Mage Page 11

She struggles to her feet and charges again. A flash of light leaves Jay's hand and the white healing spell spirals around Zara's chest. She takes a ragged breath and straightens, sword drawn, but the man switches his attention to Jay.

  Luka's arms draw back again as his spell gathers, hands pointing straight at Jay.

  “You will regret your choices.”

  The casting stops abruptly as the man's eyes widen in pain and a cry launches from his lips. Dean appears from the shadows, behind the man, grimacing as he twists the knife harder into his back.

  Blood spills from Luka’s mouth as he crumples to the floor, and Dean stares down, his bloodied hands trembling. Dean looks up and his eyes widen. "Dwarves!"

  Zara spins around as a dwarf flails with his sword and catches the edge of Jay's leg.

  Dean steps forward and calls out to the dwarf. He turns, the blade catching the edge of Dean’s arm. He shouts in pain and thrust his dagger forward. The blade slices down the dwarf’s arm, who howls in pain. Dean takes advantage of his distraction and plunges his bloodied dagger between the squat man’s ribs.

  One to go.

  Paralysed by the events I’m witnessing, I can’t summon the fire I need to. What if I miss? Screw this up and somebody dies? Jay steps back next to me, eyes darting from person to person.

  “El?” he asks.

  The dwarf’s eyes turn crimson and he launches himself at me with an axe; my self-preservation overrides the fear. I back up and throw a fireball at him, but the spell glances from his arm and hits the wall behind.

  He sneers at me as Dean steps behind him. I meet Dean’s eyes in horrific understanding as he slices the poor, homicidal dwarf across the neck, leaving a smiling gash across the skin.

  The body falls to the floor, blood seeping from his neck and pooling to mix with the other dwarf’s blood.

  My band chimes and text covers the screen:

  You have reached Level 6

  New ability: Fire Barrier

  Casts a Fire Barrier around you or an ally, absorbing 10% of damage caused. Enemies touching the barrier receive 10% health loss.

  With the relief comes doubt—I missed with my last spell. What if that happens again? Aidan pales as he looks down at the three corpses.

  "Shiiiit." He backs towards the wall. "Are we in a game? This feels like a game. This can't be real, but that blood is."

  "I'll explain later," I say, sharing the awareness of the others: did the noise from our skirmish attract others?

  I glance back at the man in the other cell, who hasn't moved. Is he dead too?

  “Sorry,” I mumble. “I missed.”

  Dean wipes a bloodied hand across his tunic. “They’re dead. That’s the main thing.”

  “But you guys are naturals…”

  “Practice,” says Jay. “Kill more.”

  "Everyone okay?" asks Zara, looking up from where she rummages through a corpse’s pockets. "Grab what we can and keep going."

  "I need a moment," I say. The shaking that began in my arms travels through my body.

  "Dude, we can't stop," she says, shoving gold pieces into her backpack.

  "Who put you in charge?" I snap, stress breaking my usual politeness. "If we move on now, unprepared, we risk screwing up."

  "Somebody has to be in charge," she says.

  I spend my life told what to do, doubting myself, backing down from people like her. I'm not bringing that person to the game. "Teamwork works best."

  "She's right," adds Dean. "I don't know what your problem is, but I don't like being yelled at either."

  Aidan watches us silently, eyes distant. Hell, if my first experience of the game was mid-dungeon crawl, I'd stand in shock too.

  Zara straightens and holds her shield closer. "I’m running out of time and I want to level and move on. Don't you? I can take the monsters on easily, if you help."

  "Bloody paladins," mutters Jay.

  "I bet you were the same online, Jay," I say. "I can picture you as a champion in your Mythical gear, shouting at the group. Kind of a coincidence you're playing the class you hate?"

  "Maybe."

  "I'm usually a healer because I'm scared my damage output will let the group down when I join them for dungeons. I like to quest solo, and the ability to heal myself helps," I admit. "This 'glass cannon' mage class wasn't the best outcome for me either."

  "Omigod!" cries Zara. "That's why you both suck. You can't play the roles you've been given. Damon was right to leave."

  "Excuse me? I saved your backside,” snaps Jay.

  “That’s unfair, Zara,” says Dean.

  "Guys, you’re doing okay," says Aidan in a soft voice. "Thank you for helping me. Can you tell me what we need to do? What's the quest? Who's the boss?"

  Zara mutters under her breath as I give Aidan a brief rundown.

  "We need to check the dwarves' bodies for loot," I say. "Aidan's in level 1 gear."

  One eye on the door, we rifle the dwarves’ clothes for something to give Aidan more power.

  Cloak of Dark Omens

  + 10 Health points

  + 5 Wisdom

  “Perfect.” I say, then look to Jay. “Are you okay if we give this to Aidan?”

  He shrugs. “He needs something better than his level 1 armour. Besides…” He points to his hat. “I have this.”

  “I noticed the hats,” says Aidan as he swings the long red cloak across. “Nice look.”

  Zara chuckles to herself and examines a ring. “Awesome. Extra health points for me too.” She picks up a necklace with a green pendant. “Jay—something that adds power to your healing spells.”

  We divide the gold equally, and I avert my eyes from the corpses on the floor, letting the others do the looting.

  "The main guy we need to take down. He's human. Is he a caster?" Zara asks me. "Were you told?"

  I nod. “Yes. He’s a powerful magic user.”

  "Okay. That’s easier than a dude with a sword and huge-ass muscles. I can smack him a few times to keep his attention while you hit him with spells. Be careful, Dean, in case he has something that could hurt you. You're weaker but need to get up close.”

  "Good point."

  "He probably can’t heal himself," says Dean. "But I bet he has a ton of bodyguards between us and him."

  "And the stone is in his room," I say. "Reuben wasn't specific about where, but he said we should find it easily."

  The door opens to another corridor; the further we move down in the catacombs, the danker and colder the surroundings become. With no lamps to light the way, and an uneven floor, we trip into each other. Light shines through a door ten or so metres away.

  "Holy shit!" yells Zara. "What the fuck?"

  This girl has the foulest mouth I've come across, and that's saying something.

  "What's—Oh!" Hard bone circles my ankle, the ground moves beneath my feet. I peer down through the darkness and make out skeletal hand shapes curling around my ankles.

  Dean crashes to the ground in front of me, more skeletal hands grasping at him, covering his face and mouth. He flails arms around, hacking at the bone with his knife. The blade is little use, and his yell is strangled by hands invading his mouth too.

  Risen Brethren

  Undead

  Level 12

  Aggressive

  Chapter Twenty

  "I can't move!" Zara slashes at the hands around her, each time she pulls a foot from the grasp on one hand, another appears.

  Hands try to pull me over too, and I steady myself on Jay's shoulder.

  Instinctively, I cast my new spell, with no time to worry whether I’ll fail or succeed. I focus on Dean, surprised how readily barrier erupts around to protect him. Without the overthinking, the fire spell feels inherent, the way Reuben assured me it would be.

  "Should've used that on the healer," says Zara.

  "I can conjure more than one," I retort. Flames surround Jay, then Zara and finally me. The bones release my legs as the heat scorches them.
>
  "Run!" I shout and plough forward. "I don't know how long the barrier lasts.”

  Nobody needs telling twice, and our footsteps crunch across the skeletal remains resurrecting around us. One ahead lurches upright and I blast it, another in front of Zara loses its skull as Zara swings her sword. Shield up, she ploughs through the rising skeletons, knocking them to one side. Jay runs between us; Dean stealthed behind.

  We slam open the door and step into a wide chamber. The stone ceiling stretches higher than the claustrophobic caverns and tunnels we’ve encountered already. Words in a language I don't understand are scrawled across every inch of space—floor, walls, and ceiling. Amongst the red lettering, symbols glow in white.

  “I hope that’s not blood,” says Aidan. “I’ve seen enough blood.”

  “I so enjoy greeting unexpected guests,” crows a voice, and a man steps from the corner of the room.

  The text describing him glows bright red instead of the usual blue.

  Terwyn

  High Mage

  Level 50

  Extremely Aggressive

  The hem of my robe scorches and I step back, batting at the flame beginning. Dean leans down and rips the corner, tearing the material and tossing a patch to one side.

  “How do we get past that?” asks Jay.

  “Fire barrier. Zara.” I cast one around her and she grins at me. Giving me the thumbs up, she plunges through the wall of flames.

  Beyond the fire, I make out Zara’s body and shield hit Terwyn. He yells out and the fire wall drops.

  Dean steps into the shadows and we begin our assault.

  Each time Terwyn attempts to cast a spell, Zara interrupts with an attack, allowing myself and Jay to cast the spells we need. My chest tightens in fear at how many of my fireballs he swats to one side, despite my accuracy. But how can I expect different against an enemy this level?

  The synergy between the four of us surprises me—a shell-shocked Aidan does nothing but stand and watch. He must have a spell to use, but I can't blame him. He’s been thrust into the game at a later point. His starting enemies aren’t spiders in the woods.

  My confidence this fight is easier than I thought evaporates when Terwyn throws Zara several metres backwards, and she slams into a wall. The thud sickens me and her body crumples. She lays still. My heart leaps into my mouth, and Jay rushes over. He crouches down and runs his hands across her face, holding her cheeks.

  Dean’s flung to one side, hitting the ground, but pulls himself upright.

  Terwyn chants words in a harsh tone. A bony hand grabs Dean’s ankle and yanks him downwards. I stare in horror as skeletons crawl through the stone and pull themselves upright.

  More Risen Brethren, but these are taller. Higher level with a deep, red light flashing inside their empty sockets. Aidan steps backwards and hides behind the pillar Terwyn emerged from.

  We cut through a swathe of them with magic and force, while Terwyn stands back and laughs, his army of undead surrounding and protecting him. Bones clatter to the floor as each goes down, but the larger ones are harder to kill.

  Zara manages to break through and almost reaches Terwyn. A Risen curls a skeletal hand around her throat and lifts Zara.

  "Why is your mate standing doing nothing?" yells Jay.

  She claws at the tightening grip around her neck and makes a stomach-churning choking sound.

  I attempt to summon another spell but my band flashes red: magic energy low. I glance at Jay, who struggles to create a healing spell for the choking Zara.

  "I can’t..." mumbles Aidan. “I need to.” He's interrupted as a purple light flashes into the room, blinding us all, and I cover my eyes with one arm. There's a thud, and complaint from Zara as the Risen drops her to the ground.

  "Holy shitballs," breathes out Jay. “What has Terwyn conjured now?”

  A tall demon—purple skin, two curled horns sprouting from his head, claws, the whole nine yards—strides forwards, hands outstretched. Black mist circles his outstretched hands and for the first time, fear crosses Jay's face. The black mist surrounds the demon, obliterating Aidan from view.

  “I don't think it was Terwyn,” says Dean as the demon hurls himself at Terwyn. “There’s no indication what it is.” He waves his wristband at me.

  The black mist engulfs them both and Terwyn’s cries bounce from the chamber walls, the glowing runes around fading with each shout.

  We stand back and watch in horror as Terwyn’s body shrinks in size, skin ravaged by claw marks from the demon. His body flattens, as if the demon sucked the life from within and an indistinguishable mess fills the fine robes.

  I sink to the floor, shaking, and finally take a good look at the demon who joined our party. "Did Aidan summon that?"

  Jay shakes his head. "That is Aidan."

  No. Fucking Way. “Aidan?” I whisper.

  The demonic Aidan backs away as the black cloud dissipates. He stares down at his clawed hands, turning them over, green eyes shining as he examines them.

  “Is he okay?” I ask.

  “He’s a demon. Probably not okay,” replies Zara.

  The four of us watch warily. He wouldn't attack us, would he?

  Aidan-Demon backs away and sinks to the floor onto his knees. He bends over and takes hold of his horns, still silent. I’m torn between walking over to see if he’s alright, and self-preservation. Approaching a demon might not be a good move, however long I’ve known him.

  Zara’s face is pale and streaked by blood, her thin chainmail armour torn on the arms. Blonde hair has been dragged from her plait by the fight and she’s trying to hide her shaking hands beneath her arms. Jay stares, unblinking, in silence at Aidan for a few moments before turning away from us. He avoids our eyes, and shifts his focus to searching the room.

  This is crazy. Every single part.

  I crouch down and take slow, deep breaths, aware I’m hyperventilating. “The Artefact?” I manage to say. “Is it here?”

  Dean stands up and pokes Terwyn with his toe. “I checked his pockets. He didn't have the stone on him.” His voice is quieter and hoarser than usual and as he turns to me I recognise the mixture of disbelief and fear we all share.

  "Nothing here, either," calls Jay as he rummages through multiple wooden and metal chests and boxes strewn around the room.

  "Or here. Some nice gear, though." Zara, ever the loot-lover, has sorted items into piles on the floor.

  "It has to be somewhere." I pull myself to my unsteady feet and place a hand on the cool cavern wall.

  “I don't want to hang around until his mates arrive.” Zara starts throwing things from the chests and dirty clothes, books, and food fly over her shoulder. “Does this stone look like the one you found at the zombie’s house?”

  “I don't know.”

  She mutters something beneath her breath, and we continue our search.

  “What’s this?” Jay holds a book in his hand he’s taken from a high shelf, but looks upwards. “Something was hidden behind this, on the shelf.”

  I walk over, and Jay hands me the book before pulling a chain from the shelf. A stone, similar to the one I took to Reuben, is attached by wire wrapped around it.

  I rest my fingers on the stone and a symbol appears, the circle scored by lines. The symbol is different to the last, and I glance up at the others.

  "I've seen this somewhere else." Dean takes hold. "A logo."

  “I think I might’ve seen this too.” The mark doesn't belong here, not in this game. I can’t decipher what the pattern is. Stylised letters. A or D. Maybe S. I peer closer. F.

  This is from the world I live in, I'm sure. Dean confirmed that. What's worse? The fact this world connects to my own and the people and creatures I meet are real? Or that I'm murdering them?

  Or that I'm trapped somewhere that exists in a reality that I could genuinely die in.

  I look back to Aidan, no longer a demon, huddled in a corner with hands wrapped around his legs, staring into space a
nd shaking.

  Yeah, I think if I'd transformed into a demon, I'd be terrified too.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The trip back to the town takes place in exhausted quiet. Aidan's mute, and even Zara's quiet. Blood, some black, some red, covers Dean and Zara. We slather ourselves in healing salve, silently passing the pot around with muttered thanks.

  A portal shimmers up ahead, in a different place to where we arrived, and when I step through, I'm in my room in the Academy and alone. My wristband already announced I’m to meet with Reuben.

  Cleaned up and mind still turning over everything that happened in the last few hours, I'm summoned to Reuben again.

  Reuben awaits me in his rooms and the blue book rests on the table in front of him, open to a page with my name inscribed at the top.

  "Ah! Eleanor. I'm pleased to see you back here safely."

  I nod, unsure as always whether to bow, and stay quiet about the full events. I place the Artefact on the table.

  Quest Complete

  You receive: the Talisman of The Five

  Allows you to unlock a new specialisation at level 20

  Each successful spell you cast will add magic energy to the stone which can be saved for emergencies.

  + 10 wisdom

  "Superb.” Reuben claps his hands together and pushes the stone back across the table at me. “Take this. You have proved that you can take your first step along the temporal magic path.”

  The Artefact? Whoa. “I’m okay, by the way,” I mumble. “Thanks for asking.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Nothing. I’m tired. That was a difficult quest.”

  “As I warned you. Did you find adventurers to join you?”

  “More than I wanted.” I pick up the stone and run my finger along the strange marks. “I found a friend in a cell. Do you know how he got there?”

  “I do not. He must be an enemy of the Kingdom. Who is your friend?”

  “Aidan. He’s a warlock.”

  Reuben pulls a face. “I do not deal with his sort. Don't trust him.”

  I arch a brow. “Aidan? I’ve known him my whole life and—” I pause at Reuben’s growing look of horror. “Somebody met us at the town gates and took Aidan away.”