numerous tomes, books, and scripts. A similarly shaped table took up the center with two chairs tucked under. Light spread from a small stone in the table’s middle.

  “Sit,” she said, and turned, running her fingers along the books’ spines. “This is where I read. This is where I try and understand the lore of the land, but I have yet to comprehend much of it.”

  I sat at the table. “Won’t the others…”

  She let out a small giggle. “No they won’t. They will sleep on soundly.”

  “You didn’t?”

  “Sleep over Time—it’s a fun spell. You want it?”

  I did, I wanted that…so much…

  “Well, only if…”

  Cathelina has granted you the spell Sleep over Time. This spell can only be used on people or animals that are already dozing and induces a deeper sleep. Cost 50 mana per cast, plus 10 per hour per being thereafter.

  “So you can’t just magic someone asleep if they’re attacking you?”

  “That would be too easy.”

  Cathelina turned, a large ruby-red book in her hand. She opened it and placed it carefully on the table—The Lore of the Shaman. “This great tome explains their magic in great detail. It is a book that was lost to time, but not to me, and rightly or wrongly, I kept it locked away. Yet, it is also a magic that cannot be performed without their tree. The tree is the mana channel—the conduit—but that tree has been placed in you already, and that is the key. As I said, without it their magic is ineffective. Are you aware there are several branches to that tree?”

  “Several?”

  “The way of the shaman is a complex one. Healing was but one aspect of their lore.”

  “What were the others?”

  “There are three essentials in any battle. You must know how to attack and when to defend, and after you must heal. These are the pillars of shaman philosophy. They would attack a demon to trap it while defending their souls from damnation. Once the beast was captured, they would heal its yearning soul to bind it to the dungeon, though not only demons, other things of course. Dungeons were a mere sideline for the shaman—and a very profitable one. Their main focus was keeping the demons and imps where they should be. Since the shaman left us, the land has been in turmoil.”

  “Krakus is back now,” I said, and I told her all about Krakus. “Perhaps the shaman will rise again.”

  She appeared to digest it all, and at first her face paled, but she soon regained her composure. “Maybe, but the two people who cured him are no longer with him. How will he heal his race without your random magic?”

  “So, I should have stayed with him?”

  Cathelina shrugged. “Only time will tell. Now, I’ve studied this magic.” She leafed through the book. “For an age, and I wonder…”

  “Wonder what?”

  “If I can add the other magic to your tree. Alexa, I saw what you did with your healing as you ventured up the valley. You cast charms without hardly thinking. That is rare. The reason the caster has a protector is that the casting takes all their focus, not so with you. You have infinite levels of magic, presently limited only by your paltry mana pool. If its all the same with you, I’d like to try.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re going to Shyantium, and that is a cesspool of corruption. You’ve no magical defense, and no attack. How are you going to survive?”

  “I…” I had nothing. I really hadn’t thought that far ahead, but remembered trying to suck Graydoor’s mana away and failing miserably—only saved by Sedge’s stiletto knife.

  “Graydoor put up some form of magical for
ce field to stop my magic getting through.”

  “That’s what you need. Now, do you want to try?”

  “What could go wrong?”

  “You could lose everything.”

  I nodded but felt nervous. Was it worth it? I had healing, but… I knew the answer. Attack, defense, I needed both of those. Biting my lip, I nodded again. “Do it.”

  For the first time since I’d met her, Cathelina appeared unsure of herself. Her hands were shaking, and her lip was trembling. She took several long breaths, trying to compose herself. Shutting her eyes, she murmured some mantra that I couldn’t make out, and the air in the tiny chamber chilled. The door clicked shut. Then she opened her eyes and looked at me—they were afire with glowing emerald, and I knew she’d gathered her power.

  She reached over the table, lifting my chin with her outstretched finger. Looking deeply into me, she searched out my magic, my spell casting, and my healing tree. I felt a gentle tugging, and she teased the tree away from my stat sheet. I felt a huge void and knew my healing spells had vanished. I wanted to shout out, to tell her to stop, but her eyes held me, and her slight nods reassured me. She began whispering some inaudible words. At first I thought it a language I couldn’t understand but knew that was unlikely with Greman’s gift of Tongues of Time. Soon though, I heard it for what it was—the language of the demon, mixed with that of the shaman. It was the throaty, rocky wail of the graveling.

  I felt the healing tree reappear, this time on a different sheet, in a different place in my mind. At its head, my magic skill and spell casting took pride of place, and under them were now three trees: Healing, Defense, Attack, and under the healing one, the skills I’d already had. It was at that point I finally grasped the true difference of the shaman spells over others. Something so obvious, I was ashamed I’d missed it especially as it was so clear. I felt like smacking myself on the head. But it wasn’t that I hadn’t recognized how awesome the shaman spells were, it was that I hadn’t appreciated how linear Shylan’s were.

  The spells Shylan had taught me were just that—spells. If I wanted to cast a more powerful spell then I had to increase either the magic skill or spell casting, and as I did, it would cost more mana—so it was a linear spell, if you like. The way of the shaman was different. Each spell had similar traits to a skill. Each spell could be developed, increased in power, and meant I could work on the intensity of it specifically.

  I cleared my mind and accepted Cathelina’s meddling.

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you Defense. Defense is a branch of your magical tree.

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you Attack. Attack is a branch of your magical tree.

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you the Attack Subskill: Flame of the Demon. This spell engulfs your opponent in a maelstrom of blistering heat that will break even the strongest caster’s concentration. (Damage proportional to skill level)

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you the Attack Subskill: Fork of Lightning. This subskill can render numerous attackers immobile, the force of the lightning running through their bodies destroys their nervous system. (Damage proportional to skill level. Number of victims that can be targeted is equal to the skill level)

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you the Defensive Subskill: Stone Mirror. This spell turns the surface in front of you into a slippery stone. (Effectiveness proportional to skill level. Area affected proportional to skill level. Duration proportional to skill level)

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you the Defensive skill: Zombie Claws. This spell will turn the ground before you into a writhing mass of roots that will trap your opponents and hold them fast. (Effective time proportional to skill level. Number of victims that can be held is equal to the skill level)

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you the Defensive Subskill: Arcane Shield. This rare type of magical shield leeches a percentage of the caster’s mana and traps it within the shield itself. With each attack the shield grows stronger. Mana trapped must be matched by your own mana else the shield will fail and the mana will be drawn back to the caster. (Strength equal to casting ability. Duration equal to mana availability. Cost linked to level)

  Congratulations! Cathelina has granted you the Attack Subskill: Quazede’s Trident. This spell causes a spear of magic to lance out at your opponent. The spear can split to attack many opponents or remain as one. Power = Casting power/no of bolts. (Casting power proportional to skill level. Number of victims that can be targeted is equal to the skill level)

  I blinked, and it was done.

  Magic Tree

  Magic: (7, 86, 0, ∞), Spell Casting (6, 95, 0, ∞)

  Mana pool available: 260

  Shadow Mana capacity: 750

  Healing branch: Level 5

  Subskill – Poultices and potions: (6, 44, 24)

  Subskill – Heal over Time: (5,8,10)

  Subskill – Group Heal: (5,85,10)

  Subskill – Solid soul: (4,0,10)

  Subskill – Mana Drain: (5,23,10)

  Subskill – Mana Transfer: (4,0,10)

  Subskill – Stitch and Stem: (6,10,10)

  Defensive branch: Level 1

  Subskill – Stone Mirror: (1, 0, 50)

  Subskill – Arcane Shield: (1,0,100)

  Subskill – Zombie Claws: (1,0,30)

  Attack branch: Level 1

  Subskill – Flame of Demon: (1, 0, 25)

  Subskill – Fork of Lightning: (1,0,60)

  Subskill – Quazede’s Trident: (1,0,50)

  Cathelina’s head lolled to one side, and her pupils rolled into the back of their sockets, their emerald glow fading. She slumped forward toward the table, but caught herself, and scrunched her eyes up. She stretched her arms and then clasped them in front of her. Then the pages in the book started to turn, one after the other, flashing past until the book slammed shut, bouncing on the table with the force of it. Cathelina jerked backward, and I felt a spear of thought pierce my mind, opening a forgotten thought.

  In my mind’s eye, I saw the demon Quazede, saw his fearsome self towering over me, his lizard-like tongue darting toward me, surrounding my heart and squeezing it between its forked tip. The secret Quazede had planted burst forth from the shadows of my memory, and a new notification blinked in my mind’s eye.

  Congratulations! You have been awarded the Tree Branch: Stealth.

  Congratulations! You have been awarded the Stealth Subskill: Acquire. This spell enables you to steal spells from others. Note: You can only acquire a spell that isn’t being used. You must be in the same room as your victim. Your ability to acquire any spell is linked to your Stealth and Pickpocketing skills. The level of the victim is irrelevant. Any spell acquired will be added to your magic tree as though it were a shamanic subskill.

  Stealth branch: Level 1

  Subskill – Acquire: (1, 0, 50)

  Cathelina lofted her eyebrows. “Now that looks like a subskill worth leveling.”

  22

  Not My First Magician

  Just as I sat, Mezzerain pulled me up. “I don’t want to know,” he said. “I don’t care, and we’ve still got to keep leveling you up regardless of where we are, what birds look down from the sky, and how much of a hurry we’re in. Sedge will cook up some food while we spar.”

  Star shrugged, Glenwyth grinned, and Sedge filled his pot. I really didn’t want to tell Mezzerain that I had a whole bunch of spell skills to level as well. Then it struck me—I could level them as I fought him. Cathelina had told me how she’d watched me cast and fight at the same time. A devious thought crossed my mind. I might even land a blow on him, might just take him unawares.

  “Let’s go,” I said, striding toward the cave’s entrance and drawing its flap aside.

  Cold wind buffeted me right away. There was no sign of the bird in the cloudy sky and for that I was thankful. The rocky ravine fell away to the sheer face, and offered no obvious place to fight. I took my staff out as that was the weapon we u
sually started with and turned to face Mezzerain.

  “Is it okay if I cast spells as we fight?”

  “But I’m not injured.”

  “I think it’s just the casting that levels the spell, so I don’t think that overly matters.” I grinned my sweetest grin.

  “Go fer your life.” He drew his own staff from his sack.

  Of the seven healing subskills, only Heal over Time, Solid Soul, and Mana Drain/Transfer could apply to one-on-one combat. The attack subskills were clearly out of the question—I didn’t want to hurt him even if I could heal him after. The defensive ones though…

  I cast Solid Soul, and he rolled his eyes as if to mock the thought that his resolve needed fortifying. I lunged forward, testing him with a left-arc feint. Mezzerain immediately blocked it but pulled out when he saw mine was a bluff and brought the other end of his staff up toward my groin. I blocked that, skipped back, and cast Stone Mirror just in front of him.

  As Mezzerain stepped forward to strike, he hesitated, and a grin crossed his lips. “Nicely done.” He pointed and looked down. A square foot of rock had transformed into a tile of shining, gray glass. “Perhaps the skill is in the hiding of it.” He danced around it, bringing his staff up and down in a blur, cracking me right on my shoulder.

  My knees buckled, but I cast Heal over Time on myself, and rolled to avoid his next strike. As I came up on my knees, I cast Zombie Claws and saw a feeble root leach out of the scree and try to grasp at his feet. He danced away again.