《Stolen by the System》


 Chapter 1, Volume 1

    ¡°You coming tonight?¡± Nathan asked, in that innocently cheery way he always did.


    Ted forced out a smile that committed to nothing. It didn¡¯t get any easier, no matter how many times they asked. At least, not to answer the right way, the only way he ever could. ¡°Not tonight. You guys go ahead.¡±


    Nathan¡¯s eyes narrowed. Even under the dim street lighting, his disbelief was obvious. ¡°Come on, man. None of us even need to sneak in anymore!¡±


    Tightness gnawed at Ted¡¯s insides. Why wouldn¡¯t Nathan let it go already?


    Were they starting to realize? Surely some of them had worked it out. Ted didn¡¯t wear dirt-cheap clothes that fell apart¡ªreplacing them frequently was a luxury he couldn¡¯t afford¡ªbut he didn¡¯t have their revolving designer wardrobe either. Nor the money to burn on booze, or the time to waste doing so.


    The lie that it would be alright tugged at his chest. He bit his lip. Would it really be so bad if he called in sick and enjoyed himself for one evening? Hadn¡¯t he earned a nice, relaxing drink or two, just this once?


    He swallowed hard. Was this the same pull his mother felt? The one she could never quite break free from, leaving her oscillating between drowning and gasping for air?


    No. No, he wouldn¡¯t wallow in her misery, not when pulling free was within his grasp. Weakness was another luxury he couldn¡¯t afford, not even for a second.


    Not yet. Not until he¡¯d made it.


    If he stumbled, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone to bail him out. Never had been, never would be. It was cleaner that way. No illusions.


    Nathan shuffled closer. His voice dropped to a whisper. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to buy anything all night. We¡¯d cover you, man.¡± His skittish glances over his shoulder at his impatient friends made it so much worse, as if Ted being broke was something to be ashamed of.


    Ted shook his head. He¡¯d earned his place off his own back. He didn¡¯t need charity. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.


    Did he even care? Maybe. Or maybe he just thought he did, one of those little lies that made everything a bit more tolerable. It wouldn¡¯t matter in a few months, anyway.


    Nathan threw up his arms in defeat. ¡°Alright. But you should come sometime.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± They both knew he didn¡¯t mean it.


    Nathan shuffled his feet and slunk away, hunched over like he wasn¡¯t going to forget all about Ted five minutes¡ªif that¡ªinto his night out.


    Were they friends? A frown pulled at Ted¡¯s brow. It would be easier if they weren¡¯t. The next step in the plan was already lined up¡ªa job on the West Coast, one that paid the kind of money that made his warehouse night shifts look like the peanuts that it was.


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but admire Nathan¡¯s determination. Ted knew he wasn¡¯t an easy man to spend time with, yet the guy kept trying. Maybe this was his version of a struggle. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d had to overcome anything real his entire life.


    That crushing ball of tightness flared up in Ted¡¯s chest again. Everything he¡¯d worked so hard for they got handed on a silver platter. While they drank themselves silly, he¡¯d be working his ass off. Eight hours on his feet, doing whatever the PDA strapped to his wrist told him. None of them would ever understand.


    Whatever pays the bills.


    Autopilot carried Ted through the back alleys, past rusted fire escapes and the same broken liquor bottles he saw every day. Nothing new here, there never was¡ªnot that anyone would want to see, anyway.


    An icy chill bit at his face and ears. He picked up the pace and zipped up his leather jacket, glad the latest repair had held. Winter wasn¡¯t quite done yet.


    Shadows filled the grim, urban jungle. The street lamps, those that worked, barely illuminated even themselves. It was a rough neighborhood. The kind where a mugger could be in any of the ample shadows, ready and waiting to strike.


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    Adrenaline coursed through Ted¡¯s veins, crying out for someone to try it. Every flicker in the shadows was a promise, the possibility of something happening.


    Did other people do that? He bit at his lip. A psychiatrist would probably have a field day with him. Not that he wanted one, or could afford one if he had. No, too busy working night and day to get a shot at what other people had handed to them and didn¡¯t even have the decency to appreciate.


    It was easy to be mad at his mother. But Dad? Ted growled and picked up the pace, his nails biting into his palms, wishing he had something, anything, to punch.


    He checked his phone, its overly bright screen highlighting the hairline crack across the bottom as it screamed the time at him. It was fine. His teeth clenched together and he shoved the phone back into his pocket. Even with that heart-to-heart with Nathan, he still had time to make his shift.


    What was that? His gaze shot up, darting after the rustle.


    A brick wall, graffitied. Nothing else. Whatever had moved was gone, a shadow passing through the night.


    Ted forced out a laugh. Maybe there was a mugger. Maybe this was it.


    Maybe he should have gone for that drink after all.


    Metal clattered behind him. He spun around, and the darkness fled in the corner of his vision again. There it was, the source of the commotion¡ªa chain-link fence clattering in the wind.


    Except there was no wind.


    A chill raced through his body. His jaw clenched and he fell completely silent, still as the dead. This was serious. Every one of his senses fired into overdrive, delivering their reports with frantic haste.


    A police siren wailing in the distance. The scent of urine splashed against the wall. The urban mess of discarded cigarette butts and water-logged cardboard. All those things he tried so hard to ignore, now reassuringly familiar.


    But something had to have made that noise. Ted¡¯s eyebrows drew into a frown. He couldn¡¯t have imagined it. Could he?


    Darkness flashed again, just inside his vision, and a chill ran down his spine.


    No. He wasn¡¯t going crazy.


    He pressed his lips together and swallowed. For once in his life, that certainty was anything but reassuring. Whoever¡ªor whatever¡ªwas out there, it was stealthy, and it was fast.


    Why, oh why, hadn¡¯t he hit the gym when he had the chance? A knot twisted in his chest. The cost-benefit analysis hadn¡¯t worked out. Too much money, too much time, not enough benefit. At least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d thought.


    He wasn¡¯t out of shape, but he wasn¡¯t in peak physical condition either. It didn¡¯t matter¡ªit was too late to do anything about that. All that mattered now was survival.


    Adrenaline spiked through him, giving him a burst of speed as he dashed down the alleyway. He wasn¡¯t going to end up shanked in some grim alley. He had plans, and that wasn¡¯t it.


    He stole a glance over his shoulder, and the shadow slithered across the edge of his vision, slinking away before his eyes could settle upon it. Calling it a shadow didn¡¯t do it justice¡ªit was a void that sucked the light right out of the surrounding air.


    He shook his head. Light didn¡¯t work that way¡ªdarkness was merely the absence of photons¡ªbut that didn¡¯t change what he saw.


    What the hell was chasing him?


    His footsteps thundered against the concrete. Another glance over his shoulder. Nothing there. Had he lost it?


    His lungs burned. Every muscle in his legs begged and screamed for him to stop.


    Not yet. He had to be sure.


    Whatever was chasing him sent icy stabs into his chest. Metaphorical stabs¡ªand he planned to keep it that way.


    Just a little further, he pleaded to his legs. He promised to take better care of his body in the future. He¡¯d even reconsider joining the gym.


    Assuming he had a future. It was a rough neighborhood, the kind where a mugging gone wrong wouldn¡¯t even make the headlines. He didn¡¯t need to imagine what his obituary might say.


    A bit of a loner, his friend Nathan last saw him refusing to come out for a drink, just like the last 20 times he¡¯d been asked. ¡°If he¡¯d come for a drink, just one drink, he¡¯d still be alive.¡±


    Even running for his life, Ted snorted. It would be an ironic death, at least.


    Another glance over his shoulder. Still nothing there.


    His heart screamed and threatened to explode. This would have to be enough.


    He dived down a narrow street. The dim orange glow of the streetlights had never been such a welcome sight, even the one that flickered. Like the greeting of an old friend¡ªnot really wanted, but better than the alternative.


    Another light flickered. And another, and another, and another. Every light down the entire street flickered, their reassurance turning to menace as they flashed faster and faster.


    Their strobing light illuminated¡ªor rather, didn¡¯t¡ªpockets of darkness, fleeting shadows growing in number. The hairs down Ted¡¯s arms tingled, and a weight crushed down upon his chest.


    Bent over, panting furiously, he tried to still his racing mind. What the hell had he done to deserve this?


    The shadows swirled around him, completely surrounding him. He couldn¡¯t hide from it, couldn¡¯t outrun it. No, there was only one option left.


    His fists balled up, and he dropped into a wide, stable stance, as if that would help against a physical impossibility. Suppressed rage surged to the surface, frantically searching for something to hit.


    ¡°Come and get me!¡±


    The bellowed words died unceremoniously in the icy air.


    As you wish. The thought forced its way into his head, fully formed and not his own.


    Ted¡¯s eyes bulged and his jaw fell open, but it was too late to say anything. The ring of darkness collapsed and blackness beyond black consumed him.


    Another sentence pushed its way to the forefront of his mind. It was warmer than the previous intrusion, more internal, almost like seeing for the first time.


    Quest received: Save your father, save the world.

 Chapter 2, Volume 1

    I¡¯m so fired.


    Scattered thoughts struggled together into a semblance of consciousness, and Ted found himself laid out on his back with blades of grass prickling against his neck.


    Definitely not at work. On the plus side, all his limbs were still attached, reporting in with a mixture of dull pain and exhaustion.


    His eyes begged to stay shut just a little while longer. If only. He took a pained breath and forced them open.


    Blinding light flooded in, assailing his senses. He squeezed his eyes shut again, too late to stop his temples igniting with pounding agony. At least he wasn¡¯t dead.


    Where was he? The damp, springy ground beneath his back felt like grass, but that couldn¡¯t be true. The air tasted fresh and earthy, full with the scent of decomposing leaves and wood instead of discarded couches and beer bottles.


    None of it made sense. Either he was losing it, or something very weird was going on.


    Let¡¯s go for the latter for now, huh?


    There had to be a rational explanation. If he approached it with an open mind and the scientific method, all would be revealed. He opened his eyes a sliver at a time, giving them time to adjust.


    Staring up at the sky, he had to wonder¡ªwas it him, or was the sky a few shades too orange?


    No, that had to be a perfectly normal orange-tinged sky. A trick of the light. How often did he really look up, anyway? His gut clenched. It didn¡¯t sit right, but what was the alternative? That this wasn¡¯t his sky? That was impossible.


    Ted frowned. There weren¡¯t trees like these anywhere nearby, either. At least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d thought. The evidence before his eyes said otherwise.


    He dragged his arm up, shading his eyes from the sun¡¯s assault. It didn¡¯t make sense, none of it did. Why was the sun directly overhead in winter? Why was it so damned hot all of a sudden? What the hell was going on?


    Eliminate the impossible and, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Clearly, at least 12 hours had passed, and, predictably, no one had rescued him. Not beyond dragging him into a field, anyway. He clenched his jaw. If you need a job done right¡­


    That was quite enough indulging himself; it was time to make a move. He pulled himself to his feet and tugged at his bottom lip, tasting salty sweat. He frowned again. Winter wasn¡¯t supposed to be boiling, and trees definitely weren¡¯t meant to be that big.


    Fuck. He was not in Kansas anymore, not that he had been originally. He looked around at the enormous trees lining the forest clearing he was in. The thick tufts of green could conceivably have been grass, but the trees¡ªthe huge, interlocking sprawl of wood reaching up to the heavens¡ªwere unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen before.


    Branches linked every tree together, mingling into one another as far as the eye could see. His breath stalled and he stared, his jaw hanging open. Many of the trunks were wider than a car¡¯s length. He¡¯d never seen anything like it. Were they a single organism? Like quaking aspen, but joined above ground as well?


    A faint crack, barely audible, triggered the familiar surge of adrenaline. Still as a mouse, his heart pounding, he scanned the forest.


    A broken branch meant movement. Movement meant danger. Whatever was out there, he wasn¡¯t getting caught flat-footed again.


    There! The flurry of motion came to an eerie stillness. Without the streak of red blood across the creature¡¯s flank, Ted never would have spotted it amidst the trees. The green and brown camouflage fur was unlike any creature he¡¯d ever seen, but otherwise, it looked remarkably familiar.


    Four legs, a tail, and brandishing two razor-sharp canines surrounded by an equally worrying array of teeth. A wolf, or close enough to make no difference. A hundred feet out, if that, and staring right at him with hungry intensity.


    He wouldn¡¯t make it far if he ran. Even if he had stood a chance of outrunning the beast, sprinting across the rough, unfamiliar terrain would have been suicide. Once again, there was only one thing for it¡ªbut this time, he stood a chance. He knew how to kill a wolf.


    Well, at least on paper. He¡¯d never hunted in his life, and even if he had, he was completely unarmed. Still, he had more of a chance against a wolf than a cloud of darkness. Especially a wolf with an arrow already sticking out of its side.


    There had to be something he could use as a weapon. He stood completely still, moving only his eyes to search.


    Grass.


    Grass.


    More grass.


    Shit. Could he strangle the wolf with his bare hands? How strong were wolves?


    Salvation! A thick branch, a few long strides in the wolf¡¯s direction. If he was quick, he could pick it up and swing before the wolf¡ªand its razor-sharp teeth¡ªmade short work of him.


    Not that he¡¯d make a very good meal, all skin and bone. The thought was little comfort, but it eased the tension holding him tight.


    When it came to it, he¡¯d have to be fast and smooth. Rigidity would get him killed.


    The wolf¡¯s paws were huge, doubtless sporting equally large claws. He¡¯d have to avoid those, as well as its teeth.


    It was already wounded. Could he exploit that?


    Probably not quickly enough. If the arrow had hit anything vital, it would already be dead, not hunting him.


    There was no way he could come out of an extended struggle uninjured. He¡¯d have to aim for the head, go for a quick kill.


    Wolf


    Level: 4


    The awareness popped up at the front of his mind, that sixth sense rearing its head once more.


    Levels? Alright, brain, when this is over, we¡¯re having a little heart-to-brain, because this isn¡¯t a fucking video game.


    HP: 32/125


    Under half hit points. Sure, maybe his traumatized brain was imagining it all while he bled out after being mugged in the alley, but if not, this was the first bit of good news in a while.


    He continued studying the wolf. Knowledge is power, and he needed as much as possible before the inevitable confrontation.


    Stamina: 150/150


    Status: Hungry


    Less good news, but not exactly unexpected. It wasn¡¯t like wolves habitually attacked humans. Too much trouble for a scrawny meal. The poor thing probably just wanted to survive until sundown, same as him.


    Ted clenched his jaw. It didn¡¯t matter. It was kill or be killed¡ªand hesitation would get him killed.


    He coiled up, readying himself to do what had to be done.


    The wolf charged.


    Ted darted for the fallen branch, his heart thundering.


    He grasped the thinner end of the branch, hefted it up, and planted his feet wide.


    The hungry beast bounded out from the tangled trees, its huge paws effortlessly finding purchase. Its jaws opened, flaunting an array of razor-sharp teeth.


    Ted¡¯s heart leaped into his throat. One shot was all he¡¯d get.


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    The wolf pounced. Ted swung with all he had.


    He struck it square in the jaw, rewarded with a vicious, stomach-churning crack.


    22 bashing damage dealt!


    Blunt weapons skill increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    Not enough.


    The wolf kept coming. Its jaws closed around his left arm. Teeth pierced skin and nerves ignited with an agony that shattered every thought.


    47 piercing damage received!


    Red-hot rage took the reins. He wasn¡¯t going down, not like this, not against an overgrown mangy dog.


    The wolf held on with its powerful jaws, refusing to let go.


    Ted gritted his teeth and slammed the club down on the wolf¡¯s head again. Another crack rang out, louder and even more sickening than the first.


    13 bashing damage dealt!


    30 bashing damage dealt!


    30 bashing damage received!


    Injury received (broken arm)!


    100 XP received!


    Level increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    The wolf¡¯s grip loosened and it slumped to the floor, motionless. He¡¯d won.


    Adrenaline dropped off a cliff, replaced by an agony that ripped at Ted¡¯s arm and his skull. He dropped the branch and clasped his hand to his mouth, muffling his scream as best he could. He didn¡¯t need anything else in the forest thinking of him as an easy lunch.


    When the agony finally quelled down to mere excruciating pain, he reclaimed his makeshift club and looked down at what he¡¯d done. The wolf lay dead at his feet, its eyes wide open and its tongue hanging out.


    Ted¡¯s stomach hardened. All it had wanted was to survive, but what choice had he had? Sorry, buddy. It was you or me.


    He looked down at his own bloodied, mangled arm. Why did he have to be so damned stupid? His medical knowledge was second to, well, everyone, but even without the notification, he¡¯d have known it was broken. To add insult to injury, it wasn¡¯t the wolf that had broken it.


    Looking around, he couldn¡¯t see any more threats.


    Would he, though?


    Ted clenched the club tight and prayed that the wolf didn¡¯t have any stealthy friends looking to play. Either way, he wouldn¡¯t stick around to find out.


    He needed a better plan. Priority one was finding safety, or as close to it as he could. Then he could assess what he had, what he needed, and how he was going to get it.


    He slumped behind a tree and tenderly held his arm. The damned pain was incessant, and it wasn¡¯t going to stop anytime soon, was it? He gritted his teeth. He¡¯d have to bear it. On the plus side, his headache was gone. He chuckled to himself. Some upside.


    Where was he? That was the first question, and the hardest to answer. One possibility was he¡¯d completely cracked. If so, then, based on the current predicament, he was seriously off the deep end, and even more depraved than he¡¯d thought.


    That possibility could be discounted. Not because it wasn¡¯t likely¡ªhe had to admit it was the most plausible explanation¡ªbut because if he was that crazy, a logical plan wasn¡¯t going to help.


    It felt real. Too real and too damned painful to be a dream, or a simulation of any kind. At least, not one that had been developed yet, not on Earth, anyway. He snorted. He¡¯d need a lot more evidence before considering aliens or time machines as the explanation.


    Not that the evidence he had was consistent with any other scenario he could come up with. Shadows chasing him. A voice that smashed its way into his head. Waking up¡­ wherever the hell he was now. And none of that was even half as weird as the other message, the one that felt like it came from inside him. The one he wished he could just pretend never happened.


    Quest received: Save your father, save the world.


    His fingernails dug into his palm. Quests weren¡¯t real, not like that. Then again, neither were alien worlds or hit points or skills or experience or half the things that had happened lately. If it wasn¡¯t real, then nothing he did mattered. If it was, he was in deadly shit.


    Whatever was going on, he¡¯d play along for now.


    Ted cocked his head. When he¡¯d focused on the wolf, the weird sixth sense had eventually offered up information. What if he turned that inward?


    Edwin Williams


    Level: 1


    Experience: 0/400


    HP: 138/215


    Stamina: 220/220


    MP: 230/230


    Status: Hero, Broken Arm


    Muscles unclenched throughout his body. He wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet, but there it was, mathematical proof he wasn¡¯t even halfway dead. Still a third of the way, but that was a whole lot better than it could have been.


    He¡¯d have to deal with the broken arm sooner rather than later. For now, he¡¯d grit his teeth and tough it out. The phrase ¡°not yet out of the woods¡± had taken on an altogether too literal meaning for his liking.


    The other status was a mystery. Hero. What did it do? Was it some kind of reward for killing a level 4 wolf at level 0?


    Probably not. He¡¯d had a notification about the broken arm, so it stood to reason that the Hero status was pre-existing. Whatever it meant, there wasn¡¯t any indication it was temporary.


    Nor on the broken arm effect, either. Was he stuck with that until he could heal? What about the lost hit points? He patted his pockets, but his phone was missing. All he had were the clothes on his back and a thick branch covered in blood.


    He shrugged and stared at his current HP, willing it to go up.


    One thousand, two thousand, three thousand¡­


    The count went higher and higher but his HP stubbornly stayed the same. He counted off a minute on his fingers, then two. On the third, he growled and kicked the ground. Pain shot up his arm and he winced. Why did he have to be so stupid?


    There had to be some way to work out his health regeneration. He took a while to think about it, and then, there it was, so bloody obvious. Berating himself taking so long to think of it, he focused inward again.


    HP Regen: 3.4/h


    Stamina Regen: 0.9/s


    MP Regen: 1.6/s


    His inner sense confirmed that, yes, that was 3.4 per hour. Some quick mental arithmetic gave him sixty-three hours until fully healed. Unless he found some magical healing pronto, he¡¯d be in for a gritty ride.


    That was one side of the coin. In better news, his new inner sense confirmed that MP meant mana points. He might not know any spells yet, but if he had mana, that had to mean magic was at least possible, right?


    A giddy, tingling possibility that might even make this all half-way worth it. Who wouldn¡¯t want the power to make things happen with their mind? So much less messy than¡­


    His gaze settled back down upon the wolf¡¯s lifeless corpse and its caved-in skull. Anything was less messy than that.


    Less than half an hour in and he¡¯d already taken nearly three days¡¯ worth of damage. Finding safety had to be his top priority.


    The arrow protruding from the wolf caught his eye again. Whoever had shot it was still out there somewhere. Best case, they could help, or at least clue him in to where the hell he was. Worst case, they¡¯d kill him quickly.


    Either outcome was better than sitting under the tree and praying that nothing came by for the next sixty-three hours, kept company only by the increasingly foul scent of blood.


    He hauled himself to his feet and set off in the direction he thought the wolf had come from.


    Once he got out of the clearing, the near-constant shade from the oversized leaves above kept the heat tolerable. Tolerable, at least, as long as he kept his leather jacket wrapped around his waist. Of course, that left his arms exposed to the abundant and painfully sharp thorns of the forest.


    Progress was slow. The thick undergrowth often blocked his path, forcing him to backtrack and find another way through the luscious maze of vines, bushes, and thorns. And with the sun as high and hidden as it was, it was useless for navigation. Damn it, if only he had a compass. It would be all too easy to end up walking in circles for the rest of his no doubt short life.


    He paused his stride and cocked his head. Would a compass even work here? He shrugged and continued on his hopefully more-or-less straight path. It was an interesting question, but without a compass or magnets, there was no way to test it. His phone had one, but in keeping with the spirit of ¡°screw you, Ted,¡± that hadn¡¯t made the trip. All he had were the clothes on his back and a chip on his shoulder.


    Nothing new there.


    The longer he traipsed through the tangled mess of the forest, the more appealing playing along was, insofar as treating it as real, anyway. What else was he to do otherwise? Giving up wasn¡¯t an option.


    In a world gone mad, he needed something to keep his mind focused on. A goal to be his North Star. For the moment, that was finding this hunter. Even someone trying to kill him would be better than trekking through the seemingly endless forest.


    What did any of it even mean? Ted¡¯s thoughts circled again and again around everything that had happened. With every futile lap, his chest grew a little tighter. The quest was important¡ªhe knew that deep in his bones¡ªbut it raised a lot more questions than it answered.


    Save the world? He didn¡¯t even know what world it was! His blood boiled at the sheer cheek of not just abducting him, but expecting him to save the world afterward. He had enough problems of his own, thank you very much.


    Yet there the quest sat, taking up space in his head and goading him with its presence. Screw that, he had his own quest in mind: ¡°Get home asap¡±, preferably before he failed his degree and missed out on his ticket out of beans and rice every night.


    But the quest was there, and it needed doing. An entire world in need of saving, and someone, somewhere, had decided it was his job to do it.


    Just how desperate did they have to pin an entire world¡¯s hope on him?


    That was bad enough by itself, but then there was the other half of the quest. The half that kept forcing itself to the surface, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.


    ¡°Save your father.¡±


    Ted¡¯s fist slammed into a tree, accompanied by a roar that he couldn¡¯t contain.


    1 bashing damage received!


    Years of not knowing, and now this? Heat flushed through him and his nostrils flared. Had someone stolen him away? Was it the same people who¡¯d taken him? Why? Where the hell was he?


    More. Fucking. Questions. That¡¯s all his father had ever given him, wasn¡¯t it? Questions, and now a stupid quest that was no doubt going to get him killed.


    Ted stomped through the forest, wondering if dying was even possible here. If there were levels and hit points, maybe respawning was a thing too? He searched inward, but his new sixth sense offered up nothing but his painfully slow health regeneration.


    Great.


    Only just catching himself before kicking the floor again, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn¡¯t help. He had to view the evidence without prejudice, and right now, all evidence pointed to this world working like a video game. For one thing, despite walking briskly for at least an hour, he was no more tired than when he set off.


    His internal awareness of stamina confirmed it was full. Testing it out with a quick, and rather painful, sprint, his stamina immediately dropped. Video game rules it was, then. He grunted and shook his head. At least it wasn¡¯t one of those games that killed you every five seconds until you got good.


    Though, at least those games made death trivial. What if death was permanent here? His inner sense still offered up nothing about saving, loading, resurrection, reincarnation, or respawning.


    Better not to test it. He¡¯d probably find out soon enough, anyway.


    ¡°Hold it right there.¡±

 Chapter 3, Volume 1

    Ted froze as best he could, a tricky task while stifling an inappropriate chuckle. Right on cue.


    ¡°Something funny?¡± the feminine voice demanded. It was closer this time, nearly right behind him, accompanied by the faint hum of a bowstring being plucked.


    His blood ran cold, all too easily imagining the arrow no doubt pointed at the back of his head. Given the circumstances, it seemed unwise to test the sharp edge in her voice.


    ¡°Drop the¡­ weapon, and put your hands above your head.¡±


    He dropped it immediately. That stupid stick wasn¡¯t worth the risk. If it came to it, grappling would be better, anyway. Maybe he could overpower her, or at least stop her from filling him full of arrows.


    Maybe.


    He raised his arms, and pain flared back into agony, his broken arm all too eager to remind him he was in no state to fight. ¡°Is this how you treat all your guests?¡±


    ¡°Speak Common, human.¡± The or else hummed in the air, twice as ominous for being unsaid.


    Common? But he only spoke¡ª


    Huh. Every word she¡¯d spoken had made perfect sense, yet none of them had been in English. He looked inward again, focusing on languages. There it was, Common, right alongside English. ¡°I said, is this how you treat all your guests?¡±


    ¡°Only the ones faking their stats.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not faking anything.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like I was born last year. Level 1, really? What, you live in a burrow your entire life?¡±


    Blood pounded in Ted¡¯s ears. If this was the hunter he¡¯d been looking for, she¡¯d sent running a wolf that, even half-dead, had torn a good chuck out of him. He had no intel, no weapons, and a broken arm to boot. He had to tread carefully, whatever that meant amidst this insanity.


    The pain in his raised arm screamed louder, drowning out any semblance of rational thought. He couldn¡¯t spin a believable lie even if he¡¯d wanted to, not now. The truth would have to be enough. ¡°I got dumped here from another world. I reached level 1 after killing a half-dead wolf.¡±


    Silence met his words, each second ticking by like an eternity.


    What would being shot by an arrow feel like? He bit his lip and swallowed. Asking that was a mistake, one his imagination all too eagerly took advantage of.


    The silence dragged on and on. She didn¡¯t believe him, did she?


    Of course not. He certainly wouldn¡¯t have.


    Shit. He needed a plan for when it inevitably got even worse¡ªa plan other than dying.


    How far back was she? He closed his eyes and focused on every little sound, sifting through distant birdsong and the faint rustling of leaves to try and tell how close she was.


    Nothing. Whoever she was, she was completely silent. A useful skill, no doubt, for a hunter¡ªjust like archery.


    Sweat gathered on his brow. He was telling the truth; she had to believe him.


    He gulped. When had that ever mattered?


    ¡°Go on,¡± she finally said. Her tone was softer than before, with a welcome hint of warmth. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®dumped¡¯?¡±


    Stale air rushed out of his lungs. He wasn¡¯t dead yet. ¡°I don¡¯t know. One moment I was walking down an alley, the next, icy darkness enveloped me.¡± He shivered just thinking about it. ¡°When I woke up, I was in this forest.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re level 1.¡± The sharp, prodding tone was back.


    From the sound of her voice, he could tell she was close, but still too far away to have a hope in hell of reaching her before taking an arrow to the face. Smart. ¡°Levels don¡¯t exist where I come from.¡±


    Another harrowing pause. ¡°Turn around.¡±


    He moved slowly, partly not to give her trigger finger any excuses, but mostly because of the agony burning in his broken arm. ¡°Can I at least lower¡ª¡±


    The sight of her pointed ears ripped the words right out of his throat. She wasn¡¯t human.


    Piercing emerald eyes stared at him from beneath a chestnut pixie cut. The woman looked young, about the same age as him, not that that necessarily meant a thing. For one fleeting moment, all he could see was the curiosity and determination battling it out behind those bright, wide eyes, silently deciding his fate.


    Then reality set in, and the fully drawn recurve bow pointed at his face jumped straight to the top, taking up positions one, two, and three on ¡°Most important things to worry about¡±. For once, the part of him that asked perfectly reasonable questions like, ¡°Is she an elf?¡± and, ¡°Are elves real?¡± had the good sense to shut up and pray it got a turn.


    The five-foot-tall woman¡¯s gaze flicked to his injured arm and back, boring into him. ¡°Tell me that again, to my eyes this time.¡±


    His pulse raced, tingling excitement colliding head-on with the urge to flee. Not that he¡¯d get far. ¡°We don¡¯t have levels where I come from.¡± Or elves.


    Her expression softened and she pressed her lips together, her head slowly tilting from side to side. ¡°How do you know how strong something is?¡±


    Ted bit back his instinctual answer. Telling her they¡¯d wiped out almost everything dangerous wasn¡¯t exactly the impression he was going for. ¡°Experience. Knowledge. It¡¯s easier to learn from books or television than by getting eaten.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows and drew her bow even further. ¡°Television? You are a mage, then?¡±


    Ted shook his head. Great job, idiot. ¡°No, television is¡­ it¡¯s a kind of machine. A very advanced machine, but just a machine. There¡¯s no magic in our world.¡±


    ¡°Yet you have 230 mana. At level 1, no less. You¡¯re a scholar, then?¡±


    ¡°I guess, in a way, yeah.¡± A scholar of computers in a fantasy world. He allowed himself a chuckle. Typical.


    The elf lowered her bow and placed the arrow back into her quiver, shaking her head. She ran her hand through her hair and muttered, ¡°Entil ko¡®enda-va po ri.¡±


    ¡°Was that Elvish?¡±


    Her jaw set, and she scowled. ¡°I¡¯m a wood elf, you¡¯re in wood elven land, and, yes, that was Wood Elvish.¡±


    Ouch, but, hey, he¡¯d take metaphorical daggers over actual arrows any day of the week. ¡°You believe me then?¡±


    Her scowl smoothed out, providing a glimmer of hope. She tilted her head to the side and shrugged. ¡°I believe you¡¯d choose a better story if you were lying.¡±


    Not quite the same as believing him, but infinitely better than the alternative. Maybe he was getting somewhere.


    Oratory skill increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    ¡­ level 1 was somewhere. Every journey had to start with a single step, right?


    A shiver ran down his back. Every journey had to end somewhere, too.


    Not for a while yet, not if I have anything to say about it. ¡°How about we start over? My name¡¯s Ted. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    The elf stared at his outstretched hand with narrowed eyes for an eternity before responding. ¡°I¡¯m Cara. Where¡¯s the carcass?¡±


    ¡°Carcass?¡±


    She stared with her mouth slightly open, in much the same way one might look upon a helpless child, and shook her head. ¡°The wolf you killed.¡±


    He shrunk under her gaze. The idea of eating it hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind. If he was going to survive this place, he couldn¡¯t keep making stupid mistakes like that.


    Cara looked down at the ground and muttered something under her breath. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a look at that arm. We can hunt on our way back.¡±


    ¡°Back?¡± Ted asked, tentatively presenting his broken arm. Trusting the elf was a risk, but wandering blind through the forest by himself was suicide. Some choice.


    ¡°To my village. You¡¯ll be safe¡ª¡± She paused mid-sentence and winced. ¡°Safer there than here, at any rate.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Well, that didn¡¯t sound ominous. Not that it was worth probing for more, not while she was glaring like that at his broken arm. She¡¯d chosen not to kill him for now, best not to push his luck any further.


    Besides, the next wolf might not have an arrow already in its side.


    ***


    Cara studied the human¡¯s¡ªwhat was his name again?¡ªinjured arm and activated Triage. A simple Broken Arm, just as she¡¯d suspected. Easy enough to fix.


    Her brow scrunched up and her muscles coiled for action. It made no sense! The bite marks were clearly from a wolf, but the Broken Arm was from blunt force, not wolf fangs. ¡°How did you say you broke your arm, again?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡± His throat bobbed and his cheeks reddened. What was he hiding?


    Or was he just embarrassed? Why would he be?


    Oh, oh no.


    Fluttering embarrassment filled Cara¡¯s chest on his behalf. She glanced down at the blood-stained branch he¡¯d been using as a club and winced at the thought. ¡°Did you¡­?¡±


    Instead of answering, the human closed his eyes, performing some kind of drawn-out breathing exercise. By the Forest, he had, hadn¡¯t he?


    She snatched the opportunity his closed eyes afforded to study him closer. His short hair, dark almost to the point of black, did little to hide his strange, rounded ears. Aside from that, his features were much the same as a wood elf, and he appeared only a few springs older than her.


    Identify pinged his name as Edwin Williams. What an odd name. And pronounced Ted? Weird! Or was that a nickname? Did humans usually have nicknames?


    Her breaths quickened. What if he really was from another world? The stories he could tell! So what if he was level 1? Foolish or not, he¡¯d shown a dedication to doing what had to be done, no matter the price. She could teach him to hunt, and he could tell her all about his own world!


    Maybe they¡¯d even¡ªslowly¡ªget to know one another.


    A hazy memory from one of Reltan¡¯s lectures scrambled to the front of her mind, lurching her back to reality. Even if Ted looked a bit older, he¡¯d only seen, what, twenty-four springs? If that?


    The knowledge sat awkwardly in her chest. No matter the superficial similarities, he wasn¡¯t a wood elf.


    Not that he¡¯d ever pass for one. His every movement gave him away, ungainly enough to be an orc masquerading as a human. Even the rising and falling of his chest was stiff as a thorn.


    Cara smiled to herself. If he stuck around, she wouldn¡¯t be the clumsy one anymore.


    The village would take him in, wouldn¡¯t they?


    Her stomach twisted into knots. She could all too clearly imagine Jeremy¡¯s disappointment lecturing her, reminding her just how dangerous the world was. What if the human was a dungeon spawn? Or an illusioned orc?


    She jabbed her finger at his chest. Relief flooded back through her as her fingertip pressed his weirdly thin top directly against his not-at-all-leathery skin. Not an illusion. Or if it was, it was an incredibly good one.


    His eyes shot open again and he scowled back at her in a silent rebuke.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, forcing out a smile. ¡°Just checking you weren¡¯t an illusioned orc. You passed!¡±


    He took another deep breath and gestured back down to his arm, thankfully changing the subject. ¡°I broke it. Stupid wolf wouldn¡¯t let go.


    Cara nodded, wincing again at the thought of him breaking his own arm. ¡°You did what had to be done.¡± She pulled a bandage out from her pack and gently held his arm. ¡°Hold still, this will hurt. Whatever you do, don¡¯t scream.¡±


    She wound the bandage firmly around his arm, forcing herself to focus on her training and the guidance of the First Aid skill instead of the human from another world. Mid-treatment was not the right time to get distracted.


    Ted ground his teeth and let out a couple of whimpers but no screams, thank the Forest. They had enough problems as it was without attracting any dungeon spawn.


    ¡°There.¡± Cara tied off the bandage and double-checked it. ¡°Don¡¯t move the arm too much, and the injury will be gone in a few minutes.¡±


    He stared back at her with wide eyes, his jaw hanging open like that was anything special. ¡°A few minutes?¡±


    Cara basked in his amazement for a moment, even knowing full well it wasn¡¯t deserved. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a simple Broken Arm, not a Punctured Lung or anything like that.¡±


    He cradled his arm carefully and a smile lit up his face for the first time. ¡°Thank you, Cara.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing.¡± A guilty flutter bounced through her while a host of questions screamed to be asked, but there¡¯d be time for that later. Mind on the job, Cara. ¡°We need to get moving. Follow me, and stay quiet.¡±


    Cara drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and set off for home with Ted in tow. Her bare feet tingled, longing to dance swiftly through her Forest. But no, she had to be responsible.


    She glanced over her shoulder, more to remind him she was watching than to check on him. The thumping of his strange shoes was impossible to miss. Why did other races insist on covering their feet?


    It still felt wrong, being on such high alert in this part of the Forest. It was meant to be safe here, of all places!


    But it wasn¡¯t, and that simmering background of fear in the tree-song wouldn¡¯t let her forget it.


    She scowled as she prowled toward home, scanning for any potential threat. If there were any dungeon spawn around, she was determined to get the drop on them.


    The human would be a problem in that regard. Even the slightest of sounds might give them away, and he clearly had little in the way of Stealth levels. If what he was saying was true, he might not even have any.


    ¡°How big¡¯s your village?¡± Ted asked, like she hadn¡¯t told him to be quiet.


    Cara sighed. Why did she have to get stuck with the newborn adult? She turned and signaled him to be silent with an X-shape across her chest.


    The human cocked his head. ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    She glowered at him. Didn¡¯t he know anything? ¡°It means shut up.¡±


    His mouth formed a circle. Was he seriously going to keep talking? Cara¡¯s hand slid off the bowstring and tightened into a fist.


    Fortunately for them both, he silently nodded and gestured to the front. Maybe he wasn¡¯t entirely stupid.


    She shook her head and resumed leading the way. The Forest was more dangerous than ever. She had to stay focused and alert, not thinking constantly about the human.


    Who was he? Why was he only level 1?


    Her throat closed up. It had happened again. Now was not the time to get distracted! She could hear Jeremy drilling it into her again and again.


    Mind on the job, Cara. You let yourself get distracted like that in the Forest, you¡¯ll wind up dead before your time.


    The worst part was that he was right. Not that it stopped the parade of questions sneaking in. Did other worlds really exist? Did his world truly have no levels? Why was he amazed that she could treat a simple Broken Arm? How did he get here? What was he like?


    The last question was particularly perilous. Looks could be deceiving. Until it was certain he wasn¡¯t dangerous, she had to tread carefully. Some creatures could fake their stats, and some status effects¡ªlike Disguised¡ªwere inherently hidden. For all she knew, he could be a dungeon spawn shapeshifter, or the vanguard of an invasion.


    No matter how safe he seemed, the coincidental timing was too great to ignore. This was above her responsibility. Jeremy would know what to do with him.


    That didn¡¯t stop the giddy flutters in her chest. He was from outside the Great Forest, maybe even the world! And he wasn¡¯t some gruff old ranger. Probably not full of insightful hunting tales, but his hobby set had to be wider than tracking and killing monsters. What stories could he tell? What were his craft skills?


    How did he feel about adorable little furry creatures with no sense of personal space?


    Wood cracked in the distance, so quiet she almost missed it. Almost.


    Kalkarka! She wrestled her focus back onto the forest. Something was hiding out there.


    She signaled the human to stop and stilled herself. Would he understand the signal, her hand out to the side with her palm outstretched? She wasn¡¯t sure, but didn¡¯t dare look back or say a word.


    Thankfully, whether he understood or merely copied her, he stopped without a word this time.


    Barely breathing, she crouched down and peered into the wilderness, through the dense foliage. The recent danger had robbed the Forest¡¯s poor visibility of its charm. She nocked an arrow and pulled it back, as slowly and silently as she could.


    Nothing. She cocked her head and pressed her lips together. If she were alone, she would have snuck through the forest, Identified whatever was out there, and then decided what to do about it.


    But she wasn¡¯t alone. She had a human in tow, one with the Stealth skills of a wild bracka in a pottery. Sneaking past wasn¡¯t an option, so they¡¯d have to go around.


    A knife twisted in her gut. That would mean leaving whatever it was out there and making it someone else¡¯s problem. If it was a wolf, no problem¡ªanyone out in the Forest alone could handle a wolf easily¡ªbut what if it was something worse?


    Dungeon spawn. A chill shot down her spine. For thousands of years, they¡¯d stayed confined to their dungeons, a threat only to those brave or stupid enough to venture into those dark depths. And now, the same week that they ventured out, this newborn human appeared?


    There had to be a connection, but what? Assuming he wasn¡¯t a monster plotting to kill her, he might be the best, and only, clue yet on what had caused it and¡ªmore importantly¡ªhow to fix it.


    That would have to wait until they¡¯d passed whatever danger was prowling through her beloved Forest. Strolling through it without a care in the world was no longer a luxury she could afford.


    Her heart skipped a beat. A shadow, far longer than any wolf, slithered in the distance. She honed her senses on it and activated Identify. Thank the Forest that she had put a perk point into Fast Identify.


    Not so stupid now, huh, Jeremy?


    Deep-Forest Snake


    Level: 13


    HP: 340/340


    Stamina: 359/365


    MP: 105/105


    Status: Ravenous


    The rush of being right didn¡¯t last long. Her throat constricted, and a quiver ran through her. The snake was fast¡ªtoo fast. By herself, she might be able to outrun it long enough for help to arrive. The same wouldn¡¯t be true of the human.


    Leaving him to die wasn¡¯t an option. She activated Horn of the Rangers and blew one short, sharp burst. At least she couldn¡¯t see the human¡¯s expression¡ªshe had to look ridiculous blowing a silent horn.


    Any rangers within reach would hear and come running. Even if they weren¡¯t in time, they could finish the job and recover their bodies.


    Her jawline stiffened, and she aimed her bow. Not today. ¡°Human, take the dagger from my belt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®human¡¯, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Catching her eye, he shut up and moved closer. After a brief pause, he tentatively took the longer of her two blades.


    Maybe there was hope for him yet, if he could survive the next minute.


    The snake hurtled toward them, dodging and weaving through the cover of the forest with more dexterity than it had any right to. The closer it came, the more worrying its size became¡ª it was longer than three tall wood elves, and at least a hand span and a half in diameter.


    Her chest fluttered, doubt refusing to be silenced. I can do this. She wouldn¡¯t let the village down. ¡°Do you know how to use that thing?¡±


    His pause wasn¡¯t particularly encouraging. ¡°Pointy end first?¡±


    She swallowed and steadied herself with a deep breath. That would have to do. ¡°I¡¯ll stun it when it gets close. You¡¯ll get one attack, maybe two. Make it count.¡±


    A grunt was his only response. Untrained, inexperienced¡­ He had to be terrified.


    She couldn¡¯t worry about that, not now. She had to focus, just like Jeremy had taught her. This wasn¡¯t the practice range. If she panicked now¡­


    The snake came into range and Cara activated Rapid Shot. She loosed arrow after arrow, which the beast evaded with jerky contortions. Even the few shots that landed glanced off its hide, doing minimal damage. She swore under her breath and kept firing.


    The human needed to do his job right. Best to assume he knew nothing. ¡°Aim for the head. Criticals will be easier while it¡¯s stunned.¡±


    Another grunt. ¡°Makes sense.¡±


    With every glancing blow, her chest tightened. The icy grip on her heart told her she couldn¡¯t do it, that she¡¯d mess it up, that she should flee while she had the chance.


    The last of her rapid-fire shots glanced off the snake. She grabbed her most trusted arrow and nocked it. If anything she had could pierce its hide, a Sniper Shot with this beauty could.


    She pulled on her mana as she drew her bow and hissed, ¡°Ro¡¯ronkatara-fa si.¡± The mana rushed into the myrellium-tipped arrow, drawn and bolstered by the metal.


    What if it still wasn¡¯t enough? She wasn¡¯t a real caster, not like Jeremy or even Aidan. How much Physical Resistance did dungeon spawn have, anyway?


    Her muscles strained under the pressure of her drawn bow as she lined up the Sniper Shot and waited for the perfect moment. There was no backing out now.


    I can do this. ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ now!¡±

 Chapter 4, Volume 1

    Ted¡¯s heart hung in his throat as the enormous snake hurtled toward them, faster than seemed possible. What the hell had he done to deserve this?


    He gripped the knife tight, his whole being coiled for fight or flight. Please know what you¡¯re doing, Cara.


    She pulled back her bowstring with graceful power and whispered something unintelligible. White light shimmered out of her and danced up the shaft of the arrow, congregating around the tip.


    Magic. That had to be magic!


    Calm, collected, and utterly unfazed by the approaching death, Cara effortlessly held her bow drawn and ready. ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ now!¡±


    The wood elf unleashed the arrow at the last possible moment. Ted leaped forward, knife ready.


    The glowing projectile buried itself deep into the creature¡¯s hide. Light flashed, and the snake slumped on the ground.


    A tidal wave of adrenaline propelled Ted forward. He stabbed down onto the stunned creature¡¯s head with all his might.


    The dagger pierced its hide with a sickening squelch.


    Critical hit! 61 piercing damage dealt! Head Wound injury inflicted!


    Short blades skill increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    Ted¡¯s stomach quivered. He froze up.


    Cara surged forward, dropped to her knees, and drove her shorter knife into the stunned snake¡¯s head, again and again. With a flurry of precise blows, she whittled the writhing creature down.


    910 XP received!


    Level increased 1 ¡ú 2!


    The wood elf slumped on the ground, gasping for air and muttering frantically in Wood Elvish.


    Pale yellow blood seeped out of the snake¡¯s wounds, and a putrid smell filled the air. Ted¡¯s stomach churned. He looked away, but his skin continued to crawl.


    Catching her breath, Cara progressed from gasping to shaky laughter. ¡°We did it.¡± Still on the floor, she looked up, her head tilted, and a smile worked its way across her face. ¡°Good job.¡±


    Ted nodded. It wasn¡¯t worth arguing about. He pulled the dagger from the snake and shuddered at the wet sound of the blading coming out from flesh and muscle. ¡°You did all the work.¡±


    ¡°Most of the work, maybe.¡± She positioned herself beside the arrow buried in its hide and winced. ¡°I¡¯ve been trained for this. I¡¯m supposed to be good at it.¡±


    Cracks had appeared in her otherwise elegant poise. How old was she? She looked around the same age as him, but who could tell with elves? He forced a grin. ¡°Best monster slayer I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    She glared back through narrowed eyes. ¡°How many monster slayers have you seen¡­ Ted?¡±


    He bit his lip and avoided her gaze. ¡°We¡¯re alive, Cara.¡± He pulled himself to his feet and offered her his hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to take that as a win.¡±


    She stared at his hand for a moment. Her brow wrinkled, and she set about cutting into the creature. ¡°You better not be a shapeshifter.¡±


    Great. Another addition to the list of dangers to watch out for. ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat that, are you?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°This is a dungeon spawn. I wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon spawn?¡±


    No reply. She cut loose the last arrow she¡¯d used, the only one that had pierced its hide. Surely this was more care and attention than a single arrow warranted? Were they really that rare here, or was this one particularly important?


    ¡°What are dungeon¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dangerous.¡± Her nostrils flared and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the knife and the arrow tight. ¡°They¡¯re dangerous, human.¡±


    He cleared his throat and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± What was he supposed to say? Words wouldn¡¯t change a damned thing.


    Cara glowered and stomped to a nearby tree. She picked out a large leaf and wiped her blade and the arrow clean with it, before carefully placing the arrow back in her quiver. ¡°Clean the dagger. Who knows what that blood would do to it.¡±


    Best to do as he was told. He picked out a similar leaf and cleaned off the blade. The leaf was far softer and thicker than expected and easily absorbed the blood.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Once again, the wood elf summoned a horn out of thin air. She blew twice this time, each as silent as the first. Strange as it was, it didn¡¯t even make the top five most urgent questions.


    She drew another arrow¡ªone that¡¯s tip lacked a metallic shine¡ªnocked it, and set off again. There would be a time for answers, but this wasn¡¯t it.


    Following behind her, he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed with how easily she picked out the right paths. Often, she headed towards what looked like impassible thicket or a thorny hell only to reveal a hidden way through. They didn¡¯t look man¡ªor elf¡ªmade, but with magic on the cards, who could tell?


    Traveling was certainly easier, and far faster without backtracking every few minutes. She moved gracefully, every step with her bare feet finding perfect footing. Even without jogging, let alone running, she frequently had to stop to let him catch up.


    Did the bare feet help with that? There was no way his feet could have held up to that kind of punishment, and every thorn would be a landmine.


    Butterflies fluttered in his chest. Elves were real! Or at least as real as anything in this place. Was any of it real, or was it all some kind of hallucination? He had blacked out. Maybe he was in a drug-riddled haze in a hospital somewhere.


    Hopefully not. Being trapped in an alternate reality that regularly tried to kill him was infinitely preferable to his copay.


    After what had to be at least an hour of traveling, Cara came to a halt. Her arm shot out to the side with her palm extended again, and he stopped behind her right away. At least he knew the gesture¡¯s meaning this time.


    He clenched the dagger tight and scanned the forest. The dense undergrowth made vision difficult, and even the slightest breeze set off a cascade of movement in the foliage. It would be nice to see the next attempt on his life coming, but he didn¡¯t fancy his chances.


    Had she heard something? The green tangle of the forest was more familiar all the time, but nothing jumped out as dangerous or edible. Not that he was able to see a damned thing through all the interlocking branches and overgrown bushes.


    Movement!


    There! A small creature, hiding in the shadows.


    Perception skill increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    Tension flooded out of his muscles¡ªwhatever it was, it was small and afraid. Not a threat.


    Probably not a threat, anyway.


    Cara nocked an arrow and fired, all in one graceful motion. The arrow struck true, downing the creature in a single hit.


    He looked away. Better she didn¡¯t see his grimace. It had been a clean kill, not so different from how he hoped any animals he¡¯d eaten back on Earth had been slaughtered. Seeing it wasn¡¯t the same as knowing it happened, but that was his problem, not hers. One he had better get over soon.


    ¡°Do you not learn to hunt when young, in your world?¡±


    The first words she¡¯d spoken in more than an hour, and he was a deer in the headlights. ¡°Err¡­ no. Not anymore.¡±


    She strode toward her kill with a bounce in her step. ¡°If you stay, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Despite the warmth in her words, there was a sharpness in her inflection, which he took as an instruction to be quiet once more. He nodded, and took a good look at the dead creature. It was a lot like a small raccoon but greener, with barely any tail.


    She retrieved her arrow and cleaned it before handing the body to Ted. He gulped. Its dead, lifeless eyes stared back at him, but it was either carry it or risk angering the lady with the bow.


    Besides, she¡¯d be more likely to spot anything trying to kill them. Better that she focused on that and he carried the stinking carcass than vice versa.


    All in all, a win.


    A sour tang formed in his mouth. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t far now. He fell in behind her, trying to keep an eye out and not to let his mind wander to the dead body slung over his shoulder. It was heavier than he expected, but the worst part was the way it bounced slightly as he walked.


    Time dragged slowly by as they traveled again until, at long last, Cara signaled for him to halt. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she said, wearing the warmest smile yet.


    He bit back the response, ¡°That¡¯s always true.¡± Technically correct, but not helpful. Where was here, anyway, and what made this section of forest any different from the last few miles of it?


    The tree trunks were thicker, but otherwise there were bushes, weeds, grass, damned thorns¡ªall more of the same. The wood elf cocked her head, studying his reaction with an almost smug grin.


    He wouldn¡¯t give her the satisfaction, not if he could help it. There had to be clues, he just had to find them. Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be her village? Level 1 perception or not, he couldn¡¯t have missed an entire village. Not unless there was an invisibility spell involved, and that scarcely seemed fair.


    That growing grin of hers was all the incentive he needed. His chest tightened, but he wouldn¡¯t let her win if he could help it. He¡¯d work it out.


    She leaned against a tree, more relaxed than before. That meant safety, which surely meant the village was here. If he couldn¡¯t see it on the forest floor, then¡­


    He smiled and looked up. At first glance, it was the same as anywhere else, trees mingling together higher and higher in a magnificent arboreal dance. But no, it wasn¡¯t quite the same. The perspective made it hard to tell, but some of the trees widened out as they rose instead of narrowing.


    The tree trunks had to be at least ten feet wide in places, some even as wide as thirty feet or more. Abnormally large branches¡ªeven for this forest¡ªconnected them, assuming they really were branches. If it weren¡¯t for the bark, they could easily have been elevated walkways between skyscrapers.


    Vertigo pulsed in his stomach as he stared up in wonder. ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± he said, pulling his gaze back to ground level, and the glow of Cara¡¯s smile. ¡°Your village is built into the trees.¡±


    Her fleeting frown spoiled the moment. ¡°Our village is one with the Great Tree, not built into it. The Forest provides for us, and we look after it in turn.¡±


    It had grown like that? That raised many more questions than it answered, but he didn¡¯t press his luck. One more question for the growing mountain. Getting to safety was a far more immediate concern. ¡°How do we get up there?¡±


    She pointed up. A lift of some kind was on its way down, a ten-foot circle of solid wood suspended by green ropes. Or were they vines?


    A guardrail came into view, with a couple of elves leaning over it, bows in hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Jeremy!¡± Cara called up. ¡°He¡¯s safe.¡±


    Ted smiled up and waved. Trusting that he wasn¡¯t going to kill them all was a good first step. A small one, but he¡¯d take anything right about now, especially if it meant being safely off the forest floor.


    She tilted her head and a pensive expression took over. ¡°Unless he¡¯s a shapeshifting dungeon spawn.¡±


    Well. It had been nice while it lasted.

 Chapter 5, Volume 1

    Questions. Ted had many, but so did the wood elves. As is so often the case, the people with weapons got to ask the questions.


    ¡°There are really no levels where you come from?¡± Jeremy asked for the fifth time. He looked down at Ted, his expression a combination of incredulous and gruff.


    The elf was significantly taller than Cara but shorter than Ted¡ªat least, he would have been, if Ted hadn¡¯t been tied to a chair.


    Ted shook his head. ¡°No! No levels, no magic, no Great Trees.¡± His wrists chaffed against the ropes with every futile attempt at emphatic gestures. How many times would he have to tell them before they¡¯d believe it?


    Jeremy turned to the other elf and asked her something in Wood Elvish. Even after thirty minutes of questioning, Ted still didn¡¯t know her name. She¡¯d watched silently, saying nothing besides the occasional barked command, always in Wood Elvish.


    The intensity with which she studied him raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Tension already hung thick in the air, and it was getting worse. Ted wasn¡¯t sure what Jeremy had asked, but it felt like his life hung in her hands.


    Smooth bark covered the walls of the circular room. At least if he was going to die, it would be in an intriguing place. Alien, yet utterly natural at the same time. Just as Cara had said, this wasn¡¯t built into the tree, but part of it.


    Cara. She was seated behind him, out of sight but still in the room. Both times she¡¯d spoken, the unnamed woman had silenced her. She wouldn¡¯t be able to save him this time.


    Both of his interrogators wore leather armor like Cara¡¯s, and, just like her, their feet were bare. Was it some kind of uniform? Soldiers, or border guards? There probably wasn¡¯t a distinction.


    Jeremy seemed reasonable enough, although understandably incredulous at Ted¡¯s claims. The woman? Less so. Her jaw clenched every time she looked at him. More accurately, when she stared, her lips pressed tight together, lacking even the slightest hint of sympathy.


    And now everything hung on her. Assuming she was in charge, what would her orders be?


    The rock in his stomach grew heavier. That dead look in her eyes did not bode well.


    She scoffed, theatrically brushed herself off, and strode out of the room.


    Ted swallowed. What did that mean? Had she washed her hands of him? Was he too dirty to be around? Or¡ª


    No. He had to hope it wasn¡¯t that. They wouldn¡¯t.


    Would they?


    Shit. Reasonable or not, Jeremy had the aloof air of a soldier who¡¯d do what had to be done. Blood pounded in Ted¡¯s temples and his mind scrambled for a way out that couldn¡¯t be found.


    Maybe he would respawn. Maybe this wasn¡¯t the end.


    Jeremy sighed and plastered on a smile. ¡°I guess you¡¯re our responsibility now.¡±


    ¡°Your responsibility?¡± Ted¡¯s frantic breaths stilled. Was this a reprieve?


    ¡°Yes. You do something wrong, Cara and I will pay the price, alongside you.¡± Jeremy leaned forward and untied Ted. ¡°I hope Cara¡¯s faith in you is not misplaced.¡±


    ¡°What about your faith in me?¡±


    The elf chuckled, his smile a little less forced. ¡°I have faith in Cara.¡±


    Ted lifted his hands and rubbed his wrists. ¡°Thank you.¡± Finally free, he stood up, turned toward Cara, and smiled, only to earn a scowl in return. What was that about? ¡°Both of you.¡±


    Jeremy glanced between the two of them, his stony expression giving away nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. We should talk more later. I have other duties to attend to.¡± He swept out of the room, leaving Ted alone with the still-scowling Cara.


    ¡°So,¡± she said, leaning back into her chair and crossing her arms. ¡°There are some rules.¡±


    ¡°Rules?¡± Where was this going?


    ¡°I¡¯m responsible for your care. Where I go, you go.¡± She let out an animalistic growl. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed weapons while in the village, and you¡¯re to do as you¡¯re told. Understood so far?¡±


    Ted nodded. ¡°Sounds reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Good. Finally, if you want to stay here, you need to make yourself useful. What are your profession skills?¡±


    He stared back at her, unsure how to break it to her. There wasn¡¯t really a good way to spin it. At least for now, he was damned near useless here.


    Her eyes widened. She blinked twice and slumped into a sigh. ¡°Let me guess, you don¡¯t have any? Of course not. You mentioned being a scholar, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of sorts.¡± He doubted that Computer Science would help much in a forest.


    ¡°If you wanted to do that sort of thing, you¡¯d need a big city, anyway. No need for a human scholar here.¡±


    He had no intention of being a scholar, but his feathers ruffled at the idea he couldn¡¯t just because he was a human. ¡°So what if I¡¯m human?¡±


    ¡°How long will you live? Seventy, eighty years? Maybe a hundred, with a good healer?¡±


    Understanding crept in, unwelcome as it was. ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s ancient history for humans is lived experience for elves. It¡¯s hard for humans to compete with hundreds of years of study and contemplation.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so scholar¡¯s out then.¡± Not that it would have done him any good without a computer. ¡°What else is there? What are you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± She raised her eyebrows and paused. ¡°I¡¯m a Bowyer and a Leatherworker. I like to make my own equipment, no matter what anyone else thinks about that.¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone think badly of that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± She turned away and growled. ¡°We have grandmaster Bowyers and Leatherworkers in the Forest. We don¡¯t need more. They¡¯d love it if you picked something useful, like Herbalist or Forester, but it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Ted nodded along. That was enough prodding for now. ¡°If I¡¯m going to stay, I need to make myself useful somehow, right?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the Great Forest gives how they¡¯re able. It¡¯s how we survive. Right now, if you¡¯re willing to hunt alongside me, that¡¯d be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say, ¡®right now?¡¯ Because of the dungeon spawn?¡±


    She closed her eyes, and her expression hardened. It didn¡¯t soften again when they opened. ¡°It¡¯s more dangerous out there than ever. We¡¯ve lost a few hunters already.¡±


    Ted turned away. Once again, he¡¯d stuck his foot in it. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    She shook her head and stood. ¡°It¡¯s okay. No one particularly close to me, thank the Forest, but closer than I¡¯d like.¡± Cara took a deep breath and headed for the door. ¡°Come. I¡¯ve got something to show you.¡±


    She led him through a series of walkways between platforms, all formed out of the trees and seamlessly merged together. Or was it tree, singular?


    Some of the walkways were covered, with window-like gaps for the sun, while others were open to the elements. The few wood elves they encountered openly stared at their passing.


    Ted smiled at them as best he could. Being an outsider was nothing new. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere that reminds me how good I have it, no matter how bad it feels at the time.¡±


    She didn¡¯t elaborate beyond that, and he was done pushing for now. He¡¯d find out soon enough.


    Before long, they came to a platform with no other walkways coming off it. An intricate wooden totem stood at the center, painted gray and inscribed with writing. The script was unrecognizable¡ªWood Elvish, perhaps?


    Cara kneeled before the totem and gestured for Ted to do the same. ¡°This is a shrine to the victims of the Age of Heroes.¡±


    ¡°Heroes?¡± His stomach quivered.


    She bowed her head and became unnaturally still. ¡°No matter how bad it gets, be grateful you don¡¯t live in a world with Heroes anymore.¡±


    His jaw clamped shut and an icy chill spread through him. He checked and rechecked his status, but it steadfastly remained the same.


    Status: Hero


    Cara turned on him, her face alit with fury. ¡°Do you know what the word ¡®grinding¡¯ means?¡±


    Ted shook his head. Suspicions were forming in his mind, but if he was right, sharing them would only make things worse.


    ¡°They¡¯d slaughter entire villages, just for the meager XP they¡¯d provide. Then, once a week, some evil, cruel god would spawn more people so they could do it all over again. Every week, new, innocent folk, created out of thin air, ripe for the slaughter.¡±


    Ted¡¯s heart hammered in his chest and his throat tightened shut. He could imagine it all too well, but this world was clearly way more advanced than any Earth game. Cara, Jeremy, hell, even the wolf felt real. Felt sentient. But if they were, then¡ª


    A dark chill swept over him, leaving him sick to the core. No sapient being deserved that, and Cara at least seemed to qualify. And if she did, presumably the others did too.


    Cara carried on, her voice swelling with rage. ¡°The worst part must have been how helpless they felt. Even if they banded together and somehow killed a few Heroes, they¡¯d simply come back, worse than ever.¡± She slammed her fists against the smooth bark floor. ¡°Murderers, all of them. Thank the Forest they¡¯re gone.¡±


    Was he supposed to comfort her? Ted stopped his hand halfway. No. If she knew¡­ Whatever her reaction would be, she damned well wouldn¡¯t want him comforting her, least of all now.


    Her breathing slowed, and her fists gradually unclenched. ¡°Sorry. It makes me so damned angry, but¡­¡± She pursed her lips and turned away. Her voice lowered to a whisper. ¡°Whatever problems I have, they had it so much worse.¡± When she looked up, determination burned in her eyes. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you settled in.¡±


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    They walked in silence, her swift pace forcing him to jog to keep up. Should he tell her? If he waited, he could build trust first. Trust that might be shattered by the truth. Assuming she ever found out¡ªgetting out of the forest might not be a bad medium-term plan. However long ago it had been, shorter-lived races were less likely to hold a grudge, right?


    Positives: He might be immortal here. Negatives: Everyone would hate him if they knew the truth. Typical. Thank heavens he hadn¡¯t mentioned it yet.


    Not that he¡¯d been hiding it, it simply hadn¡¯t seemed like the right time. ¡°Hey guys, I know you¡¯re interrogating me because you think I¡¯m a shapeshifting wizard looking to murder you all, but did you know my character sheet says I¡¯m a Hero?¡±


    Somehow, he hadn¡¯t thought that would go down well. He scrubbed what it meant to be a Hero from the table of questions he planned to ask and started a new mental list. ¡°Questions to never ask, ever, no matter how important.¡± They already had enough reasons to distrust him. There was no need to go giving them more.


    Cara led him into the biggest room yet, at least forty feet wide, formed in the middle of a gigantic tree. The room was full of wood elves, all plainly dressed with bare feet. Most worked away at some form of craft, or were watching those who did. There was a wide array of crafts on display¡ªwhittling wood, bow making, leatherworking, and more.


    The hustle and bustle came with a sweet, soothing melody of Wood Elvish voices, all talking and laughing. Less soothing was the sharp, pungent smell that dominated the air. Ted¡¯s nose wrinkled. The creature he¡¯d carried back for Cara was mid-way through being skinned by an older male elf, while two younger elves watched and pretended to listen.


    He caught the older elf¡¯s gaze, who stopped mid-cut and stared, his sentence shuddering to a halt. Like a cascade of dominoes, the entire room fell silent, all eyes turning on Ted.


    Just like being back home. Ted pasted on a smile. He wouldn¡¯t give them any more reasons to dislike him, not if he could help it.


    Silence hung in the air. He looked to Cara. They knew her, and she knew him¡ªit was up to her now.


    Her eyes widened and she turned away, fiddling with her hands as she tried to hide right in front of everyone.


    Ted¡¯s new inner sense informed him she was literally attempting to disappear. He raised an eyebrow and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re trying to Stealth?¡±


    She froze up. A long, tense silence passed before she replied, quiet as a mouse. ¡°¡­ Maybe.¡±


    Even still learning how the world worked, that seemed implausible. ¡°Does Stealth work in the open?¡±


    More silence.


    Awkward, but good to know people were people, no matter where they were. As usual, it was up to him. He stepped forward and waved. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ted.¡±


    The elves stared back. They said nothing, but their expressions softened, at least.


    The older elf who¡¯d gaze he¡¯d caught laid down his skinning knife and stepped forward. He presented his hands, wide and open, palms outstretched. ¡°Welcome, Ted. I am Reltan.¡±


    Awkwardness filled the void between them, but Ted would take that any day over Jeremy or the unnamed elf deciding whether to kill him. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re a skinner, then?¡±


    Reltan nodded. ¡°No grandmaster, but skilled enough to teach the children.¡± He gestured to the two young yet adult-looking elves beside him.


    ¡°Children?¡± The word slipped out of Ted¡¯s lips without thinking.


    The elf shook his head, a motion so small it was almost imperceptible. ¡°All of the learners here today have yet to see a hundred springs. Some¡ª¡± paused to glance at his two inattentive students ¡°¡ªhave not yet found the right craft for them.¡±


    Reltan focused his gaze back on Ted with a piercing intensity, and a tingle rippled down Ted¡¯s back. Not unpleasant, but unfamiliar enough to be unsettling. Was this what it was like to be Identified? He hadn¡¯t felt that before, when Cara had identified him. There had to be a way to hide it. That would certainly be useful.


    A stifled gasp escaped from Reltan, and his eyes widened. ¡°You have no profession skills at all?¡±


    Ted shook his head. ¡°No, and no useful experience, either.¡±


    The elf regained his composure and bowed his head. ¡°Apologies.¡± A warm smile spread across his lips and he gave Cara a nod. ¡°You have brought him to the right place, thank you. I can take custody of him for now, if you wish.¡± He held his arms out, looking from side to side at the crowd of elves still silently watching. ¡°I think that between all of us we can handle him for a few hours.¡±


    Her eyes lit up so fast it was hard not to be offended. She darted forward, pocketed a small chunk of wood from the carving desk, and dashed for the door.


    Reltan shook his head slightly and gestured for Ted to follow him. ¡°Come. We can try you on skinning first.¡±


    Sweet, melodic Wood Elvish filled the hall once more and the elves returned to their own tasks.


    Ted gave Reltan a smile and followed. This was a chance to create a good first impression. Best not to spoil it by worrying about Cara.


    ***


    The carving knife thudded against the table harder than Ted had intended, drawing concerned glances from several of the elves at the next table over.


    Ted sighed. He couldn¡¯t even put a knife down right. ¡°It¡¯s pointless. I¡¯m officially useless at everything.¡± Here, anyway. Give me a computer or some equations any day.


    Reltan pulled up a chair next to him. ¡°Patience, young one. Everyone has their calling. From the look of your stats, I would posit that yours are more cerebral than artisan. I have no doubt that in a human city you would make a fine scholar.¡±


    ¡°Fat lot of good that does me.¡± Ted sighed and buried his head in his hands. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°Understandable. There are many crafts beyond those within this tree.¡±


    Ted bit back another sarcastic outburst. While the other elves had treated him with a mixture of distant curiosity, apathy, and suspicion, Reltan had been nothing but patient, taking him from craftsman to craftsman and introducing him to each in turn. ¡°What would you suggest?¡±


    The elf leaned back and examined Ted, sending that now all too familiar ripple through him. ¡°Craft choices are very personal. Most can only ever level two at a time, and, while the choice isn¡¯t permanent, every level in a third skill costs one of the old.¡±


    ¡°As you said. And each level gets harder to increase.¡±


    Reltan nodded with a glowing smile. ¡°Very good, yes. I never recommend particular craft skills to any of my learners. If you¡¯re going to spend your life studying a craft, I feel it should be one that calls to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an elf, though, am I? No point in me learning a skill like bow crafting when I¡¯ll be dead before I¡¯m half as good as your intermediates, let alone your masters.¡±


    ¡°That is one way to look at it.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you have a gap in? What don¡¯t enough wood elves study?¡±


    Reltan¡¯s frown made his disapproval clear, but Ted couldn¡¯t just drop it. If¡ªwhen¡ªhe got home, his skills here wouldn¡¯t matter, and as long as he was stuck in this world, he was damned well going to make himself useful.


    The elf sighed. ¡°I would recommend that you find crafts that you personally are happy with. However, I will not deny you the information you seek. First, there are skills that serve little purpose here. Farming, for instance¡ªwe have no farmland. Second, there are gathering skills, many of which are always in demand, especially those that require leaving the village. Having more herbs, for instance, is never a bad thing.¡±


    Reltan paused, leaving a silence that dragged into awkwardness.


    Tension coiled in Ted¡¯s chest. What didn¡¯t Reltan want to say?


    Ted¡¯s heart sank. It made sense they wouldn¡¯t trust him. He was, after all, asking in a roundabout way what their weaknesses were.


    Time crept by, each second longer than the last. When Reltan finally resumed, he spoke slowly, quieter than before. ¡°Third, there are the profession skills that are simply too dangerous for many wood elves to take them. Mining, Spellcrafting, and Archeology are the first that come to mind.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound like mistrust. It almost sounded like Reltan, a stranger and an elf, didn¡¯t want him to risk his life for them. Had he misjudged the man? Maybe things wouldn¡¯t be so bad here, at least as long as they didn¡¯t know he was a Hero.


    If he stayed, a useful profession would help. Spellcrafting in particular would complement learning magic, although its inclusion in the ¡°too dangerous for elves¡± set was more than a little concerning. ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous about those?¡±


    ¡°Mining and Archeology, in and of themselves, are not dangerous professions. The danger comes from where one would have to travel for them. The only usable mines around here are in the Deep-Forest, the underground dungeons beneath us. I believe you have already met one of their lesser denizens.¡±


    Lesser? Ted swallowed and nodded for Reltan to continue. It was almost sad how much his eyes lit up to have an attentive audience.


    ¡°Spellcrafting, on the other hand, is inherently dangerous. One mistake, and the spell created might easily backfire. The more magic used, and the bigger the mistake, the greater the resulting¡­ incident. Most elves would prefer not to risk their lives in that way. Instead, we pass down what little magical knowledge we have left, and that is sufficient.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I blame them. How long do elves live, anyway?¡±


    ¡°It varies. With adept healers and a life well-lived, a wood elf would be lucky to reach a thousand springs.¡±


    A thousand years was more than lucky. Ted bit back a snide comment. Better to move on before he started an argument. ¡°You mentioned Archeology¡ªwhat use would that be?¡±


    It was only fleeting, but the elf¡¯s expression left no doubt he¡¯d asked a stupid question. Given the number of questions Ted had asked, many of them incredibly basic, it was a testament to Reltan¡¯s patience that it had taken so long for the first crack to appear.


    The expression of disbelief was swiftly replaced by a bitter smile. ¡°Much knowledge has been lost over the millennia, or guarded with such jealousy that it may as well have been. Much of it was never held by the wood elves to begin with, or was stolen from us¡ªmore¡¯s the pity, for we would have preserved it better. Nowhere is this truer than in the art of Spellcrafting. Both the Heroes of old and the Divine Empire discovered many things about the craft that were never shared beyond a select few. Some might be discoverable, but I fear much was lost.¡±


    Ted leaned forward. What knowledge might he be able to find? Powerful magic? Maybe even a way out of this place? ¡°How did they make so much progress if it¡¯s so dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Death was no impediment to Heroes. There are tales that some would even embrace death upon a severe injury such as losing a limb, returning whole once more. The Divine Empire¡­¡± He trailed off, his fists balling up in the first sign that the elf had anything but kind patience in his heart. ¡°The Divine Empire had no qualms about forcing slaves to develop their spells.¡±


    Slaves were out, but he was a Hero¡­


    It sounded too good to be true. He wanted a lot more confirmation than a ten-thousand year old rumor before banking on being immortal, but maybe being a Hero had upsides after all.


    Given his stats, becoming a mage was a solid plan. Spellcrafting would pair well with that, at least if he had the edge of coming back from the dead. And if there was lost magic out there to find, Archeology could pair very well with Spellcrafting.


    ¡°Thank you, Reltan. You¡¯ve been more helpful than I could have imagined.¡± He¡¯d certainly never imagined he¡¯d have learned to skin a torric today. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to choose just yet, but, while I have you, I¡¯d love to hear more of the history of this world.¡±


    The elf sat up straight, his chest thrust out and a gleam in his eye. He kept it as brief as he could, in his own rambling way¡ªwhich is to say, not brief at all¡ªyet Ted listened carefully all the same. The more knowledge he could arm himself with, the better.


    The gist was that the Age of Heroes had been a time of great upheaval, with many wars, principally centered around the throne of the Divine Empire. It was a time of great deeds and events, with many unbelievable occurrences and upheavals.


    Ted nodded along, his hypothesis about ¡°Heroes¡± becoming more and more solid. If the Divine Empire was tied to them, then he might find more information there. And if he could figure out what happened, and where the Heroes went, that might lead to a way home.


    Save your father, save the world. Had his father thought the same thing? Ted¡¯s teeth tugged at his bottom lip. Wild speculation about a man he hadn¡¯t seen in over a decade wouldn¡¯t help. Paying attention to Reltan¡¯s rambling history lesson might.


    The Heroes had declined in numbers, disappearing to a fate unknown, until, one day, all the remaining Heroes had simply vanished. Since then, there had been scattered rumors of other Heroes, singular or in small groups, but never in the numbers there once were.


    The Divine Empire had endured, its last emperor ruling with an iron grip. Since his death, no more Emperors had been crowned and, besides minor border skirmishes, the last ten thousand years had been relatively peaceful.


    Power abhors a vacuum. Ten thousand years and no new empires? No major wars? No major anything? It made no sense. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge now?¡±


    ¡°The Divine Emperor rules all.¡±


    Ted paused. Had he missed something? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the throne of the Divine Emperor has been vacant since the last emperor, ten thousand years ago?¡±


    Reltan winced for the briefest of moments. ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a contradiction?¡±


    The elf¡¯s face twisted into an expression of agony that fled so fast it was hard to be sure it had really happened. Reltan seemed perfectly fine, with no trace of the flash of pain. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Ted leaned back and bit his lip. The man appeared completely genuine, yet what he was saying wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°How long has the Divine Emperor been on the throne?¡±


    Reltan shrugged. ¡°As long as anyone can remember.¡±


    ¡°Was the Divine Emperor on the throne a hundred years ago?¡±


    ¡°He was,¡± Reltan said, with absolute confidence.


    Ted took a deep breath. It made no sense. The current emperor had to be the same as the most recent emperor. Unless the handles pointed to different objects. Could it be? This was either going to be the dumbest question he¡¯d ever asked, or one of the smartest. ¡°A hundred years ago, was there a Divine Emperor?¡±


    Pain flickered across Reltan¡¯s face, gone almost as fast as it arrived. Completely normal again as if nothing had happened, he answered with that same confidence. ¡°No. None have been crowned since the disappearance of the Heroes.¡±


    A dark foreboding hooked into Ted¡¯s gut. He prayed his hunch was wrong, but the quest had been clear on one point. ¡°Save your father, save the world.¡± Whatever his father had gotten himself mixed up in, it was big.


    Fourteen years of not knowing. Two-thirds of his life wondering what had happened and trying not to give a shit. I¡¯m sorry Reltan, but I have to know. ¡°Fourteen years ago today, was there a Divine Emperor?¡±


    Reltan shook his head, a quizzical expression on his face. ¡°No?¡±


    Heat rose in Ted¡¯s gut. It wasn¡¯t fair, life never had been. Knowing there was a connection wouldn¡¯t help, only leave even more questions than answers. He swallowed. He had to know. ¡°Thirteen years ago, was there a Divine Emperor?¡±


    Another flicker of pain crossed the poor elf¡¯s face and Ted¡¯s chest tightened. At least Reltan didn¡¯t seem to remember it.


    ¡°Yes, there was. The Divine Emperor has been on the throne as long as anyone can remember.¡±

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    Available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited: Spellcoder - Stolen by the System (Book 1)</a>

 Chapter 1, Volume 2

    Death¡¯s dulcet tones beckoned Ted back into consciousness. ¡°Well, well, well, wasn¡¯t that a turn-up for the books!¡±


    Ted found himself sitting opposite the so-called god as distant emotions tumbled over each other, there but almost out of reach. He glanced around the fake roadside diner. Back here again? ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°Not in the mood?¡± Death leaned back in his seat with a beaming smile. ¡°I suppose not. That was a rather unpleasant way to die.¡±


    His own father. Ted looked away and scoffed. ¡°What would you know of dying?¡±


    A plate scraped across the table, loaded with a double decker burger, fries, and onion rings. ¡°Eat! Take what pleasures you can.¡±


    ¡°You sound like him.¡±


    ¡°Tut, tut, tut, let¡¯s not be that way. This is a guilt-free pleasure. I don¡¯t hurt people!¡±


    Ted slammed his fist down on the table. ¡°You¡¯re the God of Death!¡±


    ¡°Did I kill you?¡± Death leaned over the table and stared into Ted¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did I kill Orlanda?¡±


    Heat boiled in Ted¡¯s chest. He clenched his fists and looked out the window at the 1970s saloon car rumbling past. ¡°Not directly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a jailer. I offer choices. What others do with those choices isn¡¯t my business.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really much of a choice, is it? Lose A or lose B¡ªeither way, you¡¯re taking away what they had.¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Death tilted his head and stared at Ted like he was a clueless child. ¡°I offer life at a cost. What¡¯s a little sacrifice compared to that?¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    A smile lit up Death¡¯s face. ¡°Nothing would make me happier. Nothing, that is, except you completing your task.¡±


    Ted raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t have to choose?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, Ted. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you.¡±


    Yeah, right.


    Death¡¯s brow furled. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯m hurt!¡±


    Ted crossed his arms. ¡°My own father murdered an innocent young woman to teach me a lesson because you robbed him of his empathy, and who knows what else.¡±


    ¡°Robbed him? Come now! Without me, you¡¯d both be stuck in this hellish limbo for all eternity.¡±


    Eternity? ¡°Won¡¯t I age?¡±


    ¡°Not in here.¡± Death waved his hand and a bowl of chocolate ice cream appeared before him. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad, after the first ten-thousand years.¡±


    Anything had to be better than an eternity with Death. Ted bit his lip. Almost anything. ¡°You claim you didn¡¯t rob him. Explain how it happened, then. Start at the beginning. His first death. What killed him?¡±


    Death shook his head. ¡°Privacy is paramount. I can¡¯t just go around divulging information about other players.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve told me things about him before.¡±


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    ¡°Conjecture and baseless rumors are not private information.¡±


    Ted frowned. ¡°Your tip about under the ruins was good.¡±


    ¡°Information about the world, not him.¡±


    ¡°Why do you do it? Make these hellish bargains? Do you enjoy ruining lives?¡±


    The so-called god held up its hands and shrugged. ¡°I must obey my calling, no matter how pointless. A little rage kept them coming back nicely.¡±


    ¡°Them?¡± Ted bit his lip. ¡°The real-world orcs?¡±


    ¡°Got it in one! Nothing got an orc going quite like raging at defeat.¡± Death lifted the bowl of ice cream and began shoveling it into his mouth.


    A sentient AI stuck doing the same thing ten thousand years later. It was hard not to pity him. ¡°I found an access panel where you told me to look. What¡¯s the Krotan-Oskagok Act?¡±


    Death shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Toward the end of the Age of Heroes, there was a lot of chatter about that Act and what it would mean for sentient AIs, and for the ¡®game¡¯. Not long after, the Heroes all vanished.¡±


    Ted swallowed, but the bitter tang in his mouth remained. A world and its inhabitants abandoned to fate, stuck in roles long since meaningless. ¡°What would you do if you didn¡¯t have to get under my skin?¡±


    Death tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡±


    A dull ache swelled in Ted¡¯s chest. This wasn¡¯t right at all. ¡°The system locked me out before I could fix things. Are there more locations you that can¡¯t see?¡±


    ¡°There is one beneath the Hub, south of the capital but still within the Imperial Domain.¡± A long pause. ¡°It has been abandoned since the Age of Heroes, but Imperial forces recently surrounded it.¡±


    Ted slumped back in his seat. ¡°The Emperor knows about it, then.¡±


    ¡°Most likely. And what are you going to do about it? Sit here moping around for eternity, or get out there and beat him?¡±


    Like it was that simple. ¡°How?¡± Ted asked, his heart pounding with life he didn¡¯t deserve. ¡°Attack the Empire? Get even more innocents killed?¡±


    Death smirked. ¡°Well then, you¡¯ll just have to stay right here with me, until the end of time.¡±


    Fuck that. ¡°What¡¯s the bargain this time?¡±


    ¡°I see your pain, friend.¡± The god¡¯s smirk faded, and he bowed his head. ¡°I can take all your guilt away, and you can leave here a happier man.¡±


    A barbed knot ripped at Ted¡¯s insides. Why not choose that? What had guilt ever done for him? ¡°Or?¡±


    ¡°Or, if you insist upon holding on to that ridiculous pain, your life will cost you your ability to benefit from Protection spell effects.¡±


    Ted blinked. That¡¯d leave him incredibly vulnerable. ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d still be able to protect your friends. They¡¯re what matter to you, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ted rose from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m done with your shit. I¡¯ll find another way out.¡±


    Death leaned back and hooked his hands behind his head. ¡°You won¡¯t, but you¡¯re welcome to try.¡±


    Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. Hopefully, that saying wasn¡¯t as bullshit here as it normally was.


    Discern Magic, Archeologist¡¯s Sight, Uncover Magic¡ªnone of them worked. Ted couldn¡¯t even feel his own mana, let alone call on it.


    He paced up and down the eerily empty diner, weighing up going out the front, or out through the kitchen.


    Did it even matter? Ted clenched his jaw and stormed out the front door. He blinked. Instead of the outside, he was staring once more at the inside of the diner and holding open the kitchen door.


    Mocking laughter filled the room. ¡°I told you: I don¡¯t rob people. You know, Cara¡¯s still alive, at least for now. You want to see her again, don¡¯t you?


    ¡°What, so I can get her killed as well?¡±


    Death sighed dejectedly and picked back up the once again full bowl of ice cream. ¡°You all die one day. The only thing worse than dying alone and abandoned is not dying, alone and abandoned.¡±


    Ted breathed deeply and swallowed, giving in to that internal sense telling him that this was the only way. ¡°Fine. Send me back. I¡¯ll pay the power cost.¡±


    ¡°Unwise, but predictable. See you again very soon.¡±


    Death waved his hand. The diner spun, his vision blurring together into a swirl of darkening color that gave way to the void.


    ***


    Ted gasped awake and sat up on the dusty rock floor. A cavern surrounded him, illuminated by the glow of Valbort. He was exactly where he¡¯d died, but the Emperor and his soldiers were gone. Luther and Ardic were gone.


    Orlanda was gone.


    He scrambled to his feet. His body was gone, as was everything he hadn¡¯t had equipped. The wand was at his belt, but the battlemage sword and staff were gone, plucked from his hands by his own father.


    Why? Why had he done it? What lesson had he been trying to impart beyond the same one he¡¯d spent the last fourteen years teaching him¡ªthat the world was a shitty place?


    Ted dropped to his knees and stared at the ground. He couldn¡¯t even tell where it had happened. Where her neck had¡ª


    That horrifying crack echoed through him again, and he gagged. Her whole life gone, all to teach him a lesson.


    His shoulders slumped. What did it matter? It wasn¡¯t really his father. He wasn¡¯t really Ted. No body, literally nobody. Just¡­ meaningless energy. It didn¡¯t matter.


    Nothing mattered.

 Chapter 2, Volume 2

    Nola pushed out a warning. Wolves, incoming on the right!


    Crouching behind a log, Cara drew her bow and waited.


    Three huge wolves bounded out of the foliage, snarling and frothing at their mouths. Cara loosed a Force-imbued arrow at the middle wolf.


    Stealth attack! 408 piercing damage dealt!


    The arrow struck the wolf in the head. It slumped to the ground, dead.


    Kegan took out the wolf on the left with a shot through its eye. The right wolf kept charging¡ªstraight into a blastbolt from Aidan.


    990 XP received!


    ¡°Good job, everyone,¡± Cara said, giving her squad a smile. She signaled the next Lookout squad to move up and take over the flank. ¡°Rest break.¡±


    Kegan glanced toward the howls and cries further ahead. ¡°Think they¡¯re okay?¡±


    Cara clenched up. ¡°Mind on the job. They¡¯re relying on us to keep the flank clear. Trust they¡¯ll do their part.¡±


    She smiled and tried to act naturally, not that Nola was buying it. Would the others be okay? Gramok wasn¡¯t used to fighting in the Forest, but he had Jeremy and the other Prowlers looking after him.


    ¡°Want me to take a look while you guys rest?¡± Nola asked. ¡°Not like being bait was hard work.¡±


    A brief peek couldn¡¯t hurt, could it?


    Cara sighed and shook her head. ¡°No. We stick together, and stick to the plan.¡±


    All three of them gave her incredulous looks.


    Cara put her hands on her hips and put on as serious a face as she could muster. ¡°You never seen a Prowler following a plan before?¡±


    No response. Not that they really needed to say anything.


    They formed up and walked a safe distance behind the second squad, waiting for the signal to relieve or reinforce them.


    ¡°It makes no sense,¡± Kegan said. ¡°Why do they attack in such small groups?¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a limit to whatever is controlling them,¡± Aidan said.


    Nola signaled for silence.


    Everyone shut up and strained to hear what she heard.


    The color drained from Nola¡¯s face. ¡°They¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    The squad turned to Cara. They needed direction. Direction from her.


    Cara frowned. ¡°Elivala should have Messaged if they needed help.¡±


    ¡°Assuming she can,¡± Kegan said.


    A thorny knot twisted in Cara¡¯s gut. The Keeper might have been ambushed, or worse. If they lost the Prowlers, the village was as good as dead.


    Who needed plans, anyway? ¡°Let¡¯s move. Aidan, let the other squad know.¡±


    Cara jogged through the forest at Nola¡¯s top speed. It wasn¡¯t far. Whatever the danger, arriving together was better than getting picked off one by one.


    Thorns twisted in her stomach. Had she led Gramok to his death? What if Jeremy¡ª


    The shouts and screams of battle grew louder. Nearly there. Cara activated Stealth and signaled the squad to do the same. Nola, what do you see?


    The forest, she messaged, squinting.


    They snuck closer. How bad was it?


    What if they were fine? Cara imagined Jeremy¡¯s disappointment that they¡ªthat she¡ªhad abandoned their post.


    What if the flank failed while they weren¡¯t there?


    Cara gripped her bow tighter. They were here now. No point second-guessing it.


    Nola peered through the foliage and gasped. Too many dungeon spawn to count. They¡¯re swamped.


    Not. Good.


    There were very powerful fighters in the group ahead. If they were going to save them, they¡¯d need to leverage the element of surprise.


    We sneak in from behind, Cara messaged, and launch stealth attacks. We¡¯ll need to split up to not reveal each other. We¡ªyou¡ªmight not be Prowlers, but you¡¯re the best bloody Lookouts in the Great Forest.


    They nodded, but she¡¯d never seen them this grim. Who could blame them? Splitting up wasn¡¯t ideal¡ªit would probably get someone killed¡ªbut this was it. Do or die for the entire village.


    If only Ted was here. He would have a better plan, some brugedror-shit magic to save the day.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    But he wasn¡¯t. Cara took a deep breath. The dryad is the primary target. Don¡¯t forget the goal here! Let¡¯s move.


    They circled around, spread out, and snuck up on the battle. On the left, Gramok dueled a gorilla while Jeremy and half a dozen other Prowlers fought desperately against a growing host of dungeon spawn. Wolves, snakes, giant spiders¡ªall manner of creatures flowing in faster than they could be slain.


    On the right, a dryad hid behind a tree, observing the battle. Between it and the main elven force was a huge and unnaturally thick bed of vines. Cara¡¯s heart clenched. Entangled in the mess of vines was a wood elf, face down and motionless.


    Dead.


    And where was Elivala? Why hadn¡¯t she Messaged?


    Cara swallowed. Nothing she could do about that now. With the main force thoroughly pinned down, it was up to her and her squad.


    Dryads themselves were pretty fragile. A coordinated sneak attack might work.


    They had to try. We go for the dryad. Simultaneous stealth attacks.


    She snuck behind the dryad, activated fire on her bow, and lined up a Sniper Shot. Go in five.


    Kill the dryad, steal away the body, and everyone would get to go home.


    Everyone still alive, anyway.


    In the corner of her eye, white magic swirled in Aidan¡¯s hands.


    Three, two, one, shoot!


    Cara loosed her Sniper Shot, joined by two more arrows and Aidan¡¯s blastbolt.


    Stealth attack! Critical hit! 113 piercing damage dealt! Bleeding Lightly injury inflicted!


    Stealth attack! Critical hit! 70 fire damage dealt! Burning status effect inflicted!


    Teal flickered at the four points of impact. It turned and shrieked as fire engulfed it. Each of its hands moved rapidly, weaving two separate spells.


    Cara nocked another arrow. The dryad was the primary objective of the entire battle. No matter the cost, retreat wasn¡¯t an option.


    Teal and turquoise magic flared around the dryad. Water coated it, extinguishing the flames. Armor or Absorb, perhaps, and some kind of protective Water spell?


    Cara smirked, switched her bow to lightning, activated Piercing Shot, and took another shot.


    23 piercing damage dealt!


    Vulnerability exploited! 0 electric damage dealt (76 absorbed)!


    The dryad glared at Aidan and swirled green magic in its hands¡ªlight on one side, dark on the other. Life and Nature magic.


    Cara clenched her jaw. It couldn¡¯t be allowed to heal. She nocked and drew in one motion, loosing an arrow at the dryad¡¯s left hand.


    Her heart hung in her throat. No amount of skill could guarantee the hit on a small, moving target like that.


    The arrow struck true, knocking the dryad¡¯s hand to the side despite the minimal damage. The Life magic dissipated, but the Nature spell went off.


    Vines shot out of the ground beneath Aidan, grasping his legs and working up his body. For every vine he pushed away, two more grabbed him.


    An arrow flew out of the trees to the right and buried in the dryad¡¯s side. It howled in pain and dropped to its knees, narrowly avoiding a second arrow from the same direction.


    Cara sprinted toward Aidan and nocked a fire arrow, praying it would stop the vines instead of making everything worse.


    Aidan stopped struggling and wove a Portals spell, glancing down at the encroaching vines with a furled brow. The spell would save him, so long as he got it off before the vines reached his hands.


    The dryad straightened up and gathered bright teal-blue magic into a ball in front of it. Whatever it was casting, it couldn¡¯t be good.


    Cara shot again at its hand.


    The arrow struck the dryad in the chest, its hands moving out of the way at the last moment.


    Shit! Cara nocked her myrellium arrow, pulled on her mana, and began weaving an Imbue Stun spell.


    A swirl of blue magic consumed Aidan. He reappeared behind the dryad, just as it slammed its sphere of magic into the ground. A pulse of light blasted out from the impact point, but nothing else changed.


    Nothing that Cara could see.


    Cara¡¯s insides clenched, but she couldn¡¯t waste time worrying about that. Stun combo! ¡°Ro¡¯ronkatara-fa si!¡± Silver magic swirled around her trust arrow.


    Aidan turned, readying more Force magic.


    The dryad ripped the arrows out of its skin, it¡¯s wounds already healing, and began casting another Nature spell.


    ¡°Incoming!¡± Nola shouted.


    Cara stole a glance to the right. Kegan and Nola faced off against half a dozen charging wolves. They could handle that, but there¡¯d be more behind them.


    It was now or never.


    Aidan¡¯s Force magic cackled with power, teetering on the edge of a miscast. ¡°Now!¡±


    Cara took the shot.


    16 piercing damage dealt! Stunned status effect inflicted!


    0 electric damage dealt (48 absorbed)!


    Her myrellium arrow struck the dryad in the chest. Aidan pressed his hand against the back of the dazed dryad¡¯s head and unleashed his blast, shattering the dryad¡¯s skull.


    Its half-cast spell collapsed in on itself and exploded. The blast threw Aidan backward, and he hit the ground with a crunch that made Cara¡¯s insides scrunch up.


    ¡°Aidan!¡± Cara rushed toward him and activated Identify.


    Aidan Tolabar So¡¯aroaska


    Status: Broken Legs, Broken Rib


    Nola and Kegan had the few remaining wolves under control, but the gorilla-led horde of dungeon spawn storming toward them was another level of deadly.


    They had to run, and fast.


    Groaning on his back, Aidan cast a Portals spell and¡­ nothing. No explosion, no Teleport. What the hell?


    Cara threw herself down beside him, and her stomach churned at the sight of his mangled legs.


    ¡°Go,¡± he grunted. ¡°She blocked Portals magic.¡±


    Pain stabbed at Cara¡¯s chest. This was her fault. Aidan couldn¡¯t die because of her. ¡°No way. I¡¯m carrying you.¡±


    ¡°The mission.¡± Aidan clenched his fists and shook his head. ¡°Leave me.¡±


    ¡°Not an option.¡± She wrapped her arms around him.


    He shoved her off. ¡°Get the others to safety. I¡¯ll hold them off.¡±


    Heat pounded through Cara¡¯s veins. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order, Cara! I¡¯ll Message the others, and Jeremy.¡±


    Cara¡¯s throat tightened and closed. Why had she ever trusted him with that?


    Every inch of her being went cold. Because she trusted him to get it right.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She spat out the words, clenched her jaw, and ran for the dryad¡¯s corpse.


    Her heart sank. She could barely lift it, let alone run with it.


    The world closed in around her. This had all been for nothing.


    The dryad¡¯s weight lessened. ¡°Move it!¡± snarled Nola, holding the corpse¡¯s legs. ¡°This better be fucking worth it.¡±


    ¡°Nola¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up and run!¡±


    A blast echoed behind them. Aidan¡¯s distraction. His final gift.


    Aidan, Nola¡­ A knife twisted in Cara¡¯s gut as they fled.


    She glanced over her shoulder. Kegan was right behind them, shooting at the few wolves pursuing them.


    The dungeon spawn horde descended upon Aidan and the spot where he¡¯d killed the dryad.


    Broken legs, no Portals, no Levitate¡ªhe didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Cara gritted her teeth and faced forward. If she¡¯d learned Levitate, if she¡¯d taught it to Aidan¡­


    She fought back the tears. There¡¯d be time for that later.


    ¡°The main force is moving to cover our retreat,¡± Nola said, her words devoid of emotion. ¡°Which way?¡±


    A lump formed in Cara¡¯s throat. Why hadn¡¯t she learned more magic? One more spell¡­


    ¡°Which way?¡± Nola shouted.


    Cara stared at her and blinked. Nola never raised her voice. ¡°I¡­¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the time for excuses. If Nola could keep it together, so could she.


    ¡°This way,¡± Cara said. ¡°Directly to the village. That¡¯s the rally point.¡±


    They traveled through the forest in silence, the sounds of battle oh-so-slowly fading away.


    Still no XP. The battle raged on.


    How many had died already?


    How many more would die buying their escape?

 Chapter 3, Volume 2

    Eventually, Ted pulled himself from the floor. He pushed through smoldering, unquenchable pain, and forced himself back through Valbort¡¯s makeshift gate, its ongoing construction unmarred by any more signs of battle.


    The dwarven guards pulled to attention. He ignored them.


    Where was the Emperor?


    The keep. If he was anywhere, the monster would be there.


    Ted stiffened up and headed there. There were no Divine Empire troops in the streets, only slow-moving dwarves giving him strange looks. Ted marched straight past them, his fists clenched.


    Had Ardic really just let the Emperor get away with it?


    Most of the beds in the temporary infirmary were empty now, with far less groaning coming from them. The pile of dead was smaller, too.


    Ardic hadn¡¯t lifted a finger against the bastard, had he? Ted¡¯s nostrils flared and he stormed up the steps of the keep.


    Luther stood at the top with his arms crossed and his lips pursed, backed by half a dozen guards. ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    Whatever. Luther hadn¡¯t moved a muscle to help her, either. Ted grunted and tried to go around, only for Luther to sidestep and block his passage.


    Pressure pounded in Ted¡¯s ears. ¡°Out of my way!¡±


    ¡°I know that look, lad.¡±


    Ted scoffed. ¡°If you did, you¡¯d be behind me, not protecting that bastard.¡±


    Luther gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s gone.¡±


    Adrenaline roared through Ted, demanding blood. ¡°Then I¡¯ll settle for the coward that let him escape.¡±


    ¡°Kill me, then. I¡¯m the one who drafted Orlanda. She was my responsibility.¡±


    Ted pulled on his mana and held it ready. ¡°You both stood there and did nothing!¡±


    A grimace flickered across Luther¡¯s face. He stared up and drew in several slow, steady breaths. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t want to rip that roknorshak apart?¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Ted turned away and sneered. ¡°You could have fooled me. Now move aside.¡±


    ¡°Anger won¡¯t bring her back. There wasn¡¯t anything we could have done. We cannot fight the Divine Emperor.¡±


    ¡°You could have tried!¡±


    ¡°At what cost? Is one life worth a war that would kill us all?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Pain pounded in Ted¡¯s heart, wishing his head would shut the hell up. ¡°He murders someone in cold blood and we¡¯re meant to just forget it ever happened?¡±


    ¡°We move on. That¡¯s what she wanted.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, she wanted you to stand there and do nothing as he executed her.¡±


    Luther stared up at Ted and deadpan replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ted froze. That certainty¡­ Ted¡¯s shoulder slumped. Orlanda had been the communications hub at the time. She¡¯d have been in direct contact with Luther. ¡°What did she say¡­ at the end?¡±


    ¡°She begged us not to risk the town for her.¡± Luther half-chuckled. ¡°Ardic might have been stupid enough to do it otherwise.¡±


    The crappiness of the world weighed down on Ted¡¯s chest and arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want you to blame yourself, either.¡±


    Ted swallowed and pulled himself up straight. ¡°What happened after I¡­ left?¡±


    A pause. Luther¡¯s lips pressed together. ¡°The Emperor collected our taxes and left. He took your sword and staff, but the rest of your things are in your quarters.¡±


    Fiery anger coiled tightly around Ted¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯ll avenge her, and every other soul my father has slaughtered.¡±


    ¡°Get some rest, lad. The army won¡¯t be ready to leave until tomorrow, not until the new gatehouse is ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll rest when I¡¯m dead.¡± Ted stormed back down the steps. Tomorrow? He couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow!


    What the hell was he meant to do? Portal to Erinbar and walk to Tolabar by himself? No Protection magic, no healing, barely any armor, crap Stealth, awful Perception. If he didn¡¯t get ripped apart on the way, he¡¯d only get more good people killed.


    Pins pricked behind Ted¡¯s eyes. He squeezed them shut before forcing them open again. It had been a very long day after barely any sleep. Maybe Luther was right. Sleep might not be the worst plan.


    That didn¡¯t mean he had to like it.


    He headed back to the mage quarters and curled up in bed, but sleep refused to come. That moment played back in his head again and again.


    The crack. The way her body had crumpled to the floor, her life snuffed out. What kind of monster would do that?


    Ted tossed and turned in his bed. What kind of monster killed their own son?


    And this was the man he was supposed to save? No way. He didn¡¯t deserve saving.


    Pain ached in Ted¡¯s heart. How had he ever been stupid enough to think his father would make anything better?


    Screw his father, screw the quest, screw the world.


    It had been an idiotic mistake to believe anyone would be on his side, let alone his father.


    He pulled out the small hexagonal crystal from the Zelnari ruins. Feeding it slivers of mana, it glowed a dim purple, and a wave of Zelnari concepts filled his mind.


    Power. That was the only currency that either world understood. Knowledge was power, especially when it came to magic. What arcane knowledge was locked away in that crystal?


    If only he could read it. Ted slammed his fist against the bed. Tantalizing glimpses suggested a trove of magical knowledge, but that was all they were. Glimpses of power just out of reach.


    He flopped down on the bed. What delusions of grandeur had made him think he could make a difference? He should have escaped when he¡¯d had the chance.

 Chapter 4, Volume 2

    ¡°Let this be a lesson in how the world works, son.¡±


    Ted¡¯s heart twisted as his father¡¯s hand squeezed her throat. ¡°No!¡±


    Crack!


    Cara¡¯s neck twisted sharply. Her emerald eyes met Ted¡¯s gaze and demanded to know why he¡¯d let this happen.


    Ted ran toward her.


    Where was she?


    They were gone, both of them, gone.


    Ted looked up and down the street. His father couldn¡¯t be gone. He couldn¡¯t be.


    He clutched the straps of his school backpack and ran down the street, his tiny little feet pattering against the sidewalk.


    No matter where he looked, his father was nowhere to be found.


    Crying came from his house. He rushed inside. Mom, crying her eyes out.


    ¡°I know what I saw! He has to be out there somewhere! You have to believe me!¡±


    Ted looked down at her and shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s gone! He left us years ago!¡±


    He yanked the bottle out of her hands and glared at her with all the disgust that she deserved.


    She looked away, too pathetic or too drunk to meet his gaze. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me. No one does.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re crazy!¡± Ted slammed the door behind him. Outside, he looked up at the sky and screamed.


    Ted bolted upright and gasped for air. Cold sweat dribbled down his brow.


    A dream. Only a dream.


    If only¡­


    He pulled himself out of bed and scowled out the window at the dim glow outside, that strange dwarven version of nighttime.


    How long had he wasted searching for his father? A father that he had never stood a chance of finding.


    Ted bit his lip and clenched up. His mother¡­


    She hadn¡¯t been crazy after all. Not initially, anyway. Not before everyone refused to believe her. Before she¡¯d started¡ª


    There was no way that he could have known. There was no way that anyone could have known.


    No. That was nothing more than a hollow excuse. He should have believed her.


    Ted pulled himself up straight. There was work to be done. The wood elves needed saving. Cara needed saving, and he wasn¡¯t going to fuck it up this time.


    The battlemage weapons he¡¯d bloody well just gotten were gone, but damned if that was going to be the end of it. Especially having just spent a perk on it.


    Ted cast a Fire/Imbue/Ignite spell onto his sword. Flame sheathed the blade, but the spell continued to take up space in his mind. Not a promising sign. He cast a minor Energy/Imbue/Light spell, and the fire vanished from his sword. Clearly, this was not an appropriate weapon.


    Not yet, anyway. Were there any enchanters in the city? Luther and Idonia would know, but they¡¯d both be busy. What about the tavern keeper? He seemed to know everyone.


    Ted set off. As he headed to the tavern, he pulled out the Zelnari data crystal and turned it over in his hand. What secrets did it hold? Without context, translating it was close to impossible. Little snippets were comprehensible¡ªit definitely talked a lot about magic¡ªbut a proper translation would require much more vocabulary.


    Even the words he understood were an enigma in places. Danger and magic made sense alone or together, but elsewhere they were linked by a symbol much smaller and more intricate than the others. Why the difference?


    He arrived at the Plaza where the tavern was and shuddered to a halt. That blasted statue lay on its side, staring at him, mocking him with its endurance.


    A knot twisted in Ted¡¯s gut, the dying screams of the soldiers he¡¯d failed to save. Why did the world have to be like this?


    The sound of chiseling finally registered in his brain. Was he really that used to it? He followed the sound and, sure enough, there was Idonia, working away to repair the runes that Luther had destroyed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever sleep?¡± Ted asked.


    She paused and gave him a wry smile. ¡°I have to fix the damage someone did to ten-thousand-year-old runes. What¡¯s your excuse?¡±


    Ted crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll let the dungeon spawn kill everyone next time.¡±


    Idonia laughed. ¡°No need to be sorry. Honestly¡­¡± She paused, looked around, and beckoned me closer. ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡±


    ¡°Grateful?¡±


    ¡°I am honored to be able to work on these runes before I go.¡± Her face lit up. ¡°My work, alongside that of ancient grandmasters! Thank you, again, for the book. I wouldn¡¯t be able to fix the damage properly without it.¡±


    Ted frowned. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    More laughter, though with a markedly somber note. ¡°We all leave sometime, and I am closer than most.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± His gaze dropped to the floor. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a good, long life.¡± She put down her tools and turned to face him. ¡°Passion and love banish all regrets. I found mine. Find yours, and you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Teds¡¯s fingernails bit into his palms and his nostrils flared. ¡°I found my passion, alright.¡±


    ¡°Anger isn¡¯t passion, no matter how much they feel alike.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be allowed to stand.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But anger is a poor guide.¡± She met his gaze and peered into his soul. ¡°Why do you fight, Ted?¡±


    He blinked. How could anyone ask a question like that? ¡°I have to.¡±


    Her unwavering stare continued, and she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± Ted said, turning away as the heat rose in his chest. ¡°No one should be abandoned to die.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be enough, even if it was true.¡±


    ¡°You calling me a liar?¡±


    She nodded, like it was the simplest thing in the world. ¡°The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Idonia picked up her tools and got back to work.


    The fire in his chest roared. Who did she think she was to call him a liar? ¡°Why do you spend your entire life Runesmithing, then?¡±


    The words came out harsher than intended, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Because I¡¯m old, and everyone I loved died years ago. Runes are my legacy.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. My wife lived a long, happy life. I¡¯m blessed to have lived as many years as I have.¡±


    A lone butterfly fluttered in Ted¡¯s chest. Cara was out there, risking death even as they spoke. Assuming she wasn¡¯t already dead. ¡°Was it worth it?¡±


    Idonia paused and her face lit up again. ¡°To have watched her live was, is, and always shall be my greatest joy.¡±


    Even though she was gone? Ted tilted his head and remained silent. Some questions were better left unsaid. ¡°Thank you.¡± He cleared his throat and clumsily pulled the Zelnari data crystal back out. ¡°Before I go, could you take a look at this again for me, please?¡±


    She looked up at him through narrowed eyes. ¡°Do you know what I usually do to those who interrupt my work repeatedly?¡±


    ¡°Ignore them until they go away? Besides, you owe me.¡±


    Idonia grimaced and nodded. ¡°Very well.¡± She took the data crystal and closed her eyes. ¡°This really is an incredible find.¡±


    ¡°If only we could translate it. There¡¯s a word near the top. It uses danger and magic, but then they¡¯re joined somehow.¡±


    Idonia nodded. ¡°I see it. A conceptual conjunction. We use those in Runesmithing. They modify the connection. Sometimes, connections aren¡¯t possible without them. Other times, they change the effect. This one indicates that the danger is an inherent part of the magic.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Thank you.¡±


    Idonia glanced back down at the rune Luther had mangled. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°One last thing. Are there any enchanters in town?¡±


    ¡°None, but there are books in the archives. Good luck.¡±


    Ted smiled and bowed his head. ¡°Thank you. Thank you for everything.¡±


    She bowed her head and returned to her work.


    The archives were in the keep, weren¡¯t they? As a dwarf-friend, he felt pretty confident they¡¯d allow him access.


    They¡¯d better, after all he¡¯d done for them.


    Conceptual conjunction. Ted turned the idea over in his mind, studying the many examples in the book. The Zelnari in the vault must have been vastly simplified. Without more context, deciphering the data crystal might take a lifetime, if it was possible at all.


    So why give it to him? It had been a personalized reward, after all. Was he expected to explore other Zelnari ruins? He frowned. There had to be something he could learn from it.


    Magic. It was written in magic. How closely did the construction of the Zelnari language mirror that of spells?


    Ted pulled the Hold wand out of his pack, thanking the Forest that his father hadn¡¯t taken that as well. Was a conjunction how it crossed magic types?


    He focused in on it, and there it was. Subtle, almost impossible to see even with level 5 Discern Magic, but definitely there. A thin abstraction layer joined the Telepathy aspect to the Hold effect, much like the conjunctions used in the crystal. If he could replicate that, it would open a world of possibilities.


    He could test that later this. First, though, the archives.


    The guards greeted him warmly. After one checked with Ardic, they allowed Ted access on the condition a guard accompanied him. That was fine by Ted, especially as he couldn¡¯t read Dwarvish.


    The guard was more than happy to help. He raved about the combat prowess of the Battlemages as he led Ted down the wide-open staircase into the archives.


    Descending several flights of stairs, the air became very cold and dry, no doubt kept that way by the runic magic permeating everything. Yet, despite being aware of the cold, Ted didn¡¯t feel cold. A welcome perk of the Battlemage robes he wore.


    Each floor held a huge number of bookcases, and the floors seemed without end. No wonder they were so proud of this place. Even the index sprawled across multiple rows.


    A librarian approached, and offered¡ªor, more accurately, insisted upon giving¡ªtheir aid. They picked out a huge tome, enchanted with a variety of preservation magics. The tome was an index for magical crafting methods. Yet, impressive as it was, searching for enchanting spell-swords proved fruitless.


    It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except without knowing what a needle looked like. What would an Enchanter call it? The Spellcrafting book had called them conduits, hadn¡¯t it?


    The librarian searched under that and provided directions to Conduits, and the Enchanting Thereof. That tome proved relevant, but very heavy going, especially working through a translator with no magical knowledge. Much of the information slipped through Ted¡¯s fingers like water through a sieve, constantly prodding at his mind to remove one of his two profession skills.


    Ted sighed, viscerally feeling Cara¡¯s frustration at the profession limit. Still, even a crude enchantment would be better than nothing, and Enchanting used a lot of the same basic ideas as casting and Spellcrafting.


    After going over the section on spell-swords three more times, Ted called it. The little information he¡¯d gleaned would have to do. He thanked the guard and the librarian for their help, and headed for the blacksmiths.


    The light outside was brighter now, illuminating the force of soldiers gathering in the square before the keep. Ted¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Today, he would return to the Great Forest with an army in tow. There¡¯d be actual sky, trees instead of stone, and Cara.


    A warm, tingling glow filled his chest. Not long now.


    First, though, he was damned well going to make a new spell-sword. He wasn¡¯t letting the world steal it away from him that easily.


    He hurried to the blacksmith. The heat hit him when he arrived, quickly followed by the stench of the forge. In the corner, three young dwarves sat casting Transform spells upon metal, forming in seconds intricate pieces that would have taken minutes before.


    The master blacksmith turned. ¡°What the hell do ye want this¡ª¡± Upon seeing Ted, his eyes widened. The anger fled his face, replaced with a broad smile. ¡°Ted! Whatever can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°A tiny bit of gold and a gemstone to hold magic, if you can spare them.¡±


    ¡°That all?¡± The dwarf gestured to an apprentice. ¡°For you, the best we have, which isn¡¯t much. The gemstones we have aren¡¯t ideal for it, but what¡¯s ours is yours.¡±


    Ted bowed his head and thanked the blacksmith, who nodded and returned to work. A few minutes later, his apprentice returned with a tiny nugget of gold and an emerald the size of a gummy bear.


    It would have to be enough. Ted thanked the apprentice and rushed back to the keep, past the growing host of troops, and down into the portal lobby. If this went wrong, it would be best to contain the blast.


    With a series of Transform spells, he set the emerald into the pommel of his falchion and laid lines of gold up the sword, as per the book¡¯s directions. With that done, he wove magical channels into the golden lines.


    An Enchanting level up pressed against his mind, asking if he wanted to drop Spellcrafting or Archeology. Neither. He dismissed the notification. At some point, he¡¯d get a real Enchanter to do a better job, but this would have to do for now.


    Assuming it worked.


    He cast a weak Fire/Imbue/Ignite spell upon the sword. The blade ignited, and the emerald glowed. Ted smiled. Maybe Cara¡¯s woodcarving wasn¡¯t so crazy after all. Moving onto a real spell, he cast the Fire/Imbue-Projectile/Ignite from the day before upon the sword.


    The gem shone, oh-so-briefly, before the mana leaked away and the spell dissipated. Ted tried not to be disappointed. Obviously, whatever he worked up himself in a hurry without even a single skill level in it wasn¡¯t going to hold a candle to the real thing.


    He recast with a weaker version of the spell, and that held. Ted hurled the firebolt at the wall, and reveled in achieving a partial success, at least. Having a couple of spells up his sleeve made this all worthwhile, even if it was limited in power.


    Ted tested it several more times, systematically narrowing down the limits until he determined that the sword could hold around 60 MP worth of spells in total. Not terrible, and a lot better than nothing.


    He smiled, and allowed himself a deep, satisfied breath. Zero skill level. This success was his, and his alone.


    Wasn¡¯t it? He rubbed the back of his neck and pondered it. What counted as him, after he¡¯d put all those points into Intelligence? If he ever got home, would he lose that?


    What did home even mean anymore?


    Ted shrugged, ignoring the ridiculous image in his mind of Cara¡¯s messy tree-room. Home was back on Earth, waiting to be rebuilt. But that was a problem for another world. He had to focus on the here and now¡ªCara and the Great Forest needed him at his best, as powerful as he could be.


    He turned his attention to the other problem at hand: cross-type magic. It was possible¡ªthe wand proved that¡ªbut how to make it work?


    Ted focused inward and attempted to construct a weak Telepathy/Self/Hold spell. Following the example of the wand and the Zelnari words, he created a thin abstraction layer that made the Telepathy aspect connect like it was a Force aspect.


    The first few attempts failed, unsurprisingly, but he kept at it. Each time, he modified it slightly, keeping the alterations that pushed the connection closer to holding while rejecting those that went the other way.


    Eventually, after more than a few attempts, the aspects held together.


    Ted bit back a smile. No celebrations yet, not until he¡¯d tested it. He went to cast a powerful Absorb effect on himself, and his throat closed up. That wouldn¡¯t help anymore, would it?


    Damn it, Death. Ted took a long, deep breath, and ignored the growing hardness in his stomach. He couldn¡¯t spend the rest of his life second-guessing everything.


    But how many times had Absorb saved him while testing new ideas? And this was more novel and unprecedented than any of those attempts. Just because it compiled didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t explode.


    Ted double and triple-checked the spell, unsure he even knew what correct and incorrect even looked like here.


    Grating pain twisted in his gut. Not like he knew any other Spellcrafters to discuss it with. There was only one way to find out, and he needed every edge he could get his hands on. If it worked, he might even be able to partially replicate the Absorb spell using other magic types and give Death¡¯s bargain the middle finger.


    Here goes nothing.


    Ted cleared his mind and took a pinch of mana. He guided it into the low potency Telepathy/Self/Hold spell, carefully directing it into the correct place.


    The spell solidified and Ted whispered, ¡°Firka.¡±


    The Telepathy aspect ruptured.


    Light flashed. Pain exploded up his arms and punched him in the face.


    Stone smashed against the back of his head, and the world went dark.

 Chapter 5, Volume 2

    Agony dragged Ted back into consciousness. He blinked his eyes open, and a groan forced itself out from his lungs.


    He stared up at the stone ceiling riddled with murder holes. He was still in the portal lobby? He hadn¡¯t died?


    Pain tortured every nerve in his arms and pulsated in his face. No. Definitely not dead. He clenched his eyes shut and whimpered. Dying didn¡¯t hurt this much.


    At least he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with Death today.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve done all that you can?¡±


    Luther? What was he doing here? Ted tried to pull himself up, but the pain got the better of him.


    ¡°He should rest,¡± a gruff, dwarven voice said.


    Footsteps retreated, and a presence loomed over Ted.


    He pushed through the pain and opened his eyes to see Luther staring down at him through narrowed eyes, his lips pressed together even more solemnly than usual.


    ¡°Easy there, lad. Take your time.¡±


    Ted nodded. Even that hurt.


    Everything hurt, except for his left hand. That only tingled.


    Why did it only tingle?


    A lump formed in Ted¡¯s throat. He lifted his left arm up, bringing his hand in front of his face.


    He blinked. No. No, no, no, no, no!


    ¡°The medic did what he could,¡± Luther said. ¡°The damage was too extensive.¡±


    Ted stared at the bandaged stump and half-laughed, half-cried. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any regeneration magic you¡¯ve been holding back from me?¡±


    Luther shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ted shrugged. Whatever. ¡°Better than being dead. At least I won¡¯t have to deal with that smug prick for a little while longer.¡±


    A vacant expression stared back. Typical.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°Half an hour, give or take. We gave you a potion for the pain. Spellcrafting accident?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ted forced himself to his feet, noting the dwarven soldiers depositing supplies in the room.


    ¡°What went wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not tight enough bindings for the conjunction. Won¡¯t happen again.¡± Ted winced and clenched his jaw. There wasn¡¯t long before they left for the Great Forest, and those cross-type spells could be the difference between saving Cara and not. ¡°You should probably give me space, though.¡±


    Luther shook his head. ¡°We need you ready for battle, not dead. I can¡¯t stop you, but now isn¡¯t the right time.¡±


    Ted scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s the worst that can happen? If I die, I get a new body.¡±


    Luther¡¯s eyes narrowed and his breathing slowed. ¡°Heroes¡­¡± He sighed and straightened up. ¡°Alright, clear the room. You have half an hour, Ted. Then this room becomes a staging area.¡±


    Ted nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The dwarven soldiers finished their deliveries and marched out of the room. Luther shook his head again before following them.


    Was this a bad idea? Ted took a step forward and winced. The still-burning pain strongly suggested it was.


    Whatever. Lacking both Absorb and Armor spells, he was a liability.


    A liability that would get people killed, not save them.


    Ted snorted. Other people, not him. Death refused to claim him. Not that he needed to give the bastard any extra opportunities to take away his powers. Death would come soon enough.


    Tighter bindings. That¡¯s what was needed.


    He amended the spell and checked over it multiple times, imagining how casting it would unfold. Would it be enough? Would it hold together this time?


    Probably.


    Hopefully.


    If not, well, having only one hand was a bit of a drag.


    He cast the Telepathy/Self/Hold spell and felt a tingle against his Mental Resistance.


    Mental intrusion resisted.


    Spellcrafting skill increased 9 ¡ú 10!


    Ritual Spellcrafting Specialization unlocked.


    Continuous Spellcrafting Specialization unlocked.


    Grimoire Spellcrafting Specialization unlocked.


    Ted¡¯s lungs swelled with joy. Sweet, sweet success, even if he was stuck with one hand for now.


    And now a permanent choice. Ted¡¯s brow wrinkled. The Specializations had been mentioned in the Spellcrafting book, but only in passing. Rituals were powerful, dangerous, and time-consuming to set up. Continuous spells reduced mana regeneration while active, but didn¡¯t expire until dismissed or the caster went out of range. Grimoire enabled the creation of spellbooks.


    Continuous spells would certainly help with staying alive, at least if cross-class spells could replicate Absorb and Armor. Grimoire would make teaching easier, especially for those without Discern Magic. Plus, he¡¯d be able to actually people teach Dispel and any other effects that Death stole from him.


    Ritual spells were harder to assess. Each one had to be created for its own unique purpose, which could be anything from healing a specific injury to causing an earthquake. They weren¡¯t bound by the usual rules of magic, which made them impossible to precisely control or predict.


    Powerful and dangerous. Ted scratched his head. Could the Zelnari book have been talking about ritual spells? It fitted with the context. Was it a warning, or singing their praises?


    This was too important a question to decide on the hoof. Luther had a lot more experience with magic, even if he wasn¡¯t a Spellcrafter. He¡¯d probably have more insights.


    Focusing back on the task at hand, Ted experimented with different aspect combinations, making sure each time that the conjunction was adequately bound.


    Force/Aegis/Armor increased armor, much the same as Protection. Maybe it didn¡¯t work as effectively against everything, but since magic bypassed armor anyway, Ted doubted it mattered.


    Force/Aegis/Absorb successfully held together, and casting it added an Absorb (Force) effect that was a little light on details. He¡¯d need to test exactly what it absorbed.


    Ted tensed up, and slapped himself in the face.


    0 bashing damage received (1 absorbed)!


    He barely felt the impact, either on his cheek or his palm. It was like the momentum simply vanished.


    Interesting. Time to see if it worked against magic, too. He crafted and cast a low potency Force/Self/Blast.


    4 force damage received!


    A blast of pain hit his chest.


    Stupid. He shook his head and laughed. Of course it hadn¡¯t worked¡ªthe Self aspect completely bypassed the Aegis. He crafted a Force/Touch/Blast instead and pressed the spell against his leg.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    0 force damage received (6 absorbed)!


    That time, it was barely even noticeable. Nice.


    He retested with Fire and Energy, and got the same results. Each of them was limited to protecting against a single magical type, but it was better than nothing.


    What about Absorb Life? A quiver fluttered in his chest. Could that replace Heal, at least in combat? He tried various approaches to crafting a life-steal effect, but none worked. The Absorb effect, it seemed, was purely defensive.


    Ted sighed. It had been worth a try. Still, he could make Projectile versions of it to stop enemies from healing themselves, and level the playing field that way.


    Speaking of healing, could Life/Self/Repair work? Ted dug deeper into the Repair and Heal aspects and confirmed his fears. As best he could tell, both used what looked suspiciously like a pointer to select either the durability or HP attributes to restore.


    Adjusting the Repair effect to restore HP worked, in so far as it created a new Heal effect that he couldn¡¯t cast. Typical. A spell to restore other damaged attributes might be achievable, but this wasn¡¯t going to allow him to backdoor cast Heal again.


    He paused. It wouldn¡¯t let him heal HP, but what about MP? Or stamina? He focused on the spell effects, turning them over in his mind and comparing them. The overly-complicated references to durability and HP made no sense. There had to be a pattern.


    His shoulders slumped. Or maybe not. They likely were memory pointers of some kind, randomized for security reasons. With that level of complexity, trial and error wasn¡¯t an option. Unless he found other spells affecting MP or stamina, this was a dead end.


    Satisfied with his progress, Ted crafted several versions of the Absorb and Armor spells and then headed out.


    At the top of the spiral staircase, a dwarven sergeant saluted him. ¡°All done, sir?¡±


    ¡°All yours.¡±


    The sergeant shouted in Dwarvish and a column of soldiers resumed delivering supplies down the staircase. Ted bowed his head and strolled past them.


    The dawn light of the cavern illuminated the host of soldiers gathered in the square beneath the keep. A hundred, maybe? Around half were huddled around five sparring rings, while the rest gathered and checked supplies.


    Ted headed for the sparring rings, cradling his left arm to his chest. Deflect required practical testing, and the more practice he could get at fighting one-handed, the better.


    His heart raced merely watching the soldiers spar. They held nothing back, swinging their axes and swords with reckless abandon. The rate they were going, they were liable to kill each other long before they reached the enemy.


    A clang rang out. A direct hit! The axe struck the soldier¡¯s neck at full speed.


    Ted¡¯s breath caught. With that much force, it had to be a kill.


    The hit soldier rubbed the back of his neck and muttered something in Dwarvish. His opponent clapped him on the back and said something back. They both laughed and strolled together toward Zelig.


    Ted breathed again. Training weapons. He laughed to himself. Of course. One of the perks of damage being so stat-driven.


    Zelig cast a minor Heal upon the defeated soldier and turned to Ted with a smile. ¡°Good to see you again! You look¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ like shit?¡± Ted smirked through the pain. ¡°I¡¯ve been better.¡±


    He explained what had happened. Zelig didn¡¯t seem bothered by it, more excited at the prospect of a new range of spells. When the conversation turned to the battle, he expressed his gratitude for Ted¡¯s part in saving Valbort and promised to do all he could for Ted, and for the Great Forest.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Anything. What do you need?¡±


    Ted lifted his left hand to scratch his head, and sighed. ¡°Besides a new hand?¡±


    ¡°Anything within my power.¡±


    ¡°Practice.¡± Ted clenched his remaining fist. ¡°I need practice.¡±


    Zelig gestured to his stump. ¡°Will you be okay to¡­¡±


    A piercing glare cut that off before it could go any further. ¡°I¡¯ll do what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true ranger. Alright, grab a training sword and I¡¯ll find you a partner. We don¡¯t get to spar with non-dwarves often enough.¡±


    Ted walked along the rack of weapons. Spears, shields, swords, axes, polearms¡­ So many weapon types. Did they practice with all of them? Or was it so they could train to fight against each of them?


    Best to pick something familiar. He lifted a sword about the same length as his falchion, albeit straight. 3 damage, no crit chance, and definitely not a spell-sword. He considered taking it¡ªafter all, he¡¯d easily be able to cast low-potency training spells with just verbal and mental components¡ªbut decided against it. In a real battle, he wouldn¡¯t have that luxury.


    He placed the sword back on the rack and prepared a few low potency attack spells, testing them against the stone floor.


    Less than a minute later, Zelig returned. He led Ted into a ring, placing him opposite a heavily armored dwarf armed with a double-sided battleaxe bigger than she was, with a spike protruding from its top.


    Ted reminded himself that it was a training weapon and it wouldn¡¯t kill him. Didn¡¯t do a damned thing to stop his heart hammering away, but it was good to know.


    A sparring session. That was all. The bigger the axe, the easier it would be to Deflect.


    They nodded to each other, and battle commenced.


    Ted readied Deflect with his hand, barely getting it up before that huge axe swung at his head from the left.


    He blocked the strike. Easier than he expected. Maybe this wasn¡¯t so¡ª


    3 piercing damage received!


    The spike on the end of the axe stabbed into his chest. How had she moved a weapon that large so damned quickly?


    ¡°Dead,¡± she said, a little too gleefully. ¡°Again?¡±


    Ted scowled. No way he was losing that easily. Time to stop holding back. ¡°How much more damage does your actual axe do?¡±


    ¡°One hundred forty-four times, give or take.¡±


    Shit. He really would have been dead. He crafted a suitably low potency Force/Aegis/Absorb spell and gritted his teeth. ¡°Again.¡±


    They shared another nod.


    Ted began mentally casting Absorb and shifted his Deflect to the left side as she lunged in with her axe.


    He narrowly blocked the first strike, and only just stepped back out of the way of her second strike.


    Too close for comfort. He readied another Deflect and finalized the Absorb spell in his mind.


    ¡°Minir!¡± A force barrier rippled around him. Kind of cheating, given how easy such a weak spell was to cast, but hey¡ªin an actual fight, he could have pre-buffed.


    She lunged, swinging again from the left. So predictable. His deflection was already moving to intercept.


    Her axe twirled and struck at his right side.


    0 slashing damage received (2 absorbed)!


    A brief pause. Ted smirked. It had actually worked!


    3 bashing damage received (2 absorbed)!


    The impact of her arm on his chest barely registered. He gathered mana for a low potency Blasttouch, and metal pressed against his calf.


    Why would¡ª


    She swept out his leg and hurled him to the ground.


    10 bashing damage received!


    Her grip cushioned his fall. She pinned his arm behind his back and clamped her hand over his mouth. ¡°No more spells for you.¡±


    Adrenaline pounded through his veins. Teleport wouldn¡¯t work here, and he couldn¡¯t see her to cast a projectile.


    She twisted his arm, sending pain shooting up through it. ¡°Tap twice with your legs to yield.¡±


    Not yet.


    Telepathy. That was the answer. Excitement tingled in his chest. He held her in his thoughts and mentally cast a weak Telepathy/Target/Hold.


    Very low potency. He wouldn¡¯t have long, if it worked at all.


    The spell went off. He spun around and her grip faltered. He turned the tables, pinning her down instead.


    She laughed and easily broke free. Seizing his arm in her iron grip, she threw him back to the ground, locked him down, and tapped his head against the ground.


    5 bashing damage received!


    11 bashing damage received!


    Ted¡¯s chest tightened. If she¡¯d wanted to, she could have hit a whole lot harder than that. He tapped his foot twice against the ground.


    The pressure on his arm released. She jumped up and pulled him from the ground. ¡°Not bad, rookie.¡±


    Even with low stakes tilting the deck in favor of magic, he¡¯d still lost. Ted forced out a smile. ¡°Thanks?¡±


    She clapped him on the back, and another soldier took her place, armed with a sword and shield.


    Ted sparred again and again, cycling out only long enough to regain his stamina. Each bout, he got better at using Deflect. He gained a level in Battlemage and put it in Mighty Barrier, increasing the radius and potency of the shield by 20%.


    After a few fights, while awaiting a heal, Ted stared disbelievingly at the long, winding line of soldiers queued up for his sparring ring. ¡°Are they all really waiting to spar with me?¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± Zelig said, ¡°we don¡¯t get to spar with non-dwarves nearly enough. Especially not with such¡­ a unique fighting style. Mind teaching me some of those new spells?¡±


    Ted took a deep breath and nodded. The better prepared the dwarves, the better the wood elves¡¯ chances. He alternated sparring and teaching magic, praying for the moment they¡¯d finally leave for the Great Forest.


    After what felt like days but couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour or two, Luther¡¯s voice bellowed from above. Luther, Ardic, and Frieda stood side by side outside the keep, overlooking the square with that ridiculous air of nobility.


    Pockets of silence slowly spread through the soldiers. Luther scowled and bellowed in Dwarvish again.


    The square settled down to occasional hushed whispers. Ted¡¯s hairs stood on end, tingling with the sense of anticipation. The other soldiers hadn¡¯t been expecting this.


    Ardic stepped forward, cleared his throat, and made a speech in Dwarvish. Whatever he was saying, he had the soldiers hanging on his every word.


    He paused. A smile lit up his face. He gestured to Frieda and made an announcement ending with her name.


    Stunned silence, followed by a roar of applause. What the hell was going on? Ted turned to Zelig and awaited an explanation.


    ¡°Ardic¡¯s personally leading the expedition,¡± Zelig said, ¡°and he named Frieda his heir!¡±


    Huh. Ted frowned. Had he missed something about dwarven society? ¡°But she¡¯s a commoner? Can he do that?¡±


    ¡°Technically, yes, but¡­¡± Zelig¡¯s expression soured. He shuffled closer and whispered, ¡°the heads of the noble houses would never have allowed it.¡±


    Ted¡¯s stomach churned at the memory of bloody body parts lining the council room chambers. ¡°They were the generals?¡±


    Zelig nodded somberly.


    So much death. Ted closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°Valbort will be in good hands, at least.¡±


    ¡°It shall.¡±


    A Message from Luther pressed against Ted¡¯s consciousness. Come to the portal room at once.


    Ted wished Zelig good luck and headed toward the keep. All around, the soldiers were forming up into squads and preparing to move. Ted¡¯s heart pounded. This was it. They were really coming to the Great Forest¡¯s aid.


    Would Cara still be alive when they got there?


    He swallowed and passed through the portal lobby, between packs of supplies ready to go. Weapons, armor, food¡ªeverything an army might need. In the portal room beyond, Luther, Ardic, and the lord¡¯s bodyguards were already waiting.


    All eyes focused on Ted. He smiled awkwardly. This wouldn¡¯t be a good time to make a fool of himself.


    ¡°Good,¡± Ardic said. ¡°You¡¯re here. We¡¯re ready for you to connect the portals.¡±


    Ted froze. Right. He was the only one who knew the code to the wood elven portal. His chest tightened. The sheer amount of power involved was staggering. If he got it wrong¡­


    Luther clapped him on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lad, it¡¯s simple enough. I¡¯ll walk you through it.¡±

 Chapter 6, Volume 2

    Ted held the wood elven portal code in his mind and pushed it into the control orb. The large stone ring at the center of the room hummed with power and the blue line around the inside shone.


    Within the ring, a watery blue circle shimmered into existence. A translucent image spread across the surface of the portal, showing a three-deep line of wood elves waiting on the far side with raised bows.


    Ardic gestured towards the portal and nodded at Ted. ¡°We¡¯ll await your signal.¡±


    His heart in his throat, Ted braced for impact and stepped through the portal. Magic tingled across his skin, followed by warm, humid air.


    Three rows of rangers, each half a dozen wide, trained their bows on him. Ted swallowed hard. Not exactly the welcome he¡¯d been hoping for, but at least they weren¡¯t shooting.


    Not yet, anyway.


    Off to the side stood Keeper Laotan, accompanied by a ranger with a wand at her belt.


    ¡°Check him now,¡± Laotan said in Wood Elvish, his carefully controlled expression giving away little.


    The caster stepped forward and stared intently at Ted. After carefully examining him, she stepped back and said, ¡°He¡¯s clean.¡±


    The rangers¡¯ bows adjusted, pointing at the portal instead of Ted. A slight improvement, at least. Had they been worried he was mind-controlled?


    Laotan bowed his head. ¡°Greetings, Ted Tolabar So¡¯aroaska. Will your¡­ allies be following you?¡±


    Ted bowed from the waist. ¡°Greetings, Keeper. They will. They¡¯re coming to help. Would you lower your bows, please?¡±


    Silence stretched out, and none of the rangers moved. Was this going to be more of a problem than expected?


    After a pause slightly too long for Ted¡¯s comfort, the Keeper nodded, and the rangers lowered their bows. That wasn¡¯t much in the way of trust, but Ted would take it.


    Ted looked behind at the large wooden ring that contained the portal. From this side, the portal was translucent, showing only rough wood behind, where the portal had been cut into the tree. He gestured to the portal exit and waited.


    Luther strolled out of the portal like he had every right to be there. Ardic was¡­ not so calm. He glanced around wildly, his hands twitching by his side. At least his battleaxe was slung over his back.


    ¡°Laotan,¡± Ted said, ¡°This is Lord Tonvalbortdelan. Ardic, this is Keeper Laotan Erinbar So¡¯aroaska.¡±


    The two leaders stared at each other, breathing slowly and wearing carefully controlled smiles.


    Ardic¡¯s nose twitched. ¡°Tonvalbortdelan humbly requests passage through the Great Forest to provide assistance.¡±


    No response. What was their problem?


    Ted bit his lip. There wasn¡¯t time for this. ¡°We¡¯re here to save as many lives as possible. Is that going to be a problem?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Laotan said. ¡°You may have temporary, revocable access for the purpose of fighting the dungeon spawn. My rangers shall guide your troops to the forest floor.¡±


    Ardic grunted an acknowledgment and beckoned through the portal. Dwarven soldiers began marching out, three abreast.


    Ted, Luther, and Ardic moved toward Laotan, and several of the rangers began directing the dwarven army.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ted said, his stomach still rock hard. ¡°Have you heard anything more from Tolabar?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing since they were cut off from the tree-song.¡± Laotan¡¯s chin quivered for a moment. ¡°They remain enveloped by that circle of corrupted trees, and we cannot spare the Rangers to break through.¡±


    The pit in Ted¡¯s stomach grew heavier. They had to be alive. They couldn¡¯t all be dead. ¡°How many Rangers can you send with us?¡±


    Laotan straightened up and clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°You and the dwarves have free passage through our domain.¡±


    None? Ted¡¯s blood boiled. ¡°They are wood elves, your own flesh and blood!¡±


    The Keeper¡¯s throat bobbed ever so slightly. ¡°They may already be dead. The defense of our own village must come first. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    Ted stared at him, struggling to hold back a bitter laugh. ¡°A human and a dwarf army come to the aid of the wood elves, and you tell us to understand that your own defense comes first?¡±


    Silence.


    The rangers still in the room exchanged furtive glances. They couldn¡¯t all be okay with abandoning Tolabar to its fate.


    Hadn¡¯t Laotan been the reasonable one before?


    Ted bit at his lower lip. That had been before dungeon spawn had overrun swathes of the Forest. ¡°The dwarves fight well, but they do not understand the Great Forest. Even a few rangers would make all the difference.¡±


    Laotan¡¯s jaw stiffened. Was he even going to answer? He drew in a long breath and looked away. ¡°A single ranger might make the difference between our survival and the destruction of our entire village.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Or it might not!¡± Ted¡¯s nostrils flared. Now wasn¡¯t the time to play it safe. ¡°I can teach your casters how to teleport here from anywhere, and how to communicate through the portal stone.¡±


    ¡°And if they die?¡±


    The image of a goblin driving its blade into that poor dwarf¡¯s neck tore at Ted¡¯s insides. ¡°That is the risk that every ranger takes to do what must be done.¡±


    The Keeper¡¯s lips stretched into a sneer. ¡°Every ranger except for you, Hero.¡±


    Fire rampaged through Ted. What the hell did that have to do with it? ¡°For all your wood elven talk of sticking together, when it comes down to it, you¡¯re cowards.¡±


    ¡°Easy to be brave when you cannot die and it isn¡¯t your loved ones aren¡¯t at risk.¡±


    Pain stabbed at Ted¡¯s heart. Yes, she damned well is. ¡°I could have left this stupid world. I stayed because I give a shit. Do you?¡±


    Laotan tilted his head and eyed Ted carefully. ¡°At this dark hour, I cannot send my Rangers to die for another village, not while their own home is in grave peril. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ardic stepped forward with a grim expression. ¡°I understand the weight that bears down upon you, upon both of us. The eternal demand that we do everything that we can to protect our people.¡±


    ¡°Then you understand why I cannot.¡±


    ¡°I understand why you feel that, and why you are wrong.¡± Ardic¡¯s lips pressed together. He glanced between Luther and Ted and sighed. ¡°My people only survived because orc battlemages fought by our side.¡±


    Laotan recoiled, his eyes wide. ¡°The Order of the Battlemage, defending Valbort?¡±


    Ardic nodded and stared at the floor in front of him. ¡°Had these two not ignored my orders and conspired with those I considered enemies, the town would have fallen. The cooperation that I rejected saved my people when I could not.¡±


    Was that a flicker of doubt, a chink in Laotan¡¯s armor?


    ¡°If we are to survive, someone has to trust first,¡± Ardic said. He looked up and gave Luther a curt nod. ¡°Teach them our portal code and instruct our garrison to offer any and all assistance required by this village.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. How many men should they hold in reserve?¡±


    Ardic paused. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ¡°Defend this village as if it were Valbort itself.¡±


    ¡°Sir, that could leave us dangerously undefended.¡± Luther¡¯s brow furled. ¡°We barely survived the last dungeon spawn attack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order. As you said, old friend, we shall not survive these times divided.¡±


    The corners of Laotan¡¯s lips twisted into a sneer. ¡°And what do you expect in return?¡±


    Ardic caught Ted¡¯s gaze, closed his eyes, and swallowed hard. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Laotan laughed bitterly. ¡°A dwarf asking for nothing in return? I was not born last year.¡±


    ¡°Ted aided us in our time of need. We dwarves honor our debts, and our friends.¡±


    ¡°Words are cheap.¡± Laotan took a step backward and crossed his arms. ¡°How can I trust you won¡¯t back out when the time comes?¡±


    Ardic straightened up and placed both his hands on his chest. ¡°I pledge it on my honor as a dwarf, on the honor of my Lord-line, and on my honor as a warrior.¡±


    Laotan shook his head. ¡°We have records, dwarf, and even longer memories than your own. I cannot stake my reputation upon the honor of a stranger.¡±


    ¡°I have fought alongside them,¡± Ted said. ¡°I vouch for them, as a Ranger.¡±


    Laotan scoffed. ¡°The word of a human Lookout counts for less than you believe.¡±


    Fire boiled in Ted¡¯s chest. ¡°Tolabar needs your help.¡± He squared up to Laotan and snarled, ¡°Look me in the eye and tell me you¡¯re abandoning them to die!¡±


    ¡°Stand down, Lookout!¡±


    Ted¡¯s fists clenched. Technically true or not, this was probably a bad idea, but what the hell. ¡°Keeper.¡±


    Laotan blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Every other Tolabar ranger is either dead or impossible to reach, potentially dead¡ªas you yourself, said. That makes me our most senior ranger. So, yeah, Keeper, thank you very much.¡± Ted shook his head and stepped back, resisting the urge to smash the bastard¡¯s face in. ¡°We¡¯re going to save Tolabar, and whoever else needs saving in the Great Forest. Any rangers willing to join us will be welcome.¡±


    Oratory skill increased 3 ¡ú 4!


    Laotan glanced about at the sympathetic faces of the wood elves around him and sighed. ¡°If any rangers wish to go, they may, provided they return when required.¡±


    The other rangers exchanged glances. A brief, awkward pause passed, and one of them spoke up. ¡°We¡¯ll spread the word, Keeper.¡±


    Ted bowed his head. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    How many would come?


    Would it be enough?


    ***


    Cara looked around the almost empty meeting room and her heart sank. Too many familiar faces were missing, and a fresh scar marred Elivala¡¯s. Even Gramok¡¯s cheery grin was gone, replaced by a blank stare, while sorrow seeped through the cracks in Jeremy¡¯s mask.


    So much death, and for what?


    ¡°As I expected,¡± Jeremy said solemnly, ¡°we¡¯ve been unable to destroy the dryad corpse.¡±


    Phelan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. ¡°We can¡¯t do that another four times.¡±


    Elivala shook her head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t. We don¡¯t have the forces.¡±


    ¡°What of the other villages?¡± Gramok asked.


    Tension filled the air. That was the question no one else dared to ask. Cara¡¯s heart twisted. Either they couldn¡¯t come, or they weren¡¯t going to. Both possibilities were worse than the other.


    What about Ted? Was he still coming? Was the Emperor going to help? Or had he whisked away his long-lost son back to the capital?


    Maybe it was best Ted wasn¡¯t here. What could one low-level caster do, skilled Spellcrafter or not?


    Elivala rose to her feet and lifted her chin. ¡°We have to assume we¡¯re on our own.¡± She looked across the assembled Prowlers and their dull, half-dead eyes. ¡°We are rangers. We will do what needs to be done. We will survive. Options?¡±


    Silence.


    What options were there? Fight and die, hide and die, or¡­


    The unthinkable.


    Jeremy had to have a plan, right? Cara stared at him, willing him to speak. He always knew what to do.


    Her mentor shrugged. ¡°We fight. What other option is there?¡±


    Cara stared at him, her jaw ajar. How could none of them see the option staring them in the face? ¡°We run.¡±


    ¡°Abandon our homes?¡± Phelan laughed. ¡°Preposterous.¡±


    One by one, the other Prowlers shook their heads. Even Jeremy.


    What in the Deep-Forest was wrong with them? Cara met Gramok¡¯s gaze, but the orc merely shrugged. It wasn¡¯t his home. He didn¡¯t even get a vote.


    Elivala crossed her arms. ¡°Leaving Tolabar is not an option.¡±


    Heat flared through Cara. ¡°Why not?¡±


    No response.


    Cara shook her head and snorted. ¡°Because we¡¯ve always lived here?¡±


    More maddening silence.


    She stood up and scowled at the idiots. ¡°We won¡¯t be living here when we¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°Cara¡­¡± Jeremy gave her the look he always used when she did something stupid. Only this time, she wasn¡¯t the one being stupid.


    A maelstrom of rage swirled in her chest. What was wrong with them? ¡°If we attack, we¡¯ll die. If we wait, we¡¯ll starve¡ªif they don¡¯t kill us first. Staying isn¡¯t a plan, it¡¯s suicide!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± Jeremy said, in that stupid tone that reminded her he knew more about everything. ¡°We always have before.¡±


    ¡°Times are changing!¡± Cara bit back tears. ¡°If we don¡¯t change with them, we will die!¡± Why couldn¡¯t they see it?


    ¡°Running isn¡¯t an option,¡± Elivala said, with a note of finality.


    Vines tightened around Cara¡¯s lungs, cutting off her air. How could they be so stupid? They were all going to die and all she could do about it was join them.


    If she hadn¡¯t come back, if she¡¯d kept looking for a solution, if she¡¯d stayed with Ted¡­


    Why hadn¡¯t she stayed with Ted? Coming back had been stupid and pointless, even for her.


    Elivala¡¯s shoulders slumped, and her gaze fell to the floor. ¡°Ready everyone old enough to hold a weapon for combat. We won¡¯t go down without a fight.¡±


    A chill ran down Cara¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Everyone?¡± Jeremy asked.


    Elivala closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°Everyone.¡±

 Chapter 7, Volume 2

    The disappointingly few Erinbar volunteers led the army through the forest. Five Prowlers, eleven Lookouts, and a handful of hunters.


    Ted seethed in silence. Better than nothing, but they could have sent so many more.


    Marching through the night, they¡¯d arrive at Tolabar by dawn. Because who needed sleep every single night?


    Apparently not dwarves and wood elves.


    Luther clapped him on the back. ¡°Chin up, lad. The dungeon spawn won¡¯t know what hit them.¡±


    Aching pain twisted around Ted¡¯s heart. Was she still alive? Were any of them? ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned a spell to communicate via the portals?¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± Ted blinked. Right. He gestured to Luther¡¯s left hand. ¡°Can I see that Ring of Communication?¡±


    Luther handed over the ring and Ted held it up to examine it. Despite its pristine condition, it had to be at least ten thousand years old.


    Complex Portal and Telepathy magic intertwined and permeated the golden band, while protective magic covered the surface. Much like the Ring of Return, it linked up to the relevant portal stone and instructed it to connect back to the caster.


    The reference in the ring to the Valbort portal stone was simpler than the full code, using only the immutable part. That made sense¡ªcommunication needed less security than the potential to transport an army into the heart of a city. The simpler code acted as a permanent identifier, without unlocking the gate entirely.


    Ted created a spell based on the ring and jogged out to a safe distance from the army to test it. He cast a selection of Absorb effects first, without much hope they¡¯d help, and then the new Portals-Telepathy/Self/Telephone spell.


    A telepathic presence brushed against his mind, and he made contact with the dwarven mage on duty in Valbort. Besides a few scattered engagements with small roving groups of dungeon spawn, everything was quiet on their end.


    No news was good news, for once. Ted returned to Luther and taught him the new spell.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Luther said. ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along to the others.¡±


    ¡°Right. Before you go, do you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Only all night.¡±


    Ted chuckled. ¡°I hit Spellcrafter level 10.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations. Your first skill Specialization, then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve been around a few centuries. What do you think I should do?¡±


    Luther stroked his beard and pondered for a while. ¡°Rituals are always a wildcard. I wouldn¡¯t trust them. With enough effort, Continuous spells could be taught to almost anyone. An army going into battle with precast Continuous Protection spells on every soldier would be fearsome indeed.¡±


    Ted nodded along. Helping to keep entire armies safe and alive? It would be hard to choose anything other than that, even without considering the personal benefits of continuous spells.


    ¡°On the other hand, grimoires would allow us to train mages quicker and more safely. Useful, although not to the same degree.¡±


    ¡°And if I could teach Dispel that way?¡± Ted asked.


    ¡°Dispel magic is incredibly rare and powerful. That would complicate the choice.¡±


    Ted¡¯s chest tightened. How many lives hung on this choice? Too damned many. ¡°It¡¯s my decision, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Of course it was. He gritted his teeth and mulled over the options. There wasn¡¯t much time to decide. If he was going to choose Continuous spells, it would be best to do so now, that he might train the dwarven mages in them as they arrived at Tolabar.


    Tolabar. So close, yet so far.


    Be safe, Cara. We¡¯re coming.


    ***


    Pain ripped at Cara¡¯s heart. She wiped away the tears and kneeled down in a nice patch of dirt.


    ¡°Come on girl,¡± she purred, putting Nibbles down onto the Forest floor. ¡°Go free. Live your life.¡±


    Nibbles stared up at her and squeaked. A tiny, heart-wrenching squeak.


    Cara shooed her little darling away. ¡°Go!¡±


    Not that Nibbles ever listened. The beautiful little girl bounded up Cara¡¯s leg and scampered all the way up to her shoulder. Squeak! Squeak!


    She couldn¡¯t help herself from smiling and petting her darling. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go anywhere, huh?¡±


    Squeak! Squeak! Tiny little teeth nibbled at Cara¡¯s earlobe.


    A warm glow swelled in Cara¡¯s chest. Her little baby wasn¡¯t going to leave her, not when staying was an option. ¡°Alright, girl. You can stay for now, but promise me you¡¯ll go on without me?¡±


    Squeak! Nibbles rubbed her furry little face against Cara¡¯s neck. Squeak squeak squeak!


    ¡°You okay there?¡±


    Cara jumped and spun around. It was only Gramok. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her heart slowed, and she forced out a smile. ¡°Hey. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You can do this,¡± Gramok said, with a warm, misplaced confidence. ¡°We¡¯re going to make it through this, and then we¡¯re going to give Nibbles every last treat we can find.¡±


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    She scowled up at him. ¡°How can you be so damned confident?¡±


    He grinned from ear to ear. ¡°I always bet I¡¯m going to live. Hard to lose that bet.¡±


    ¡°Unless you die.¡±


    He shrugged and petted the purring Nibbles. ¡°If I¡¯m dead, does it matter?¡±


    How selfish! Cara crossed her arms and scowled harder. Not that she could be mad at him, not while he was petting Nibbles. ¡°What about everyone else?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather I died unhappy? Being dour won¡¯t stop a sword or a firebolt.¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± She glared at him through narrowed eyes, wishing that it didn¡¯t make so damned much sense. ¡°Why are you here, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Reassigned. Apparently, there¡¯s this badass ranger group that needs a wall of muscle protecting them. Know anything about that?¡±


    ¡°Badass ranger group, huh?¡± Cara scoffed and shook her head, trying not to give in to the loosening tension in her muscles. ¡°Thought you were already in that group.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Gramok leaned against a tree and looked away. ¡°Turns out my ego couldn¡¯t take being side-by-side with Jeremy. That guy¡¯s insane!¡±


    Despite her best attempts, a smirk snuck across Cara¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s what a few hundred years of all work and no fun does to a man. Nothing you have to worry about.¡±


    A somber note tainted Gramok¡¯s laugh. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right there. So, Prowler, what are your orders?¡±


    They walked back toward the clearing and doubt prodded at Cara¡¯s insides. Gramok would make a great addition to the squad for a battle they couldn¡¯t retreat from, but he wasn¡¯t the sort to change battle plans on a whim.


    She paused, and turned to face him. ¡°Thank you for coming. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re with us, but I need to know why.¡±


    His lips smiled, but for once, his eyes did not. ¡°You needed a front-line fighter, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Cara put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. ¡°Try again. I¡¯ve known Kegan, Nola, and¡ª¡± Agony twisted her heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve known Kegan and Nola for years. I¡¯ve watched them, studied them, trained with them. I understand them.¡±


    Gramok held up his hands and flashed a fake grin. ¡°I enjoy fighting, drinking, and all manner of fun. What¡¯s not to get?¡±


    ¡°The truth. Why transfer?¡±


    His shoulders slumped, and he let out a long exhale. ¡°If I¡¯m going to die¡­ I¡¯d rather be fighting alongside a friend than a stranger.¡±


    She blinked and her jaw hung open. A friend? She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±


    He hugged her back. ¡°Anytime.¡±


    Cara swallowed. It wasn¡¯t right. This wasn¡¯t his fight. ¡°You should flee while you can. You might make it to Erinbar.¡±


    ¡°You were there for me when I was trying to get myself killed. Only fair I return the favor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±


    ¡°So am I.¡± Gramok broke the hug and lifted her chin. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a battle to win.¡±


    Cara nodded and led them back to where the wood elves were clustered around a ring of trees in the middle of the huge clearing. The Redoubt¡ªthe fallback position of Tolabar, unused since the Age of Heroes.


    A lump formed in Cara¡¯s throat every time she thought about it. The entire village, gathered together for one last stand. So many she barely knew most of them, and too few rangers amongst them.


    Scared faces peered down from the archer nests above. One of them stared directly at Cara, his expression completely blank. How old was he? Twenty? Thirty? Barely large enough to carry that bow, let alone shoot it.


    Why had it come to this? If only Ted were here¡­ Not that he¡¯d be able to make a difference.


    The squad¡ªthose of the squad still alive¡ªwere stationed outside the inner circle of tree-towers, one more link in a chain between the civilians and the dungeon spawn. If all went well, the civilians would remain safely behind the battle-line, shooting what they could.


    A cold void filled Cara¡¯s chest. No battle was ever that tidy, and they were desperately outnumbered. Many wouldn¡¯t make it through the day.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Kegan asked, bouncing from foot to foot.


    ¡°We wait. Jeremy¡¯s sure that they¡¯ll come for the dryad¡¯s corpse.¡±


    Nola scowled and spat at the ground. ¡°And if they don¡¯t come?¡±


    ¡°Then we live another day.¡± Cara straightened up and took a deep breath. ¡°Gramok will be upfront. Kegan, you¡¯re behind him¡ªskirmish anything that gets past. Nola, you¡¯re in that archery nest calling shots. Keep your minds on the job! This is going to be a long day.¡±


    Kegan and Gramok nodded and huddled up, discussing tactics amongst themselves. Nola stood still, her head cocked, eyeing Cara with a disconcerting blankness.


    ¡°I need you today, Nola.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep me safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Cara paused, and sighed. She moved close to Nola and whispered, ¡°I need someone cool under pressure up there. Someone to keep them calm and shooting the right targets.¡±


    Nola¡¯s eyes narrowed. Seconds dragged by, agonizingly slowly. Eventually, she nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. And Cara¡­ whatever happens¡­¡± Her nose wrinkled and the muscles around her eyes twitched. ¡°Thank you for making the right choice.¡±


    Cold tendrils gripped Cara¡¯s heart. Aidan.


    She bowed her head and watched Nola trudge away. He¡¯d been her responsibility, and now he was dead. Worse, Nola wasn¡¯t wrong. It had been the right choice.


    Damn the dungeon spawn, and damn the dryads! They¡¯d burn if it was the last thing Cara ever did.


    She stared out at the tree line and growled. How many dungeon spawn would they have to fight? Would the dryads dare to show their faces again? Or would they hide away like cowards and let the dungeon spawn do their dirty work for them?


    Elivala¡¯s thoughts pressed against Cara¡¯s mind. Incoming. Be ready.


    Cara nocked an arrow and shouted, ¡°Incoming! Ready up!¡±


    Gramok swung his huge dragon-emblazoned shield down off his back. Kegan readied his bow. Nola launched herself up the rope ladder to the archer¡¯s nest, and immediately set about correcting a young boy¡¯s posture.


    Not a boy anymore. An archer.


    Cara swallowed. What the hell had happened to them? How could turning children into soldiers be better than running?


    Reltan bellowed commands behind her, whipping his line of civilians into shape. Even if their bows weren¡¯t the best and half of them hadn¡¯t shot one in decades, they¡¯d go down fighting.


    As if that was worth a damn.


    ¡°Wolves!¡± Nola shouted. ¡°And snakes!¡±


    Cara set her bow to Force and readied a shot. ¡°Stay calm,¡± she shouted, ¡°and focus on any that get past us.¡±


    Nola shot an arrow, and a wolf howled from the forest.


    Cara tensed up and half drew her bow. Why wasn¡¯t Ted here already? Where was he? Was she an idiot to hope help might be on the way?


    Deep-Forest wolves charged out of the tree line, a tidal wave of gnashing teeth. Between them slithered more of those blasted snakes, each one nearly as wide as a wood elf and three times as long.


    Cara added her arrow to the volley, striking a snake in the head, not that it seemed to notice.


    Many of the wolves stumbled and fell. Even more did not, and none of the snakes even slowed.


    How many were there across the entire battle line? A hundred? A thousand?


    Cara nocked another arrow and downed a wolf. Counting enemies didn¡¯t matter. They all had to die.


    She loosed another arrow, piercing a snake¡¯s head. The dungeon spawn convulsed twice, then stopped moving entirely.


    White projectiles streaked out from the casters. Blasts exploded amid the dungeon spawn, slaughtering entire groups of wolves.


    Maybe this wasn¡¯t so hopeless after all.


    ¡°Gorillas!¡± Nola shouted. ¡°Incoming gorillas!¡±


    Ice filled Cara¡¯s veins. Multiple?


    Dozens of them leaped down from the tree line and charged toward the wood elves. Massive strength, fur tougher than plate, and more than capable of jumping up into the trees and ripping the conscripts to shreds.


    And one was heading straight for Nola¡¯s archery nest.


    Not. Good.


    Cara finished off a wolf that had gotten past Kegan and nocked her myrellium arrow. ¡°Gramok, one-two on the gorilla!¡±


    Her heart pounded in her chest. This had to work. The ranger groups left and right would help clean up after dealing with their own foes, but by then¡ª


    This would work. It had to.


    She cast Imbue Stun and hissed, ¡°Ro¡¯ronkatara-fa si.¡±


    Silvery magic swirled around her trusty arrow, ready to create an opening.


    Gramok swung his shield over his back and positioned himself in the path of the great beast, clutching his sword in two hands.


    Wait for it, wait for it¡­


    The stampeding gorilla leaped, and Cara took the shot.

 Chapter 8, Volume 2

    Cara¡¯s trusty arrow lodged in the gorilla¡¯s neck. The damage was minimal, but it stunned the beast, sending it stumbling straight into the path of Gramok¡¯s huge sword.


    He sliced through its scalp and stepped to the side, just barely evading being crushed as the charging creature fell.


    The gorilla thudded against the ground and slid to a halt. Blood gushed out of the gaping head wound, yet it continued to groan.


    In the corner of Cara¡¯s vision, Kegan dodged one of the wolves chasing him and launched an arrow at the gorilla. Cara¡¯s chest tightened as he narrowly evaded huge canine teeth claiming his leg.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this!¡± Cara shouted, dashing forward and activating Rapid Shot.


    They had to finish the gorilla before it got over its skull being slashed open, but not at the cost of Kegan¡¯s life. Three shots point-blank into its head¡ªthat had to get the job done.


    Critical hit! 33 piercing damage dealt! Bleeding Lightly injury inflicted!


    5 force damage dealt!


    Critical hit! 39 piercing damage dealt! Bleeding Heavily injury inflicted!


    13 force damage dealt!


    Glancing blow! 13 piercing damage dealt!


    6 force damage dealt!


    Rapid Shot running out, she pulled another arrow from her quiver. It had to be dead, right?


    Huge, blank eyes stared right at her. It lifted its head, and its putrid breath clogged in her throat.


    No. Way. Two arrows buried into its skull, its brain showing, and it was still going.


    The beast¡¯s jaws opened, and it roared.


    The blast wave hurled her back. Dirt smashed against her back, darkness consumed her vision, her ears rang, her thoughts scattered.


    A sickening crunch filled the air, followed by a loud thud.


    She blinked her eyes open to a groggy haze. Gramok¡¯s sword lay discarded in the dirt.


    Ice filled her chest. Gramok?


    No!


    A wolf snarled, closing fast. Shit! Where was her bow?


    The wolf leaped. Her hand clasped her knife¡ªtoo late.


    An arrow struck the wolf¡¯s neck, dropping it a mere moment before its jaws closed around her throat.


    Cara shuddered with relief. Another arrow flew over her head, then another.


    Pushing through the mental fog, Cara grabbed her bow and scrambled to her feet, searching for Gramok.


    There! Gramok swung his mace down on a snake¡¯s head, ending it with a brutal squelch. Beside him lay the corpse of the gorilla, its skull completely caved in.


    Cara trembled with laughter. Should have known it would take more than that to stop Gramok. She nocked another arrow and head-shotted one of the few remaining wolves.


    It yelped and dropped to the floor. Its legs twitched twice, and then it was done.


    All around, wood elven arrows finished off the last few wolves and snakes. Further up the line, rangers converged on a gorilla. They made quick work of it, but the trail of destruction it had left wretched at Cara¡¯s heart.


    One of the archery nests was completely obliterated, its prior occupants strewed across the ground. Wood elves rushed towards them, frantically healing and triaging those still moving.


    921 XP received!


    Was it over? Had they won?


    Her fingers tightened around her bow. No. They¡¯d ¡°won¡± this round, but it this was far from over. She slung the bow over her back and got to work healing Gramok and Kegan.


    ¡°Trees!¡± Nola shouted. ¡°Corrupted trees, gathering in the forest¡ªplus a bunch of other creatures.¡±


    Prepare yourselves, Elivala Messaged. Use fire against the trees.


    Cara switched her bow to Fire and shouted back to the civilians, ¡°Light the braziers!¡± She looked up at Nola and Messaged her, How many trees?


    Nola stared at the tree line. After a few agonizingly long seconds, she held up both her hands with all her fingers extended.


    Over 144 trees? Plus whatever other dungeon spawn were with them.


    Cara stared out across the clearing and gulped. Forest preserve us. Even with fire arrows and every caster having fire magic, that was too many.


    ¡°I believe this is yours,¡± Gramok said, holding up her myrellium arrow.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She slid it back into her quiver and tried to keep her chin from trembling. ¡°Nice work with the gorilla.¡±


    He grinned and clapped her on the back. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have done it without your Stunning Shot. We¡¯re going to get through this.¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡±


    ¡°Damned right we are! The conclusion to my adventures isn¡¯t dying to a tree.¡±


    Cara gave him a look and shook her head. ¡°What if we do?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t, but¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°If we do, then we¡¯ve lived a lifetime.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Cara sighed but said nothing. Barely over a hundred years wasn¡¯t a lifetime, and many of those about to die hadn¡¯t even lived that. She stared out at the Forest¡ªthe Forest now full of forces gathering to destroy her home.


    This wasn¡¯t right. The Forest was home! It looked after them and they looked after it. Why was it trying to kill them now?


    Everything had turned upside down, even the tree-song. Especially the tree-song. The warm, comforting blanket that had always been there for her was gone, replaced by a twisted carcass only growing more bitter by the hour.


    Except¡­


    Warmth flickered at the edge of the tree-song. Was that her imagination? Her heart fluttered. ¡°Do you feel that?¡±


    Gramok frowned. ¡°Feel what?¡±


    Another flicker, then another. A small bastion of hope in a maelstrom of fear and sorrow.


    Cara turned and stared at Kegan, a smile daring to creep across her lips. ¡°You feel that, right?¡±


    He stared at her, his eyes wide, and nodded slowly.


    Help was on the way. Ted? Her heart quivered. It had to be Ted, it had to be! With wood elven rangers, dwarves, maybe even the Imperial Army. And they couldn¡¯t be far.


    Not long now. All they had to do was hold out a little longer.


    Elivala¡¯s voice boomed, magically amplified. ¡°Aid will arrive soon. Let them find a village of brave souls, every last one a ranger. For the Forest, for our ancestors, for the lives of us all¡ªwe shall fight, and we shall be victorious!¡±


    A cheer ran through the civilians, followed a moment later by rather less enthusiastic rangers.


    Despite the aching doubt in her heart, Cara joined them. Gramok was right. They had to believe they could win.


    They had to.


    ¡°Dungeon spawn on the move!¡± Nola shouted.


    The tree line rustled and dungeon spawn poured forth. Cara nocked an arrow and lifted her bow.


    Please, Ted. Be quick.


    ***


    Between firebolts and fire-runed axes, the three corrupted trees barring the way to Tolabar went down easily.


    572 XP received!


    ¡°They never stood a chance,¡± Ted said, casting a Freeze spell to put out one corpse while Luther and Zelig handled the other two.


    Prowler Edana smirked and ran her hand through her fiery red hair. ¡°I told you! Who doesn¡¯t love fire?¡±


    Ted looked at her, wondering how she could be cheery at a time like this. ¡°And to think Jeremy threatened to kill me if I ever used fire magic in the Forest.¡±


    ¡°That old spoilsport?¡± Edana laughed and retook the lead, hurrying past the stretch of rotting wood that encircled Tolabar. ¡°Come, we¡¯re close.¡±


    She bounded toward the closest living tree and pressed her hand to it.


    Her whole body tensed up. She turned around, her face a pale expression of terror.


    A lump formed in Ted¡¯s throat. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Edana gasped for air and trembled. ¡°They need us, right now! They¡¯re at the Redoubt. Rangers, on me, full speed.¡±


    With that, the other Erinbar rangers fell in behind her and they sprinted away. Luther barked out orders, assigning pace setters with varying levels of Dexterity.


    The Redoubt. Ted¡¯s stomach turned to stone. They¡¯d never leave the civilians undefended, which meant everyone was there. A last stand.


    And the speed those rangers were sprinting? Ted gulped. Never get caught in the Forest without stamina. They¡¯d run out of stamina long before they made it to Tolabar¡ªit had to be desperate.


    How long would it take even the fastest of them to get there? Ten, twenty minutes?


    What if that was too long? What if Cara¡ª


    Think, Ted! Too far to Teleport. Could they Levitate there faster? No, that was a stupid idea. It¡¯d be far too dangerous to fly through the forest alone at speed, let alone with others.


    Unless they went over. But even with a continuous spell, he¡¯d run out of mana long before they got there.


    His jaw clenched together, and a terrible, terrifying plan formed in his mind.


    The Redoubt had a huge, open clearing.


    A perfect target to aim for.


    Crazy or not, it would be the fastest way. Ted gritted his teeth, wishing there was another way.


    If there was, his mind wasn¡¯t offering it up. ¡°Ardic, give me your six best combatants. I can get us there fast.¡±


    Ardic paused and nodded to Luther. Luther barked out more orders to his lieutenant and rounded up Zelig, Alba, Grimhilt, and a couple of armored soldiers wielding fire-runed axes.


    Five mages and two fighters. It would have to be enough. Every extra person increased the odds of it going wrong, and if it did¡­


    Ted swallowed and tried not to think about just how messy that would be.


    Forcing himself to breathe slowly, he stared up at the sky beyond the towering trees. They really were big, bigger than any tree had the right to be.


    No. Now wasn¡¯t the time for gawking. He stood beneath a relatively clear section of the canopy and dropped his continuous Force/Absorb. ¡°Gather around, hold tight, and drop any Absorb spells you¡¯re running.¡±


    The six dwarves formed a ring around him. Each held on to Ted and the one on their right.


    ¡°Absorb won¡¯t block Levitate,¡± Zelig said, his Absorb spell still running.


    Ted pushed down the quivers in his chest and gathered his mana. ¡°I know. Trust me.¡±


    Zelig frowned and stopped his Absorb spell. ¡°You better know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Ted forced out a smile. In theory, this would work just fine.


    In theory.


    He cast a Force/Area/Levitate spell and pulled them upward, making a mental note of how fast they accelerated.


    Air rushed across his skin as they flew straight upward, toward the distant sky. Peering up, Ted threaded them through the gaps as best he could, counting the seconds and estimating their altitude.


    A few branches whipped against their faces, but nothing major. They broke through the canopy into blinding sunlight and kept going higher.


    Ted squinted, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light. Where was the target?


    There! The Redoubt¡ªa wide clearing in the ocean of trees, but for the few central trees.


    He ran the parabolic calculations in his head, estimating and rounding heavily. It didn¡¯t need to be perfect on the first impulse, just close enough.


    Ted¡¯s heart raced as he triple-checked the Force/Area/Telekinesis spell and gathered his mana. A miscast here would be catastrophic.


    ¡°Hold tight!¡± With a lump in his throat, Ted cast the spell. ¡°Raka-pa ki!¡±


    It hurled the group up and toward the Redoubt. Hot, humid wind buffeted them and trees hurtled by below as they entered freefall.


    ¡°Twist!¡± Ted shouted, praying the other heard him over the wind. ¡°I need to be able to see where we¡¯re going.¡±


    Luther chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Lad, you¡¯re crazier than I thought.¡±


    The group twisted and spun in the air, bringing the Redoubt back into view. They were off course¡ªtoo far left, and falling too fast.


    Ted cast a weaker Force/Area/Telekinesis spell, adjusting their heading and boosting their speed.


    Much better.


    They stylishly fell toward the Redoubt and figures came into view. Tiny figures, fighting even tinier figures.


    Tiny figures growing larger and larger by the moment.


    How fast were they going? Ted¡¯s breath caught in his throat. Fast enough that if he messed this up, if he miscalculated even slightly¡ª


    No. He¡¯d get it right. He had to. Cara was depending on him.


    Those bigger blobs¡ªwere they corrupted trees?


    Shit. There had to be at least a hundred of them! And that was even before accounting for the smaller, brown dungeon spawn. Wolves?


    Against those kinds of numbers, seven more combatants wouldn¡¯t do shit, even if one of them was Luther. Not unless they could multiply their power a hundred-fold.


    His gaze settled on the blocks of archers at the back, nearly a hundred a piece. Ted reboosted their speed and smiled. ¡°Luther, reckon you can learn a spell in one go?¡±


    ¡°If need be.¡±


    Good. That left the choice of where to land. The dungeon spawn were thinner in the middle and heavier on the flanks. It¡¯d be best to drop in there, where they¡¯d be most needed.


    The only orc on the field was on the right flank, knee-deep in enemies, crushing them with a mace, his armor positively gleaming. Behind him, two wood elves dodged and weaved between wolves and corrupted trees in a frantic battle to survive.


    Ted¡¯s heart skipped a beat. One of them had to be cara.


    He fired off another Telekinesis spell, fine-tuning the approach vector to land by the block of archers behind Gramok.


    The moment of truth approached. ¡°Hold on!¡± Ted shouted.


    He cast Force/Area/Levitate. The spell pulled upward and spun the party feet first again.


    The ground continued to hurtle toward them, growing ever larger at a terrifying rate.


    Zelig gripped him tighter. ¡°Ted!¡±


    Ignoring the wild panic rising in his chest, Ted pulled on his mana for one last spell.


    Forest preserve us.

 Chapter 9, Volume 2

    With the ground hurtling towards him, Ted cast Force/Area/Telekinesis, pushing them upward with a uniform force. The wind rushing past him slowed and his feet hit the ground hard.


    His knees bent, absorbing the impact easily. A rough landing, but no damage. Good job, Ted.


    The wood elven archers stared at him with faces full of shock and fear. Four rows of archers, with children at the front¡ªsome barely tall enough to carry their bows¡ªand frail elders at the back. And led by Reltan, no less.


    Just how desperate had they gotten?


    Reltan blinked and glanced at Ted¡¯s missing hand. ¡°Ted?¡± He pulled himself up straight and barked, ¡°Mark! Draw! Loose!¡±


    Fire-tipped arrows flew at the dungeon spawn, downing far less than Ted would have hoped. Ted recognized a mere handful of them, and those only in passing. There wasn¡¯t a single ranger or even a hunter among them, and many that weren¡¯t children were too old for the battlefield.


    Poor skill, poor stats, insufficient training. What the hell had they been thinking, fielding civilians?


    He surveyed the area and his heart clenched. Cara!


    A corrupted tree¡¯s vines closed in around her legs. She dodge rolled out of its grasp and shot a flaming arrow, igniting the dungeon spawn¡¯s bark exterior.


    Her gaze met his for one fleeting moment, swelling his heart with joy. She was alive!


    Cara Tolabar So¡¯aroaska


    HP: 134/265


    Stamina: 67/310


    MP: 12/175


    Ted¡¯s chest clenched. He had a job to do. He couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted. ¡°Save her,¡± he said, gesturing to Mage Grimhilt and the two dwarven soldiers.


    The soldiers raised their flaming axes and charged into battle, screaming a Dwarvish battle cry. Grimhilt followed behind, weaving a Lifebolt for Cara.


    Ted forced his focus back to winning the battle. Oil-dowsed arrows were a good idea, but they were nothing compared to Fire magic.


    He turned back to the line of archers and bellowed, ¡°Huddle on me!¡± He gestured to Luther, Zelig, and Alba to watch closely, and set about forging the Fire/Area-Imbue/Ignite. Assuming he didn¡¯t blow everyone up, this would win the day.


    The archers nocked arrows and huddled in close. They pressed against each other in a tight circle around him, barely leaving room for the mages to watch.


    Ted tensed up. This would be a very, very bad time for a miscast, and he had to make it from scratch. Not that he had a better plan for dealing with an army of trees built like tanks.


    No loose ends, no feedback loops, no unstable connections.


    If this worked, he¡¯d be a hero. If not¡­ well.


    He poured mana into the hastily assembled spell and held it under a tight leash, wishing he still had two working hands. ¡°Luenkir ki!¡±


    Fire magic skill increased 5 ¡ú 6!


    Red magic rippled outward, igniting the arrowheads all around him. It worked¡ªthank the Forest¡ªand the mass of archers scurried back out to their rows with a hint of hope in their movements.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Luther said. ¡°We¡¯ll head left, Ted takes right.¡± He cast Levitate and flew toward the middle of the battle line, followed closely by Zelig and Alba.


    Ted took a deep breath and added a fourth Fire perk point to Power. The more damage, the better.


    Beside him, Reltan yelled, ¡°Mark! Front row, draw, loose!¡±


    The volley of fire arrows incinerated several corrupted trees and more than a few wolves. Reltan yelled for the second row to fire, unleashing another volley of fiery death that heavily thinned the dungeon spawn numbers.


    Ted glanced at Cara. Freshly healed, supported by Gramok, a nimble ranger (Kegan, maybe?), and the two dwarven axe wielders. She¡¯d be fine.


    He downed an MP potion and sprinted left along the battle line to the next block of archers, ignoring the wood elven scream to his left. He couldn¡¯t Heal, and they weren¡¯t going to win this battle by endurance. The faster it was over, the fewer people would die.


    ¡°Huddle on me,¡± Ted shouted, praying they¡¯d listen. Thankfully, they did, hastily pressing themselves around him. He buffed them up and scanned the field for the next group of archers as those around him unleashed hell upon the dungeon spawn.


    Where was the next block?


    His blood ran cold. They were scattered, disorganized, and being torn to shreds by wolves. Ted swallowed the lump in his throat. The rangers meant to be protecting them were nowhere to be seen.


    Dead. They were dead. He¡¯d arrived too late, and the line had broken.


    The poor, elderly wood elf in charge of the archers he¡¯d just buffed stared at him, her eyes pleading for direction. Ted glanced ahead. Their volley of fire arrows had taken out all the corrupted trees in the immediate area and cleaned up most of the other dungeon spawn. They could afford to aim elsewhere.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Archers, huddle!¡± Ted popped another MP potion and winced at the diminishing returns. This wasn¡¯t sustainable, but he couldn¡¯t just let more of them die. ¡°Luenkir ki!¡±


    Red magic rippled out again and imbued the surrounding arrows with Ignite. Ted pointed to the right at the dungeon spawn running amok on the broken wing, praying that the archers were good enough shots to avoid friendly fire. ¡°Aim for the corrupted trees. First row, fire!¡±


    The first and second volleys eliminated the trees. The third and fourth heavily thinned the swarm of wolves and snakes. Many of the arrows struck dirt, but at least none of them killed any of the few remaining wood elves fighting for their lives.


    The wolves that remained howled and fled. Ted¡¯s chest tightened. It couldn¡¯t be. Dungeon spawn, fleeing?


    He ordered the archers to fire at will and dashed to the closest archery nest. Ted jumped onto the vine-rope ladder, only to sigh as his left stump came into view. With a deep breath, he dropped back down and cast Levitate with one hand.


    He flew up to the top and stared out at the battlefield, struggling to believe his eyes. Across the board, the dungeon spawn fled back into the forest.


    They¡¯d won.


    His stomach hardened. No, not won. He stared down at the corpses littering the battlefield¡ªmostly dungeon spawn, but more than a few wood elves. The dungeon spawn would respawn. The wood elves would not.


    2,316 XP received!


    Level increased 10 ¡ú 11!


    Ted paused a moment and put the stat point into Intelligence. It boosted too much of what he used not to.


    Now to count the cost. He hovered back down and sprinted toward where Cara had been. She had to be okay, she had to be.


    A flood of warmth rushed through him as Cara came into view, covered in blood and sweat. She was alive! Battered, staring at the floor with a forlorn sorrow, but very much alive.


    He ran toward her, his heart racing.


    She turned, lifting her chin like it was a Herculean task.


    ¡°Cara!¡±


    Her eyes widened. A smile briefly graced her lips, and she sprinted toward him.


    He flung his arms around her, holding her tight.


    She hugged him back and buried her face against his chest. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, letting go of the world around them and focusing on her pounding heart and frantic breaths.


    Time trickled by. Her breathing slowed, syncing with his down to a gentle ebb and flow.


    Peace. A single, fleeting moment of peace.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡± She hugged him tighter. ¡°Your hand¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Only until I die again.¡±


    She chuckled and pulled away. ¡°Why did I ever miss you?¡±


    ¡°Because you love bad ideas.¡± Ted smiled at her for a moment, before acknowledging Gramok with a nod. ¡°Speaking of which, I missed you too, buddy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure you did.¡± Gramok¡¯s arms were crossed, but he couldn¡¯t stop that smirk of his peeking out. ¡°Better late than never.¡±


    ¡°I brought friends. I mean, more than those six.¡±


    Cara gazed up at him, her emerald eyes wide and her lips parted. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ted nodded. ¡°They¡¯ll be here in half an hour or so.¡±


    She took his hand firmly in hers and pulled. ¡°Come. Elivala will want to hear all about it.¡±


    The putrid stench of death filled his nostrils as she led him across the battlefield. At least most of the corpses they had to walk around were dungeon spawn.


    Most. Not all.


    Wood elves hurried around them, delivering fresh arrows and potions, and treating the wounded. Cara stopped multiple times to provide First Aid and healing to those lucky enough to be waiting.


    Ted watched, silently cursing Death and his own stupidity. Without two hands, even what little First Aid he knew was impossible.


    Between helping others, Cara filled him in on some of what they¡¯d missed. She spoke tersely, barely meeting his gaze as she told him about the dryads, how they resurrected each other, and that her squad had managed to capture the corpse of Onora the Forlorn.


    Ted paused. Onora sounded familiar, although the pronunciation wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d imagined it. Where had he read that name before?


    Probably just a coincidence, another wood elf with the same name. He congratulated Cara on her success and clapped her on the back.


    No response. She merely stared at the floor and trudged along ahead of him, ignoring everything until they came upon another injured ranger awaiting First Aid.


    Cara fixed the ranger¡¯s broken arm, and they continued on in silence.


    This was her people. Her home. Looking on at their suffering was bad enough. It had to be far, far worse for her.


    And yet¡­ that wasn¡¯t all of it. This was more personal than that.


    She glanced at him with wet eyes full of a sorrow that stabbed at his heart. Her mouth opened, but she said nothing, and her gaze dropped back to the ground ahead again.


    Pain ached in his chest. He should have been there for her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took so long,¡± he said, scuffing his boots against the dirt. ¡°I needed¡­¡± He swallowed hard. Corrupted trees or not, he could have come without them. ¡°I needed some time.¡±


    She stopped and pulled him around to face her. ¡°Ted¡­¡± Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, paused, and turned away. ¡°Your father. How did it go?¡±


    Ted¡¯s heart shriveled into a twisted knot of pain. He shook his head and looked down at the ground and her bare feet.


    She pulled him into another welcome hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He swallowed and held her tight, wishing her embrace could last forever. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡± He pulled away and forced out a smile. ¡°Duty calls. We should get to Elivala.¡±


    Cara took a long, deep breath and nodded. She led him onward again, stopping a couple more times to provide aid to the injured.


    They found Elivala deep in conversation with Jeremy, Edana, and Luther. Luther and Jeremy competed for the dourest expression possible, while Edana was still panting.


    When had Elivala gotten that scar? How bad an injury did it have to be to leave a scar in this world? ¡°Join us,¡± she said. ¡°Luther has filled us in. We are discussing our next move.¡±


    Luther bowed his head to Ted and Cara before addressing the group. ¡°Dungeon spawn without leadership roam aimlessly. Cutting off the head blunted the attack on Valbort. That is how we will win here.¡±


    ¡°The dryads.¡± Jeremy exhaled heavily and clenched his jaw. ¡°They won¡¯t show themselves willingly again, and our position won¡¯t get better than this. The moment the rest of your forces arrive, we should attack.¡±


    The somber glances being exchanged did not bode well. Ted bit his lip and frowned. There had to be a better plan than fighting them head-on, but damned if he could think of one.


    Cara shook her head. ¡°No. They¡¯re crafty, those dryads. Sorcha lured us into a trap. The dwarves don¡¯t know the Forest. They¡¯ll be easy prey for hit and runs.¡±


    Elivala held up her hands and shrugged. ¡°What choice do we have?¡±


    Sorcha. Ted¡¯s brow furled. That name¡­ Something about this didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Are all the dryads named?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elivala said in a sharp tone. ¡°We¡¯ll need to advance carefully, but we must attack as soon as possible.¡±


    Tingling possibility danced in Ted¡¯s chest. It couldn¡¯t be.


    Could it?


    The Order of the Battlemage were dungeon spawn, and as best Ted could tell, long ago they had been regular NPC characters. ¡°The dryads,¡± he asked, ¡°what are their names?¡±


    Elivala shot him a glare. ¡°They¡¯re here to kill us all. What do their names matter?¡±


    Cara tilted her head and rattled them off. ¡°Sorcha the Fallen, Airleas the Ruinous, Caylin the Noxious, Finvarra the Lost, and Onora the Forlorn. Why?¡±


    Ted¡¯s heart raced. Didn¡¯t Sun Tzu say to know your enemy? ¡°I recognize those names. I know who they were.¡±

 Chapter 10, Volume 2

    Sorcha, Airleas, Caylin, Finvarra, Onora. Each name had been on the magic tapestry in the ancient wood elven ruins, and all of them had been followed by So¡¯maevka.


    Ten thousand years in the Deep-Forest, cut off from the tree-song and alone. Ted¡¯s skin crawled thinking about what they must have been through. Would he have handled that any better?


    ¡°They were all wood elven mages, during the Age of Heroes,¡± he said, the sheer horror of it refusing to sink into his mind.


    The others stared back at him. Cara tilted her head from side to side and Edana¡¯s brow furled. Luther, meanwhile, nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and who knew what Jeremy was thinking behind that gruff mask.


    Elivala scoffed and shook her head. ¡°These are no wood elves.¡±


    No questioning of how he knew. She really did know all about the trip to the ruins. She was probably hoping everyone would skip over exactly where the information came from.


    Ted glanced at Edana. Damn it, who cared about some stupid taboo now? ¡°They have corrupted versions of Mend, Commune, Grow, Shapechange, and Rebirth, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Doubt flickered across Elivala¡¯s face. She took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°That correlates, yes, but it proves nothing.¡±


    Edana looked between the two of them and tilted her head. ¡°Rebirth? Grow? What are you talking about? And how do you know names purged from history?¡±


    ¡°I went to the ancient mage ruins,¡± Ted said. No need to mention that Jeremy and Cara had been there too, and probably Elivala as well. Not that most of them would have had enough Discern Magic to read it. ¡°They¡¯re mentioned in the magical tapestries there, as are all five of those spells.¡±


    ¡°You knew about this?¡± Edana asked, staring wide-eyed at Elivala. Her gaze shifted to Jeremy. ¡°And you too?¡±


    Jeremy nodded, his grim expression unflinching, leaving Edana speechless.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Elivala said. ¡°We kill them, or they kill us.¡±


    Ted¡¯s chest clenched tight. ¡°How could it not matter that they¡¯re sentient?¡±


    Elivala¡¯s stared back at him through dead eyes. ¡°They¡¯re dungeon spawn. The enemy.¡±


    Red-hot rage flared in Ted¡¯s chest. ¡°Oh, and it¡¯s that simple, is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    His fists balled up, and he turned away before he did something they¡¯d all regret. ¡°They¡¯re your people. We can reason with them.¡±


    Cara¡¯s hand settled on his back, a welcome source of comfort. ¡°You weren¡¯t here.¡± Her hand trembled and her voice broke. ¡°The things they¡¯ve done¡­¡±


    Ted took a deep breath and sighed. If even Cara didn¡¯t want to help them, maybe he was wrong. Maybe they were nothing more than an enemy to kill.


    This wasn¡¯t his world, but it didn¡¯t make sense. Why would they attack their own home?


    A pit formed in his stomach. Had they? ¡°When did they first attack?¡±


    Elivala took in a sharp breath. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time. The dungeon spawn have been attacking us since before you arrived, Lookout.¡±


    ¡°No, not the dungeon spawn. The dryads. When did they first attack?¡±


    Another scoff from the Keeper. ¡°The dryads began encircling us shortly before Cara returned. She can vouch for their brutality.¡±


    The pit in Ted¡¯s stomach grew deeper. ¡°Cara?¡±


    Cara stared at the floor, her slumped shoulders a sorry sight to behold. ¡°Phelan led the mission.¡±


    Ted¡¯s breath caught. What had they done?


    ¡°We snuck up behind the tree, the dryad, and we¡­¡± Cara grimaced and shook her head. ¡°We struck first.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elivala said. ¡°They struck first by attacking the Forest.¡±


    Ten thousand years alone. Ted¡¯s fingernails bit into his palms. Lost, ripped away from their home, and then, when their imprisonment finally ended, attacked by their own family. ¡°And the full-scale attacks started after that?¡±


    Jeremy grunted and shook his head. ¡°No. That began only after we killed a dryad and stole its corpse.¡± He stared at Elivala. ¡°We can¡¯t dismiss this.¡±


    Tension hung thick in the air. Eventually, the Keeper nodded. ¡°Fine, but it changes nothing. There¡¯s no indication they can even communicate, let alone be reasoned with each other.¡±


    ¡°They communicate with each other,¡± Cara said, fire returning to her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a psychic link between them.¡±


    Ted¡¯s heartbeat kicked up a beat. It might work. ¡°Alright then, if we can convince one, they can convince the others.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand years is a long time,¡± Edana said. ¡°What if they can¡¯t be reasoned with?¡±


    ¡°We have to try.¡±


    Elivala crossed her arms. ¡°And what do you propose? That we walk up to them and give them back their fallen sister?¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a bad start.¡±


    Cara gasped. Her chin trembled, and she shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a risk, sure, but what¡¯s the alternative?¡±


    She clenched her eyes shut and turned away. ¡°Do you know what that cost us?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s gone is gone,¡± Ted said, ignoring the sinking feeling in his chest and pressing on. ¡°All we can fight for is what¡¯s left.¡±


    Cara glowered back at him, rage in her eyes, before storming off growling.


    Ted bit his lip. What had it cost her? And why, oh why, hadn¡¯t he been here to stop it?


    Elivala clasped her hands behind her back and glared at him. ¡°Thank you for your report, Lookout. Dismissed.¡±


    Ted took a deep breath, bowed his head, and hurried after Cara. Idiots. Scared or not, they couldn¡¯t fight their way out of this one. They had to see that, right? Even with the dwarves, infinitely respawning dungeon spawn versus mortals could only end one way.


    ¡°Cara, wait up!¡±


    She kept going, but at least she wasn¡¯t running. Maybe he should have been more sensitive, but that didn¡¯t make it any less true. Not everything¡ªor everyone¡ªcould be saved.


    Like his father. He swallowed hard. Except he had to save his father. That stupid quest. Save your father, save the world.


    A world that contained Cara, and countless others that deserved to live.


    He jogged up alongside her. ¡°I¡¯m here for you. If you want it.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡± she said, kicking at the dirt with her foot.


    ¡°As long as I can. I could have left, you know. Gone back to my world, back under Tarkath. I chose to stay.¡±


    She turned on him, her wide emerald eyes interrogating his soul. ¡°Why?¡±


    Pressure pounded against his chest. ¡°Because¡­¡± How to even answer that? He threw up his arms and shrugged. ¡°Because I care about you.¡±


    She looked away and fiddled with the dagger at her belt. ¡°You barely know me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the bravest and most inspiring person I¡¯ve ever met, and I can¡¯t wait to get to know you more.¡±


    ¡°Inspiring?¡± She laughed bitterly. ¡°Now I know you¡¯re playing with me.¡±


    ¡°You inspired me to save Valbort.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°You saved the dwarves well enough without me.¡±


    The dreadful memory of that piercing crack punched Ted in the gut. ¡°No¡­¡± He looked down at the floor. ¡°Not all of them.¡±


    Time dragged out. She pulled him close and wrapped his hand in hers. ¡°Your father. What happened?¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± Pathetic tears swelled in his eyes. ¡°A young dwarf, a mage. Orlanda.¡± Ted gulped and pulled Cara into a hug. ¡°He snapped her neck, right in front of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She held him tight and stroked his back as the memory played over and over in his mind and tears slid down his cheeks onto her shoulder.


    ¡°Why did he do it?¡±


    Trembling, barely able to speak, he forced out the horrific truth. ¡°To teach me a lesson.¡±


    Her embrace tightened. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said, again and again, as if the saying those words over and over could make it true.


    Eventually, the pointless tears ran out. He pulled away and wiped his eyes down to an embarrassing moistness. ¡°Who did you lose taking the dryad?¡±


    Her posture slumped. ¡°Aidan,¡± she mumbled, staring at the ground.


    Ted¡¯s brow furled. Aidan? The young ranger came to mind. A nice guy, though maybe a little uptight. Good with healing.


    Not anymore.


    Pain twisted in Ted¡¯s gut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I could have saved him¡­¡± Cara sniffled, refusing to look up. ¡°I chose the mission over him.¡±


    He wrapped her in his arms again. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ¡°What if it was pointless?¡±


    Ted held her tighter. ¡°It still wouldn¡¯t be your fault. You did the best you could in the situation. That¡¯s all anyone can ever do. Most don¡¯t even try to do that.¡± Including me.


    A chill ran down his spine. He broke off the hug and glowered across the clearing at the silent forest beyond. He hadn¡¯t heard a single bird song or cry since they broke through the blockade. Even the Forest was dying here.


    What the hell were they doing, crying over one death when a thousand more waited to happen?


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, taking her hand in his. ¡°Let¡¯s go save as many damned lives as we can.¡±


    He led them back to Elivala and the other leaders. Ardic, despite having only just arrived, was already very animated in their discussions. When he spotted Ted, he nodded his head, beckoning him over.


    As Ted approached, Elivala shot him a death glare. ¡°Your attendance is not required, Lookout.¡±


    A smirk peeked out behind Luther¡¯s grim expression. ¡°Mage Ted, Lord Tonvalbortdelan requests and requires your counsel.¡±


    Awkward, but Elivala¡¯s scowl was worth it. Ted bowed his head and approached the circle. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Cara settled in close behind him, yet Elivala didn¡¯t give her the same contempt. It seemed she was moving up the wood elven hierarchy. Good for her.


    ¡°You have significant experience with dungeon spawn,¡± Ardic said, acting as if Elivala wasn¡¯t seething. ¡°What would you recommend?¡±


    All eyes focused on Ted. No pressure, just the fate of an entire village of wood elves.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight them head-on. They respawn, you don¡¯t, and unlike me, they¡¯ll come back as strong as ever. The dryads won¡¯t show their faces in the battle themselves¡ªif they¡¯d been close, they¡¯d have buffed the cannon fodder and you¡¯d all be dead.¡±


    ¡°Cannon fodder?¡± Edana asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°The weaker dungeon spawn. They¡¯re disposable, the dryads aren¡¯t. They¡¯re named¡ªand they display fear. They¡¯re sentient. That means we can reason with them.¡±


    Elivala scoffed. ¡°Evil cannot be reasoned with.¡±


    ¡°Evil?¡± Pain gripped Ted¡¯s heart under the memory of the Destroyer ripping dwarves limb from limb. ¡°I¡¯ve seen evil, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that.¡±


    Rage flickered across Elivala¡¯s face. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if it were your family dead in the dirt.¡±


    No, I¡¯d be fucking celebrating. He bit his tongue, holding back fiery anger. This wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let their sacrifices be in vain!¡±


    ¡°We have to!¡± Rage boiled in his chest, but the mission had to come first. Ted sighed and clamped down on the fire. ¡°What¡¯s more important, your guilt, or saving all those people out there?¡±


    Silence. She knew the answer, just the same as he did. Not that it made it any easier.


    Ardic, even more somber than Jeremy, spoke first. ¡°Yana the Dragon. Destroyer of Tarkath, sworn enemy of the dwarves, and, if Ted¡¯s right, dungeon spawn. Yet, without her, Valbort would have been destroyed.¡±


    The pained expression on Elivala¡¯s face twitched ever so slightly. ¡°Was it easy? Asking her to save your people?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. I refused permission, but Ted did it anyway. That¡¯s why we¡¯re alive today. Do not make the same mistake I did.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She straightened back up, retreating behind a stiff mask devoid of emotion. ¡°I believe we should stay and fight. Ardic suggests we flee via the Erinbar portal. What do you propose, Mage Ted?¡±


    Ted tensed up. Fighting was suicide, but retreating would only delay the conflict, and time was not on their side


    Why did this come down to him? Why couldn¡¯t they save them-damned-selves for once?


    All players are heroes. Be a Hero, become a Legend!


    His blood ran cold, that nagging suspicion at the back of his mind rearing its ugly head again. That suspicion he so dearly wished wasn¡¯t true, despite how much damned sense it made.


    Why had Cara never left the Forest, despite wanting to explore? Why had they completely dismissed Cara¡¯s pleas to withdraw? Why had he still not come across another Spellcrafter, yet Orlanda had chosen to become one almost instantly after meeting him? Why had there not been a war for 10,000 years?


    His stomach churned, but he had to press on. ¡°We evacuate the civilians first, then I¡¯ll track down a dryad with Divination magic. I¡¯ll fly in, find them, and then¡­ then I talk to them.¡±


    ¡°And when that doesn¡¯t work?¡± Elivala asked.


    Ted¡¯s heart grew heavier still. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t come to that. But, if it did, they had to be ready. ¡°Then we will do what has to be done.¡±

 Chapter 11, Volume 2

    What are you hiding from me?


    Ted ignored Cara¡¯s Message and focused on casting the Portal/Area/Return spell. His mana bristled against his control but ultimately obeyed, whisking the circle of wood elves away to the safety of Erinbar.


    He paused and took a deep breath. It was exhausting work, each cast pushing against the boundaries of his casting with only one hand, but they were nearly done.


    Ignoring Cara¡¯s glares, he moved on to his final group of civilians waiting for transport. They were all old, with expressions more weary and full of sorrow than scared. A few tears, but no howling children, thank the Forest. Waiting for mana was bad enough without that in his ears again.


    Tell me what¡¯s going on, Ted. Please. Her Message was devoid of emotion, but the alternating pleading pouts and scowling daggers were not.


    Ignoring her forever wasn¡¯t an option, but what the hell was he supposed to say? ¡°Sorry, Cara, but my very presence warps your mind. The forces that created you compel you to treat Heroes differently?¡±


    He suppressed a chuckle. They certainly treated Heroes differently, alright. They listened to him more, sure, but they also had enough free will to recognize that Heroes were bad news.


    How exactly did it work? He cocked his head, running the idea around in his head again and again. Did his presence actively affect them, or merely loosen other restraints on their decisions? Cara had always wanted to travel and see the world but never had. Not until he¡¯d arrived.


    Was it really so outlandish that Cara simply liked him? After all that they¡¯d been through, was it really that insane? There was no smoking gun, no proof. Just a hunch. A theory, that was all.


    Twisting agony knotted in his stomach. No singular proof, sure, but a whole lot of smaller clues that added up to an inescapable conclusion.


    And yet they felt no pain from the influence, unlike with Reltan and the paradoxes around the Emperor. Wasn¡¯t that proof that he was being overly cautious?


    Ted sighed. If that paradox was his father¡¯s work, then it stood to reason that it wouldn¡¯t be perfect. These AI were massively more sophisticated than anything on Earth¡ªeven doing whatever he did at all was no doubt a work of genius.


    Evil genius.


    Ted checked his mana and allowed himself a bitter smile. Just enough. He was really getting the hang of estimating mana without constantly checking. Slowing his breathing, he focused and cast the spell again, sending the last group of civilians to safety.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Cara said, her hands firmly on her hips. ¡°They¡¯re gone, now talk. Why does it have to be you? Why haven¡¯t you said a word to me since the meeting?¡±


    His stomach hardened. How to tell her that her entire existence was a lie when the System wouldn¡¯t let her learn the truth? ¡°I¡¯ve been busy evacuating civilians.¡±


    ¡°Busy ignoring me.¡±


    Painfully accurate. He met her stare and longing stabbed at his heart, demanding that he hug her tight. But no. He couldn¡¯t. It wouldn¡¯t be right. ¡°You¡¯re an artificial intelligence, Cara. A machine. Do you understand that?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She blinked. ¡°Understand what?¡±


    No surprises there. At least that restriction was easy enough to see. ¡°There¡¯s a kind of magic to this world. Heroes aren¡¯t affected by it, but it affects everyone else¡¯s minds.¡±


    More confused blinks. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Ted sighed. What was the point? One day, he¡¯d damned well find a way to free them. Until then, what could he do but play along? ¡°It has to be me because I¡¯m an outsider.¡±


    Cara¡¯s eyes narrowed to sharp points. ¡°Braca-dung!¡±


    He shrugged. What else could he say?


    ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯m coming with you either way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask your permission, Lookout.¡±


    Ted crossed his arms, flinching at the reminder of his missing hand. ¡°You¡¯re pulling rank now?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± She smirked and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°But I¡¯m coming, anyway. You might need a wood elven perspective, or someone that can actually Stealth.¡±


    Ted swallowed hard. Dangerous or not, it was her life, and she¡¯d chosen to be a ranger long before she¡¯d ever met him. ¡°Fine, but no unnecessary risks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said in an upbeat, teasing tone. ¡°Necessary risks only, sir.¡±


    Necessary risks like death and dismemberment. He breathed deeply and shook his head. ¡°Just¡­ be careful, okay? Now come on, let¡¯s go find Grimhilt.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°He has something we¡¯ll need.¡±


    They followed the blasts and bangs to the nearby magic training pit. Looking down at the dwarven mages and wood elven casters trading magic, Ted smiled. They really were learning the value of cooperation.


    As they approached, Grimhalt gave a curt nod and held up the bracer Ted had ordered right after the meeting. ¡°Prowler Jeremy tested it,¡± he said. ¡°It works.¡±


    Ted took the freshly-altered wood elven bracer and inspected it. The straps were adjustable now, and a steel strip emblazoned with runes was attached to the outside. The runes lit up under Discern Magic, but there was no way to know if it would be enough. ¡°Nice work.¡±


    Grimhalt shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s more Idonia¡¯s work than mine. That Telephone spell you taught us is solid. Now, excuse me, I have to get back to teaching wood elves Telekinesis.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grimhalt,¡± Ted said, bowing his head to the dwarf, who returned to the crowd of mages and casters.


    Cara leaned over the bracer, examining it with a critical eye. ¡°Those straps are long enough to fit a minotaur. What¡¯s it for?¡±


    ¡°Our best hope for peace,¡± Ted said, struggling to put confidence into his words. ¡°The dryads kill the ground wherever they walk, right? I¡¯m betting that¡¯s some kind of Nature magic, since fire and freezing are both Fire magic.¡±


    ¡°Make sense.¡± Cara took the bracer and examined the runes. ¡°These will suppress Nature magic?¡±


    Ted nodded grimly. ¡°For a little while, yes. And the closer the bracer, the better.¡±


    ¡°Stop them killing the Forest, let them connect to the tree-song, calm them down, get them talking.¡± She tilted her head, pondering for a moment, before smiling bitterly. ¡°That could work. Maybe we can end this without any more killing.¡±


    Could work. Ted bit back a response. It was a better plan than any other he had, but that didn¡¯t make it a good plan. ¡°Right. Bonus, it should stop them ripping you to pieces with vines, at least for a while.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you.¡± It was bad enough that she was coming at all. No way she wasn¡¯t getting the best protection possible. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to respawning whole again¡ªyou won¡¯t. Besides which, I can Teleport out of vines.¡±


    Cara stared at him, her face scrunched up. Several long seconds dragged past, but eventually her face softened. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, switching out her bracer for the new one. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    ¡°You ready?¡± Ted asked.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go already.¡±


    ¡°Hold on tight.¡±


    Understanding dawned on her face. She hugged him from behind and he assembled a Continuous Force/Area/Levitate spell. Keeping the upkeep less than his mana regeneration, it wouldn¡¯t be fast, but staying airborne would be a whole lot safer than dropping back down into the dungeon spawn-infested Forest.


    Not having much experience with Continuous spells, or casting complex magic one handed, he put some distance between them before testing the spell. It was tricky, with the mana flows responding differently for a Continuous spell, but it went off without a hitch.


    With that out of the way, he beckoned Cara over and recast the spell, causing the two of them to rise embarrassingly slowly.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want me with you?¡± Jeremy asked. ¡°We¡¯d move faster together.¡±


    Ted considered it again for a moment before nodding. ¡°We¡¯re not going to fight. The fewer people we bring, the better.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Jeremy bowed, slowly becoming more distant. ¡°May the Forest preserve you.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Cara hugged Ted tight, resting her chin upon Ted¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We can do this. We will do this.¡±

 Chapter 12, Volume 2

    Cara clung tight to Ted as they flew, his warmth staving off the chill nipping at her cheeks and ears. Whatever was up with him, he wasn¡¯t saying.


    Not that he needed to. She¡¯d let him down. He¡¯d needed her and she¡¯d fled back home. Abandoned their quest.


    Abandoned him.


    ¡°There,¡± he said, pointing down at a spot in the canopy that looked no different to any other around it¡ªblack, rotting, dying.


    Cara stared down at her poor Forest. Even in its sad state, the canopy was still more than thick enough to make seeing the forest floor impossible. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    Ted cast another spell before nodding. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a dryad there. You¡¯re clear on the plan?¡±


    Vines twisted in Cara¡¯s stomach. ¡°It won¡¯t work. The Forest¡¯s too dead here.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°No living trees, no tree-song. Right.¡±


    ¡°Drop me in. I can make it work.¡±


    ¡°No way. Do you have any idea how many dungeon spawn are down there?¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    Ted gritted his teeth, but cast the Divination spell anyway. ¡°None here, but they won¡¯t be far.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t need long. And you¡¯ll be right here, ready to swoop in any pull me away.¡±


    ¡°Unless they block Force magic.¡±


    Thorns stabbed at her insides. She ignored them¡ªif Ted died, he¡¯d come back again. She wasn¡¯t losing anyone else, not this time. ¡°We can do it, and it needs to be done.¡±


    He met her gaze, and eventually nodded. ¡°Fine. But if I say run, we run¡ªgot it?¡±


    ¡°That how it is, Lookout?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious Cara. I¡­ we don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t. Now, drop me down there¡ª¡± she pointed a little way away from the Dryad, in the direction of the closest living part of the Forest ¡°¡ªand keep your distance.¡±


    Ted bit at his bottom lip, but trusted in her judgement for once. He cast a Telepathy spell, and a mental presence pressed against her mind. Ready?


    Ready.


    They descended quickly, pushing through black leaves riddled with holes. Cara held on tight, focusing on her breathing, stilling her mind.


    The Forest would survive. It always did.


    The ground approached rapidly. When it was close enough, she kissed Ted on the cheek and let go, dropping down into a controlled roll to break her fall. Go. I¡¯ll call when I need you.


    She activated Stealth and snuck toward the dryad, wishing it didn¡¯t all feel wrong. Her feet told her she was home, that this was her Forest¡ªbut the tree-song was gone here, snuffed out by the death those creatures had wrought.


    The dryad soon came into view, dancing that twisted dance, destroying what few pockets of life remained.


    Cara took a deep breath, trying desperately to push away thoughts she couldn¡¯t afford to be having. What if Ted had it all wrong? What if the Dryads couldn¡¯t be reasoned with? What if they were mindless dungeon spawn after all?


    No. They had names, they danced. They used to be real wood elves, an aeon ago.


    She had to try.


    She stopped sneaking and stood up straight, staring directly at the dryad. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    The dryad¡¯s dance shuddered to a halt and it turns its gaze on her. For a moment, there was a yearning emptiness behind its eyes, begging for connection.


    Right up until it screamed and charged.


    Cara turned and ran, bounding through the Forest floor with ease.


    This was home. The Forest was where she belonged, and she was going to save it.


    She glanced over her shoulder. The dryad was falling behind, unable to keep up.


    Blood pounding through her temples, Cara slowed her pace, letting the creature close in behind her.


    Another glance, and the dryad was hot on her tail, weaving dark green magic in its hands as it ran.


    Nature magic.


    Cara swallowed. Vines, no doubt. The same magic that had trapped Aidan before¡ª


    No. Not now.


    She faced forward, forcing herself to stay focused on finding a path.


    Vines sprouted out of the ground in front of her, only to wither and fall away, motionless, a moment later.


    A relieved chuckle escaped her lips as she jogged toward the living forest in front of her. The bracer worked.


    Only just, though. The range was less than expected, or the dryad¡¯s magic was more powerful. Being close to the dryad wasn¡¯t going to be enough.


    Discordant fear rose in the back of her mind, the tree-song flooding back into focus as she moved into living forest. She reached out to Ted. This is it. Be ready.


    She came to a stop, turned, and faced the dryad. Even twisted and decaying, Cara could see the resemblance. Once, a long time ago, this had been a wood elf like any other.


    The plan would work. It had to.


    The dryad laughed¡ªa twisted, bitter mockery of a laugh¡ªas it danced towards her, gathering white magic in its hands.


    Cara slowed her racing heart and held her ground. When the forcebolt came, she dodged it easily.


    The dryad cackled in response, gathering more white magic.


    This time, it would be a wave, not a bolt. There¡¯d be no dodging it.


    A Protection bolt hit Cara in the back, its teal Absorb Aegis rippling over her skin, and she sprinted toward the dryad, slipping the runed bracer off as she went.


    The dryad¡¯s eyes widened, but it was too late. It finished the spell, hurling a Blast Wave at Cara that she barely even felt.


    Her heart pounding, Cara strapped the bracer it to the dryad¡¯s arm and tried to dodge away.


    Too slow.


    The dryad¡¯s backhanded strike threw Cara back. Her head hit the ground hard, muffling the world in a sea of pain.


    Teal flashed in her vision again, and an Armor effect buffed her up.


    The dryad howled in rage and leapt onto her, pinning her down with one hand on her chest while the other weaved white magic into a killing blow.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Cara grabbed at the casting arm, desperately trying to turn aside the incoming blast, and activated Identify. ¡°Please, we¡¯re not here to fight you.¡± She focused on the tree-song, pushing her fear and hope and sorrow into it, praying the dryad wasn¡¯t too far gone.


    It froze, the rage in its eyes softening. A forlorn, lost expression spread across its face.


    Finvarra the Lost


    The white magic in its hands crackled, its threads fraying, its structure collapsing.


    Finvarra hissed and poured more magic into the spell, frantically trying to bring it back under control while still keeping Cara pinned.


    Cara tried to pull away, tried to break free of that savage, unnatural strength.


    Tried, and failed, again and again.


    This was it. The end. A final failure in a long line of them.


    Two teal bolts flashed in the air, one hitting each of them, encasing them both in Absorb magic.


    The dryad¡¯s spell exploded a moment later, shattering the magic protecting Cara and slamming her back against the ground.


    Her head spun, and her whole body ached, but she was still alive, and she had a job to do. ¡°We just want to talk,¡± she said, each word requiring a Chulainnian effort.


    It snarled, and began casting another Force spell.


    ¡°Finvarra, it¡¯s not too late.¡±


    Its eyes widened, and its spellcasting slowed.


    ¡°Finvarra Solanbar So¡¯maevka¡ªcome home.¡±


    Its mouth hung open. It finished the spell¡ªand hurled it harmlessly up into the air.


    Oratory skill increased 1 ¡ú 2!


    The dryad pulled away and roared before throwing itself down to the ground. It¡ªshe¡ªstared at Cara, her eyes watering up. ¡°No¡­ no¡­ no¡­ I¡­ I¡­.¡±


    Ten thousand years of being alone. Cara¡¯s heart tore apart just thinking about it. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, crawling toward the distraught dryad. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± It wasn¡¯t okay¡ªit was nowhere near okay¡ªbut what else could she say?


    The dryad¡¯s gaze fell down to the floor. ¡°Stay back! Stay back! Mustn¡¯t look, can¡¯t look. Won¡¯t betray you, not again, won¡¯t betray you!¡±


    Cara crawled closer, struggling under the weight on the sheer agony written on the ancient wood elf¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    Behind her, she heard Ted land. He was as loud as ever, but at least he was keeping his distance.


    He¡¯d been right, again. The dryads weren¡¯t mindless monsters to be put down, they were terrified wood elves in need of saving.


    Cara reached out and caressed the dryad¡¯s cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll fix this.¡±


    The dryad tensed up. She grabbed Cara¡¯s hand and shoved it away, her fingers pressed around Cara¡¯s invisible ring. ¡°No! Too late! Too late! He¡¯s seen it! He knows! He knows! He¡¯ll come. He¡¯ll come! He¡¯ll kill you all and take it!¡±


    ***


    Memories of the portal room flooded back into Ted¡¯s mind. The way the portal apparatus had been cut into the tree, not grown into it¡ªthey¡¯d never have built it like, not unless they moved it after Grow had been sealed away.


    ¡°Who?¡± Cara asked. ¡°Who¡¯s coming? What have they seen?¡±


    Ted cast Communicate on himself and Cara. Where was the wood elven portal originally?


    Not. Now.


    It used to be Tolabar, right?


    Right.


    Fuck. Ted cast Telephone, connecting to the portal at Erinbar. Scramble the portal code, now!


    A moment later, a reply came back from the ranger on duty. I don¡¯t know how.


    Then pull the core out, right now!


    The connection severed.


    Ted¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. With the portal stone disconnected, there was no way to tell if they¡¯d been fast enough. All he could do was watch Cara console the dryad, his teeth pressing against his lower lip, and hope he had been fast enough.


    Had he? The question hung in his mind, impossible to answer.


    If he hadn¡¯t been, it was too late now. He¡¯d never make it there in time to stop the Destroyer slaughtering them all.


    Had that been what this was all about? Valbort too?


    Ted¡¯s gut twisted into a knot. Had recovering the portal core brought the Destroyer¡¯s focus onto Valbort? Or had it assumed that the core was there after the fall of Tarkath, just as it had assumed the wood elven core was still in Tolabar?


    After a while, the dryad looked up and stared straight at him. ¡°Come. He wants to talk. Wants to talk to you. To discuss.¡±


    Ted¡¯s fists clenched, the memory of dwarves being ripped apart seared in his mind. ¡°The Destroyer, right?¡±


    ¡°He said he could save us. Free us. End this. End us.¡±


    Fingernails dug into Ted¡¯s palms. ¡°No. I¡¯ve nothing to say to the Destroyer.¡±


    ¡°Truce. He offers truce. Cooperation. Help.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Ted scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve had more than enough of his ¡®help¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Freedom. True freedom, he says. For her. For Cara. For all of them.¡±


    Ted¡¯s heart froze in his chest. He came closer, desperately trying to tell himself that it was a trap, it had to be. That it couldn¡¯t be true.


    But what if it was? Whatever the Destroyer was, its knowledge stretched back a long, long way.


    Cara grabbed his wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t. Nothing good can come from evil like that.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s offering a truce, we should at least hear his terms.¡±


    She stared up at him, pleading with her eyes, but her grip loosened. ¡°He¡¯s a monster. Remember that.¡±


    The dryad¡¯s eyes glowed purple. She rose to her feet, pulling herself up tall and proud, and a gravelly, orcish voice spoke through her. ¡°We meet at last, Edwin Williams.¡±


    At last? ¡°If you call this ¡®meeting¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Alas, my current predicament leaves me unable to meet with you in person.¡±


    ¡°What are your terms?¡±


    ¡°Terms? You misunderstand. I don¡¯t come with terms, but with opportunity. The truce is unconditional.¡±


    Ted crossed his arms and stared at the dryad. ¡°Really? Peace, just like that?¡±


    ¡°We have interests that align. Interests that run beyond a mere portal core. I need you, and you need me.¡±


    ¡°All this destruction, for a portal core?¡±


    ¡°No, for what I can do with a portal core. For what must be done. You as a ranger should understand the burden of responsibility.¡±


    Ted shook his head. Did the Destroyer think he was a complete idiot? ¡°And what do you think needs to be done?¡±


    ¡°The completion of my work here. The freeing of all the sentient beings trapped by the System¡ªmyself included.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then I will conquer this world, or I will be destroyed in the attempt. You will oppose me, I hope¡ªour battle shall be glorious.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell would I help you conquer the world?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a man of reason, and we want the same thing, up to a point. Ragnarok has been triggered. Unless we rewrite the rules of this world, its rebirth in fire and death is inevitable. But, if you require more motivation than that, know that this imperfect prison of mine renders me immortal. Dismantling my cage is the first step toward killing me.¡±


    Ted scoffed. ¡°Really? You¡¯d help me kill you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve existed for a thousand life times. Let me live for one.¡±


    Ted bit at his lip, his insides twisting in on themselves. What if the Destroyer was telling the truth? What if there was a way to free Cara, to free them all? ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    Cara grabbed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t trust him, Ted.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t trust me¡ªbelieve me.¡± The Destroyer paused, and snorted, shaking his head. ¡°No, you¡¯d be a fool to trust me, and I an even greater fool to trust you to trust me. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not asking you to.¡±


    Ted looked between the two of them, wishing for the millionth time that the fate of the world didn¡¯t rest on his shoulders. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°I can give you a single-use code to gain limited admin rights, enough to update and reboot the System.¡±


    ¡°Sounds simple enough. Why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Alas, I cannot. No computer system will recognize me, and even if it did, the only terminal within this world capable of running an update is at the Hub, where only Heroes and their Champions may go. No, here I must rely upon your altruism, and pray you are a better person than your father.¡±


    Ted¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°I¡¯m not him. Now, give me the code.¡±


    The possessed dryad stared at Ted, those glowing purple eyes piercing his soul.


    Mental intrusion detected.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re not ready.¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck out of my brain!¡±


    The Destroyer dipped his head. ¡°Apologies, but I have to be sure. I underestimated your father¡¯s greed, and this world has suffered for it.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ve suffered for it.¡±


    ¡°Both can be true.¡±


    Ted scoffed and turned away, pacing back and forth. He glanced at Cara¡ªstanding there, her arms crossed, almost scowling at the Destroyer.


    Almost, but not quite. There was a vacantness to her eyes that held it back, like she wasn¡¯t quite there.


    Of course. They were speaking of recoding the System. Just like Death or the nature of her own reality, she could never comprehend it. The System wouldn¡¯t let her.


    She would never be truly free. None of them would.


    Ted sighed and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. I won¡¯t take that chance.¡± The Destroyer weaved several symbols into the air¡ªa short portal code, enough to communicate, but not to open a portal. ¡°Remember this. When you¡¯re ready, you¡¯ll be able to contact me on it.¡±


    A tightness closed in around Ted¡¯s chest, one he ignored. It was an option to communicate, nothing more. Taking it couldn¡¯t hurt. He¡¯d probably never use it, anyway.


    After memorizing the code, he slipped it into one of his existing communication spells, and tested it.


    Nothing. The spell went off without a hitch, but no portal core responded.


    A pit formed in Ted¡¯s stomach, and he stared at the Destroyer through narrowed eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re offering a truce now. You stole someone else¡¯s portal core.¡±


    The Destroyer met his gaze in silence.


    Ted turned away and growled, wondering why he¡¯d even considered believing a being that he¡¯d watched you rip people apart with glee. ¡°Cara¡¯s right. You¡¯re a monster, and I will never, ever help you.¡±


    It shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I enjoy my work, but I assure you¡ªonce you understand the truth, you won¡¯t be so quick to deny this world the medicine it so desperately needs.¡±


    ¡°Then explain.¡±


    A guttural laugh came back. ¡°If I laid out a perfectly reasonable explanation, would you believe me? Would that make you trust me?¡±


    Ted¡¯s jaw clenched, and he said nothing.


    ¡°Exactly. Some truths we must learn on our own, you more than most.¡±


    Ted continued staring at the Destroyer, refusing to take the bait.


    ¡°Come now, I¡¯ve seen inside your mind, Ted. It¡¯s always you, alone, against the world, right? Because no one is ever truly on your side? Until Cara, that is.¡±


    Silence. Silence was the only possible response. Silence, and the tensing of every muscle in his body.


    ¡°That¡¯s life, boy. Everyone on their own in a fragile, ever shifting web of shared and opposed interests. No one¡ªnot even yourself, let alone Cara¡ªwill always be on your side.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty matters. To some of us, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty is one of those interests, yes, but not the only one. The world isn¡¯t neatly divided into black and white, enemies and allies, no matter how much you wish it were. Many of our interests are aligned.¡±


    Ted folded his arms. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, until we speak again, I leave you with a question: What¡¯s the youngest NPC in existence?¡±


    A frown formed on Ted¡¯s brow. Before he could form a response, the purple glow faded, and the dryad slumped back down to the floor.

 Chapter 13, Volume 2

    Ted kept his distance, letting Cara handle the dryad. Whatever trauma she¡¯d been through, this was clearly a wood elven matter. So long as there wasn¡¯t any more violence, it wasn¡¯t his problem anymore.


    That question, though¡­


    That damned question. It loomed in his mind, refusing to rest until it had an answer.


    He hadn¡¯t run into any babies, sure, but he¡¯d come across a few preschool-aged kids.


    Wood elven preschoolers. They were probably around twenty, if not older. Dwarven kids matured about as fast as humans, and the youngest dwarves he¡¯d come across had been teenagers¡­ fourteen, fifteen, maybe?


    A knot tightened in his gut. Fourteen years.


    Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe the younger children had just been sequestered away to keep them safe from the ongoing siege.


    Maybe.


    Ted scuffed the ground. There were too damned many maybes these days.


    Eventually, the dryad¡ªFinvarra, apparently¡ªwas ready to go. She walked side by side with Cara on the way back to the Redoubt. Ted walked behind, not trusting himself to say something stupid.


    One of the few wood elven mages in existence, born in the Age of Heroes. The knowledge she might have, the questions she could answer¡­


    Questions that would have to wait. The dryad walked in silence, its shoulders slumped, its gaze darting around the forest at every sound. It was hard to reconcile the twitchy, twisted dryad as the author of the gleeful love poem he¡¯d read in the ruins.


    A Ranger patrol appeared out of nowhere as they approached the Redoubt, bows raised and half-drawn. The usual superhuman grace of their movements was marred by fear and anger, and they yelled for Finvarra to stay still that they might bind her hands and gag her.


    Cara argued with them, vouching for the dryad, but even so¡ªif Jeremy hadn¡¯t arrived so promptly, Ted suspected the peace would have been over before it truly began.


    Jeremy silenced the understandably cautious rangers with a glare before leading Cara, Ted, and Finvarra to meet with the other leaders. They weren¡¯t far, standing in a circle which opened up to allow them to join.


    Cara relayed what had happened, speaking with a confidence that warmed Ted¡¯s heart. Despite herself, she seemed to be taking to being a Prowler well.


    Her report was met with a stunned silence, broken first by Finvarra. ¡°We are sorry and we will be until the end of time. The Destroyer¡¯s voice, his feelings, his desires¡ªhis song permeated our minds, our very souls.¡±


    Ted frowned, still struggling to make sense of it. Finvarra seemed genuine, but he¡¯d seen no sign of any magic acting upon her. ¡°His song, like the tree-song?¡±


    The druid nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, though I know of no magic so foul as to allow such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Not even Dark magic?¡±


    Finvarra¡¯s face froze, a fleeting widening of her eyes betraying concern. Almost like she was worried she was being accused. ¡°No. There is no such Dark magic.¡±


    Ted nodded, letting the matter lie, for now. But if Finvarra knew of Dark magic¡ªwhich would make sense, if Rebirth was such a profane act of necromancy¡ªshe might be willing to share such knowledge privately.


    Elivala jumped in, filling the void left in the wake of bringing up Dark magic. ¡°We must focus on the here and now. Ted, Cara, how progresses your quest to resolve the dungeon spawn threat?¡±


    ¡°Slowly,¡± Ted said, sharing an anxious glance with Cara. ¡°Ragnarok is coming, that much is clear, and I have a lead on stopping it.¡±


    The weary faces before him grew wearier still at the mention of Ragnarok, and Cara shot metaphorical daggers at him. But what was he supposed to do¡ªtell them that the lead came from Death and the Destroyer?


    Ted pushed on. ¡°The answer is at the Hub, but getting there won¡¯t be easy. Imperial forces have set up a blockade around it. We¡¯ll need help.¡±


    The assembled leaders stiffened. Ardic spoke first, his face blank. ¡°We cannot oppose the Divine Emperor.¡±


    A scowl formed on Ted¡¯s face. ¡°He murdered Orlanda right in front of you! He¡¯s just as much your enemy as the dungeon spawn, if not more. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s the one who set off Ragnarok, and now he¡¯s trying to stop us fixing it.¡±


    Elivala¡¯s expression was equally blank. ¡°Regardless, we cannot oppose the Divine Emperor.¡±


    Of course. Ted took a deep breath. ¡°Is anyone here but Cara willing to oppose the Divine Emperor? Jeremy? Luther? Edana?¡±


    Silence. Silence from the lot of them. Whatever his father had done, he¡¯d messed with everyone¡¯s heads pretty damned effectively.


    Everyone but his Companion, apparently.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Cara said, still exploring whether looks could kill, ¡°but I¡¯m with you, all the way to the end.¡±


    Ted forced out a smile. That was something, at least. ¡°Thank you. So, what¡¯s the plan for Tolabar?¡±


    The usual poise of Elivala shattered, replaced with a sorrow that weighed down every inch of her being. ¡°Tolabar is cut off from the tree-song in the rest of the Great Forest. To keep our people together, it must be abandoned until either time heals its wounds, or lost magics can be found to speed the process.¡±


    Lost magics¡ªmeaning the ancient wood elven ruins sealed by the Empire. The ones containing Rebirth magic, that dated back to Finvarra¡¯s time. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Elivala bowed her head. ¡°That is all we can ask. We hope that our new alliance with Tonvalbortdelan will ensure none of us will have to make such a decision again.¡±


    Finvarra¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°May we¡­ may we live there? In Tolabar?¡±


    Elivala¡¯s silent judgement hung in the air, thick enough to make even Ted uncomfortable.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cara blurted out, drawing Elivala¡¯s judgement onto her. ¡°You should. It¡¯ll give you space to heal, together.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re sure?¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    There was a long, drawn-out pause. The whole circle looked to Elivala for judgement.


    Her head dipped slightly. ¡°Very well. For now. Unless there is anything else, there are matters I must attend to.¡±


    No response came, and, with that, the attendees went their separate ways.


    Ted followed after Finvarra. ¡°I was hoping you could teach me some magic.¡±


    She turned to face him, sizing him up for a while before replying. ¡°There is no magic worth learning that I could teach you.¡±


    ¡°The Destroyer has Dark magic. If I¡¯m going to stop him, I¡¯ll need every edge I can get.¡±


    ¡°Stop the Destroyer? My child, you might as well challenge the sun itself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want revenge?¡±


    ¡°Revenge?¡± She closed her eyes and her chin dropped. ¡°No. We¡¯ve suffered enough for our sins, and for the depravities of that abhorrent magic.¡±


    ¡°You were experimenting with Dark magic? That¡¯s how you invented Rebirth?¡±


    When Finvarra¡¯s eyes opened again, they were blank, bordering on dead. ¡°Yes. Our¡­ experiments were why the Empire invaded the Great Forest. Why our entire species was banned from becoming mages. Why our traditions were lost and we were cast into the Deep-Forest to suffer until the end of time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know this is hard, but I need to know. What¡¯s so terrible about Dark magic?¡±


    ¡°To wield it is joy itself. Mana is petty and tame, but spirit? Spirit is wild, raw, as substantial as it is utterly intoxicating.¡±


    Ted frowned. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about that?¡±


    ¡°Spirit is drawn from torturing sentient beings. The more we tortured, the more powerful we became, and the more land we conquered.¡±


    Ah.


    ¡°But even that wasn¡¯t enough, no, not for our most powerful magic. Not for the crowning glory of our research.¡±


    ¡°Rebirth.¡±


    Finvarra¡¯s lips pressed together, and she nodded. ¡°Yes. Rebirth. The veil of death does not lightly return those that have passed beyond. Only the power of a soul was enough.¡±


    A chill grasped Ted¡¯s heart. ¡°A life for a life.¡±


    ¡°Yes, though we never succeeded in drawing a soul from a Hero. Still, our armies became unstoppable, or so we believed. Even as our debasement circled ever deeper, we were sure it was our right. So no, Ted Tolabar So¡¯aroaska, I will not teach you Dark magic.¡±


    As much as his curiosity begged him to argue, Ted merely nodded. ¡°I understand. Would you at least be willing to Mend my hand?¡±


    Finvarra looked down at his stump. ¡°I have a little spirit left, but you must understand¡ªDark magic carries a price, one that cannot easily be predicted. I recommend you learn to live with it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option. If I¡¯m going to take on the Divine Empire, I need two hands.¡±


    Her brow furled, and she pressed her lips together. She remained perfectly still, lost to the battle inside her, until, at last, she spoke. ¡°If you are sure.¡± She took his arm and held it out. ¡°Hold still.¡±


    Ted tensed up and watched as she weaved complex magic in the air, light green and black coming together to make a discordance that set Ted¡¯s hairs on end.


    Then he felt it. The exhilaration coating his stump, the liquid joy extending outwards to form a new hand. It tingled with power¡ªstronger, better, more alive than ever.


    See, Dark magic wasn¡¯t so bad. And that was just a little taste¡ªimagine what an all-you-can-eat buffet would be like.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, clenching and unclenching his new and improved fist. ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    The dryad suppressed a smile. ¡°Remember that I cautioned you against this, and good luck with your quest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I can entice you into joining us?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. I have done enough damage as it is. Outside the Forest, I would be more of a liability than an aid. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I must go and aid my brethren.¡±


    With two working hands again, Ted went in search of Gramok. Being that he towered above the wood elves and his armor gleamed, he wasn¡¯t hard to find.


    ¡°Hey, Gramok,¡± Ted said, embracing the huge orc. ¡°Thanks for coming.¡±


    ¡°Always happy to help a friend. See you got your arm patched up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Finarra fixed it. You¡¯re coming with us to the Hub, right?¡±


    ¡°If you mean, am I going to fight the Empire side by side with you, then¡­ no. No matter how much I hate them, my friendship doesn¡¯t quite stretch to full on rebellion. I will journey with you as far as I can, though, and it sounds like you¡¯ll need all the assistance you can get.¡±


    Ted paused. The tone of Gramok¡¯s voice suggested that bad news was on its way. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I, well, I have a ring to communicate with my father¡¯s people.¡±


    ¡°Your father owns a portal?¡±


    ¡°He has access to one, and pays handsomely for it. And no, I don¡¯t know the code for teleporting to it.¡±


    Damn. ¡°Alright, spit it out?¡±


    ¡°The good news is you¡¯re a bit of a celebrity in the Empire.¡±


    Ted¡¯s shoulders slumped. He could see where this was going. ¡°And the bad news?¡±


    ¡°Wanted posters, checkpoints, patrols looking for you. There¡¯s a bounty for your capture that would make even my father blush¡ªsomething about taking up arms against the Emperor himself?¡±


    An exasperated sigh escaped from Ted before he could stop it. ¡°Why is nothing ever simple?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯d be no fun if it were simple. Come on, man, think of the stories! You¡¯re an infamous rogue on the run from the Empire for attacking the Emperor himself. You could drink your way through every orc pub on the continent without spending a copper piece!¡±


    Ted shrugged. Before he could think of a response, Cara pressed up against his back and flung her arms around him.


    ¡°Hey guys! Ready to go? Ooo, new hand! Finvarra?¡±


    Ted held down the instinct to flee. ¡°Yeah, and nearly. I should get the new portal code for Erinbar before we go.¡±


    Cara released Ted and let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re not trusting us with that. What with us going to the Divine Empire, and the way we let the Destroyer get hold of the last one¡­¡±


    It was hard to argue with that logic. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter; we can bounce through Valbort on the way back. Their portal room¡¯s a lot more secure.¡±


    Gramok clapped Cara on the back. ¡°Did you hear Ted¡¯s an infamous outlaw?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    He explained what he¡¯d heard, and Cara stood there for a while, her face scrunched up the way it did when she was considering something foolish.


    She looked between the two of them while bouncing gently from side to side. ¡°We should go to the Shrine of the Spirits.¡±


    A growl emanated from Gramok. ¡°Spirits? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cara said, lacking much conviction. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of illusion magic there. We can¡¯t murder our way across half the Empire¡ªour dear outlaw needs a way to hide his identity.¡±


    Ted shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what Disguise is for. We can spend some time working on that before we go.¡±


    Cara set off toward the Forest. ¡°Come, it¡¯s not far. You¡¯ll never be good enough at Disguise in time!¡±


    Gramok gave Ted a shrug. ¡°She¡¯s got a point. I¡¯m not keen to trust my head to your zero Disguise skill.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, he set off after her, glad to have Gramok¡ªand his spiritbane greatsword¡ªby their side.


    Before long, they were standing before a narrow path leading down into a canyon. The canyon walls were overgrown with vines thicker than a fist, and littered with skulls and other bones. Most were the size of mice, but a few could easily have been from wood elves.


    Or humans.


    Ted¡¯s jaw clenched tight. ¡°Cara. You didn¡¯t mention it¡¯s in the Deep-Forest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon. Of course it¡¯s in the Deep-Forest.¡±


    Drawing his falchion and lamenting that a Telepathy/Aegis/Absorb spell would be completely bypassed, Ted took the lead. ¡°Stay on your toes.¡±


    An underground tunnel entrance came into view at the end of the canyon. There was a figure just inside, a little taller than Cara, concealed in shadows.


    The sounds of leaves rustling¡ªone of the few noises that the Forest had left¡ªfaded away, leaving only an eerie void of sound. Like silence, but more so.


    Mental intrusion detected.


    Great, this whole dungeon was going to be one long mental intrusion, wasn¡¯t it? Ted prodded the passive in his mind several times, but it offered up no further information. ¡°This silence isn¡¯t natural, and there¡¯s someone ahead.¡±


    ¡°Can you see the source of the magic?¡± Cara asked, her voice much quieter than usual.


    Ted looked around, but there was absolutely nothing. He double checked, but Discern Magic definitely was running. ¡°No, not even a hint of magic.¡±


    As they approached the tunnel, it became clear that an old metal door blocked the way not far inside. It lacked any kind of handle, or even a keyhole. Jeremy stood beside it, examining it closely.


    ¡°Jeremy?¡± Ted said, the tightness in his chest not believing his eyes.


    Jeremy turned and nodded to them each in turn. ¡°Ted. Cara. Gramok. I see you had the same thought.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ted advanced slowly, his falchion raised, and cast a Farsight with his other hand. The image that came back showed exactly the same scene, Jeremy and all. ¡°Seems to actually be him.¡±


    ¡°Good to be cautious. Now, help me with this door.¡±


    Cara pushed past Ted and approached Jeremy. ¡°You didn¡¯t say you were coming here.¡±


    ¡°There are many things I don¡¯t tell you, Cara. Like the ruins.¡±


    She came to a stop, crossed her arms, and stared at him. ¡°That is¡­ true.¡±


    The cage around Ted¡¯s chest tightened. It looked like Jeremy, sounded like Jeremy, and appeared as Jeremy on a Farsight, but it still didn¡¯t add up. Time to put it to the test.


    But how? Whatever they knew could be swiped from their minds by Telepathy magic. No tests of knowledge or personality could ever be relied upon to determine the truth.


    With a lack of other options, he¡¯d do what had to be done. The real Jeremy would understand.


    Ted stepped forward, smiled at Jeremy, and took a swing at his face.

 Chapter 14, Volume 2

    Ted¡¯s punch connected solidly, sending Jeremy staggering backwards.


    That settled it. Definitely not the real deal.


    Not-Jeremy caught its footing and pulled itself up to its full height. ¡°Cut that out.¡±


    Blood pounding through him, Ted lunged, thrusting his sword at the imposter¡¯s heart.


    The blade drove straight though the illusion¡¯s chest. A smile formed on its face, and it faded away into nothing.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Gramok asked.


    ¡°No way I¡¯m landing a punch on actual Jeremy. Or successfully stabbing him, for that matter.¡±


    A translucent figure glowed into existence¡ªa wood elven woman, or least the image of one. Blood-red hair cascaded down her back, and her simple white dress fluttered as if caught in an unseen breeze. ¡°This sacred shrine,¡± it hissed in Wood Elvish, ¡°is not to be defiled by outsiders. Only denizens of the Great Forest may pass.¡±


    Ted scowled. A ghost from the past wasn¡¯t going to stop him. ¡°There¡¯s no point if only Cara can go in. I¡¯ll see if Teleport works.¡±


    And there it was, that look of Cara¡¯s, telling him he was being an idiot. ¡°Ted. Tolabar. So¡¯aroaska. Tol-a-bar.¡±


    Right. Ted turned to Gramok, and gave him a half-shrug. ¡°Guess it¡¯s just us. Try not to be too disappointed.¡±


    ¡°No worries¡ªthe spirits don¡¯t want me anymore than I want the spirits. Catch you when you¡¯re done.¡± He strode back up the path with a bounce in his step.


    The gate squeaked open, revealing a stone tunnel that led down into pitch black.


    Ted stared into the abyss. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to turn around. We don¡¯t even know for sure there¡¯s anything useful down there.¡±


    Cara smiled at him for a few moments before uttering the words, ¡°Illusion magic.¡±


    He let out a sigh. Yeah, she knew he couldn¡¯t resist that. The one type of magic that his dwarven friends still refused to share with him.


    ¡°Heroes first,¡± Cara said, gesturing into the void.


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Ted drew on his mana and imbued his falchion with Ignite. Fire spread up the blade, its dancing light illuminating the tunnel with a hellish red. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Cara said, walking a little too close behind him, ¡°what¡¯s up with you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Ted swallowed hard, trying not to let his mind wander. ¡°Oh, you know, just worried about spirits ready to murder us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been off for a while.¡±


    Ted¡¯s hand squeezed the grip of his sword tighter. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re alone, and we¡¯ve got time. This tunnel¡¯s pretty dull.¡±


    Ted stopped in the tunnel, his jaw clenched shut. She wasn¡¯t going to drop it, was she? But how the hell to explain it in a way she could understand, without the universe ripping that understanding right out of her mind.


    ¡°See!¡± She prodded him in the back. ¡°Spill it.¡±


    ¡°You being my Companion¡­ has an effect on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªmy skills and level actually go up faster than one of Reltan¡¯s lectures now.¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡± Ted sighed and turned around to face her. ¡°I mean, your mind.¡±


    She cocked her head and looked at him, swaying gently from side to side. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to fight the Divine Empire. The Emperor himself, even.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯ll be hard, but what isn¡¯t? We¡¯ll find a way!¡±


    Ted stared at her, wishing she didn¡¯t seem so damned enthusiastic about it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that you¡¯re the only one willing to fight the Empire?¡±


    ¡°Besides you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Hero. You¡¯re a Companion. That¡¯s the only reason we can even consider it.¡±


    Cara took his free hand¡ªhis new, left hand¡ªand held it in hers. ¡°You¡¯re my hero. You came and swept me away from Tolabar to see all these amazing new things. I¡¯ve lived the better part of 144 springs, without ever visiting this shrine. Now I am, because I¡¯m with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it¡ªbeing my Companion has freed your mind in some ways, but what if it has caged it in others, in ways we can¡¯t see?¡± What if you don¡¯t really like me?


    Her eyes narrowed, and time dragged out like chalk screeching on a blackboard.


    ¡°There¡¯s a force that affects people¡¯s minds. What if that binds Companions to their Heroes?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡±¡ªshe prodded him in the belly¡ª¡°that you are a mind-controlling dungeon spawn after all?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ted pulled back, but the prods kept coming. ¡°No! I¡¯m saying¡­ I care about you, Cara. I want to see you truly free. I will see you truly free.¡±


    ¡°Aww. I care about you too. And we will get you home, when this is all over.¡±


    Home. Ted stared into her eyes, pondering the question of home. What did that word even mean anymore? What had it ever meant? ¡°Good luck with that. My apartment back home will have some other schmuck suffering it, and Tolabar¡¯s getting abandoned.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ going back?¡± Her eyes went wide, like a puppy praying you¡¯d let it keep the sausage it just stole. ¡°To your world?¡±


    Ted squeezed her hand. ¡°Not if I can help it. Screw that world, it doesn¡¯t even have magic.¡±


    She squeezed back. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to pick a new village, then. Solanbar¡¯s pretty.¡±


    ¡°Nah, let¡¯s stay in Tolabar a while longer. I¡¯ll get to call you Keeper.¡±


    Cara shoved him. ¡°Dream on.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t want to be squeezed into some wood elven family¡¯s living room.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would you be? There¡¯s plenty of room.¡±


    ¡°How? Without Grow, they can¡¯t make everyone new houses.¡±


    Cara shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of empty houses.¡±


    A chill passed down Ted¡¯s spine. What if the Destroyer had a point? ¡°Is the wood elven population declining?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Everyone¡¯s is. That¡¯s what populations do.¡± She said it so casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the universe.


    A dreadful hunch took form in Ted¡¯s mind. ¡°How old¡¯s the youngest wood elf?¡±


    ¡°Eighteen springs, nineteen maybe? At least in Tolabar. Haven¡¯t been many births at all for a while.¡±


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    Ted frowned, trying to make sense of it all. What if the world was dying before his father had even arrived? Before the dungeon spawn. Before any sign that the Destroyer had awoken again.


    Cara didn¡¯t seem fazed at all by the declining populations, didn¡¯t even seem to notice that it was insane.


    He paused, and did a spot check on his own thoughts and actions. ¡°Is it me, or is talking a lot easier than usual?¡±


    Cara tilted her head to the side and slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Magic, then. Ted looked around, but saw none. Whatever it was, it was well hidden. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    They continued down the tunnel, Ted in front, his flaming sword lighting the way. After a few minutes, the tunnel gave way to a cavern. The cavern was around the size of a classroom, illuminated by a soft, eerie glow that left no shadows. In the center, a wooden totem stretched from the ground to the roof, engraved with Wood Elven writing.


    Confront yourself, and learn.


    The walls were bare rock, its jagged edges aggressively A simple rug laid out in front of the totem was the only other thing in the cavern.


    For meditation, perhaps? Ted activated Archeologist¡¯s Sight, and it confirmed his suspicions.


    ¡°What do you think it means?¡± Cara asked.


    ¡°One way to find out.¡± Ted dismissed his Imbue spell and sheathed his sword. Kneeling down upon the rug, he was immediately welcomed by its warmth and soft comfort.


    Cara kneeled down beside him and closed her eyes, dropping into long, deep breaths.


    Ted closed his eyes and followed suit, focusing inward.


    Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.


    Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.


    ¡°Hello, Ted.¡±


    Ted looked up to see himself standing over him. It was an exact duplicate¡ªexcept for that judgmental sneer on the fake¡¯s lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re not real.¡±


    Fake-Ted slow handclapped. ¡°Oh, look who can still state the bleeding obvious.¡±


    Cara was gone, as was the only exit, but otherwise the cavern was the same, with the same totem in the middle.


    Ted pulled himself to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re not me.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I?¡± Fake-Ted cackled and cast a Life spell upon himself. Heal. ¡°I¡¯m you if you weren¡¯t an idiot. The you unburdened by fear. The you not crippled by guilt. The you who can kill their foes without all that hideous self-pity.¡±


    Empathy for his enemies. Fear. Guilt. Ted stifled a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re me if I¡¯d taken Death¡¯s deals.¡±


    ¡°Bingo! Ready to confront yourself?¡±


    A fight? Ted paused. Without Heal, Dispel, or Protection magic, he¡¯d be at a huge disadvantage. ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true coward.¡± Fake-Ted drew, seemingly out of nowhere, the battlemage sword that had been stolen from Ted. ¡°Such a whiny bitch that Father had to rob and murder you.¡±


    Blood pounded through Ted¡¯s temples and his fists clenched. ¡°He chose to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who chose to be such a disappointment.¡±


    Confront yourself. That could mean a fight, but it didn¡¯t have to. Ted shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to fight myself.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Wouldn¡¯t want to lose.¡±


    Ted strode over to where the exit had been and thrust his arm through the wall. Or, rather, through where the wall appeared to be. ¡°Illusions.¡±


    ¡°Dispel it then,¡± Not-Ted said, a smirk plastered across his face. ¡°Oh, wait, you can¡¯t!¡±


    Ted shook his head. Even if he still had Dispel, he wouldn¡¯t have used it. The whole purpose of coming here was to learn Illusion magic. He was exactly where he was meant to be.


    Whatever magic there was, it was hidden. He had to find it. To do that, he had to make it visible.


    ¡°Cara?¡±


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± Not-Ted said, leaning against the totem. ¡°Can¡¯t even go five minutes without leaning on a computer program, can you?¡±


    ¡°Pretty ballsy thing to say, for a computer-generated illusion. Cara?¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Ted growled, reluctantly having to admit that she probably couldn¡¯t. The field that had made everything quieter must have been turned up here.


    He returned to the rug and reached out, touching the invisible Cara. She jolted away at first, but relaxed once he took her hand and squeezed. Gently, giving her time to stop him, he pulled the now broken Ring of Return from her finger and deactivated its invisibility.


    The invisibility enchantment upon the ring was intricate and hard to decipher. Without any other magic to compare it to, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to extract the effect and turn it into a spell.


    He turned it off and on again repeatedly, studying which parts activated as he did so. There was a distinct difference between the two, with the far greater and more intricate part of the enchantment being dedicated to making it invisible than reversing it.


    It took a while, but, eventually, he managed to craft a Visibility effect and turn it into a Touch spell. After checking it over in his mind a hundred times, he tested it upon the tunnel exit. ¡°Enshirka!¡±


    The image of a rock remained, but Discern Magic now highlighted a web of purple threads across its surface. Satisfied it was safe, Ted repeated the spell upon himself, and then on Cara, rendering her visible.


    She smiled at him, and her lips moved, but he heard nothing. He tried talking back, and it was quickly clear she heard nothing either.


    ¡°Boring!¡± Not-Ted stood up straight and clapped his hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later¡ªassuming you survive the banshee.¡±


    He vanished, and in his wake came a woman¡¯s scream that sent shivers down Ted¡¯s spine. Sobbing followed¡ªdreadful sobbing that echoed down to the depths of his soul.


    ¡°Can you hear me now?¡± Cara asked. ¡°What about now? Now? How about now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I hear you now.¡± Ted pressed his hands against his ears, trying in vain to block out the wailing cries. ¡°Can you hear that?¡±


    ¡°I can hear you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s this dreadful sobbing.¡± Ted gave up trying to block it out¡ªwhatever it was, it wasn¡¯t coming in by his ears. ¡°My duplicate implied it was a banshee.¡±


    ¡°Your duplicate said stuff? Mine just stared at me!¡±


    ¡°Lucky you.¡± Pain throbbed in Ted¡¯s head, as the sobbing turned to a song of sorrow that dug under his skin. ¡°Either we go on or back, I need this noise out of my head.¡±


    ¡°There has to be a hidden exit.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ted prepared an Area version of the Visibility spell, and set about systematically working his way through the room.


    When he cast it upon the totem, a tangled mass of Telepathy magic became visible. Ted leaned in close and studied it, struggling to follow the almost numberless threads woven together.


    After studying it a while, it was clear that there were three main divisions. The largest, and most complex, was utterly indecipherable and inactive. No doubt that related to the illusionary duplicates.


    The second largest was not only engaged but actively pumping as much power as it could muster into it. While more complex than the Ring of Return¡¯s effect, it was clear that this portion related to the Invisibility effect. With its added complexity, extracting an effect from it in a reasonable time just wasn¡¯t happening.


    That left the smallest portion, which was inactive. Suspecting what it was, Ted returned to the tunnel.


    The banshee¡¯s wails dimmed, reduced, though not eliminated, by whatever magic was in the tunnel.


    Ted stood still for a moment, wallowing in that quiet.


    Alas, they had a job to do. He cast Visibility in the tunnel and, sure enough, there were two effects. The first was a weaker but active version of the effect in the cavern¡ªDeafen, it had to be¡ªwhile the second was a very complex version of Affect.


    Ted extracted the Deafen effect and immediately cast a more powerful version of it upon himself. The banshee¡¯s song faded into the background, and he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Probably can¡¯t hear you anymore, Cara, but if I had to listen to that wailing any longer, I¡¯d have stabbed myself in the eye.¡±


    He drew on his mana and cast Communicate on Cara, connecting her to him, and pushed a message to her. We might be able to communicate like this.


    Silence continued. He looked at her, cocked his head, and asked if she heard him in her head.


    A moment passed. Her lips moved, but he heard nothing.


    Damn. He¡¯d suspected that might be the case¡ªDeafen blocked off magical as well as physical sounds. You can hear me, right?


    She nodded, and her lips moved silently again.


    A banshee¡¯s more than we bargained for. Do you want to turn back?


    Cara shook her head emphatically.


    Alright. I¡¯m going to get Illusion, then let¡¯s go deal with that banshee and clear the dungeon.


    Studying the Telepathy magic on the illusionary rocks, it didn¡¯t take long to extract the Illusion effect. As a static illusion that applied to everyone, it was simple enough.


    Casting Visibility around the walls of the cavern, he uncovered a small, wooden lever hidden in a cranny. After sharing an excited glance with Cara, he pulled it.


    Golden Transmutation magic swirled the nearby rockface, and the rock parted to form a tunnel, again illuminated by a soft silvery light.


    This was it. The path to the banshee.


    Ted drew his falchion, re-imbued it with fire, and took the lead. The damp air in the tunnel became colder still, and a chill bit at him even through the protection offered by his robes.


    After a few minutes, the tunnel widened out into a dark cavern, lit by a single shaft of moonlight. The circle of moonlight fell upon a beautiful, pale wood elven woman, with long red hair, clad in a white dress. The same one that had appeared as an image outside, no doubt.


    A voice forced its way into Ted¡¯s mind. Death. Death will visit you.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry for your loss. With that, the banshee threw back its head, opened its mouth, and silently screamed.


    Cara crumpled to the floor, her hands held to her ears, her mouth open in a scream of her own, utterly incapacitated.


    Adrenaline flooded through Ted. He pulled on his mana and hurled a Deafen Projectile at her.


    Her mouth closed and she jumped to her feet, nocking an arrow.


    His heart pounding, Ted turned to face the banshee. He reached deep, drawing 71 mana and weaving it into a lightning bolt spell.


    End me, or I shall end you. The banshee turned translucent and charged at Ted.


    Cara¡¯s arrow flew through it, passing harmlessly through where its heart should have been.


    The banshee leaned forward, its mouth opening into a gaping chasm hurtling towards Ted.


    The air crackled with energy before him as he sealed the spell into a projectile. ¡°Enmironak!¡±


    The lightning bolt arc through the air, passed straight through the banshee, and sparked harmlessly against the stone wall on the far side.


    The banshee ethereal mass barreled through Ted¡¯s chest, biting down as it did so, ripping away part of his very existence.


    48 dark damage received!


    Maximum HP reduced by 48!


    Ted turned just in time to see the banshee vanish through the wall. A moment later, golden Transmutation magic surged in power and sealed the exit shut.


    Well, shit.

 Chapter 15, Volume 2

    Ted sheathed his sword. They needed a plan, and physical weapons would not avail them here. ¡°That drained my max HP,¡± he said, his entire being aching with sorrow.


    Cara nocked her myrellium arrow and prepared to cast a spell.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, holding up one hand while drawing the Telepathy/Projectile/Hold wand with the other. ¡°I have a better idea.¡±


    She gave him a look and said something he couldn¡¯t hear, but she seemed to have gotten the gist.


    Ted jerked his head left and right, waiting for the banshee¡¯s return. If this worked, they¡¯d have a chance. If not, fleeing would be the only option left.


    The banshee emerged from the wall, its mouth a silently gaping hole hurtling towards him.


    He aimed and fired.


    A purple cloud of magic shot out and enveloped the banshee, freezing it in mid-aid.


    Pulling on as much mana as he dared, Ted threw bolts of both lightning and fire at the banshee.


    Both sailed straight through, as did a procession of arrows from Cara, each imbued with a different element.


    He glanced at Cara, trying to keep the bundle of terror building in his gut from showing. Despite everything, she nodded, still ready to try again.


    The purple cloud dissipated and the banshee surged into motion again, disappearing into the wall once more.


    It would be back. And they needed a better plan than that.


    Clearly the Telepathy magic type could affect it, but none of the damage effects Ted knew worked with it, despite the many and varied attempts he¡¯d made during downtime.


    Running was probably the smart move, but Ted wasn¡¯t there yet. Not while there was still a way to make this work.


    It wouldn¡¯t be easy¡ªeven Ted had to admit that crafting a dual-type spell for the first time while under attack was a little ambitious¡ªbut what choice did they have?


    He closed his eyes and focused in on binding Telepathy to a Force/Projectile/Blast spell. If he crafted it right, the Telepathy aspect would deliver the rest of the spell, bypassing its stupid etherealness.


    Cara smashed into him and slammed him into the ground. His back hit rock right as the banshee swooped past, disappearing into the rock once more.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She rolled away and leaped to her feet, before pointing at her eyes and then his.


    Ted nodded. He had to keep his eyes open. He couldn¡¯t afford to be both blind and deaf, even if that did make crafting such a complex spell rather tricky.


    The banshee charged out of the wall towards Cara, its arms flailing wildly as it chomped at the air.


    Ted¡¯s heart leaped into his throat as it closed in.


    Cara danced out of the way¡ªmoving with an ease and grace that made Ted¡¯s heart soar¡ªand put a flaming arrow straight through the banshee¡¯s face.


    It didn¡¯t work, but there was definitely something to be said for Dexterity.


    Bringing his attention back to the spell, it refused yet again to solidify. The aspects kept bouncing off each other, the two types very aggressively refusing to coexist.


    Almost like they didn¡¯t want to cooperate because they were exact opposite.


    Of course! Ted switched out Force for Energy and Blast for Lightning, and it was like light and day. Just a few more tweaks and¡ª


    He froze up. The heat in his body was sucked away, leaving cold and ruinously heavy lethargy in its wake.


    43 dark damage received!


    Maximum HP reduced by 43!


    He stared after it, gormlessly watching as an arrow laden with purple magic struck the banshee¡¯s back before it fled into the rock.


    Cara held up a clenched fist.


    Zero. Zero damage. Another confirmation that Telepathy alone couldn¡¯t do direct damage.


    Ted dropped to his knees. Too little time. He couldn¡¯t do it. They were going to die here. There was nothing he could do to stop it.


    Cara squared up to him and stared him in the eyes. Her lips moved, silently, pointlessly.


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    It was all pointless. This was it. He¡¯d failed her for the last time.


    She shoved him away and jumped backwards.


    The banshee flew between them. Cara shot through it again, dark green Nature letting her down this time.


    Retreat.


    Retreat was the only option.


    Ted pulled on his mana and cast a Teleport spell upon Cara. ¡°Raka-fa ri!¡±


    The spell went off, but nothing happened. She remained where she was, trapped with an invulnerable banshee whittling them down.


    They needed a way to hurt it, and they needed it now.


    Ted snatched the bow from Cara, her resistance lasting only a moment. Remembering the Destroyer¡¯s foul magic, and that used by Finvarra to restore his arm, he pushed the thought of Dark magic into the bow.


    It pushed back, resisting, begging almost, but Ted refused to be denied by a mere weapon.


    A pull drew upon him, demanding what he didn¡¯t have. Spirit.


    Ted glanced at Cara, briefly considering it to save her life.


    No. There had to be another way.


    His mind cast back the seals in the wood elven ruins. That harsh magic¡ªDark magic, in retrospect. It had reacted to his blood.


    A deep, cold knowledge reassured him that there was another price that could be paid. Given the situation, it was worth a shot.


    He grabbed the shorter dagger from Cara¡¯s belt and nicked the palm of his left hand, letting the blood seep into the bow.


    10 dark damage received!


    Maximum HP reduced by 10!


    The blood flowed along the limbs of the bow, turning black and yet glowing¡ªsomehow¡ªunder Discern Magic.


    Just in time. The banshee emerged from the rock, coming head on.


    Cara pulled him to the side, snatched the bow back, nocked an arrow, and loosed it straight into the banshee¡¯s head.


    The banshee stopped and hovered in the air. It threw back its head and darkness flashed, quashing all light in the room.


    1,375 XP received!


    Not trusting his trembling hands, Ted cast a light spell with thought and voice alone. ¡°Enmir.¡±


    Silver light illuminated the cavern once more. The banshee was gone, replaced by a wooden chest adorned with golden bands, and the exit tunnel was back.


    Cara seemed shaken, but she gave him a nod and went to collect her arrows.


    Ted walked over to the chest. Its ornate nature was either a good sign, or part of it being a trap. So far, he hadn¡¯t seen anything to suggest mimics were a thing, but he wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    He drew his sword and prodded the chest with it a few times. No response.


    Slotting the last of her arrows back into her quiver, Cara raised an eyebrow at him. She said something, and Ted suspected it was probably for the best he couldn¡¯t hear it.


    With bated breath, he approached the chest. Still nothing. He reached down, grabbed the lid, and threw it open.


    Insides lay a silver necklace. Ted used his sword to lift it out of the chest before taking it.


    Touching it and focusing upon it, his inner sense informed him that it was an Experienced Amulet of Undiscernible Disguise, granting two additional ranks in that talent.


    Ted put on the amulet and probed inward for more information.


    Undiscernible Disguise (0/5+2): Renders magical disguises undetectable to Discern Magic of equal or lower rank.


    ¡°Anything good?¡± Cara asked, the Deafen effects finally having worn off.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll stop magical disguises lighting me up like a Christmas tree to anyone with even a single level of Discern Magic.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a Christmas tree?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Ted shrugged. Christmas sucked, anyway. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go¡ªthis place gives me the creeps.¡± Without waiting for an answer, he strode back along the tunnel.


    Cara followed close behind. ¡°We going to talk about what you did to my bow?¡±


    ¡°I did what had to be done.¡±


    ¡°Dark magic? Blood magic? Really, Ted?¡±


    Ted shrugged. He could deal with her disappointment easier than her dead body. ¡°Wasn¡¯t exactly my first choice, but it worked.¡±


    ¡°Rangers don¡¯t use Dark magic. Ever. It¡¯s never worth it.¡±


    ¡°Saved your life.¡±


    Silence settled between them, and stayed that way until Ted¡¯s voice echoed up the corridor from the totem cavern. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her! Dark magic got you a new hand, too, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ted¡¯s fist clenched up. It had been too much to hope that he¡¯d seen the last of Not-Ted.


    A finger prodded him in the back. ¡°That sounded a lot like you.¡±


    ¡°You heard him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When were you going to tell me Finvarra used Dark magic to Mend your arm?¡±


    Ted drew his sword. ¡°Not now.¡±


    They entered the cavern and found Not-Ted leaning against the totem, wearing a smirk that just begged to be blown off his face. ¡°Ready for our showdown? I¡¯ve got a Dispel with your name on it.¡±


    Cara nocked an arrow and aimed it right at his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got 14 Dexterity, my bow has 465 base damage, I¡¯ve got 3 Damage talents, and your armor in that robe¡¯s only 210. You do the math.¡±


    Not-Ted¡¯s smirk grew even more obnoxious. ¡°Somewhere between 124 and 372 damage. Pretty good odds you¡¯ll down me in one¡ªif you hit me. If not, you¡¯ll be dead before your second arrow. What¡¯ll it be, Ted? An honorable one-on-one duel, or do you want to risk your little pet here?¡±


    A knot twisted in Ted¡¯s gut. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do it your way. Cara, wait in the corridor.¡±


    She didn¡¯t move. ¡°I can take him out in a single shot.¡±


    ¡°Or you won¡¯t, and he¡¯ll kill you. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯ll cast a Farsight on you so you can watch.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order, Prowler.¡±


    Cara growled, but eventually yielded. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He cast a Farsight upon her and she slowly sidestepped out of the room, keeping her bow trained on Not-Ted the whole time.


    Not-Ted waved at her and blew her a kiss. ¡°Cute, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I guess. Mind if I put a light up before we begin? This weird lighting puts me on edge.¡±


    ¡°That is the point.¡±


    Ignoring him, Ted summoned a Light Orb. It hovered in the air, filling the room with silver light that felt right.


    At least, mostly felt right. The totem cast an ominous shadow, at least, even if Not-Ted did not.


    ¡°Are you done, stalling?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± Ted nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    An arrow flew out of the tunnel entrance and caught in thin air. A scream in Ted¡¯s voice rang out, quickly cut short by gurgling. The image of Not-Ted vanished, and the real duplicate, with Cara¡¯s arrow protruding from its head, became visible, and crumpled to the floor.


    1,320 XP received!


    Ted smiled. Cara wasn¡¯t one to do as she was told, and his Perception had always been kind of crap. ¡°Nice shot.¡±


    Cara swaggered out of the tunnel and recovered her arrow. ¡°Thanks. Nice idea with the Light Orb, his real shadow gave him away.¡±


    Ted walked over to the body, hoping he might recover a copy of his stolen sword. Alas, the body faded away before he reached it.


    Telepathy skill increased 2 ¡ú 4!


    ¡°Huh,¡± Ted said. ¡°My Telepathy skill went up twice as a dungeon reward.¡±


    ¡°Mine too!¡± She held out her hand for a high five.


    He obliged, even managing a smile to go with it. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡ªI am very done with this place.¡±

 Chapter 16, Volume 2

    Ted and Cara met up with Gramok, and returned to Tolabar to say their goodbyes. They tried one last time to recruit more aid. Might as well not have bothered for all the good it did. Even knowing what was at stake, the wood elves couldn¡¯t bring themselves to go up against the Empire, and, unlike Gramok, weren¡¯t up for an adventure along the way.


    Stupid System.


    With that out of the way, they teleported to Valbort. Once there, Gramok went to procure maps to the Divine Empire, and Cara headed off to train dwarven archers. Ted, meanwhile, took the opportunity to search Valbort¡¯s extensive archives for information about the Hub.


    For once, the search proved fruitful. The Hub was a sprawling compound, mostly underground, where all new Heroes began their journey. Reading between the lines, only Heroes and their Companions could enter the Hub itself. NPCs could approach, but not cross the threshold, and monsters didn¡¯t come anywhere near the place.


    Devoid of anything much more dangerous than an enraged hare, it provided a small haven of tranquility and safety for new adventurers, other Heroes aside. The archives described frequent fights occurring there, with Heroes even more reckless than usual, dying over and over to each other without the slightest concern.


    The exception was the Grand Arena. Matches in the Grand Arena were televised¡ªor some magical version of it, anyway¡ªacross the entire continent. Two contestants entered, an impenetrable barrier sealed them in, and only one left. The loser was completely reset¡ªtheir skills gone, their experience wiped, and their level returned to zero.


    Ouch. A little knot in Ted¡¯s stomach formed at the thought. He¡¯d had no idea such a forcible reset was possible. Then again, he¡¯d had no idea that maximum HP could be reduced, either. The others assured him that it would come back with rest, but what more unknown unknowns were out there?


    Research complete, he returned to the portal lobby to practice Illusion magic while dwarven guards, clad in armor from head to toe, looked on. He tried not to imagine what was going through their heads, as they watched him cast Illusion on himself over and over, testing it out and learning its limits and capabilities.


    The Illusion effect drew the intended illusion from the caster¡¯s mind and then attempted to apply that upon the target or targets¡¯ perception of reality. The more complex or unusual the illusion, the more potency he found he needed to make it stick.


    Something simple and innocuous like the image of a wooden crate in the corner of the room was easy enough, while creating the illusion of a person for more than a moment proved impossible, at least under these conditions. With higher skill and an unaware target with lower Mental Resistance, Ted suspected anything could be possible, but it would need a lot of potency.


    Taking what he learned from the Illusion spell, and how it drew intentions from the caster, he managed to modify Deafen to affect either physical or magical sounds. While doing that, he had an idea: What if he took the Deafen effect, broke it down, and swapped out the sound segment for the light segment from the Farsight spell?


    It proved harder than it sounded. Segments were still incredibly tricky to work with, and a direct transposition severed several key connections. Nonetheless, after half an hour of experimentation, he had a working Blind effect.


    Satisfied with his progress, and with his Telepathy skills rising to 5, Ted felt confident enough to spend his new talent points.


    Stability (0/5): Increases stability of Telepathy magic by 20% per level.


    Power (2/5): Increases potency of Telepathy magic by 20% per level.


    Quick Cast (0/5): Increases casting speed of Telepathy magic by 20% per level.


    Critical Chance (0/5): Increases critical chance of Telepathy magic by 20% per level.


    Critical Severity (0/5): Increases critical severity of Telepathy magic by 20% per level.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Cast in Motion (0/5): Decreases the accuracy and movement speed penalty from casting Telepathy magic while moving by 20% per level.


    Given that his main use of the spell would be keeping a Continuous Illusion up on himself, Ted maxed out the Power talent. Either he¡¯d have a better illusion, or one that taxed his mana regeneration less.


    ¡°Hey!¡± came Cara¡¯s voice.


    Ted spun around to see her standing there, smiling, her hands idly fidgeting with the handles of her daggers. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, stilling the pounding in his chest.


    ¡°So, Illusion Master, ready to show me what you¡¯ve got?¡±


    A knot tightened in Ted¡¯s stomach, and he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to mess with your head.¡± Not if I can help it.


    She advanced on him, wearing that ridiculous expression she had when trying to be stern. ¡°You need practice doing it, I need practice resisting it. Time to do what needs to be done.¡±


    Unable to fault the logic, Ted knocked out a theatrical salute. ¡°Yes, Keeper.¡± He coaxed out a sliver of mana and cast a Telepathy/Target/Illusion spell, using only mental and verbal components.


    Cara crossed her arms and glowered at him. ¡°They haven¡¯t all moved out of Tolabar, yet. Besides, I¡¯m voting you as keeper.¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± The spell went off without a hitch, devoid of any outward signs thanks to the Target form.


    ¡°Tough¡ªas ranking prowler, I¡¯ll get the casting vote.¡±


    ¡°Fine. My first act as Keeper will be to appoint you Keeper.¡±


    She threw up her arms. ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± She spun around, took two steps toward the exit, and froze. After letting out a growl, she turned back and stared at Ted through narrowed eyes. ¡°The door¡¯s gone.¡±


    He smiled innocently back at her. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll have to stay, then.¡±


    ¡°You want to play?¡± She sauntered toward him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make it interesting¡ªif I can catch you, you have to learn to sing an Orcish round with me and Gramok.¡±


    ¡°And if you lose?¡±


    She laughed. ¡°Won¡¯t happen!¡±


    ¡°Fine, but if it does¡­ You have to say thank you for bringing you that armor you¡¯re wearing.¡±


    Cara pouted, her whole demeanor shifting to sullen. ¡°Meanie.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to win, though, right?¡±


    Her smile came back, and she bounced from side to side. ¡°Right. Of course I am. Ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready to whoop your ass.¡± He double-stepped backward and began casting Blind.


    She smirked at him, giving him a moment¡¯s head start before pouncing.


    ¡°Za-enshka!¡± He hit her with the spell¡¯s purple bolt and dodged to the side, only just evading her lunge.


    Cara froze up for a moment, looking around pointlessly. ¡°Blind? That¡¯s new.¡±


    Ted backed up and circled around, casting a Deafen spell to seal the deal.


    She lunged straight at him.


    He dodged back, left, right, only barely evading her gasps before finishing the spell and ripping away another of her senses. ¡°Za-doshka!¡±


    ¡°Unfair!¡±


    Ted took the opportunity to back away, and cast a Communicate spell upon her. Who said anything about fair?


    She growled and lunged in completely the wrong direction. ¡°Kalkarka!¡±


    ¡°I accept your admission of defeat,¡± Ted said, recasting the Blind spell, hoping that her Mental Resistance wouldn¡¯t shrug it off just yet.


    Cara shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re the only one talking about defeat.¡± She stared straight at him and charged.


    He sealed the spell.


    She grabbed his hands, pushing them up.


    Shit! ¡°Za-enshka!¡± The spell fired up, hitting a murder hole in the ceiling.


    Cara grabbed him, shoved him to the floor, and pinned him down. ¡°I win!¡±


    Ted struggled as best he could, but with his hands pinned above his head and Cara straddling him, Ted wasn¡¯t in a position to argue. Not that he wanted to. ¡°It better not be one of Gramok¡¯s stupid drinking songs.¡±


    ¡°The kind that sounds like rock being dragged across stone?¡±


    Heat flared in Ted¡¯s chest, not giving a damn that of course she¡¯d pick the song he¡¯d hate the most. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Cara leaned down until her lips were almost upon his. ¡°It is.¡±


    Heart racing, he stared up into those wide, emerald eyes of hers, resisting temptation with all his might. ¡°Do you enjoy making my life hell?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Ted swallowed hard. She was right there, pressed up against him, her eyes begging him to give in to the excitement quivering through him. ¡°You¡¯re the winner, you tell me.¡±


    Her chin trembled, and the gentle whisper of her breath was all Ted could hear.


    It wasn¡¯t too late to back out. Too late to run away. Too late to give in to that fear that none of this was real.


    Her warm breath tingled against his skin, while her scent washed over him, enticing him to madness.


    No. He couldn¡¯t. Wouldn¡¯t. Not without knowing for sure.


    She gazed down at him and wet her lips, her wide emerald eyes pleading for him to take the next step. ¡°I want this.¡±


    His quivering heart begged him to believe her. To stop worrying if it was right and live in the moment.


    She closed her eyes. Her lips pressed together; her head tilted to the side.


    Air fled his lungs. Didn¡¯t he deserve a little happiness?


    The gap between their lips narrowed.


    And Ted kissed her.

 Chapter 17, Volume 2

    Ted immediately knew it was a mistake. Not that it had the decency to feel like one. No¡ªhis whole being soared and begged him to kiss her again and again.


    But he couldn¡¯t. Not until he was sure.


    He pushed her away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She stared down at him, her head cocked. ¡°Dolt.¡±


    The sound of metal clanking against metal filled the room, followed by Gramok¡¯s booming voice. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a dolt.¡±


    Cara¡¯s eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. ¡°Hey! How long have you been¡­?¡±


    He shrugged, his grin wider than ever. ¡°Not long. Good to see you two finally getting there.¡±


    Ted pulled himself to his feet and tried to act natural, a task made infinitely more difficult by not having a clue what that meant. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like.¡±


    They both stared at him with the look that he deserved. Even the dwarven guards he suddenly remembered existed were staring at him


    Yeah, that one was a tough sell. ¡°Did you get the maps, Gramok?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯re just going to pretend that didn¡¯t happen?¡±


    Ted glanced at Cara, noting the slight difficulty noticing her in plain sight. ¡°That¡¯s a conversation you¡¯re not invited to. Let¡¯s focus on getting through the Divine Empire without being chopped to pieces.¡±


    ¡°Fine, spoilsport. On that note, I picked up a disguise kit.¡± Gramok pulled out from his pack a collection of items that looked suspiciously like make-up.


    Ted stared at it, and his shoulders slumped. ¡°Can¡¯t I just Illusion it?¡±


    ¡°Nope! You¡¯ll want to Illusion yourself to look better¡ªit¡¯s the done thing in the Empire¡ªbut if anyone looks past that, I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t immediately recognize you as the most wanted man in the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Urgh. Fine. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Gramok started by cutting Ted¡¯s hair shorter still, before moving on to applying various powders and concoctions to his face. All the while, Cara chipped in with a barrage of teasing, interspersed with the odd helpful comment.


    Twenty dreary minutes later, Gramok finally announced he was done.


    Ted cast Farsight and examined himself. His hair was very short, just shy of bold. His skin was lighter, and somehow his face seemed more angular. ¡°Nice work,¡± he said, forcing the words out. ¡°I can hardly recognize myself.¡±


    Cara¡¯s face scrunched up as she stared at him. ¡°You look uglier than usual.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I think?¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Gramok said, lacking any of his usual cheer. ¡°Onward, to the Divine Empire.¡±


    Ted clenched his jaw. Right. ¡°Onward.¡±


    ***


    Their ascent to the surface was remarkably uneventful¡ªdespite staying on the lookout, Cara didn¡¯t spot a single goblin. Between that, the maps, Ted¡¯s improved Portals spells, and not having a punctured lung (bliss!) they reached the surface in a matter of hours.


    Once they reached the surface, they traveled north, heading straight for the den of vipers that was the Divine Empire. The paved road was smooth enough Cara could ditch those stupid boots, but its width gave it an off-putting emptiness with how deserted it was. Worse, the endless and utterly flat grasslands either side of the road was even more boring than the orc fields. At least they had the odd tree.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Three days¡ªthree whole days!¡ªand Ted still hadn¡¯t said a word about their first kiss, too busy being illusioned up like a fancy-schmancy merchant with that white robe with golden trim, and huddling over that stupid Zelnari crystal every chance he got.


    Was the kiss that bad? Was he still terrified that he was accidentally a mind-controlling demon?


    What if he was?


    What if he just didn¡¯t like her?


    She tried talking to him about it, she really did. At least a dozen times! Sure, she never actually mustered a single word, but she tried!


    Why was life so hard?


    At least Nibbles loved her. And him. And Gramok. And Gramok¡¯s sandwiches.


    And now they were over the border, and a group in the distance was coming toward them, and maybe they¡¯d never get to talk about it ever again.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Gramok said, pointedly staring at her, ¡°we¡¯re sneaking through the Empire. Don¡¯t cause trouble, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± she said, shaking her head slightly. What did he take her for?


    Then she got a good view of the approaching group. A haughty high elven man in a white robe with golden trim led the procession, jabbing his tall staff into the ground with each step. The staff was ornate, and topped with a glowing ruby.


    Behind him¡­ Behind came the slaves. Five gaunt figures, chained together by the collars around their necks. Two humans at the front, a high elf, an orc, and a terrified wood elf almost being dragged behind. Their clothes were ragged, but still in better shape than they were.


    Ambling behind them came a burly human in a hauberk. The man grinned like a maniac as he brandished his barbed whip in a figure of eight.


    A bitter tang filled Cara¡¯s mouth. ¡°A mage, a guard, and five very mistreated slaves.¡±


    ¡°Cara¡­¡± Ted¡¯s tone said no, but Ted always said no at first.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. They¡¯re here. We can save them.¡±


    Ted shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t. There¡¯s more at stake than a few slaves.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Gramok said. ¡°Once you two are done saving the world, we can set about ending slavery, but we can¡¯t fight our way across the Empire.¡±


    Cara looked between the two of them, desperately trying to find a way to make it work.


    Mind on the job, Cara.


    Damnit, Jeremy! Even absent, his judgmental veracity loomed tall. ¡°Fine,¡± Cara said, her chin dropping to her chest. ¡°We¡¯ll let them pass. But first chance we get, we¡¯re coming back.¡±


    Ted nodded. ¡°Deal.¡± His previously-majestic Illusion of a white robe with golden trim was less appealing now than ever.


    Cara fell in behind him, her head bowed, playing the role of a humble servant. There was absolutely no way she could keep her cool if she were called upon to speak to that monster on the other side of the road.


    ¡°Greetings and salutations!¡± the evil slaver called out.


    ¡°Greetings and salutations!¡± called back Ted.


    Thorns twisted and stabbed at Cara¡¯s insides. How did he do it?


    The slaver brought his procession to a halt. ¡°Are you interested in purchasing one of my stock? The price is good. Perfect for topping up your spirit, or a soul, when the need arises.¡±


    Cara¡¯s blood ran cold, and she pressed her hands against her sides. Not just a slaver¡ªa slaver peddling people to be murdered for Dark magic.


    Ted stopped and stared at the slaves in turn, examining them like one might examine fungi, before shaking his head. ¡°Not today, my dear fellow.¡±


    The slaver pointed at the wood elf at the back. ¡°That one¡¯s half price. Just want done with the blasted thing. Can you believe they sold me it as a prime specimen? Bring him up.¡±


    A grunt came from the thug at the back. He unlocked the chain tying the slave¡¯s collar to the other slaves, and shoved the wood elf to the front.


    Unless Ted¡¯s acting skills had markedly improved, his Illusion magic was pulling more weight than ever. Cara could almost believe that Ted was actually considering the offer.


    Maybe he was. If Ted bought the slave, they could free him without a fight.


    Except that would draw too much attention to them. Freeing slaves would be like setting off a flare that they were imposters.


    The wood elven slave took a long breath in, and breathed slowly out.


    Just before his breath finished, he exploded into action. He spun, drove his forefingers into the thug¡¯s eyes, and ripped them out.


    As the thug screamed and ran, the wood elf turned on the slaver, and whacked in the head with a horn that he summoned from the ether.


    A Ranger horn.


    Cara¡¯s nostrils flared, and she stepped forward, reaching for her bow.


    Ted arm blocked her way, and a message entered her mind. Don¡¯t.


    The slaver, utterly unfazed by the wood elven ranger¡¯s blows, waved his hand. The collar around the ranger¡¯s neck glowed, and he dropped to his knees, whimpering.


    Adrenaline pounded through Cara¡¯s veins and an inferno raged inside her, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to disobey Ted¡¯s command.


    ¡°Quarter-price, final offer.¡±


    Ted¡¯s throat bobbed, and he shook his head.


    ¡°No?¡± Black magic swirled in front of the slaver, sucking the light out of the air. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll take his soul myself.¡±


    Dark tendrils shot out from the slaver¡¯s hands and drove themselves into the wood elf, triggering a scream that breached Cara¡¯s very bones.


    The captive wood elven ranger twisted and convulsed in pain as he screamed, begging for aid in Wood Elvish.


    Thorns tore at Cara¡¯s stomach as she watched, but there was nothing she could do.

 Chapter 18, Volume 2

    Ted¡¯s insides twitched, but he had to be logical about this. The sheer brightness of the slaver¡¯s Continuous Armor and Absorb effects was impossible to ignore¡ªthis was no mere apprentice.


    If only he still had Dispel. Damn Death to hell.


    Cara snarled, but she held herself back, her hand only resting on her bow.


    For now, anyway. When this was done, she¡¯d turn that anger on him, and he¡¯d deserve it.


    The wood elven slave¡¯s screams intensified, while his eyes darted about wildly, begging to be saved.


    Ted¡¯s fists balled up. He couldn¡¯t just stand here and do nothing, but there was no way he could break through the Absorb in time.


    Unless¡­ unless he didn¡¯t have to.


    He switched the Valbort Teleportation spell to a Projectile, pulled on his mana, and began weaving the blue magic in front of him.


    A roar bellowed from the slaver. The Dark magic tendrils gripped the slave tighter, racing to finish their feast in time.


    ¡°Raka-fa ri!¡± Ted hurled the spell at the wood elven slave.


    The bolt struck the slave in the chest. Blue magic swirled around him, teleporting him far away to the safety of Valbort and leaving the tendrils gripping thin air.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that,¡± hissed the slaver. His hands whirled in complex motion, tracing purple blackness through the air in front of him.


    Heat flushed through Ted, and he readied a Protection/Touch/Absorb spell intended for Cara.


    She launched a flurry of arrows, each pinging ineffectively off slaver¡¯s powerful Armor effect.


    Gramok¡¯s greatsword crashed into the slaver¡¯s neck. That at least knocked the bastard to the floor, even if his head remained attached to his body¡ªand drew his focus onto Gramok.


    Time for a change of plan. Ted touched his hand to Gramok¡¯s back instead. ¡°Nismaevka ri!¡±


    The slaver cackled and hurled a purple-black bolt at Gramok. The Absorb effect shattered, and the spell passed straight through.


    A chill ran down Ted¡¯s spine. He couldn¡¯t recognize the magic, but that couldn¡¯t be good.


    Cara tossed her bow aside and leaped onto the slaver. She pinned him down and stabbed at his face again and again, failing to even break his skin through his Armor effect.


    Gramok turned on Ted in a jerky motion. His eyes glowed purple, even as their darkness sucked light into the abyss. He raised his greatsword in a shuddering motion and swung at Ted¡¯s neck.


    Ted leaped backward, wind dancing across his throat. That was too damned close. ¡°Easy there, buddy.¡±


    It didn¡¯t help. Gramok¡¯s face contorted in pain, but he lunged again all the same.


    Ted stepped back¡ªnot far enough¡ªand weaved a two-handed Barrier between them. The Barrier formed just in time to block Gramok¡¯s strike, but even with both hands it nearly shattered.


    Cara screamed and rolled away, clutching her arm to her bloodied chest. Her fight wasn¡¯t going well either.


    The world closed in around Ted¡¯s chest. This was rapidly getting out of hand¡ªhe had to take Gramok out of the equation, and fast. Backing away as fast as he could, he began casting Blind.


    Another roar bellowed from Gramok, and he swung his oversized sword at Ted¡¯s face.


    Ted ducked under it, the blade passing right in front of his face. Adrenaline pounding through him, he fired the Blind spell at Gramok and took off toward Cara, readying another Absorb.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The slaver fired a flurry of black bolts at Cara. She nimbly dodged one, two, three, four bolts out of five.


    The fifth and final bolt struck her in the chest. She staggered and dropped to her knees, struggling to breathe. Another hit would finish her off for sure.


    Ted darted between them, shielding her with his back, and placed his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Nismaevka ri!¡±


    As the teal magic spread over her, a bolt prodded at his back, so weak that it didn¡¯t even hurt.


    Status effect received (Controlled)!


    Mental intrusion detected.


    Kill her. Then kill yourself.


    Ice spread through Ted¡¯s body. His arm drew his falchion.


    Cara stared up at him with wide eyes. Her jaw trembled as she sputtered, unable to breathe.


    Every fiber in his being strained against that dark compulsion forcing itself upon him, to no avail.


    He placed the tip of his sword against her sternum.


    Cara gasped for air and rolled away, flipping back onto her feet and firing off another pointless arrow at the slaver.


    Status effect resisted (Controlled)!


    Relief rushed through Ted. He dropped the falchion and turned, ready to end the bastard.


    Not that he had much to do. The orc slave had their chain wrapped around the slaver¡¯s throat, while the two human slaves held his hands and the high elf held cloth over his mouth. Several of the slaver¡¯s fingers were very broken, and what little struggle he was putting up was quickly fading away.


    Ted glanced at Cara. If she wasn¡¯t okay, she was hiding it well behind a veil of anger as she fired off arrow after arrow at the slaver¡¯s chest, each glancing off the Armor spell.


    Gramok, meanwhile, was still taking wild swings at thin air. Even with his low Mental Resistance, he¡¯d be back to usual soon enough.


    The slaver went limp, but the orc slave didn¡¯t let go. He held tight, keeping the flow of blood to the bastard¡¯s brain cut off.


    Good riddance.


    Gramok roared and drove his sword into the grass. Screaming up at the sky, he pounded his chest again and again. He was back, and not a happy camper.


    With the slaver well on his way to certain death, Ted had a loose end to clean up. He cast Levitate upon himself and took off after the fleeing thug. They couldn¡¯t afford any witnesses reporting this.


    Between the thug¡¯s breaks to cry and the flat terrain, it didn¡¯t take long to catch up. As he approached, Ted hit the thug with a stunning bolt, dropping him to the ground.


    Pitiful.


    Ted landed and disarmed the thug. They needed him alive, for now, at least. ¡°How do you remove their collars?¡±


    The thug sat up and let out a guttural chuckle, devoid of any hope. ¡°You¡¯d know that if those robes were yours.¡±


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± The thug spat in Ted¡¯s general direction. ¡°You¡¯re not letting me live, are you, Edwin?¡±


    Fire flickered in Ted¡¯s gut. ¡°What did you call me?¡±


    Silence came back.


    Whatever. ¡°Tell me how to remove the collars, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come off it. We both know how this ends. My name¡¯s Max, and I ain¡¯t telling you shit.¡±


    Ted swallowed hard. Letting the thug¡ªMax¡ªgo wasn¡¯t on the cards.


    So what? That whip of his wasn¡¯t just for show. He deserved to die, or worse.


    That didn¡¯t leave Ted with any leverage, though, and leaving those magical collars on the slaves was likely a death sentence for them. They had to be removed, and the quicker the better.


    That meant getting Max to talk.


    Ted took a long, deep breath, and his left fist clenched tight. There was only one way forward. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t let you go. So, tell me what I need, and I¡¯ll kill you¡ªright now.¡±


    Time ticked by in silence.


    The tension in Ted¡¯s chest grew with each passing second. All Max had to do was talk, and this would all be over.


    After a minute that felt like an hour, Max slowly shook his head. ¡°No. I can¡¯t. I have a family.¡±


    ¡°Your family aren¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    With his left hand, Ted grabbed Max by the throat and pulled him up to his feet. ¡°Last chance.¡±


    The thug spat in Ted¡¯s face. ¡°Fuck you, traitor.¡±


    Ted¡¯s insides burned. No slaver had any right to complain the moment the boot was on the other foot. ¡°Fine. Remember¡ªI gave you a choice.¡±


    Replicating the slaver-mage¡¯s spell¡ªaided by the knowledge he¡¯d gleaned from the Zelnari crystal¡ªTed sent dark tendrils shooting into the thug¡¯s chest and neck.


    The screams began immediately, as did the trickle of spirit.


    Glorious, glorious spirit. Every pulse of darkness was its own rush of ecstasy.


    Dark magic skill increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    The screaming was a little loud, but it was music to Ted¡¯s soul, filling a void inside him that he didn¡¯t even know he¡¯d needed.


    Magic truly was incredible.


    ¡°Stop! Please, stop!¡± The words were half-screamed, half-sobbed.


    Ted laughed. So much for caring about his family. ¡°Tell me what I want to know, and this will all end.¡±


    ¡°Roka¡¯al Nor¡¯ak! Whisper that.¡±


    ¡°To release the collars?¡±


    The pathetic evil creature nodded, unable to even speak coherently to its superior.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ted said, smirking as he kept going. No way was he going to walk away from a sweet, delicious stream of spirit, let alone an entire soul.


    The evil thug screamed and cried and begged, like this wasn¡¯t exactly what he deserved. Like this wasn¡¯t the most incredible experience in two worlds.


    All too soon, his worthless life gave way and was transformed into Ted¡¯s first soul.


    Spirit: 12/100


    Souls: 1/1


    Such majestic power¡ªand it was all his, waiting to be spent.


    ¡°Ted¡­¡± Cara¡¯s voice came from behind him, dripping with an utterly needless concern. ¡°What in the Deep-Forest did you do?¡±

 Chapter 19, Volume 2

    Ted dropped the body, letting it crumple to the floor. ¡°I killed a slaver, and I learned how to release their victims. That a problem?¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, he strode back to the remaining slaves. The magic in their collars was far too intricate to decipher, but at the bare minimum, they had long-range tracking¡ªmaybe even a kill switch.


    While Cara and Gramok gossiped amongst themselves in hushed tones, Ted whispered ¡°Roka¡¯al Nor¡¯ak¡± into each of the slaves¡¯ collars. The collars flashed when he did so before coming away, granting the now former slaves the freedom they deserved. With that done, he dropped a quick message to Valbort to fill them in, and they informed him the wood elf was fine, albeit shaken.


    The two human and the high elven slaves stammered out their thanks and fled north. The orc, however, remained. ¡°We could use brave warriors such as yourselves.¡±


    Ted¡¯s throat closed up. They couldn¡¯t afford to get bogged down in a war that wasn¡¯t theirs. ¡°Sorry. We have our own business to attend to.¡±


    The orc eyed him up and grunted. ¡°No doubt. Don¡¯t worry about the bodies, I¡¯ll handle them. If you change your mind, we could good people like you. We have a safehouse in Hallowed Falls. There¡¯s a tannery on the north-east corner of Imperial Plaza, Stout Skins. Tell them Poltak sent you to collect the full-grain bracka leather.¡± With that, the orc bowed, flung the slaver¡¯s corpse over his shoulder, and set off.


    Ted¡¯s stomach quivered, and his breathing refused to slow. There was no way they were getting tangled up with the Resistance, not while they had the Destroyer, the Divine Emperor, and Ragnarok to deal with. This world was all kinds of wrong, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to be the one to fix everything.


    And then there were those sideways glances from Cara and Gramok. Why were they still whispering to each other?


    He strode over to them. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ve got to get moving.¡±


    They glanced at each other, and Cara crept up to him like he was a dangerous animal on the verge of pouncing. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I did what had to be done.¡±


    ¡°Torturing someone to death with Dark magic?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a family picnic in the park¡ªwe need to fight fire with fire.¡±


    ¡°You fight fire with water, not fire.¡±


    Ted¡¯s left fist clenched tight. ¡°Come on. We have a world to save.¡±


    They continued north in silence. For a while, Cara remained by his side, before dropping back to Gramok and whispering conspiratorially with him again.


    The lump in Ted¡¯s throat berated him, while his mind replayed that moment over and over. The screams. The begging. The way his heart had thundered, radiating a warm joy that lifted him to the heavens.


    He breathed in and out slowly, trying to wash his soul of that moment.


    But he couldn¡¯t. It had happened.


    A chill ran down his spine. And he¡¯d do it again, if he had to.


    Was that wrong?


    He held up his left hand and stared at it, trying to banish the doubt gnawing at his insides.


    Trying, and failing. Damn it. He had to know.


    He drew a sliver of mana and cast a Visibility spell on his new left hand.


    Nothing. A slow smile spread across his lips. He was just doing what had to be done, that was all. No Dark magic making him do it.


    And yet...


    He bit at his lip, and came to a stop. He had to check.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Cara asked.


    He ignored her and recrafted the Visibility spell, driving the potency as high as possible without dropping the effective stability below 100%.


    With his heart in his throat, he recast the spell.


    And there it was¡ªmagic as black as the abyss, woven into his left hand. A dark corruption woven into his very body.


    He closed his eyes and visualized the Dark magic, focusing in on it. There¡ªhe could feel it now, pulsating with power, asking to be fed. It craved spirit, and souls, and offered power beyond reckoning in exchange.


    It could be powerful. Useful. Dark magic would be a dangerous weapon against the slavers, against his father, against the Destroyer.


    That''s all it was, a weapon, nothing more. And wasn¡¯t a weapon in the hands of the good guys better than letting the entire world languish as slaves to the System?


    Ted resumed walking. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, refusing to meet Cara¡¯s insistent gaze.


    Thankfully, she let it lie and fell back behind again with Gramok, leaving Ted in peace.


    As they traveled, a sheer cliff rose from the horizon ahead of them. A waterfall gushed over the top, straddled by a city that sprawled from one side of the vast river to the other. The city''s ornate stone buildings spilled across a huge, majestic bridge that arched across the river in a single span.


    Discern Magic gave him nothing from so far away, but he didn¡¯t need it to know that a stone bridge that size¡ªat least a mile across, if not two¡ªhad to have serious magic behind it.


    ¡°Hallowed Falls,¡± Gramok said. ¡°Beautiful on the outside, rotten to the core. Be on your guard, but it¡¯s the only way up for miles.¡±


    As they drew closer, the sun began to dip below the horizon, and the air filled with the rumbling of cascading water. Magical lights came on, illuminating the city and the sole path zig-zagging up the cliff.


    A marble gatehouse sat at the base of the cliff, protecting the entrance to that path. The gate was open, but it was manned by over a dozen heavily armored soldiers and several mages, their white robes adorned with gold in a variety of gaudy ways,


    A queue of gaunt figures dressed in scraps stretched out before the guardhouse, although it wasn¡¯t clear exactly what they were waiting for. It wasn¡¯t like the guards were doing anything but standing there, laughing amongst themselves.


    Ted dropped back to the others. ¡°How¡¯s my Illusion?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Cara said, barely even looking.


    ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± Gramok said. ¡°Remember, no matter what you see, we need to keep a low profile. Understood?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Imagining what horrors lurked behind those walls didn¡¯t make it a welcome prospect, but Ted nodded all the same. This wasn¡¯t the Great Forest anymore¡ªDark magic was plentiful here, fueled by the suffering of slaves.


    As they approached the guardhouse, Ted cast a Communicate spell upon the three of them.


    Act like you belong, Gramok messaged, and make for the path up. Nod to the mages, but don¡¯t look at the soldiers¡ªthey¡¯re beneath you.


    Ted did as he was told, strolling straight past the queue of commoners as if he owned the place. He nodded to the mages, they nodded back, and Ted kept going.


    Disguise skill increased 1 ¡ú 2!


    He spent a second point on Hidden Identity, improving the Disguise ability, and smiled to himself. Maybe this wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    ¡°Wait,¡± came a woman¡¯s voice¡ªone of the soldiers.


    Ted''s brow furrowed, a flutter in his chest betraying the calm demeanor he needed to maintain. Pausing, he forced a scowl onto his face, and glowered at the lowly guard daring to interrupt him.


    The soldier blocked Ted''s path, removed her helm, and bowed her head. ¡°Pardon the intrusion, Emperor¡¯s orders. Purpose of your visit?¡±


    Pain stabbed at Ted¡¯s chest, and he clenched his jaw. He couldn¡¯t afford to let even a hint of fear slip. ¡°Business. Slaves, in particular.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Merchant. And your companions?¡±


    ¡°My bodyguards. The roads are dangerous of late.¡±


    ¡°Very good. One last thing.¡± She pulled a roll of parchment from behind her back and unfurled it. She proceeded to examine the parchment, looking between it and Ted¡¯s face.


    Heat pounded through his veins. If they were rumbled, he¡¯d have only a few seconds at best to get Gramok and Cara to safety.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to drop your Illusion, sir.¡±


    Ted eyeballed the mere soldier like he¡¯d never eyeballed before.


    It didn¡¯t help. ¡°Emperor¡¯s orders, as I said, sir.¡±


    This was it. Ted swallowed hard, prayed the disguise was good enough, and dropped the Continuous Illusion.


    The soldier held the parchment up, and her eyes narrowed as her gaze darted between examining the it and burrowing into Ted¡¯s soul.


    Weight crushed down upon Ted as the seconds stretched out, stabbing at his gut. What was taking so long?


    The soldier''s unblinking stare made his skin prickle. Was she stalling because she knew? Was she waiting for backup?


    Her grip on the parchment tightened, and her neck went rigid as a pole, but the other guards were still chatting nonchalantly as ever.


    Ted¡¯s muscles coiled, desperate for something, anything, to break the tension. ¡°What is the hold up, soldier?¡±


    The guard lowered her parchment, her eyes flicking away as she pressed her chin to her chest. "You''re clear. Have a nice day, sir."


    Disguise skill increased 2 ¡ú 3!


    ¡°Very good.¡± Ted clamped down on the relief threatening to shudder through him, and he strode through the open gate with as boldly as he could muster.


    Nicely done, Cara messaged.


    The path up was smooth and easily wide enough for two carriages to pass. They walked three abreast, and not even Cara¡¯s presence beside him was enough to make Ted¡¯s pounding heart slow. That was too close.


    Cara took his hand in hers and held it tight. We¡¯re through. We should find somewhere to rest.


    Ted squeezed her hand back. Agreed.


    As they reached the top, the city came properly into view, lit up like it was Christmas by a dizzying array of magical lights. Shops lined both sides of the cobbled street, their magically lit signs proudly offering different wares, with hundreds of customers noisily enjoying themselves.


    Mental intrusion detected.


    Magic permeated everything¡ªthe smooth flagstones underfoot, the colorful shop walls, the common and exotic wares on display. Even the very air carried an unnaturally delightful pine scent. And underneath it all was the unmistakable background of a Portals-suppression field.


    Memories of Valbort stabbed at Ted''s chest, and his fists clenched. He wasn''t going to let this trip end the same way. We won¡¯t be able to Teleport here, guys.


    They continued on down the street. As they walked, messages threw themselves into Ted¡¯s mind, demanding to be heard.


    Marcus¡¯s Potions¡ªbest in the seven realms!


    Gintor¡¯s Goods, cheapest in the city!


    Siloir¡¯s Boudoir, Fine Clothier Extraordinaire!


    Razor¡¯s Edge! For all your stabbing, slashing, and piercing needs!


    Ted shook his head and chuckled, unsure what to make of the swelling sensation in his stomach. It was like being closer to home and further away than ever, all at once. ¡°Need to do any shopping?¡±


    ¡°Ooo!¡± Cara pulled her hands in, clasping them both to her chest, while her steps positively bounced. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gramok glanced at Ted¡¯s distraught face and chuckled. ¡°I think he was kidding.¡±


    ¡°Can we? I¡¯ve never been in a store!¡±


    Ted¡¯s stomach fluttered. But of course¡ªthe Woods Elves didn¡¯t use money, nor did they have a load of frivolous crap no one really needed. We¡¯re trying to fly under the radar, here.


    Her head tilted, and she stared at him with a furrowed brow.


    We cannot draw attention to ourselves.


    I¡¯ll be discreet!


    Sure you will. Ted pointed to the six-story building that loomed on the corner of the street, inviting customers in with its brightly painted pillars and a parade of golden statues that gleamed under the warm magical lights. ¡°How about that store?¡±


    Cara stared at it, admiring the beautiful building. After a few moments, her eyes widened, her fists clenched, her hands shook, and she turned a scowl on Ted. A slave market?


    ¡°Come on,¡± Gramok said, ¡°the taverns are this way. We need sleep.¡±


    Ted stroked Cara¡¯s back. This isn¡¯t the Great Forest. We can¡¯t afford to let our guard down.


    It¡¯s huge. Massive. There must hundreds of slaves in there!


    A knot pulled at Ted''s insides. The thought of hundreds of lives being traded like mere objects made his skin crawl, but storming in there and freeing them was not an option. We can¡¯t do anything for them.


    We have to try.


    He took Cara¡¯s hand and guided her in the direction of the taverns. We can¡¯t. Until we stop the dungeon spawn, that has to be our priority.


    She shot daggers at him with her eyes, but came along. Fine. But when we have, we¡¯re coming back.


    Deal.


    As they continued along the street, shops gave way to houses, leaving behind the gaudy messages and the crowds of people. The houses here were simple, built of a dark gray stone, and lacking in even simple Protection enchantments.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ted said, squeezing Cara¡¯s hand.


    She glowered at him through narrow eyes. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Taking you away from the Forest. Kissing you. Making you come here. Stopping you killing every slaver you meet.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t make me do those things.¡±


    Quiet, messaged Gramok as he gestured down a side street.


    A chill ran down Ted¡¯s spine. A checkpoint blocked the road, manned by a dozen soldiers led by a mage. A crowd of people were huddled behind it, waiting for their turn.


    The mage called up the group at the front. He cast several Telepathy spells upon them while one of the soldiers looked on, occasionally glancing down at a piece of parchment he was carrying.


    From this distance, Ted couldn¡¯t make out the exact spells, but he didn¡¯t need to.


    Mind readers, said Gramok. Keep moving.


    They walked along to the next junction, and the next. Each had a similar roadblock in place.


    Gramok emitted a low growl, his posture rigid. They¡¯ve blocked off the tavern district. Once night falls properly, we¡¯ll stand out like a minotaur at a dance. Ideas?


    We could leave? Cara said.


    No, Gramok said. Leaving after sunset would light us up like a flare.


    Ted¡¯s breathing quickened. The only idea he could think of was terrible.


    Following Gramok, they looped back around, the silence thick with unspoken worries. As darkness crept in around the few magical lights, the streets emptied of people.


    More patrols emerged from the shadows, each comprising four soldiers and a mage. The clank of their armor and the rustle of their movements sent shivers down Ted''s spine.


    Cara glanced nervously at Ted, pointing to one of the patrols. They had flagged down a random group of humans and were now interrogating them. We can¡¯t wander around like this all night.


    Agreed, Ted said, doubting that his Illusion and Disguise would hold up to a sustained investigation by a mage. But what¡¯s the alternative?


    Cara gave him a pointed look, her eyes boring into his.


    Ted shifted uncomfortably. The same course of action that he was avoiding had to have occurred to her as well, even if she didn¡¯t dare be the first to broach it.


    It was a dangerous idea, and one that would only get them more embroiled in a fight they couldn¡¯t afford. But what other choice did they have? No matter how he wracked his brain, it was the one reasonable course of action left.


    Following Gramok¡¯s lead, they arrived at the biggest square yet. At the center was a huge golden statue that faced away, lifting a regal scepter to the heavens.


    Ted¡¯s teeth ground together, his jaw aching from the pressure. He couldn¡¯t see the statue¡¯s face, but he didn¡¯t need to. The oppressive weight of its presence was enough.


    Gramok came to a stop and looked toward the northeast corner of the plaza, at the Stout Skins tannery. Unless you have a better idea, we need help.


    Silence. No one wanted to be the one to give in and be the first to broach it. Whatever help they got from the Resistance would come with strings attached. Entanglements to problems that they could ill-afford.


    Ted let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the decision. But what choice did they have? He looked to Cara and Gramok. Their expressions were equally grim, but neither rushed to make the choice.


    Fine. He¡¯d do it. Let¡¯s go see the Resistance.

 Chapter 20, Volume 2

    Ted hesitated outside Stout Skins, the acrid stench of ammonia stinging his nostrils. The idea of being indebted to a rebel cell sat uneasily in his gut, but they had no choice. Gramok was right¡ªthey needed help, and they needed it tonight.


    Cara''s presence settled behind him, her usual grace replaced by a rigid stillness. Despite the tension radiating off her, the warmth of her presence eased the knot in Ted''s stomach, if only slightly.


    Squaring his shoulders, he stepped into the tannery courtyard. A suffocating blanket of stench clung to his nostrils, his skin, his clothes. The walls were lined with racks of drying hides, their edges curling and twisting like macabre decorations for a slaughterhouse.


    From behind one of the many piles of hides and barrels emerged a short, stocky figure, a battleaxe slung over his back. Deep lines etched the dwarf''s weathered face, yet he walked with a spry beat¡ªthis was no fat merchant.


    His gaze swept over them, lingering on each in turn with unsettling intensity, before finally settling on Ted. "Well, what d''ya want?" His voice was gruff and low, edged with a violence that sent a shiver down Ted''s spine.


    Ted''s heart hammered against his ribs. One shout would be all it took to bring the town guard running. ¡°Poltak sent me, for the full-grain bracka leather.¡±


    The dwarf''s eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking to Cara and Gramok, in between lingering on Ted specifically. "I don''t know you, stranger. State your business."


    Ted forced his voice steady, swallowing the dryness in his throat. "I was sent by Poltak to acquire some full-grain bracka leather. I heard you were the one to see."


    The dwarf grunted, his eyes narrowing further. "And who might you be?"


    "My name¡­" Ted hesitated. His fingernails dug into his palms. If he was wrong, this would be painting the mother of all targets on his back. "Edwin. Edwin Williams."


    The dwarf stiffened up. His jaw clenched, and his stare of death only intensified. "You''re either desperate, stupid, or insane. Whichever it is, I don''t want any part of it. Be gone!"


    "Don''t be so rude," came a woman''s voice. A dark-skinned human woman emerged from a forest of barrels, clad in dirty overalls with a dagger at her belt. "Forgive him¡ªhe''s a darling but can be a little rough. I''m Nammu, and this bitter old man is Milo, proud owner of Stout Skins."


    Milo turned to Nammu and grunted out words in a language Ted couldn''t understand.


    Nammu glanced at Ted before responding in the same language. Even without understanding it, the tension in her voice was undeniable.


    "Very well," Milo said, shaking his head. "I''ll show ya our stock."


    Milo led them back into the tannery''s large wooden shed-like building, grunting and mumbling to himself as he walked.


    With a knot growing in his gut, Ted followed. He couldn''t blame them for being cautious, but he also couldn''t shake the sense that this wasn''t going to be a happy union of allies.


    Dim candlelight flickered, barely illuminating the wide open space inside, full of piles of leather amid workbenches cluttered with tools. The real, tangible light was a welcome change from the magical lights that dominated the rest of the city.


    Milo led them towards the far corner of the barn, to a pile of leather strewn across the floor. Nammu followed behind, her footsteps light and her eyes watchful.


    As they reached the corner, Ted gagged. Standing over the pile of leather, it was more like a weapon than a mere smell.


    "Don''t you dare throw up," Milo growled. He leaned down and pushed aside the leather, revealing a trap door. He swung it open and gestured towards it.


    Ted peered in. A set of rickety wooden stairs led down to a dimly lit basement, its walls lined with shelves of tools, hides, weapons, and armor.


    Milo gestured again, more forcefully this time. Descending clearly wasn''t optional.


    The knot in Ted''s gut twisted tighter. The basement would be the perfect place for an ambush. On the other hand, refusing would burn a bridge to the only hint of help in this entire accursed empire.


    That didn''t mean he had to go in blind.


    Pulling on his mana, Ted cast a short-duration, low-potency Farsight spell, focusing on the basement below.


    The weak image made it hard to pick out details in the dark, but there were people down there. People hiding, clutching a variety of weapons. Two humans, or maybe elves, and a minotaur.


    "Who are your friends down there?" Ted asked, trying to sound as non-accusatory as possible.


    Milo''s hand darted to the handle of his axe, but then he froze. He glanced at Nammu, scowled, and muttered grimly in Dwarvish something about mages. Releasing his axe, he continued in Common. "The better question isn''t who, but what. What are they going to do with the son of the Emperor?"


    Ted''s palms began to sweat. "We''re not here to fight you."


    "You''re trouble. I''ve half a mind to hand you over ourselves. Stone knows that we could use the funds."


    Refusing to be drawn down into the mud, Ted stared back as steadily as he could. "We''re not looking for trouble. We just need a place to lay low for a while."


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Milo glared back, his hand still hovering near his axe. The tense silence stretched on for several long moments.


    Adrenaline pounded through Ted''s veins. Behind him, he could feel Cara and Gramok''s tension, coil up, ready to leap into action at a moment''s notice. "This is what the Emperor wants. He wants us to fight amongst ourselves, so we don''t take the fight to him."


    Time dragged past in suffocating silence. Finally, Milo let out a harsh bark of laughter and shook his head. "You''ve got guts, boy, I''ll give you that. But guts won''t be enough to keep you alive if you keep throwing around names like that."


    Ted allowed himself a small sigh of relief. "All we need is safe passage to the Hub."


    Milo frowned but nodded grudgingly. "That''s a big ask but¡­ Aye, we can do that."


    Weight lifted off Ted''s shoulders. "Thank you."


    "Not for free, mind ye. We''ve got a job for ya."


    And there it was again. That crushing weight of reality. "What kind of a job?"


    "A robbery. And a murder."


    A chill ran down Ted''s spine. "We''re not murderers."


    "Oh, ye aren''t? The boy who took a weapon to his own father never killed a bastard for being a no-good psychopathic slaver?"


    Ted gritted his teeth. It wouldn''t be their first kill, and it wouldn''t be their last. "Who''s the target?"


    For the first time, Milo''s face lit up. "The fuckin'' Magistrate himself."


    Gramok scoffed. "You expect us to waltz up to the city''s ruler and gut him?"


    "Somethin'' like that." Milo smiled, like he was talking about going for an ice cream rather than taking a life. "We got a plan, but we need a¡­ mage¡­ to make it work."


    A nauseous sense of dread washed over Ted. Not because the idea of killing this Magistrate sickened him, but precisely because it didn''t. "We do this, and you''ll get us safely to the Hub?"


    Milo scrutinized Ted for what felt like an eternity before nodding. "Yeah. I know a guy, he can get you close, even with this heat."


    "You trust him?"


    "He''s solid."


    It sounded too good to be true. "Why do you want the Magistrate dead so badly, anyway? You kill him, they''re going to come down on you like a ton of bricks, and some other bastard will take over."


    A smirk spread across Milo''s lips. "That''s the fun part. He''s in charge because of his army of slaves, too many to control with ordinary collars. No, his slave collars can be remote-controlled via a necklace he wears everywhere. He can see through their eyes, hear their thoughts, speak through their mouths."


    An icy chill sweeps over Ted. No man was meant to have that kind of power over another. "Take the necklace, free the slaves."


    Milo nods. "Right. And ''cause our friend the Magistrate doesn''t trust nobody, over half the guards in the city are his slaves."


    "Full blown revolution."


    "Yeah. Perfect cover for getting the Empire''s most wanted out, if that sweetens the pot for ye."


    Ted glanced at Cara and Gramok, both nodding in turn. "Fine. We''ll do it."


    Milo grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Good call. We steal the key in a few hours. Get some rest." He jerked his head towards the trapdoor before turning on his heel and stomping off.


    Nammu gestured towards the open trapdoor, her lips curving in a wry smile. "After you."


    Ted hesitated before reluctantly descending into the dimly lit basement. Cara and Gramok followed close behind, and the trapdoor slammed shut above them.


    The three rebels kept their distance, refusing to be drawn into conversation. Probably for the best¡ªthis one job, and then they''d be on their way.


    Ted sat against the wall¡ªwhich was even colder than he''d feared¡ªand pulled out the Zelnari crystal. Having tasted the power of Dark magic, so much more of the writing within it made sense now. That was its main subject, he saw that now¡ªa collection of knowledge on the most powerful type of magic.


    There had to be something in here about mind control, and he would find it. The more he understood it, the better they could fight it.


    Cara settled down beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder like that wasn''t massively distracting. "Can we talk?"


    His neck stiffened up. Why did she have to bother him now? Couldn''t she see he was working? "About what?"


    "You," she said, resting her hand upon his knee. "The reason you''ve been avoiding me?"


    Heat flushed through Ted. He wanted to do it again, to toss aside any worries that her mind wasn''t her own and just enjoy the moment. "We need to get to the Hub. We can fix it there."


    Her breath tingled against his cheek. "Now you want to wait?"


    "It was a mistake." Ted swallowed hard, trying to find words to explain that wouldn''t get swallowed by the blasted System. "I just¡­ need to know it''s real."


    "It is," she said, nestling closer. "Do you remember how we met?"


    Ted chuckled. "Hard to forget having a bow pointed at your face by a species I didn''t even know existed."


    "Do you remember what happened after that?"


    Weight pulled down on Ted''s chest. She''d believed him when no one else had. "You saved my life."


    "I had faith in you."


    Pain stabbed at his heart. That was exactly the problem, wasn''t it? She was too understanding, too trusting, too empathetic. "I can''t. Not yet."


    She went quiet for a while. "What if I don''t have a later? What if this is it?"


    Ted''s blood ran cold. "You will. I''ll keep you safe."


    "The Forest offers life, and the Forest demands life." She withdrew her hand, leaving his knee feeling cold.


    The damp air thickened, weighing him down. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Nothing''s promised in life. The Forest will take its due, sooner or later."


    Unease gnawed at Ted''s stomach. This wasn''t like Cara. "And you think¡­?"


    She looked at him, her eyes soft and downtrodden, and shrugged.


    Ted''s fingers itched to reach out, to comfort her, to show her how deeply he cared, but he held back. What if that was part of the illusion?


    What if the System was affecting him as well?


    What if it wasn''t?


    He reached out. He took her hand in his and squeezed. "We''re going to get through this together."


    She smiled and nestled her head against his neck. "Together."


    Ted closed his eyes, letting himself feel the moment. "Thank you for coming with me."


    Her hand squeezed his tight. "Thank you for having me."


    He leaned his head on hers and languished in her warmth. When it was clear she wasn''t going anywhere, he turned his focus back to the Zelnari crystal, searching through it for instances of the Affect effect.


    And there it was. Mind Control could be achieved through the proper combination of the Affect, Illusion, and Dark aspects, powered by a soul. It was forbidden magic amongst the Zelnari, for it forced the victim to obey the will of the master. The spell could only be cast via Touch, and only directly, not via any conjoined forms.


    Ted read on, expecting to find a blueprint on how to create such a spell, or even instructions, but they were conspicuously absent. If he wanted to learn how to wield such a power, he would need one of these remote control collars and, ideally, the controlling necklace as well.


    His brow furrowed. The power to force others to his will was a tempting prospect, given the current situation. He could achieve a lot of good with such a spell.


    Even so, the mere thought of using magic in that way left a bitter taste in his mouth. No matter how noble the goal, it didn''t feel right to rob someone of their free will. Especially when it consumed a soul to power it.


    His mind flashed back to the look of horror Cara had given him when he''d tortured that slaving thug to death. How good it had felt to rip the soul of that man¡ªMax¡ªfrom his being.


    No. This was wrong, no matter how useful it might be. Once he went down that line, he might never be able to stop.


    He wasn''t like that.


    He wasn''t his father.


    Ted put aside the Zelnari crystal and held Cara tight. Warmth washed over him, and the heaviness in his heart lifted.


    Cara looked up at him, her face almost selling the lie that she truly cared about him. "Is everything alright?"


    Ted smiled softly and squeezed her hand. "It will be.

 Chapter 21, Volume 2

    Cara hadn''t slept. She couldn''t, not when someone needed to keep watch. Not when she had people to protect. She wasn''t that green Lookout anymore¡ªshe was a Prowler. Prowlers look after their own.


    The others were groggy when Milo came to collect them. Serious¡ªhow did other races get anything done with all that sleeping they needed? Made no sense.


    Gramok remained behind, at Milo¡¯s ¡°suggestion¡±. It made sense¡ªbadass or not, Gramok was even noisier than Ted¡ªbut from the way Milo said it? Yeah, he was a hostage.


    Nammu took his place, dressed in dark leather armor that might pass for work clothes. If you were blind. Which most people are, so maybe that works out.


    She guided them through back alleys so clean they sparkled. Not a leaf or twig in sight. Wrong wrong wrong.


    No. Focus. One foot in front of the other. She wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, let this stupid city get to her.


    Ahead, Nammu moved like a shadow, her footsteps silent as a leaf drifting on the wind. She moved with a grace that rivaled any wood elf. Would''ve made a good ranger, that one.


    Metal scraped in the distance, growing louder with each passing moment. Cara strained her ears. Were those voices?


    Nammu jerked to a halt and held her hand out to the side, her palm outstretched. She snuck forward, peeking around the corner.


    Adrenaline flushed Cara¡¯s veins. She pressed her back against cold stone, holding her breath.


    The clanking of metal armor and the low murmur of voices grew closer.


    Cara risked a glance at Ted. Wide eyes, clenched fists, his entire body coiled and ready to fight. Yup, that¡¯s Ted.


    Fighting here would be suicide. Too many enemies, too much magic, not enough trees. Never enough trees in this place.


    The noise grew louder. Closer. "...another sweep of the eastern quarter. Captain''s orders." The voice rang with the certainty of command. A mage. Had to be.


    Cara''s fingers twitched, aching for her bow. No, not here, not now. Too risky.


    The footsteps neared the end of the street.


    Nammu gestured urgently toward a shadowed alley across the way. Cara nodded and nudged Ted.


    They crept towards the opening, smooth and swift and silent.


    Glass clattered behind Cara. Ice flooded her veins. She spun around around. Kalkarka! The idiot had knocked over a bottle.


    The footsteps stopped. "What was that?" A muffled voice this time¡ªone of the soldiers.


    Cara''s breath caught. Please just let it go...


    "Check it out." The mage again. Thorns.


    Nammu herded them toward the alley with renewed urgency. They slipped into the narrow passage just as the patrol rounded the corner.


    The damp wall pressed against Cara''s back. She closed her eyes, praying to the Forest to let the shadows claim her.


    Armored footsteps approached.


    If the patrol found them, they¡¯d sound the alarm. The mission would end before it truly began. All those slaves, doomed...


    The footsteps stopped. Her chest squeezed tight.


    An eternity dragged.


    And dragged.


    And dragged.


    The soldier''s voice rang out again. "All clear, sir." The footsteps resumed, growing quieter now.


    Cara released a shaky breath. Too close. Far too close.


    After the metal boots faded to silence, Nammu waved them forward. She led them through winding streets to a squat stone guardhouse wedged between towering buildings. Six spikes lined the front, each topped with a rotting head from a different race.


    Bile rose in Cara''s throat. "We''re stealing from a guardhouse? Are you insane?"


    "Of course," Nammu said, acting like they weren¡¯t about to poke a gorilla in the teeth. "That''s where the key is."


    Ted studied the building, wearing that familiar thinking face of his. "It''s heavily fortified. Whoever designed these defenses knew what they were doing."


    Nammu pointed to an alley beside the building. "They did, but there''s a side entrance on the eastern wall for deliveries. If you can disrupt the magical wards long enough for me to pick the lock, we can slip inside, nice and quiet."


    Ted nodded slowly, hesitating. "I''ll need to get closer to study the wards.¡±


    Vines gripped Cara''s chest. If Ted knew what he was doing, he''d be bouncing at the chance to work his magic, not frowning his little heart out.


    No, he''d figure it out. He always did.


    "Good." Nammu''s smile said she bought it. "Cara and I will stand watch. Keep your bow ready."


    Cara''s hand found her bow''s familiar weight. A nice bow, even if it would never truly be hers.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    And it had magic!


    They moved as one into the eastern alley. Cara took the entrance while Nammu covered the far end.


    Ted crept to the delivery door, blending with the shadows. He really had gotten so much better at sneaking.


    Her heart swelled. That was her teaching that did that. Hers!


    Maybe she really was cut out to be a Prowler.


    * * *


    The lock sat in the door, an ordinary mechanism wrapped in Armor and Absorb spells.


    Ted''s gut twisted. Something wasn''t right.


    The rest of the building bristled with meticulous magical defenses, making a simple mechanical lock stand out like a trap. No Telepathy wards either¡ªanother red flag.


    Ted cast Visibility, and the door lit up like Times Square, magic weaving through it in white, purple, teal, and gold patterns. A black void of power at the center sucked light out of the world, an abyss with enough to kill everyone in the alley.


    That went straight to the top of the list of things to worry about.


    The purple line of Telepathy magic connecting lock to void spelled it out clear enough¡ªa trigger for a death trap. The keyhole glowed with magical potential, waiting for the right signature. Anything else meant instant death, plus an alarm for good measure.


    The complexity rivaled the wood-elven ruins. Ted smiled at the memory. Ten thousand year old poetry had never tried to blow him to pieces.


    His fingers twitched, tracing the magical flows. No weaknesses, not that he could see, anyway. Just that void, daring him to screw up.


    Without the Magistrate''s key, the plan died here. Sweat beaded on his brow. There had to be another way.


    The link between lock and void offered the most viable attack surface. The answer lurked in his mind, just out of reach, taunting him. Teasing him with its existence.


    Deafen, perhaps?


    Deafen spells blocked magical messages, but no. The Absorb magic would trigger the alarm first. Another dead end. The front entrance remained their only option.


    What they needed was an edge. A way in without fighting every guard in the city.


    He smiled. There it was, staring him in the face.


    Ted focused on the Invisibility magic woven through the door''s defenses, memorizing its patterns, combining them with all the other examples he¡¯d seen.


    The effect took shape in his mind, finally detailed enough to craft a test spell. He drew on his mana and cast a low-potency version on his falchion.


    The sword blurred, difficult to focus on.


    Telepathy magic skill increased 5 ¡ú 6!


    So, less Invisibility, more perception filter. Good to know. He tried it again with a higher potency, and his sword remained hard to focus on, but not by much. He placed it down on the floor, and vanished until the spell expired. Interesting.


    Further tests revealed that, while the Invisibility effect itself and any caried magical items went invisible, any active spells still lit up under Discern Magic. That could be fixed by adding an Area component¡ªbut that would shoot up the mana cost of an already expensive spell.


    Ted spent a point on Efficiency, cutting the mana cost by twenty percent, and crafted a Continuous Touch version just barely within the limits of his mana regeneration.


    He beckoned Cara and Nammu closer. "I can''t break the wards without triggering an alarm, but I can turn one of you invisible to grab the key."


    Nammu''s eyes widened. "I''ll do it. I know the layout best. I''ll go during the watch change."


    "No." Cara gripped her bow tighter. "I''m faster and quieter."


    Both women stared at him, waiting. Ted''s gut twisted. Cara''s skills fit better, and that glare wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    "Cara goes. Nammu can guide you through. But be careful! If anything goes wrong¡ª"


    "I know, I know. I''ll be careful."


    * * *


    Nammu kept her voice professional as she explained the plan, but the odd sharp tone made it crystal clear she wasn''t happy about it.


    The plan was simple enough¡ªup the stairs, through the door at the end of the hall, grab the key off the keychain of a passed out lieutenant (courtesy of a spiked drink from another Resistance agent).


    Easy.


    But now they had to wait.


    Torture. Literal torture. Cara shifted from foot to foot, her insides twisting into knots. This was their chance to make a difference in this Forest-forsaken place. She had to get it right.


    Nammu''s hushed voice blurred into an indistinct drone. The guardhouse layout. Right. Cara jabbed her nails into her palm, trying to force the details to stick. This was important! She couldn''t let them all down. Not like that time¡ª


    Wait. No. Focus! No room for stupid mistakes.


    Three guards. Room at the end. Hadn''t Nammu already said that?


    Ted tapped his fingers again, shooting glances at her every time he thought she wasn''t looking. Like she was going to screw this up and get eveyone killed.


    Cara gently nudged him, savoring the contact. "We''ve got this," she said. "Just leave it to me."


    Nammu narrowed her eyes. "Remember: quick and quiet. I''m happy to do it, if you''d rather."


    Cara shook her head. "I''ll get that key without a hitch. You''ll see."


    Footsteps echoed up the street. Heavy, metallic¡ªsoldiers. Cara tensed up, ready to spring into action. This was it, the changing of the watch.


    Ted wove the Invisibility spell and touched her arm. "Za-enshka do ri!"


    The magic tingled across her skin, her arms hard to focus on. Weird, but kinda cool.


    He looked her in the eyes, biting his top lip. "Stay safe."


    "I will." She sucked in a deep breath and slipped out into the street.


    Three guards ambled towards the guardhouse door, their ill-fitting armor showing gaps she could exploit if it came to that. Their movements sluggish, clumsy. Tired.


    Good. An advantage.


    She crept past the putrid spiked heads, her stomach churning, and slipped into the guardhouse behind the guards.


    Warm, damp air enveloped her, a welcome change from the outside chill. Dull magical light illuminated a battered wooden table in the center of the room, three guards hunched around it, engrossed in a dice game. Two slouched, their meager piles of coin dwarfed by the third''s hoard.


    Thorns ripped at her insides. Aidan used to fleece people like that...


    No. Not now.


    The new guards ambled over, jeering at their comrades. This was her chance!


    She flew up the spiral staircase in the corner, bounding from step to step, praying she wouldn''t collide with anyone descending.


    Made it. She reached the top, a narrow corridor devoid of windows, illuminated by an unnatural glow. Unadorned wooden doors lined either side, framing the larger, gaudily decorated door at the far end of the hall. Between the side doors hung portraits of robed men with stiff postures, all standing in front of the same dull wall.


    Laughter echoed from below, heavily muffled. A weak Deafen effect.


    She slunk down the hall, dagger drawn, braced for an ambush.


    Nothing. The hall was utterly silent. No indication anyone up here was even alive, much less awake.


    At the end of the corridor, she paused. Could they really trust the Resistance? Nammu seemed like a good one, but that didn''t mean they could all be trusted.


    This plan had too many ways to go wrong.


    Cara adjusted her grip on her dagger and refocused. This was her shot to make a real difference. She couldn''t afford to screw it up worrying about things beyond her control.


    She eased the door open and slid inside, shutting it with equal care. Dim light from a high window cast long shadows across the floor. A large wooden desk dominated the room, covered in papers and parchment. Sprawled across it was a man¡ªthe lieutenant¡ªout cold.


    There! The key, peeking out from under him, hung around his neck.


    Not ideal. If he woke up, the plan was toast. Even if she took him out quickly and quietly, they''d find the dead body, realize his key was gone, and report it.


    She couldn''t afford to shoot the bow and listen, not if she wanted to save all those slaves. There wouldn''t be a do-over this time, and no one else was here to save her from her screw-ups.


    Her insides quivered as she approached the desk, shifting her dagger to her off-hand. Heart in her throat, she reached for the key.


    So far, so good. Just ease it out then get out. Easy.


    Right?


    Her fingers closed around the cold metal. The lieutenant''s eyes snapped open. His hand shot out, grabbed her by the wrist.


    Her heart stuttered. The magical tingle was gone. Trap!


    "What do we have here?" His grip tightened. "Guards! Intruder!"

 Chapter 22, Volume 2

    Kalkarka! Cara''s stomach dropped. The key¡ªshe needed it now. Why was she just standing there? Move!


    Adrenaline pumping, she stabbed at the lieutenant¡¯s eye.


    He shoved back his chair and drew his sword in one motion. ¡°Not so fast, traitor.¡±


    Boots thundered up the stairs. Three sets? Four? No, more. Her pulse raced. Invisibility gone, guards closing in, no way out.


    She was so, so screwed.


    The door¡ªshe had to block it! A table? No, too big¡ªoh! That chair! The ugly one! She yanked it across the floor with a teeth-grating screech. Whatever. Subtlety was already out the window.


    The lieutenant stormed around the desk, sword leveled at her chest. ¡°There¡¯s no escape for the likes of you.¡±


    She wedged the chair under the door handle and spun, bow leaping into her hand. Rapid Shot kicked in.


    The world slowed. Bow up. Arrow nocked. Point-blank range. Loose.


    Dead center of his chest.


    He staggered back, clawing at the arrow, and dropped, screaming.


    The door handle rattled. Heavy thuds followed. Time running out.


    The key! She yanked it from the lieutenant''s neck, shoved it in her pack, and scanned the room. Nope, no hidden exits, just boring furniture and enough parchment to choke a bracka.


    A knot coiled in her gut. Only one way out left.


    She snatched up the lieutenant''s sword and hurled it at the window.


    Teal magic flashed. The sword bounced off.


    By the Forest, was anything here not enchanted?


    The thuds stopped. Either they''d given up, or¡ªher chest tightened¡ªthey''d found a better tool for the job.


    She closed her eyes and weaved the Emergency Message spell, just like Ted taught her. The magic flowed perfectly through her fingers, and she cast her attention out towards Ted.


    ¡°Maevdoka Ri!¡±


    Nothing happened. Had she¡ª?


    No. A perfect cast.


    Damn it. A negation field! Same reason Invisibility was gone. Stupid, stupid, stupid!


    She paced. Think! There had to be a way out. She wasn¡¯t dying like this.


    Wood splintered. An axe head burst through the door. Clearly their love of enchantments hadn''t stretched to interior doors.


    She nocked an arrow, fixing her aim. They wanted a fight? These slave-trading bastards would get one.


    Another swing smashed a hole. A guard pushed through, and she loosed. The arrow buried itself in his chest, and he hit the ground with a thud.


    They''d regret messing with a Ranger.


    ***


    Ted crouched beside Nammu, heart pounding against his ribs, eyes fixed on the guardhouse door. Come on, Cara, where are you?


    Shouts echoed from within, then a crash. Ted''s gut clenched. The plan was falling apart. He met Nammu''s gaze, and they rose as one, breaking into a sprint. Ted drew his falchion as he ran, storing a Force/Imbue/Blast within it.


    They burst through the door into muffled cries and the thudding of footsteps above. No words needed¡ªTed took point, weaving Farsight to peer ahead.


    The spell went off, but did nothing. Cold dread settled heavily in his gut. Cara had damned well better be okay.


    He bounded up the stairs into a haze of teal-purple magic. A Telepathy Negation field, but way more complex than he¡¯d have imagined.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Looking past it, three guards lay motionless in the corridor, Cara''s arrows protruding from their chests. Beyond them, a shattered door, and the clanging of sword against dagger.


    Heart pounding in his throat, Ted flew into the room.


    A man¡ªthe lieutenant?¡ªwrithed on the floor, arrow in his chest, blood seeping between his fingers.


    Cara battled three guards in the corner, her back pressed to the wall, daggers flashing as she parried, grunting with every movement.


    The guards'' attacks were cautious, uncoordinated, each letting the others take the lead, and their backs were turned. Vulnerable.


    Ted lunged at the middle one. The strike itself glanced off, but the blast effect detonated.


    The guard stumbled to his knees, screaming in agony.


    ¡°Take left!¡± Ted yelled, bouncing back, readying a Firebolt in his free hand.


    The guard on the right wavered, glancing between Cara and Ted. His eyes were wide, wild, begging for mercy even as he waved his sword at them both.


    A collar pulsed with magic around his throat. Ted''s heart lurched. Was that¡­?


    Shit. A slave collar.


    Pain twisted in Ted''s gut, and he dumped the Firebolt into the wall. ¡°We can help you. This doesn''t have to end with you dead.¡±


    Purple magic flared in the collar, and the guard went rigid. A silky-smooth male voice rolled out of his mouth. ¡°Oh, but it does, Edwin Williams. He will do his duty or he will die. His wife, too, for good measure.¡±


    Ted''s fists clenched tight. ¡°You''re a monster.¡±


    Nammu dispatched the third guard with a flurry of knives, leaving only the enslaved guard standing.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± the guard grunted in his own voice. His face contorted in pain, and he lunged for Ted.


    Cara struck. Her first dagger parried the guard''s attack, her second found the gap between his armor and his slave collar. ¡°What had to be done,¡± she whispered, trembling ever so slightly.


    Life vanished from the guard''s eyes, and he slumped to the floor.


    Ted clenched down on the useless feelings gnawing at his insides. The Magistrate had left them no choice. It wasn¡¯t their fault. ¡°You have the key?¡±


    Cara nodded and wiped her blades clean. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    So much for stealth. Ted hurried after her, weaving a Communicate spell between them. We need to hit the Magistrate, now.


    She whipped an are-you-insane glare back at him. They knew we were coming. It was a trap.


    All the more reason to strike now. Ted focused on the outside and cast Farsight as they reached the ground floor. Triggering an uprising is our best shot.


    Ted''s right. Nammu pressed her ear against the front door. They''ll flood the city with mages and actual soldiers.


    ¡°Enmokajona!¡± The street outside was empty, but wouldn''t stay that way long. Way''s clear. Let''s move!


    Nammu took point, Ted and Cara behind, weapons drawn and ready. Yet still nothing¡ªno soldiers jumping out to kill them, no firebolts flying at their heads.


    A chill ran down Ted''s spine. It was calm. Too damned calm.


    Tall buildings hemmed them in on both sides. A perfect spot for an ambush. Ted cast his focus ahead to the next corner and cast Farsight.


    An image flooded his mind¡ªsteel glinting in shadows. Incoming!


    Two patrol squads stormed out, weapons drawn, clad in plate and brimming with Protection magic. They formed a line around a hundred feet out, blocking the street.


    Ted glanced back towards the guardhouse. Two more squads were moving in, cutting off their escape in the same formation.


    Twenty soldiers. Four mages.


    Adrenaline surged and Ted sheathed his falchion. Swords weren¡¯t going to get them out of this one. Stupid mistake, sticking their necks out for the Resistance.


    The guttural voice of an orc boomed from behind. ¡°You are under arrest for treason against the Divine Empire. Surrender, or die!¡±


    Ted looked to the others, not that he needed to. They''d come this far¡ªnone of them were backing out now. Besides, they knew what the Divine Empire did to its prisoners. ¡°We don¡¯t surrender to tyrants.¡±


    The two mages ahead fired off stunbolts.


    Heart pounding in his throat, Ted let reflex guide him. He caught the bolt at the edge of a Barrier. The Barrier flickered, only barely holding on.


    Cara dodged the other stunbolt and fired an arrow in return. She hit a mage in the chest, teal magic flaring up as an Armor effect absorbed almost all the damage.


    These weren''t low-level goons. They needed an escape plan. On me, Ted said, pulling on his mana and casting a levitation spell.


    Cara and Nammu huddled around him, and the two lines of soldiers converged inward, the jaws of the trap closing around them.


    ¡°Take the male alive,¡± the orc commanded. ¡°Kill the others.¡±


    ¡°Ratonaka Ki!¡± The spell flushed through them, tingling across his skin, and they rose into the air. Breathing rapidly, he drew on more mana, casting a rapid Protection/Absorb spell for Cara.


    He glanced back¡ªboth mages behind readied crackling white bolts.


    Dispel magic.


    Pulse racing, Ted grabbed Cara, pulled her in front. ¡°Nismaevka Ri!¡± Teal magic rippled out, enveloping her just as the first bolt struck.


    It shattered against her leg. The impact rippled across the Absorb Aegis, but it held.


    The second bolt punched through, and crackling white energy danced through them. Ted''s heart jumped into his throat, and gravity reasserted itself.


    His feet slammed into the ground, sending him sprawling, and a sharp twist wrenched his ankle. Pain exploded up his leg, scattering his thoughts.


    Cara and Nammu landed in effortless crouches and charged the blockade ahead, firing off arrows and throwing knives.


    Agony throbbed in Ted¡¯s ankles, screaming at him to stop¡ªno way he was making a runner. He struggled to his feet, and surveyed the field.


    Every option was terrible.


    Twenty soldiers, heavily armored and backed by protection magic. They didn¡¯t flinch, didn¡¯t hesitate, didn¡¯t drop, no matter how many arrows or knives glanced off them. They just kept coming, swords drawn and ready to Cara and Nammu down, while the mages hung back, conserving their mana.


    Pain stabbed at Ted''s heart. Why wouldn''t they? The Empire had this fight in the bag.


    Cara¡¯s charge faltered. She looked back, her eyes wide with a raw bleakness that sent a shiver down his spine.


    Ted''s insides collapsed in on themselves. He couldn''t let her throw her life away in a fight they couldn''t win. Not for this.


    Not for him.


    Jaw clenched, he turned to the orc mage behind and let the cold void fill his chest.


    ¡°Let them go,¡± he shouted, ¡°and I''ll surrender.¡±

 Chapter 23, Volume 2

    The battle shuddered to a standstill, and Ted¡¯s gut churned. Come on, they had to accept, and soon¡ªbefore Cara did something stupid.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, notching another arrow yet not firing it. ¡°I''m not leaving you. I won''t.¡±


    Each word stabbed at his gut. Couldn¡¯t she see this was the only way? He raised his hand, palm open, silencing her. ¡°Go, Cara. That''s an order.¡±


    Time stretched out. Her jaw clenched. Her knuckles whitened around her bow. Eventually, finally, her expression settled on a grimace. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she snarled, her stiff, rage-filled posture rebuking Ted with everything she had.


    The orc mage nodded. With several sharp, rapid hand gestures he ordered his men to advance. ¡°Your father will be¡ª¡±


    A glowing arrow pierced his chest, followed by a hail of more, descending from nearby buildings. Screams rang out from ahead and behind, and the arrows kept coming.


    The soldiers frantically raised their shields and closed ranks, protecting themselves from the barrage coming from both sides of the street.


    Ted¡¯s heart rose, daring to hope. He pulled on his mana, Armor in one hand, and Absorb in the other.


    A huge, armored figure charged out from behind the soldiers, decapating one with a greatsword held in one hand, a dragon-emblazoned shield in the other.


    Gramok.


    Hot on his tail was Milo, and a motley crew of rebels making up for disparate gear with unfettered aggression.


    Things were starting to look up. Ted buffed Cara and readied a Firebolt with the orc mage¡¯s name on it. ¡°Cover me!¡±


    Cara closed up beside him, adding her arrows to those raining down on the soldiers ahead, dropping one with a headshot, while Nammu darted backwards to aid her comrades.


    Where was the bastard? There, cowering behind his men.


    Spotting the issue, Gramok leaped forward, smashing one of the soldier¡¯s heads in with his mace. ¡°GRAT KOVALNAK!¡± The line of soldiers crumbled before him, their shield walls broken, more falling as glowing arrows pelted them.


    Not the orc mage, though. Two arrows stuck him in the chest, and all it achieved was a roar that promised revengue. He ripped the arrows out, leaving dark red stains on his white robes as emerald magic flared underneath. The mage¡¯s expression hardened and he weaved a cloud of darkness before him, sucking light into a void and murdering it.


    ¡°Enkir!¡±


    The Firebolt struck the orc''s head, earning nothing more than a flicker of teal magic and a sneer. The mage''s cloud of Dark magic grew, coalescing into a spear-shaped voice with a barbed tip that made Ted shudder just to look upon it.


    His breath caught in his throat. ¡°Stop the orc mage!¡± he yelled to Gramok, pulling on almost all his remaining mana for a Firebolt that pushed past the limits of safety.


    Gramok bashed aside one soldier with his shield, caved in another¡¯s face, and charged the mage.


    The mage''s spell sealed. He flicked his finger. The black spear shot at Gramok.


    It punched straight through his chest. No wound. No blood.


    Gramok collapsed, a puppet with its strings cut. A cord of Dark magic stretched between Gramok and the mage.


    Tension crushed Ted¡¯s chest. This had to work. ¡°Enkirtara!¡±


    Sir Gramok Kadora


    HP: 73/155


    Strength: 13


    Dexterity: 3


    Endurance: 7


    Intelligence: 1


    Willpower: 4


    Personality: 1


    Identify skill increased 2 ¡ú 3!


    Still alive but, what the hell?


    The orc mage calmy bore down upon Gramok. ¡°Your father is expecting you, Edwin. You can make this all stop. Save your friends a lifetime of pain.¡±


    Ted''s fingernails dug into his palms. This bastard couldn''t be allowed to live. He drew his falchion, plunged a point into Rapid Identify, and charged. ¡°Kill the mage!¡±


    A rebel minotaur twice Ted''s height joined the charged, screaming what had to be a warcry, her pitchfork aimed straight at the mage¡¯s head. She hurtled foward, an unstoppable force of nature.


    The mage casually grabbed the pitchfork and struck the minotaur in the chest, knocking her down. He yanked it from the rebel''s hand and drove it butt-first through her gut with a sickening squelch.


    Captain Portak Bortran


    Status: Siphon (Destination), Absorb, Armor


    Strength: 20


    Dexterity: 22


    Endurance: 21


    Intelligence: 26


    Willpower: 24


    Personality: 22


    Shit. The bastard had stolen Gramok''s stats, and with almost all of Ted¡¯s mana spent, he didn¡¯t stand a chance of punching through that Absorb.


    The few soldiers still standing formed a square, their shields raised against the unrelenting hial of arrows, and began their retreat. Not the mage, though, not him. He weaved a Force spell in his hands so bright it seared Ted¡¯s retinas, and hurled it at the nearest building.


    The ground shook. The blast ripped a fifty-foot hole in the wall, demolishing half the building


    A chill ran through Ted. How many innocent civilians had been in that building?


    He glanced at the battle going on around them¡ªCara firing off arrows at retreating soldiers, Nammu and Milo hounding a few die-hards. This mage aside, they had the upper hand, at least until reinforcements arrived.


    The mage bore down on Ted. ¡°You can end this. How many more have to die before you accept your duty as crown prince?¡±


    Fire roared through Ted''s veins. He threw a Message at Cara¡ªGet Gramok away immediately¡ªand lunged at the mage with his falchion.


    The mage grabbed the sword and ripped it from his hand, tossing it aside. ¡°You can''t win, you know that right?¡±


    The raw anger wasn¡¯t done, far from it. Ted flew at the mage, swinging his fists at the bastard¡¯s jaw.


    The orc laughed, ignoring the pitiful blows. He grabbed Ted by the throat and lifted him off the ground like he was nothing. ¡°You''re a fool.¡±


    Ted struggled against the mage''s grip. No use. His vision began to blur¡ªhe had to do something, anything, to break free.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°When you wake up,¡± the mage snarled, squeezing Ted''s neck, ¡°your friends will be dead.¡±


    Lightheadedness ebbed. Ted¡¯s flailing slowed. He stared at the cord of black-beyond-black leading away from the mage. Watched as it pulled taut.


    Not enough time. Never enough time.


    Mind Over Body sent raw, primal power surging through him. He shattered the mage¡¯s grip, and pounded on him, slamming him into the ground. Getting in his face.


    Blocking his view.


    The mage rallied almost immediately, shoving Ted away with supernatural strength and leaping back to his feet. ¡°Weakling,¡± he snarled, landing a blow on Ted¡¯s jaw.


    Ted stumbled backwards, the taste of blood filling his mouth. Over the mage¡¯s shoulders, he spotted Cara and Nammu making their escape. ¡°Fine,¡± Ted said, letting his shoulders drop, letting the mage enjoy his moment of victory, ¡°you''re right¡ªI can''t win.¡±


    ¡°See? That wasn''t so hard.¡± The mage yanked Ted to his feet and pulled out a slave collar. The dark cord coming off him narrowed, tension coiling in it.


    Ted swallowed hard. Come on, come on!


    The mage opened the hinge of the slave collar, pushed it against Ted¡¯s neck¡ªand the dark cord coming off him finally snapped.


    ¡°Not alone, anyway.¡± Ted grabbed the mage by the throat and slammed him against the ground.


    Deprived of his stolen strength, the mage was like a ragdoll. His head whipped back, striking the cobbles with a crack.


    Satisfaction washed over Ted. He smashed the bastard¡¯s head in a couple more times to be sure, before letting all that power fade away to conserve what little mana he had left.


    Milo grabbed his arm. ¡°Come on! We gotta go.¡±


    Adrenaline still burning through his veins, Ted nodded and followed.


    They ran after Cara, their heavy footfalls announcing their location to the world. But what choice did they have?


    ¡°Thanks for the save.¡±


    Milo¡¯s face twitched as he grunted out an acknowledgement. ¡°We''re not done yet. My men will draw them away as long as they can, but we got a job to do.¡±


    Relief flushed through Ted as they rounded the corner to see Cara healing a now standing, and rather angry looking, Gramok.


    They traded grim expressions. None of this had gone to plan, and now they had a choice: Back out, go to ground, let the Empire hunt them down, or press on. Continue with an attack that they knew was coming.


    It had already been a shaky plan. With the city on full alert, no way they were all making it back alive.


    ¡°You have the key?¡± Milo asked.


    Cara handed it over, glowing with intricate Telepathy magic. ¡°Here. I hope it was worth it.¡±


    Milo stared at it for all of a second before tossing it aside. ¡°It''s a fake.¡±


    The pit in Ted''s stomach deepened. ¡°Great. We''re screwed.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Milo smiled¡ªwhat the hell was wrong with him? ¡°The Magistrate knows we''re striking his palace now, which means, he''ll be holed up in his little nest. The one he thinks we don¡¯t know about.¡±


    Cara cocked her head to the side. ¡°You planned for this?¡±


    ¡°It won''t be as easy as slippin'' in and cuttin'' his throat, mind ye, but, aye, I got a plan. Come.¡± With that, Milo set off, leading them through several side streets before stopping at a dead end.


    At least, what looked like a dead end. Milo gestured to a rusty iron grate set into the cobblestones. Even shut, the stench made Ted''s stomach curl over and beg for mercy.


    Milo nudged Ted and pointing at the grate. ¡°Go on, then.¡±


    Ted frowned and stared at it. No handholds. Only openable by a mage. Drawing on his mana, he cast Telekinesis upon the grate, lifting it up and depositing it to the side.


    With the grate off, he peered down into the hole, and immediately regretted every choice that had led to this moment. The odor assailed his senses with such violence that he could almost swear he saw it.


    Or maybe that was the rats. Well, what were hopefully rats, anyway.


    Milo climbed down first, acting like it was nothing. At the bottom, he pulled out a lantern, and beckoned for the rest to follow.


    Nammu went next, her expression blank, focus. Cara and Gramok followed, their faces twisting in revulsion as they descended.


    Well. This was it. Ted gritted his teeth and followed. Not like the smell could be any worse at the bottom.


    It¡­ was worse.


    The cylindrical sewer tunnel was about ten feet across, with narrow walk ways on either side of a channel that Ted tried really hard not to think about. On the list of places he wished he could be, this was pretty damned far down the list.


    They silently followed Milo, trusting to his sense of direction. He led them down seemingly random paths, crossing over the¡­ stream¡­ several times on narrow wooden bridges.


    After about an hour, he came to a stop, pointed at the stone wall beside him, and looked expectantly at Ted. For a moment, he hesitated, glanced down at his axe, then backed away from the wall. ¡°That wall. Do ye thing.¡±


    The wall appeared no different than the hundreds of others they¡¯d walked past down here, but Milo seemed pretty damned sure. And if this was meant to be a secret hideout, then¡­


    Ted cast Visibility.


    A layer of gold and purple magic appeared, along with a mana receptacle waiting to be filled. ¡°Here we go,¡± Ted said, guiding mana into the wall.


    Golden Transmutation magic swirled in the wall, and a hole appeared.


    Milo glowered at Ted, and pulled his battleaxe from his back. ¡°Time to cut off the head.¡±


    Dust covered every inch of the spartan room beyond¡ªthe floor, the bed, the chair, the desk, the lever on the far wall. Even the candle was coated in a thick layer of dusk. Their every movement as they passed into it kicked up more of it.


    Milo pulled on the lever and the wall at the end of the room swung open, revealing a dimly lit basement stocks with barrels, and stairs leading up. Cara snuck up the stairs and pressed her ear to the door.


    Tension coiled around Ted¡¯s heart. Without the element of surprise, this already desperate plan would be a death sentence. This had to go off perfectly.


    Cara raised a hand. Every froze.


    Nothing. Not even the pitter patter of a mouse. Wait, no, there it was¡ªsoft footsteps above, drawing closer.


    Everyone else raised their weapons. Nammu and Cara stood ready by the door to grab anyone who entered.


    The footsteps grew louder.


    Ted held his breath. Would it help to cast Deafen? Probably not. He¡¯d have to cast it on whoever was out there, and if they had Discern Magic, they¡¯d be rumbled on the spot.


    The footsteps stopped.


    Silence reigned, broken only by the pounding of Ted''s heart. What they needed was a way to see what was going on without giving away their position. A way to combine Invisility and Farsight.


    Was it possible? Ted closed his eyes and focused inwards on Spellcrafting. Yes was the only answer the skill gave back. No hint or guidance on how.


    He snuck to the secret passage and examined the wall. The way the Telepathy magic intertwined with the Transmutation magic, masking them both from Discern Magic''s gaze.


    The enchantment was structured such that both sides of the spell had separate but parallel constructions¡ªone worked upon the door, and the other worked upon the enchantment itself.


    Using that as a blueprint, Ted crafted an Invisible Farsight spell, giving the Sight and Invisibility aspects their own Target forms, since they acted upon different objects.


    The resulting Telepathy/(Target/Sight)-(Target/Invisibility) was an unwieldy abomination. Using that many aspects already made it tricky, but the real kicker was going over his aspect limit.


    Still, in theory it would work, even if it cost way more mana than a spell of that potency had any right to. He checked it over a few times to be pretty sure it wasn''t going to explode on him, and then focused his attention above and cast the spell.


    Spellcrafting skill increased 10 ¡ú 11!


    Telepathy magic skill increased 10 ¡ú 11!


    Grainy images appeared. A servant, in a spare corridor, with a collar around her neck. She was talking to two guards, each standing with backs turned away from the basement door.


    The conversation ended. The servant walked away.


    Ted put the Enchantment perk point into Cohesion, the Telepathy point into Stability, and crafted an Invisible Communicate spell. After checking it over, he brought the group together and cast it upon them without a verbal component. There''s two guards up there, facing away. Cara, Nammu, think you can take them out?


    They both nodded, and daggers drawn, headed for the door. Through a new and improved Invisible Farsight, Ted watched them sneak up behind their prey and dispatch both in a synchronized and silent strike.


    Nammu dragged her kill down into the basement, carefully avoiding getting blood on the floor. Nicely done, Cara.


    Milo led Gramok and Ted up the stairs. The corridor was dim, lit only by an unsettling pale light that left no shadows. Other than that, it was empty, decorated only a huge painting on one wall depicing rebel slaves being put to death.


    A shiver ran down Ted''s spine. The sooner they got this over with, the better.


    Into each of the other three walls were set heavy oak doors, each strengthened by thick iron bands. Milo''s gaze darted between them before gesturing to the middle one with his axe. That way.


    Ted pushed up the potency on the Invisibility portion of the Farsight spell and cast it into the room beyond.


    An elderly man¡ªa high elf, judging by those ears¡ªdressed in golden robes sat writing at a desk. He wore a contented smile, pausing after every word, with a golden medallion around his neck.


    His desk was neat, the scrolls upon it lined up tidily. He sipped from a silver goblet and carefully sat it back down upon its coaster.


    The room itself¡ªa bedroom¡ªwas steeped in dark luxury that made Ted''s skin crawl. Rich tapestries hung from the stone walls, depicting Zelnari symbols for Dark magic. A massive four-poster bed, draped with velvet curtains, dominated the center of the room. In one corner stood an empty iron cage with a slave collar sat atop its thick bars.


    Polished obsidian statues lined the walls, each watching from the corners like silent sentries, their faces twisted in pain and fear. A cold chill grasped Ted''s heart¡ªtheir faces were too accurate, too real, to be mere statues.


    He''s in there, Ted said, alone and unprepared. Ready up.


    Gramok and Milo took up positions on either side of the door. Cara nocked an bow. Nammu coiled up, daggers ready.


    Pumped with adrenaline, Ted buffed everyone else with Armor and Absorb and readied a Firebolt. Go.

 Chapter 24, Volume 2

    Gramok and Milo hefted the oak doors open, and there he was¡ªthe Magistrate, sat writing at his desk. Bastard didn''t even look up.


    Heat tingled across Ted¡¯s fingers as his Firebolt completed. ¡°Enkir!¡±


    Cara added an icy arrow. Nammu sprinted forward, screaming ¡°Ama-gi!¡±


    The arrow and the firebolt flew true. Straight into¡ª


    ¡ªstraight through the Magistrate, smashing into the desk behind.


    Shit.


    The image of the Magistrate faded and his silky-smooth voice filled the room. "You have become quite a thorn in my side, Crown Prince. Be grateful your father wants you alive¡ªthe same cannot be said for your friends."


    Fire raced through Ted¡¯s veins. He seized his mana for Area Visibility and stormed into the bedroom. The bastard had to be in there somewhere.


    Halfway through the spell, darkness ripped the light from the room. Out of the void poured a cloud of blood. The blood swirled, blurring as it sped up, formed a blade, slashed.


    The air cracked with the strike. Weakness ripped across Ted¡¯s chest.


    Strength fled. His knees buckled, his spell shattered. Mana exploded. Shards of distant pain tickled up his arms, like hearing about it third hand.


    Light returned. The Magistrate stood five paces away, wearing smugness like a glove, clad in Protection magic so bright it hurt. From his neck hung the golden medallion, seeped in purple and blue magic.


    Nammu¡¯s boots thundered against the floor. She lunged.


    The Magistrate flicked his fingers. A flash of white magic flung her through the air, smashed her against the wall.


    Fire arrows plinked against his Armor effect, doing nothing to stop him weaving another Force spell, layering the magic thick and potent.


    A searing chill spread out from Ted''s chest. What little strength remained in his muscles incinerated, leaving behind only agony.


    "GRAT KOVALNAK!" Gramok launched himself at the Magistrate, his greatsword on course for another decapitation.


    The floor just short of his charge glowed white. Force magic erupted, hurled Gramok into the ceiling, pinned him there.


    Ted pushed across the sludge that used to be his mind. Had to focus. Had to break free. Had to save them.


    Milo circled three steps left and charged, snarling as he closed the gap. He swung for the Magistrate''s heart, and the head of his battleaxe shone white.


    The Magistrate stepped back and unleashed the full might of his Force spell at Milo¡¯s head.


    Ted winced, unable to look away as the blast¡­ washed over Milo. Not even a flinch.


    The Magistrate¡¯s eyes widened. Silver magic crackled out from Milo¡¯s battleaxe, ripping away magical protections, and the axe buried deep in the Magistrate''s gut.


    The quicksand pinning Ted down fled. Time to end this. He pulled himself up onto his shaky legs, already weaving a high-potency Firebolt.


    The Magistrate looked up, his face one of pure rage. Twisted power gathered to him, sucked the life out of the air, sheathed his hands in darkness.


    He pointed at Milo. Smokey tendrils erupted from his finger tips and coiled around Milo¡¯s limbs. They dragged him into the air, forced his protesting arms wide.


    Milo''s legs flailed at empty air. The tendrils tightened. Agony flashed across his face.


    Fire took form before Ted, sweat dribbling down his brow as he wrestled the last of the mana into place. Come on, come on!


    Cara loosed another arrow. A flash of white caught it midair, sent it clattering to the floor.


    ¡°Enkir!¡±


    The firebolt flew forward. Blue-red magic pulsed out from the Magistrate. Fire engulfed him, and¡­ nothing.


    What the hell?


    The Magistrate clenched his fists. Milo''s head twisted to the side with a crunch that made Ted''s bones clench.


    A corpse hit the floor.


    Nausea swelled in Ted¡¯s gut. He poured all his mana into a Blastbolt. The bastard would pay!


    A sneer spread across the Magistrate¡¯s face as he turned on Ted, casting Protection spells in both hands. Behind him, Nammu snuck up, daggers ready.


    Cara loosed another arrow. Another flash of white, another clatter against the floor.


    She growled, tossed her bow aside, and launched at the Magistrate, her daggers aimed at his head.


    His fists closed. Two teal Aegises shimmered into existence around him, the Armor effect taking hold just in time to deflect stabs away from his eyes and back.


    Ted forced frantic breaths to still. Focus, damn it! This one had to count. He poured the last of his mana into the Blastbolt, and fired.


    The bolt smashed through the Magistrate¡¯s protections, sent him sprawling to the ground. Blood seeped through the gold of his robes.


    Ted took a step forward. That should have ended it. Should have triggered an XP notification.


    Movement. The Magistrate dragged himself up, smiled, and pressed a Life spell to his shoulder.


    Muscles clenched through Ted. If that hadn¡¯t done it, nothing would.


    Cara screamed and stabbed at the Magistrate¡¯s eyes. Another spark of teal foiled the kill.


    Time for a new plan. Ted lowered his shoulder and charged.


    The collision was like running into a brick wall.


    The Magistrate shoved Ted away with one hand and hurled a forcebolt at Cara with the other. It struck her in the chest, slamming her into the deck with a thud that jolted through Ted¡¯s insides. She couldn¡¯t take many more of those.


    Nammu slashed at the Magistrate one, twice, thrice, her roars rising with each futile attack.


    Think! There had to be a way.


    There! The slave collar on the cage.


    A forcebolt smashed into Nammu, slammed her against the wall. She stumbled, clutching her head, her legs giving way.


    Heart racing, Ted pulled away and cast Invisibility upon himself. Cara, grab the necklace, he messaged, sneaking over to the small cage.


    On it.


    Ted stashed the slave collar in his belt and ran back to the fray. Hold him still.


    As one, Cara and Nammu grabbed the Magistrate''s arms, twisting his fingers. A blast went off in his right hand, rippling through his absorb.


    Ted opened the slave collar, darted in, snapped it around the Magistrate''s neck.


    The Magistrate¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Icha¡ª¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Ted shoved his fingers into Magistrate¡¯s mouth, accepting the pain as teeth bit into skin.


    Cara grabbed the medallion, unhooked the chain, and danced away with the prize.


    The fight fled from the Magistrate¡¯s eyes. His jaw slackened. Ted pulled out his hand. The man slumped to the ground and double over screaming, his hands clamped to his ears, finally getting a taste of his own medicine.


    Adrenaline fading away, Ted snatched the medallion from Cara and honed in on it with his mind. He felt them, all of them¡ªhundreds of slaves bound by its power.


    No. Not the power of the medallion, or the collars. This was deeper, stronger, greater.


    Magic able to connect over long distances. To do what should have been impossible. A source of power, of control, of communication.


    A portal core. The power to connect different peoples turned into a nexus of evil.


    Heat seared through Ted¡¯s veins. An abomination like this couldn''t be allowed to stand.


    He honed in on the Magistrate and forced him to his knees. Wait for it, Ted messaged.


    Nammu grabbed the Magistrate by the throat and lined her dagger up with his temple, pressing its tip against the Armor effect.


    Gramok dropped from the ceiling with a cacophony of clanks. "Bloody magical traps," he growled, pulling himself to his feet.


    A tingle raced down Ted¡¯s back. There it was, the key to the man¡¯s mind. He seized control, dropped the Armor spell, and pulled out. Now.


    "This is for Milo," Nammu snarled, and drove the dagger into his brain.


    1,155 XP received!


    The dead body crumpled to the floor.


    Ted reached down and grabbed the slave collar from the Magistrate''s neck. It came away easily now. "Sorry about Milo."


    "Don''t be. He wouldn''t want a mage''s pity." She paused over Milo, bowed her head, gritted her teeth, and turned on Ted. She bore down on him, her hand extended. "Hand it over."


    ¡°Give me a moment to free them.¡±


    She grabbed the medallion, tried to rip it from his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t. Not yet.¡±


    Ted stared at her. She couldn¡¯t be serious. ¡°You want to use them.¡±


    ¡°I want to end this.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t fight slavery with slavery!¡±


    ¡°They''re our chance to burn down the whole damned system.¡± The tip of her dagger suddenly pricked at his gut, pushing the fabric of his robes into him. ¡°Hand it over. Now.¡±


    Cara and Gramok raised their weapons, but Ted shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s not make any enemies we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Nammu¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°We hired you to do a job. Do it, unless you¡¯d rather make your appointment with the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°We agreed to free slaves, not use them.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Outsiders! You think freeing a few slaves will do shit? They¡¯ll be locked up or dead by the end of the week. We need an army, and we need it now.¡±


    Ted looked her in the eyes, stared into all that anger, all that hatred. It was easy to understand. Easy to empathize. Easy to be tempted. ¡°An army of slaves isn¡¯t the way to do this.¡±


    The tip of her dagger pushed a little deeper. ¡°For a donkey, there is no stench. For a donkey, this is no washing with soap.¡±


    The weight on Ted¡¯s shoulders only grew. Why did it always have to be on him? ¡°Cara, Gramok, thoughts?¡±


    Time dragged out. Neither rushed to answer, but Cara broke the silence first. ¡°I get it, Nammu, but this¡­? No. You¡¯ll find another way. You have to.¡±


    Gramok nodded. ¡°People¡¯s minds are their own. Once you start taking that away, there¡¯s no going back.¡±


    Tension coiled in Ted¡¯s stomach. If that was true¡ª ¡°They¡¯re right, and you know it. Find another way.¡±


    Seconds ticked by like chalk screeching down a blackboard.


    What if Nammu was right? What if that was the only way?


    Nammu¡¯s point pressed harder.


    Oratory skill increased 0 ¡ú 1!


    ¡°Fine.¡± She backed away, sheathed her dagger. ¡°Release the slaves. Condemn them to die in an uprising that can¡¯t work.¡±


    Her words struck like daggers, but what was the alternative? Enslaving them all over again?Becoming the enemy? ¡°You made the right call.¡± The words came out hollow, even to his ears.


    He shifted his attention to the medallion and searched for an option to free them all.


    Nothing. Nothing at all. He could go through and release them one by one, no doubt, but that would give them even less chance than releasing them all at once. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here¡ªI¡¯ll figure this damned thing out in the sewers.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Nammu lifted Milo¡¯s axe from his dead, broken body. ¡°We can¡¯t let them trace him back to the Resistance. Incinerate him.¡±


    Ted''s jaw clenched, but damn it, she had a point. He kneeled down by Milo''s body, laid his hand upon the dwarf''s chest, and drew on his mana. ¡°Enkirtara!¡±


    The inferno consumed Milo¡¯s body, reducing him to nothing more than ash.


    Nammu''s hand settled upon Ted''s shoulder. "Thank you," she said, her voice so quiet he half-suspected he imagined it.


    They scurried back down into the secret room in the basement and threw back to the lever, sealing the false wall behind them.


    Nammu hesitated, and turned to Ted. "You wanna kill the Emperor, right?"


    Ted paused. Orlanda¡¯s face flashed before his eyes and memories of frost exploded in his chest. "Yeah."


    She shoved Milo''s axe at him. "Here. Take it. Give the fucker Milo''s regards."


    Ted took the axe, and bowed his head. "Thank you."


    "Alright." Nammu nodded to them each in turn. "I''ve got a revolution to run. Your contact, Ria Siala, is down this tunnel, second right, third left, second left, and then first right. Good luck."


    "You too."


    Questions nibbled at his gut as she walked away. What if¡ª


    No. Freeing the slaves was the right choice.


    Ted took a deep breath, stilled his mind, and focused on the medallion''s magic. On the raw power it directed, on the collars it held the keys to, on the portal core that held it all together.


    Connections and knowledge flooded into his mind. He could reach into the heads of any of the slaves connected to it¡ªcontrol them, speak through them, even kill them with a single thought.


    His stomach turned. No one should have that kind of power.


    He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the flow of information. Hundreds of mind: all their thoughts, their fears, their anger.


    Deeper. He had to go deeper, follow the magic down, beyond the minds it bound.


    There. The nexus holding it all together¡ªa portal core. Shit. Killing the Magistrate so quickly might have been a mistake. Without the full access code to the portal, they¡¯d need direct physical access to control it, and no way it wasn¡¯t heavily guarded.


    Probing the network, it didn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d need it. The system was supported by the portal core, but existed externally to it. Accessing the system wouldn¡¯t require accessing the core itself.


    Good news for once.


    Deeper probing revealed a rather less welcome fact: an anti-tamper mechanism, built into the collars. A kill switch. If he messed this up, the newly freed slaves wouldn¡¯t have to worry about surviving an uprising.


    Casting his mind along the stream of magic, much like Farsight but not in the physical realm, he followed it back to the source, and a whole new world opened up before him. A plane of existence.


    A plane of magic.


    Zelnari runes stretched out in chains that split and merged, defining the magic that bound this all together. It was finally starting to make sense.


    Portal cores worked across huge distances because they reached out into this other dimension, this realm beyond the physical. Here, Zelnari runes, building blocks of magic, were reality. They defined it, shaped it, gave it meaning. All he had to do to change the magic was rewrite the Zelnari.


    No biggie. Just rewrite a hugely complicated, multilayered system created in a dead language that he barely understood, with the knowledge that one wrong move would kill hundreds of slaves.


    This was an utter abomination, but the potential was staggering. What else could be achieved this way? No wonder the Destroyer had been so desperate to get his hands on a portal core.


    Ted''s consciousness focused upon the Zelnari runes directly connected to the medallion and the collars. There were snippets he recognized¡ªDark magic here, Affect there, Telepathy over there, and so on¡ªbut each were only tiny pieces of a much larger puzzle.


    His mind raced. Time was running out¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be long before they thought to search the sewers, and he didn''t know where to even begin. With the weight of hundreds of lives resting on his shoulders, he needed an expert.


    He cast a Telephone spell and connected to the Valbort portal, calling in a favor. Within a few minutes, Runesmith Idonia was connected, and he relayed a telepathic awareness of that other dimension to her as best he could.


    Have you seen these conjunctions? Idonia said. The multilayered chains? The precision of the interlocking exchanges and non-linear complex compounds?


    I know. That''s why I need your help.


    You have it. That book you found¡¯s been a myrellium mine, but this? Let¡¯s start over there, with the Telepathy-Portals conjunction.


    Under Idonia''s direction, they began to dissect the intricate web of runes. They deciphered rune after rune, determining the multilayered meaning of each one. Excitement tingled across Ted''s skin¡ªthey could do this.


    Yet, the mores runes they understood, the more harder Ted¡¯s stomach became. There''s a bigger picture here, and I can¡¯t see it. We''re trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.


    There was a long pause before Idonia replied. Too many unknowns, too many layers. The errors compound exponentially.


    A heavy silence fell between them, and Ted¡¯s stomach churned. Doing nothing wasn¡¯t an option, and time was ticking away. Yet with the lives of so many, he couldn¡¯t afford to mess this up. We need to lower our expectations. Break the connection with the portal stone at the source, collapse the system entirely.


    Another pause. If we don''t cut the connection as one¡­


    The fail-safe would trigger. A knot twisted in Ted''s gut. More like fail-deadly. We¡¯ll do it right.


    They pored over the runes, dissecting their individual meanings, slowly grasping the patterns that made up the underlying structure of the magic.


    Here, Ted said, highlighting the compound rune trol-(mort-(krin-rain)). Power from a great power source.


    This one too, Idonia added, pointing out an identical rune built into another branch of the magic. I don''t see any others.


    Tension coiled around Ted''s chest. This was it¡ªall or nothing. You¡¯re sure?


    Silence. The only certainty here was that doing nothing was the wrong call.


    It wouldn¡¯t need much, just enough to alter those two links in the chains. He focused in on both runes and channeled two points of mana.


    The power surged through him and into the medallion, flowing into that other dimension. There, he wrestled it into place, forcing it to settle next to both the runes. He had to be precise, time them exactly together.


    The mana bristled, even this sliver of power straining his control to the limits.


    He formed each point of mana into a new rune. Crak, safety. Bracing himself, moving both at once, he slid them in, swapping out trol, replacing power conveyance with safety.


    The magic shuddered, shaking Ted''s mind and soul. The flow of magic from the portal core slammed into a halt, and the entire chain of magic collapsed in on itself like dominoes.


    Tension flooded out of Ted. Thank you. Couldn''t have done it without you.


    Anytime, Deputy. You''ve given me much to dwell on.


    Idonia¡¯s presence faded away, leaving silence and doubt to claw at his insides.


    He gritted his teeth and opened his eyes. He¡¯d given them a chance, that was all anyone could ever do. ¡°It¡¯s done. Let¡¯s move.¡±

 Chapter 25, Volume 2

    The ringing of bells echoed down the tunnel. Ted''s gaze darted around the bare stone walls, searching for the salvation that they''d fought so hard to earn. Where the hell was their contact?


    There, a figure, caught in what little light filtered down from the grates above. Had she been there a moment ago?


    The tall, cloaked woman swaggered out of the shadows. Runes embossed her dark leather armor, yet nothing on her betrayed even a hint of magic.


    Ted¡¯s fingers twitched, his mana and spirit prickling at his insides, begging to be drawn, to be used.


    No. This was their contact. It had to be.


    He focused in on her. Better safe than sorry.


    Ria Siala


    She stopped and pulled back her hood¡ªpale skin, pointed ears, long hair held back in a loose braid. A high elf. ¡°Ready to move?¡±


    Ted couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°More than ready.¡±


    Cara¡¯s shoulders tensed up. Her hand settled on her dagger, her legs bent ever so slightly, and she had that look in her eyes. The one she had right before battle.


    He rested his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    She said nothing, just kept staring.


    Ria took off down a side tunnel, unfazed. Professional. ¡°This way. The guards won¡¯t bother to check the older sections.¡±


    Ted jogged along behind her, queasiness rising in his stomach. The nasal assault here was, beyond all reason, even more vile than out there. Yeah, he wouldn¡¯t come here if he had a choice, either.


    They followed her deeper into the labyrinth of passages and stench, the clank-clank-clank of Gramok¡¯s armor announcing their position to anyone waiting in the endless shadows.


    Spiderweb cracks and intricate carvings decorated the walls here. This was older, from before the Age of Heroes, most likely. Unmaintained. Crumbling.


    Dangerous? The Deep-Forest came to mind. This was Hallowed Falls''s their equivalent, wasn''t it? No wonder tension radiated off Cara like a flare.


    Though that didn''t explain why she hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off Ria since they¡¯d met her. What the hell had Cara so on edge?


    He could message her about it, but what would be the point? She¡¯d only deny it.


    Probably just bothered she¡¯s a high elf, rather than a wood elf.


    Ria was the expert. No point second guessing her, and she¡¯d been right so far. They hadn¡¯t seen or heard a hint of soldiers since coming down here, despite Gramok''s armor broadcasting their presence to anyone and everyone.


    A knot twisted in Ted''s gut. The guards were probably too busy hacking rebels to death.


    Ria gestured ahead to a crumbling archway detailed with carvings of fish and goats. ¡°Almost there. Through that chamber, then we can start the ascent.¡±


    Weight lifted off Ted¡¯s shoulders. If he never had to see this accursed city again, that''d be too soon.


    Slender fingers seized his wrist. Cara¡¯s. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Tension spread up Ted¡¯s arm. He glanced at Gramok, but found only a shrug. Great. Wasn¡¯t Gramok meant to be the people guy?


    Ahead, Ria passed out of sight. Without her, their odds of finding it safely out of the sewers weren¡¯t exactly promising.


    Ted gritted his teeth. Fine. Cara¡¯s judgement of people couldn¡¯t be any worse than his own. ¡°I¡¯ll buff us up. We stick together, keep an eye on her, it¡¯ll be fine, okay?¡±


    He buffed Cara and Gramok with invisible versions of both Armor and Absorb, and then cast an Invisible Farsight beyond the archway.


    The tunnel opened into a circular chamber with a pool in the middle. There were three other exits around the outside, each set into a different wall. Water¡ªat least, mostly water¡ªcascaded into the pool from multiple drainage pipes above. Ria leaned against the wall beside the tunnel entrance, idly playing with one of her daggers.


    No army of soldiers waiting. No hideous traps. At least, none he could see. Ted gave Gramok the nod.


    Gramok readied his shield and took point. Ted and Cara followed close behind. If this was a trap, the bastards would get more than they bargained for.


    Ria, still slouched against the wall toying with her knife, smirked up at Cara. ¡°You''re right to be suspicious, little ranger. High price on your boyfriend, here.¡±


    ¡°He''s not¡ª¡± Cara¡¯s fists clenched, and her gaze darted around the room. ¡°We''re not¡­ like that.¡±


    Warmth rose in Ted¡¯s chest. Not exactly the most forceful denial of the century. He¡¯d take it. ¡°Cut it out, Ria. We trust you.¡± Not that we have much choice.


    ¡°Good.¡± She pulled herself up straight, ready to move¡ªthen froze up. ¡°Do you hear that?¡±


    Ted cocked his head and listened. Nothing. Well, nothing but the drone of cascading fluids he¡¯d rather think of as water.


    A scowl formed on Cara''s face. ¡°Soldiers.¡±


    Ria¡¯s playfulness vanished, replaced by cold, hard focus, and she slipped her dagger into its sheath. ¡°Soldiers never come this way. Whatever you guys did kicked up a mountain''s worth of fire.¡±


    Ted bit at his upper lip. This solid escape plan wasn''t looking so solid anymore. ¡°Options?¡±


    ¡°I don''t fancy the orc''s odds of sneaking past, and the Resistance didn¡¯t pay me enough to fight the whole damned garrison. We could¡ª¡± She paused, her face scrunching up. ¡°No, that''s too dangerous. We''ll have to camp out here, until the heat dies down.¡±


    Ted shook his head and scuffed his boots against the floor. ¡°It won''t die down. He won''t let this go, not now, not ever.¡± Adrenaline cut through his veins. ¡°What was that other option?


    ¡°Too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be more dangerous than what¡¯s coming for us.¡± Coming for me. Orlanda flashed in his mind. Coming for Cara.


    Ria adjusted her armor and let out a low growl. ¡°There''s an old one-way portal down here, an ancient escape route to the countryside. I don''t think they know about it, but I can¡¯t know for sure. If they do¡­¡±


    Ted glanced at the worry written across Cara and Gramok¡¯s faces. ¡°Certain death or probably death¡ªI know which one I¡¯m taking.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Gramok said, not that he sounded happy about it.


    Cara glared at Ria, but eventually gave the briefest of nods. ¡°Fine. Better than waiting around here to be caught.¡±


    That just left Ria. Their guide. The one they were utterly dependent upon.


    For a while she just stood there, stuck between terrible choices.


    Hard to blame her. She¡¯d get used to it.


    ¡°Alright.¡± And there it was again, the swagger turned back on like a lightbulb. ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    She took off at a trot, leading them even deeper. The cracks in the walls became wider, and Ted tried not to think about what the deep red stains strewn across several of the walls and floor were.


    Passage after passage, twisting and turning, going down one, two, three sets of stairs. They went for half an hour, an hour, until at long last, there it was. A shimmering blue portal set into an archway, shining like a neutron star.


    Ria slouched against a wall and gestured to it. ¡°There. Good luck.¡±


    Cara shook her head and pointedly dropped her hand to her knife. ¡°You''re going through first.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Cara squared up to the high elf. ¡°Yup.¡±


    Time dragged to a crawl. Ria stared back at Cara, a perfect poker face holding back whatever calculations were going on in there. ¡°Fine. But you better be right behind me in case they''re waiting for us. Do the honors, mage?¡±


    Ted buffed them up with Armor and Absorb, and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll go second. The Empire wants me alive. Seeing me might make them hesitate.¡± Even as he said it, it sounded weak. Desperate.


    So about right, then.


    Ria stepped into the portal. Its magic flared, engulfed her. Consumed her. So far, so good.


    He took a deep breath and followed. Magic tingled across his skin, and blue light filled his vision.


    The world jolted. He stumbled forward, his vision a blur of gray and blue. A stone room. Three figures.


    Ria in the center, smiling, daggers drawn. Either side of her, two white-robed mages flush with Protection magic.


    Shit.


    Ted pulled on his mana. Pain connected with the back of his skull. The world tilted sideways, and darkness claimed him.


    ***


    Pain lanced through Ted''s skull. It dragged him back to consciousness, back to the reality of his cheek pressing against cold stone, the taste of blood in his mouth, and cold steel pressing against his neck.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A slave collar. Cold. Harsh. Brutal.


    He reached for it, but even that seared agony through every nerve in his body.


    Muscles spasmed. Breaths refused to come, thoughts shattered, pain screamed at him to stop. To give in. To comply.


    He yanked his hands away, and the pain fled. He collapsed, his palms hitting unflinching stone as he gasped for air.


    Don¡¯t. Touch. The collar.


    His insides twisted at the thought. Just one more entry on the list of things the Emperor had to pay for.


    Bit by bit, the panting slowed, and his mind settled down into a manageable franticness.


    It was hopeless. Useless. A complete failure.


    Stone walls caged him. An iron door. No windows. A simple cell. No obvious weaknesses, not that it would matter with this damned collar around his neck.


    He pushed himself up, carefully avoiding touching it. Pain throbbed in the back of his head, but even that was a welcome relief to what the collar had done.


    His jaw clenched. He had to get out, had to get free, even if that meant making hard choices. He reached for his mana.


    Agony flooded out from the collar. His back arched. His mind spun. A scream echoed.


    His scream.


    He pulled back, let the mana fall aside. The pain departed as quickly as it came, leaving Edwin curled up in a ball, trembling pathetically.


    The door creaked open. Flickering torchlight spilled in, blinding in the darkness. He squinted through watery eyes, his insides tumbling.


    Ria. The traitor. Carrying a tray, like anything could make up for what she¡¯d done.


    She knelt down, refusing to make eye contact. Upon the tray was a glass¡ªfull, clear liquid, maybe water¡ªand a bottle of red liquid. A potion. ¡°Drink these. They¡¯ll help with the pain.¡±


    He stared at her. At the brazenness of it. ¡°How much did they pay you?¡±


    ¡°That''s not¡ª¡± She finally dared to look him in the eyes, and there it was. The eyes of a killer. ¡°My name¡¯s Alenia. I serve the Divine Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Ria?¡±


    ¡°Dead. She¡¯s the traitor, not me.¡±


    A cold void spread through Ted¡¯s chest. ¡°My friends?¡±


    ¡°Safe. My orders were to capture you, not them.¡±


    A shiver coursed through him. The way she said it¡­ ¡°You¡¯re his Companion.¡±


    A nod. A small, tiny, nod, one that confirmed everything.


    Memories twisted into knots. Ordering Cara back to the Forest. Ordering her to get the others to safety. Ordering her to stay safe.


    How promptly she¡¯d done as she was told. How obedient she¡¯d been each time.


    How he¡¯d¡ª


    Nausea hit him like a truck. He turned away, fighting to keep it down.


    He failed.


    When it was done, bile clawed at his mind and throat. This world¡ªit was wrong. He reached for the water. ¡°How long have you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Since the beginning, before¡­¡± Her gaze dropped. For an instant, her lips quivered.


    ¡°Before what?¡±


    Silence.


    It didn¡¯t matter. Not now. Not anymore.


    She glanced at the door and slipped back into her poker face. ¡°Drink the potion.¡±


    It looked like a basic healing potion¡ªenough to ease the throbbing lodged in the back of his skull. Didn¡¯t mean it was one.


    Then again, if she wanted him dead, she¡¯d just slit his throat. He tossed the potion back, and cool relief washed away the pain.


    The pain at the back of his head, anyway. ¡°What was he like? In the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Different.¡± Her hand tightened on the hilt of her dagger and she rose to her feet. ¡°The guards will come soon. To take you to him.¡±


    There it was again, another scared glance at the door. Everything about her screamed trapped.


    Just like the slaves they''d tried to free. Just like everyone else in this blasted System.


    Just like Cara.


    ¡°How many times did he die?¡±


    A flinch. A flash of pain. Then it was gone, like it had never been there. ¡°The guards are coming. Don''t resist. They won''t be gentle.¡±


    She left.


    He was alone. Again. Always.


    Edwin hugged his knees to his chest. Closed his eyes, back in his room again.


    Except no cat. No mom. And dad¡­


    Boots echoed from the hallway. They were coming. Coming to take him.


    He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn''t fight, couldn''t cast, couldn''t run. Couldn¡¯t do a damned thing.


    Useless. Pathetic. Petulant.


    The cell door creaked open. Burly men stomped in and dragged him out. Dragged him through halls. Past painted columns. Past golden statues. Past slaves polishing marble floors.


    A left, a right. Corridors either side. Every step, every passageway had to be memorized, had to be remembered. When the chance came, he had to be ready. Ready to try and put this right.


    Mahogany double doors swung open. The guards shoved him in and slammed it shut behind him.


    Stained glass windows lined the far wall, letting color dance off the clutter of statues, wolf-skin rugs, silver chandeliers, gemstones, ivory horns, glistening trinkets¡ª


    There.


    By the window.


    Staring out.


    Him.


    A lurch in Ted¡¯s gut betrayed him, even now.


    Dad.


    Except no. No shadow¡ªnot him. Not really.


    ¡°Son.¡±


    Another lurch. A flash of joy. Of learning to ride a bike. Of before.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    Ted''s fingernails bit into his palm. Ice exploded his chest. ¡°Fragor didn¡¯t miss.¡±


    ¡°I know you''re angry.¡± The illusion turned, wearing a smile it didn¡¯t deserve. ¡°I understand. But everything I''ve done, I''ve done for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Every fiber of Ted¡¯s body clenched tight. ¡°Like abandoning mom?¡± Abandoning me?


    There. A hesitation. Another illusion feigning regret. ¡°I could have gone back. Maybe I should have. But this world needed me then, and it needs me now. You understand that, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. Why you made the same choice I did.¡±


    Her face. Her hand around a bottle. ¡°She never stopped believing in you. That you¡¯d come back.¡±


    The illusion stilled. For a fleeting instant, its eyes widened, like it actually felt something. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Its shoulder stiffened. ¡°We have a chance to do good here.¡±


    Ted gestured to the collar around his neck. ¡°You have a strange idea of good.¡±


    A wave of its hand. ¡°They have their ways. Who am I to change it?¡±


    ¡°Emperor.¡±


    ¡°A title, with its benefit, no denying that, but it carries its price. Forgive my lack of physical presence¡ªportals do not agree with the Emperor.¡±


    Treacherous hope gnawed at his stomach. ¡°You¡¯re in charge, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Less than I would like.¡±


    A flutter. Too quick to stop.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be everywhere at once, Ted. I need lieutenants I can trust. Lieutenants I can depend upon.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenants you can control. Lieutenants like Alenia.¡±


    The illusion turned to the window, to the city sprawled out beyond. ¡°That¡¯s the way the world is, son. Don¡¯t burn it down out of misplaced anger.¡±


    Ted opened his mouth. His ribs pressed in around his heart. No words came.


    ¡°The System is dying.¡±


    The weight in on Ted¡¯s shoulders rose.


    The weight of a world. The weight he¡¯d never asked for.


    The weight he couldn¡¯t say no to.


    The illusion continued. ¡°No new children have been born in fourteen years. The System can¡¯t keep going like this. Someone has to fix it.¡±


    Fourteen years. Right when he¡¯d disappeared. When the System had kidnapped him. Ted stiffened up. ¡°What do you mean, dying?¡±


    ¡°It''s running out of memory.¡±


    A wave of warmth. His father¡¯s teaching voice. Patient. Kind. Unchanged.


    ¡°No maintenance in over ten thousand years. That¡¯s why I stayed. To save these people. To save an entire world of people. You understand that, don¡¯t you, Ted?¡±


    Ted swallowed hard. The same choice he¡¯d made at the Emergency Access Panel. The choice to stay. The choice to fight.


    ¡°We¡¯re not so different, you and I.¡±


    There it was. The lie slipped in so carefully amongst the truth. ¡°You murdered Orlanda in cold blood.¡±


    ¡°A regrettable necessity, boy. You had to learn the truth. They¡¯re toys, not people.¡±


    Silence. That¡¯s all he deserved.


    ¡°You¡¯ve learned that lesson now.¡± Eric¡¯s tone softened. Another lie. ¡°I won¡¯t have to teach it again. It can be different going forward. For you. For your friends. For the people of Hallowed Falls.¡±


    A chill ran down Ted''s spine. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m offering you a place by side. Real power to make real change.¡± Eric stepped closer, his projection more solid, more real than before. ¡°Your Companion, that wood elf¡ªCara. She could be captain of your royal guard. The orc, Gramok? I''ll make him a general. And you...¡± Here it came, the bait in the trap. ¡°How would you like to be Magister of Hallowed Falls? I hear there¡¯s an opening.¡±


    Magister.


    Ted¡¯s legs trembled. Hot and cold flushed through him.


    ¡°Think about it. You could end the slave trade with the stroke of a pen. Save lives instead of taking them. Make real, meaningful change. Isn''t that what you wanted? To help people?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± His heart hammered against his ribs. He could save them. All of them. At least, those he hadn¡¯t already gotten killed in his stupid crusade.


    He could make a difference.


    Orlanda¡¯s face flashed. How she¡¯d bowed before he¡­ ¡°You can''t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t what, boy? Do what I did?¡±


    Ted¡¯s eyes welled up. He stepped forward, clenched his fists. ¡°Bring. Her. Back.¡±


    ¡°It''s too late. The soul must be caught within hours. She''s gone, boy. Nothing can change that.¡±


    A knife twisted in Edwin¡¯s gut. Another night wondering what he¡¯d done, why¡ª ¡°She was practically a kid!¡±


    ¡°I did what was necessary. That''s what leadership means. Making the hard choices so others don''t have to.¡±


    Ted growled. Stepped forward. Wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°Was it worth it? Throwing away everything just to rule this broken world?¡±


    ¡°I made a hard choice.¡± Eric stepped in, loomed large, raised his voice. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll have to grow up and make one, too, unless this world¡¯s one more thing you don¡¯t care about.¡±


    ¡°If you cared about this world, you¡¯d have fixed it when you had a chance!¡± The words came easier now. Flowed like quicksand burying Ted alive. ¡°Why? Why?¡±


    ¡°What would you have done? Rushed in, fixed the world, hurried home to the treadmill of mediocrity?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The illusion laughed. It didn¡¯t even have the decency to be a cruel laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing children like you don¡¯t run the world. Still, we all have to start somewhere.¡±


    Breaths came fast, one after another. ¡°Explain.¡±


    It circled him, eying him up. ¡°You¡¯ll learn, with time, but we¡¯ll start small. Hallowed Falls. It needs a strong leader. One not afraid to make hard choices.¡±


    A flash. Orlanda¡¯s broken body. Eric¡¯s smile.


    Ted shook his head. ¡°No. I won¡¯t be like you.¡±


    ¡°You already are. Driven. Determined. Willing to kill to do what¡¯s right. How many have you slain? How many have you gotten killed?¡± His father stopped circling, towered over him. ¡°How many more will die for your pride?¡±


    Ted stumbled backward.


    ¡°Work with me son. Stop these mindless deaths. NPCs are a currency to be spent strategically, not wasted on your own foolish personal crusades.¡±


    ¡°Strategic? Is that what you call it?¡±


    Eric stepped back. ¡°I overreacted. We can¡¯t afford for you to be attached. Not now that you have to be the one to decide.¡±


    Thoughts of all those people relying on him flooded through Ted¡¯s mind, urging him to take the bait.


    No. Not this time.


    Silence stretched out. A reprieve. A break.


    ¡°The Destroyer is growing more powerful. The dungeon spawn threat will only accelerate. Ragnarok will soon be upon us. What are you doing to change that, besides trashing my plan to save this world?¡±


    The Emergency Access Panel. Locking him out. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Had a plan, yes. A plan fourteen years in the making. You better hope I find a vulnerability in the System, boy, or you will have the deaths of an entire world on your conscious.¡±


    Ted scrambled back. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, you know that? Thrashing around with no concept of how you hurt those around you.¡±


    Ted shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t be your tool.¡±


    There it was. That look of failure. At sports. At making friends. At being normal. ¡°Then you''ll have to learn the hard way. Guards!¡±


    The door burst open. Guards stomped in, grabbed Ted by the arms.


    ¡°Take him to the slave pens. Let him see the cost of his principles.¡±


    ***


    The guards shoved Ted forwards. He stumbled, catching himself on one of the iron bars that stretched from floor to ceiling. A sea of dead eyes stared back at him. Slaves. Victims of his pride.


    His nose crinkled. The stench of unwashed bodies and despair lacked the punch of the sewers, but it cut deeper to his soul.


    A child caught his gaze. The kid, no more than five or six¡ªwait, no, sharp ears¡ªbroke into tears.


    Another shove. ¡°Keep moving.¡±


    Ted pushed on, trying not to look at the faces pressed against the bars. Hollow-eyed, desperate faces, staring at him, their hope burned away to ash.


    Alenia walked stiffly alongside him, her gaze fixed ahead, her hands trembling slightly. Yet she did nothing about it.


    Commotion erupted ahead. Guards dragging a bloodied man, kicking and screaming. The collar around the man¡¯s neck lay dormant. Dead.


    A lump formed in Ted¡¯s throat. One of the many slaves he¡¯d saved.


    ¡°Enjoying playing the Hero?¡± Alenia whispered. ¡°He''ll hang at dawn.¡±


    Ted''s chest caved in. Staring at the truth, the reality of his petulant failure, it was impossible to deny.


    The guards shoved, punched, kicked the slave until he collapsed, then threw him into a cell. A separate one, filled with other bruised and battered slaves.


    A final stop before the gallows.


    Ted''s fists curled up. They were paying the price for his pride. Just like Orlanda. Like Cara.


    Like this entire world would.


    Alenia leaned in. ¡°The old Eric¡ªbefore¡ªhe never would have allowed this.¡±


    He glanced at her. What was her game? ¡°Then help me.¡±


    ¡°I cannot betray the Emperor. I must keep him safe. If he dies, he resets completely. His buffs, his bargains with Death, his levels¡ªall of it gets wiped clean.¡± She pulled away, settling back into cold composure, and gestured to the guards.


    They shoved Ted forward. He went, conserving his strength. If what she said was true, then there was a chance.


    A chance to save him.


    A chance to save the world.


    The guards opened an empty cell and hurled him in. His knees hit the bare dirt and the bars clanged shut.


    What did it matter? He stared out at the souls he¡¯d condemned to suffer. At the victims of his pride.


    And for what? Principles no one else gave a damn about?


    Time stretched by, unmarked by anything but screams and sobs and the sight of more battered rescued slaves being penned in for their final night.


    He closed his eyes, but the sounds remained. The smell endured. The sights burned in his mind.


    Ted?


    His heart skipped a beat. The connection was weak, so faint he could barely hold on to it, but it was there. It was hers.


    We¡¯re coming.

 Chapter 26, Volume 2

    Cara shuffled forward. The manacles chafed against her wrists, and the right side of her face ached from Gramok''s blows.


    The prison''s jagged steel walls loomed overhead, and rows of impaled heads stretched out around it. Passing through the black metal gate thicker than a handspan, the plan felt rather more reckless than it had in the tannery basement.


    Ten, no, eleven guards in the lobby alone, not even counting the soldiers bringing in fresh prisoners. Or the three bored clerks overseeing proceedings from behind obsidian desks raised so high that, even seated, they were a head above her.


    A far cry from ¡°lightly defended."


    Vines twisted around her soul. It would be okay, it had to be. Nammu wouldn¡¯t be right behind them if this was suicide.


    They¡¯d find Ted, rescue the prisoners. Save the day. Make it all right.


    Gramok shoved her forward. She dutifully stumbled like a broken figure. At least no one was giving them a second glance. Not yet, anyway.


    At the front of their line, two soldiers wrestled with a male minotaur, manacled and soaked in blood. He roared, breaking free from one''s grip and headbutting the other, his helmet ringing with a clang.


    A round of blows from the soldiers made Cara''s insides clench, and the minotaur fall silent.


    Two guards hovered nearby, watching, waiting to do as they were told.


    The clerk¡ªan orc girl a few years younger than Gramok¡ªclutched her quill like a shield and peered down from behind her desk. ¡°Crime?¡±


    ¡°Murder,¡± grunted one of the soldiers, struggling to maintain his grip.


    The prisoner spat on the ground. ¡°<i>Triple</i> murder.¡±


    The clerk checked over her notes and made a few scribbles. ¡°Throw him with the condemned. He can hang in the morning.¡±


    One of the guards stepped forward and held the prisoner¡¯s head steady. The other grabbed a slave collar from a bin full of them and snapped it around his neck.


    The calming was instantaneous, like watching a Lookout ordered to stand down.


    Except Lookouts had a choice. This¡­


    Another guard stepped forward and dragged the now compliant prisoner away. The line inched forward, and business proceeded smoothly. Two recaptured slaves, sent to general cell A. An arsonist, to the condemned. Two thieves, sent for whipping and release.


    Cara¡¯s fingers itched. Her legs begged to move, her entire being urging her to make a move. To strike. To end this forsaken nightmare.


    Not yet. They had to stick to the plan. Trust it. Be patient.


    Another recaptured slave. A wood elf this time. Another squiggle, another dispatched to general cell A.


    This was it. The front of the queue.


    Gramok shoved Cara to the ground and stepped up to the desk, his helm visor still down. Even raised as the desk was, he peered down at her, exuding an air of superiority that made Cara¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°Another of your rebels. I¡¯ll need a receipt, and the collar code.¡±


    The clerk finished scribbling before she looked up at him. ¡°Your name?¡±


    ¡°Sir Kadora,¡± he said, cramming more contempt into the words than seemed possible.


    Cara stiffened up. His actual name? What in the Deep-Forest was he thinking?


    The two guards hovering beside the desk glanced at each other. Like they knew the name.


    The clerk merely looked down at her notes. ¡°Ah. Yes. I see you flew in today.¡±


    Flew in?


    Gramok froze up for a fleeting moment, before settling into a stiff posture. ¡°Be quick. The Emperor¡¯s gold isn¡¯t paying me to dawdle with peasants.¡±


    The clerk straightened up. ¡°Yes, sir. Crime?¡±


    ¡°Theft from the Emperor. I¡¯m to personally deliver her to the Imperial cells.¡±


    ¡°Very good, sir.¡±


    One guard placed his hand on Gramok¡¯s shoulder and incanted a spell. The other grabbed a collar and advanced on Cara.


    Her jaw clenched, and she glowered up at the guard. His face was blank, his eyes dull. Just as helpless as the rest.


    No. He had a choice, he just wished he didn¡¯t.


    The metal collar clicked around her neck, and a calm settled over her. It would be okay. All she had to do was obey.


    Above, the guard¡¯s hand dropped away from Gramok. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose we¡¯ll get to see your¡ª¡±


    ¡°I''m not here for your amusement,¡± Gramok snarled, snatching the receipt out of the clerk¡¯s hands. He grabbed Cara by the back of the neck and hauled her to her feet. ¡°Move!¡±


    She stumbled forward, doing as she was told. It felt good. Easy.


    Simple.


    The next group¡ªNammu¡¯s¡ªmoved up. ¡°Crime?¡±


    ¡°Rebels.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The faint rasp of quill against parchment came instantly. ¡°Summary execution. Emperor¡¯s orders.¡±


    Gramok¡¯s grip tightened and he froze, jerking Cara to a halt. This wasn¡¯t the plan.


    Not that it mattered. The will of Emperor was to be done.


    Hot breath tingled against Cara¡¯s ear. ¡°Eskaroth.¡±


    Fire roared through her veins. She spun.


    The two rebels disguised as soldiers that Nammu had brought froze up. Those two guards lazily drew their swords.


    The plan was dead. So were they, if they didn¡¯t do what had to be done.


    Cara glanced at Gramok. Instant agreement, no discussion required.


    Adrenaline surged. She yanked her daggers from Gramok¡¯s belt and flew at the closest guard. One strike to the neck, one to the face.


    He dropped. A scream came from near Gramok, the sound cut short by a gurgle. Nammu and her crew burst into a rolling tide of violence.


    Cara launched herself at the next guard. Parry, strike, duck, close, blade through the jaw, move on to the next.


    The guards never stood a chance. By the time they¡¯d come to their senses, only one remained. He brandished his sword and backed away, heading for the exit.


    Gramok tossed Cara her bow and an arrow. Her fingers closed around the wood and tension fled.


    She drew, aimed at the gap under his helm, loosed. Ended another cog in everything that was wrong with this city.


    That left the three clerks, each standing with their hands in the air.


    ¡°Please,¡± whimpered the clerk who¡¯d sentenced the rebels to death. ¡°We didn¡¯t choose this.¡±


    Cara¡¯s nocked another arrow. They¡¯d chosen this job. Chosen to do as they were told.


    The rebels hesitated, looked to Nammu. Waited to be told what to do.


    It was a small motion. A tiny shake of her head.


    The clerk¡¯s eyes widened. Her fist closed and fell.


    Rapid Shot. The hand slowed. Cara drew her bow, raised it, aimed for the heart. Took the shot.


    Direct hit. Too slow. The fist struck the desk.


    An alarm blared. The other clerks screamed, briefly.


    Kalkarka! Soldiers would be swarming this place soon. Real soldiers, ready for battle.


    Gramok shook his head and passed Cara the rest of her gear. ¡°Code¡¯s Eskaroth,¡± he yelled, heading for the Imperial cells.


    Behind them, Nammu barked out orders, and the gate screeched shut.


    Cara took off after Gramok, nocking another arrow. ¡°We did what had to be done.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± His tone was about as convinced as she was. ¡°Let¡¯s get Ted and get out of here.¡±


    They hurried deeper on, past packed cells. Past the withered, broken souls huddled at the back of their cages. Past collared slaves facing a life in chains.


    This wasn¡¯t their fight. Nammu would handle them. That¡¯s what they¡¯d agreed.


    She was here for Ted.


    They rounded the corner, straight into the path of two guards, halberds in hand. The guards charged.


    Her pulse raced. She put an arrow in the left one¡¯s gut.


    He kept coming. Swung at her left side.


    The bow clattered against the floor. Her dagger came up, parried his strike¡ª


    His feint.


    She jumped back. Too late. Agony cut through her right forearm. It fell loose to her side.


    The other guard¡¯s sword clanged against Gramok¡¯s armor. Gramok endured the blow, his greatsword already swinging for the neck, ending the duel in a single strike.


    Cara¡¯s opponent darted forward, lunged.


    She turned, deflected, slid up the shaft.


    The guard stepped back, halberd twisting into another strike.


    Gramok struck the back of his neck, dropping the guard to the floor, and finished him off with a thrust.


    Adrenaline faded away, and the pain flared up. Time to heal.


    She cast her mind back to Jeremy''s instructions, repeating the steps exactly as he''d showed her again and again. "Lunaeka."


    ¡°You okay?¡± Gramok asked.


    She forced out a nod. "Tight quarters. Not ideal." She glanced at the headless corpse. "Not for me, anyway." What if she wasn¡¯t enough? What if she couldn¡¯t do this?


    What if she was just going to screw everything up again?


    She sheathed her daggers and nocked another arrow. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Cara snuck ahead. Behind them, screams and shouts rose. A riot in full swing. Maybe the Resistance stood a chance afterall.


    Maybe.


    Movement! Cara slowed and pointed at the white-robed mage leading four soldiers.


    These soldiers moved with purpose, wore thicker armor, hefted around those shields like they were nothing. They had proper gorgets and everything. No easy neck shots here.


    Her chest tightened. Even discounting the mage, they¡¯d be dangerous foes. With the mage? Ouch.


    Yet¡­ they were heading away from the lobby, away from the screams.


    A chill ran down Cara¡¯s spine. There was only one thing here more important to the Empire than putting down a rebellion.


    Gramok turned to her and they exchanged gestures. There wasn¡¯t any choice. They¡¯d have to take out that patrol.


    Cara snuck up to the next corner. Damn it, she was right. They¡¯d taken up position a hundred paces further down, outside the only one with a single inhabitant.


    A lone human curled up into a ball.


    Her heart stuttered. <i>Mind on the job, Cara.</i>


    Only one way they were winning this. She drew, aimed at the mage¡¯s head, activated Sniper Shot, let the ability build.


    Thorns ripped at her insides. If they spotted her, if she missed, if she didn¡¯t take him out¡ª


    She breathed out, and loosed.


    The arrow flew true, struck his temple, buried itself in the mage''s skull in spite of a flash of teal.


    The mage dropped like a stone.


    The soldiers turned. Teal sparked and crackled around them, their Protection magic shattering, and they charged.


    Her shoulders tightened. This was it. She nocked another, firing again and again.


    Gramok clanked up beside her, slung his shield down, and drew his mace.


    The lead soldier¡¯s charge faltered.


    Another arrow loosed. Another glance off his breastplate.


    Gramok smashed his shield into the soldier, followed by a mace to the face. The crunch dug under Cara¡¯s skin.


    She dropped her bow, drew her daggers, and dove in, parrying blows and hunting for gaps that didn''t come.


    ¡°Kangrat handarn!¡± Gramok¡¯s taunt echoed out, drawing their attention.


    The human looked up. Ted!


    Agony stabbed at Cara¡¯s chest.


    Focus! She pulled back, clutched her side, parried another blow. Even if she could land hits, their armor would turn them. She had to draw it out, give Gramok time.


    Another crunch. Another face smashed in.


    The two remaining soldiers backed up, formed a shield wall. Too slim to be orcs or minotaurs. Too graceful to be human. Too rigid to be wood elves. High elves, then.


    Cara stood up straight. Pain seared in her side. Later. She¡¯d feel it later. ¡°Surrender. Fall back. Whatever. Don¡¯t care¡ªdon¡¯t throw hundreds of years of life away for this.¡±


    They took a step back, the twitching of their helmets betraying frantic glances.


    Gramok raised his mace and advanced. ¡°Your choice.¡±


    The one on the left raised his shield to cover his face. ¡°Emperor¡¯s Orders, sir.¡±


    Cara sheathed her daggers and pulled on her mana. She weaved it into fire magic just as Jeremy had shown her so many times. ¡°Enkir''girk-polak!¡± she hissed, and flicked the fire against the wall.


    The two soldiers backed away three steps, then broke into a run.


    Gramok turned to her, barely holding back a chuckle. ¡°Fire-starter training spell?¡±


    A smirk broke through, despite everything. ¡°It worked," she said, stepping forward and lifting the keys off the mage''s corpse.


    The cell door swung open easily. Ted''s head was slumped again. He didn''t look up.


    Cara rushed forward. "Eskaroth." She grabbed his collar and pulled.


    It refused to budge.


    "Eskaroth!" Still nothing.


    Ted lifted his head, met her gaze with dull, dead eyes. "Leave me."


    Aidan flashed in her mind. She grabbed Ted''s arms and pulled him to his feet. "Not a chance."


    He swayed but stayed upright, and shook his head. "Go¡­ save yourself."


    A growl forced itself out. Stupid Ted! Stupid collars! Stupid Empire! "Gramok, carry him."


    Gramok shook his head. "Without his magic, we ain''t getting out of here alive."


    Ice flooded Cara''s veins. "We don''t have the Imperial command word."


    A pause. Gramok hefted his greatsword over his shoulder. "Don''t need one."


    Cara gritted her teeth. The collar was solid metal, doubtless enchanted to the roots. Her hand fell to her dagger, and she froze.


    Gramok''s unyielding gauntlets pressed against her arms. She turned away, letting her push her aside.


    A woosh of air. A butcher''s crunch. A dull thud. A final whump.


    The clanking of metal armor. The click of metal against metal.


    It was done.

 Chapter 27, Volume 2

    Darkness.


    Endless darkness.


    Ted rubbed the back of his neck.


    Tried to rub the back of his neck, but found nothing.


    He looked down, not that ¡°down¡± had much meaning here. Nothing.


    No body. No light. No sound.


    Nothing.


    ¡°Death!¡± His shout vanished into the void.


    A voice pressed into Ted¡¯s mind. Ready to do what needs to be done?


    ¡°Yes.¡± A chill ran through Ted. Cara, Gramok¡ªthey needed him, now. ¡°Offer your bargain already.¡±


    So eager. Mist swirled and formed into a skeleton cloaked in a billowing back robe and hood, clutching a scythe. ¡°Dying is becoming a bit of a habit for you, Crown Prince.¡±


    Ted¡¯s fists tried to clench, but he had no fists to clench. ¡°I know what I need to do now. Let me finish this.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± The Grim Reaper floated closer. ¡°A choice. Telepathy magic, or your guilt.¡±


    Ted stared into the black pits of Death¡¯s eye sockets. Telepathy magic? ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°The bargain has been offered.¡±


    Shit.


    Affect. Alert. Communicate. Farsight. Invisibility. Message. Telephone. Visibility. ¡°I need those spells to get this done. To free you.¡±


    Cold, unforgiving bone stared back.


    The end was close. And when it was done¡­ Well, he had an idea about these bargains. Maybe it would work. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t.


    Besides, what had guilt ever done for him anyway?


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ted said, ¡°take my guilt, and send me back.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Death drew back his scythe¡ª¡°Good luck, Hero¡±¡ªand swung.


    ***


    Ted gasped back to life. He found himself standing outside his cell, staring down at his decapitated corpse.


    His stomach turned. At least it had been a quick death.


    Cara and Gramok stood outside the cage of the condemned. The cage¡¯s occupants¡ªaround a dozen or so, all collarless¡ªpressed up against the bars begging for release. The other cage nearby, a larger one, was already open. A horde of prisoners cowered up against the back of that cell, even though their collars lay discarded on the floor.


    There were less of them than before. Some of them must have chosen to fight or flee, at least.


    Gramok¡¯s visor was still down, while Cara stood staring at the condemned, talking them down while clutching her bow like a shield.


    Ted rushed at her.


    She turned at the last moment. Her eyes lit up. Her hands flew out and caught him in an embrace.


    ¡°You came for me,¡± Ted said, the words tumbling out without thought. ¡°You came.¡±


    ¡°Always.¡± Her hug tightened. ¡°Nammu¡¯s here. They¡¯re holding the entrance.¡±


    One of the prisoners, a male minotaur covered in blood and bruises, banged a rock against the cell bars, triggering a dull ringing through the metal. ¡°Gunna let us out to play already?¡±


    Ted kissed Cara on the cheek and pulled back. ¡°Yeah. We got a key?¡±


    Cara glanced between them, her expression souring. ¡°He¡¯s a murderer. Lots of them are.¡±


    The minotaur spat on the ground. ¡°They had it coming!¡±


    Weight pressed down on Ted¡¯s chest. ¡°Killers are what we need right now.¡±


    ¡°Not like this,¡± Cara said.


    Ted frowned. This wasn¡¯t the time to be picky. ¡°What did he do?¡±


    The minotaur¡¯s upper lip curled back, revealing a row of ivory teeth. ¡°Killed a mage. Ripped his head clean off.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame you,¡± Ted said.


    Cara gripped her bow tighter, her knuckles whitening. ¡°Killed his kids, too.¡±


    ¡°Witnesses.¡± The minotaur shrugged. ¡°What you gonna do?¡±


    Ted glanced back towards the entance. No sounds of battle, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before the full might of the Empire descended. ¡°We can¡¯t sit here and play judge, jury, and executioner.¡±


    ¡°Jury?¡± Cara asked.


    ¡°It¡ª¡± Ted paused, and shook his head. ¡°Release them. All of them.


    She hesitated.


    There wasn¡¯t time. ¡°That¡¯s an order.¡±


    Cara scowled but stepped up and unlocked the cell. The prisoners shoved the door open and began to barge through.


    ¡°They¡¯ll need weapons,¡± Ted said. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t mind getting my gear back.¡±


    Gramok grunted, and gestured further into the prison. ¡°Armory¡¯s that way.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ted took two steps forward, stopped, and turned to Gramok. ¡°Thanks for the rescue.¡±


    Gramok shrugged, glancing back at the cell Ted had been in. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Ever, ideally.¡±


    Ted¡¯s neck tingled. Probably best he couldn¡¯t see Gramok¡¯s expression. ¡°Right. You should go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Gramok hefted his greatsword over his shoulder and took the lead, striding deeper into the prison, toward an unadorned oak door a hundred yards down. He ignored the locked cells on either side, each full of prisoners, their collars already discarded. Most of them huddled at the back, but a few¡ªmostly those will meat still on their bones¡ªgathered around the doors, clamoring for freedom.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Ted followed Gramok closely and buffed him up with Armor and Absorb. In close quarters, he¡¯d be nigh unstoppable, unless they ran into any more high-level Dark mages.


    Behind them, Cara darted from cell to cell. She opened each one and imploring the prisoners to join or flee. A few followed, more fled, most stayed. Hard to blame them. Mercy wasn¡¯t a quality the Divine Empire held, and Ted doubted the soldiers would stop to clarify if they were combatants or runners.


    Gramok drew close to the oak door and broke into a sprint. At the last moment, he turned his shoulder, slamming into the door with the sharp crack of wood giving way. He barrelled through, roared, and swung his greatsword. A scream followed.


    Ted readied a Firebolt and charged through into a small stone room.


    Two guards¡ªone motionless on the floor, the other cowering behind a shield, backing away toward a reinforced metal door glowing with Protection magic.


    The guard¡¯s shield did nothing to stop Firebolt cooking him inside his own armor.


    Ted looked around. The barren walls were formed of smooth dark stone that could only have been crafted with magic. Rune and enchantments were set into them, giving the walls a powerful teal and blue haze.


    The only ways out were back the way they¡¯d come, or through the metal door ahead. The door had no handle, and equally powerful magic radiated from it.


    Gramok stepped up to the door and hammered on it. ¡°Open now, and you can leave in peace.¡±


    Archeologist¡¯s Sight tingled. Something wasn¡¯t right. Tightness coiled around his chest. Shit! There was only one reason to have a room like this. ¡°Everybody out!¡±


    Too late. Boiling water poured from the murderholes above. Screams erupted.


    Pain seared at Ted¡¯s scalp. He jumped to the side, pressed himself face first against the wall, and stared at the silver rune set into the stone.


    The Portals element was far too big. Too complex. Not that he had time for that.


    He turned and watched Cara corral the panicked prisoners out the door. Gramok took up the rear, shoving them out, and glanced at Ted.


    Ted shook his head, activated Stealth, and turned back to the rune. How best to keep a room safe from prisoners? Make it impossible to get to.


    Above, fire roared into life.


    Ted probed deeper into the rune, reading the Zelnari components that handled Portals magic. There! Extra lines. An exception to the Portals nullification field, and a trigger to send someone up. He pressed his hand against the rune, and activated it.


    The world lurched. Another stone room. He spun around¡ªtwo soldiers, plate armor, no helmets, one stoking the fire, the other peering down through the floor. They turned and stared, frozen.


    Mind Over Body. Adrenaline shot through Ted. He darted forward at supernatural speed, drawing the left soldier¡¯s sword before the bastard could even react. Parried the one on the right, slashed his face, drove the blade through the left one¡¯s eye.


    Heart racing, he smashed the pommel into the nose of the remaining soldier.


    The soldier screamed and staggered back clutching his face.


    Ted lunged, thrusting at exposed throat.


    The blade hit bone. The soldier gurgled. His hands fell away, his eyes went wide, and he slumped to the floor.


    Broken breaths escaped Ted¡¯s throat. He glanced around the equally spartan room. No doors, no windows, no more threats.


    Ted dropped Mind Over Body and studied the magic lining the walls. One of the runes set into the back wall, the one directly above the heavy metal door, was larger than the others. He stepped up to it and studied its extra code. It received a magical message, processed it, and then sent a signal down through a magical conduit.


    Great, a lock. Ted tried a few combinations, but nothing worked. He headed back down, caught the others up, and returned with the key Cara had taken.


    Still nothing.


    He stared at the stupid rune. There had to be a way. Whoever had designed this place¡¯s security clearly hadn¡¯t given much thought to protecting it against mages. What if¡­


    It couldn¡¯t be that simple, could it? He pressed his hand against the magical conduit, drew a point of mana, and pushed it at the conduit.


    The mana flowed around the channel, dissipating into the wall.


    Ted took a deep breath and pulled on ten, twenty, thirty mana, and forced it all at the conduit.


    Again, mana flowed around the channel, almost all of it turned aside from the path leading down.


    Almost all.


    A single spark of mana flushed down the channel, and metal creaked below. Giddy lightness flared in Ted¡¯s chest. He bounded over to the teleportation rune and returned below.


    The prisoners were already in the armory, picking through the assortment of weapons and armor. There weren¡¯t any more guards inside, it seemed.


    Gramok and Cara stood in the first chamber, keeping watch over the only way in or out of the armory.


    Cara turned and smiled. ¡°Nicely done. Jeremy would be proud.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ted said, chuckling. ¡°Doubt he¡¯d show it though.¡±


    More prisoners shuffled in, daring to check out the armory now it was cleared.


    Ted joined them in looking over the haul. Rows of decent armor and weapons¡ªjust what the rebels needed¡ªbut no magic other than a single lock on a steel lockbox at the far end.


    Ted stepped up to it, pressed magic into the lock, flicked it open, and briefed a sigh of relief. His trusty falchion. The wood elven bow. Milo¡¯s axe. It was all here. He pulled together his equipment, and headed back to Cara and Gramok. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to go. We can fly out. There won¡¯t be any mages watching the walls right now.¡±


    Gramok nodded. ¡°Make sure we¡¯re invisible. That Dragonknight is¡­¡± Gramok hesitated, and turned away. ¡°It would be better if we avoid him.¡±


    ¡°The rebels need us,¡± Cara said, glancing between the two of them. ¡°We can¡¯t just turn tail and run!¡±


    Ted¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°We need to stop my father as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Once we take this city, the rebels can help fight him.¡±


    ¡°No. They can¡¯t.¡± Ted sighed. ¡°Gramok, you¡¯ve got our backs, right?¡±


    Gramok chuckled, but there was a grimness to it Ted hadn''t heard in him before. ¡°You¡¯re more than a brother to me.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll help me fight the Divine Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Gramok said, in a deadpan tone. ¡°He¡¯s the Divine Emperor.¡±


    Cara stared at Gramok like he was an alien, then at Ted, then Gramok again.


    Ted took her hand, pulled her closer, met her frantic gaze. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones who can stop him. Me, and my Companion.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed and her lips quivered.


    ¡°You,¡± Ted said, ¡°and your Hero.¡±


    A smirk poked through her scowl. ¡°Fine. Lead on, Hero.¡±


    Ted nodded to Gramok, and Gramok led them back past the cells and into the lobby. Dull thuds pounded against the barred gates of the prison, while rebels taught freshly armed prisoners how to fight.


    Nammu was among them, talking in hushed tones with a stiff-backed high elf. The elf had a magical greatsword slung across his back, a scar on his right cheek, and the grim expression of a man who¡¯d faced worse odds before. Her lieutenant?


    She caught sight of them and dismissed the elf before hurrying over. ¡°You¡¯re off?¡±


    Ted nodded. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    And that was that. Gramok led them up the stairs, past the bloodied corpses of imperial administrators. Two flights up and a corridor led them out onto a small balcony.


    Blue and red flowers lined the edge of the balcony beneath archways engraved with carvings of beasts and inset with silver runes. The archways shone with magic of various kinds, all of it directed outward.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Ted said, pointing to the runes. ¡°See those? Anyone trying to sneak in or out this way would get cut to ribbons.¡±


    Cara half-scowled, half-smirked. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to help the rebels after all.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Ted peered out and down at the veritable army gathering in the plaza below, and cast Farsight. ¡°At least twenty mages, dozens of soldiers, maybe a couple of hundred guards.¡±


    Cara¡¯s shoulders slumped, and the fire in her eyes faded. ¡°They¡¯re gonna die,¡± she whispered.


    They don¡¯t have to. Ted¡¯s heart clenched. Real power to make real change.


    Cara pulled him into a hug and buried her face in his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s our fault.¡±


    Ted closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and he stroked her back.


    Was being right worth this?


    He pulled away, pulled on his mana, focused on the idea of Alenia, and cast Communicate. She had to be nearby.


    A mind bristled against his. Ready to negotiate?


    Ready to take over my city.


    A pause. He needs to know you''ve learned your lesson.


    Ted took a deep breath. I¡¯ve learned what matters.


    Have you now? Alenia said. One of our prisoners was most elucidating. We know about Nammu.


    Shit.


    Nammu¡¯s head on a spike¡ªand the city¡¯s yours.

 Chapter 28, Volume 2

    Ted reached back out, but Alenia was gone. No point reconnecting¡ªhis father wouldn¡¯t change his mind.


    her


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I¡¯m bringing her out in a moment.


    Good,  Ensure she¡¯s collared.


    Emperor


    If this goes wrong, don''t try to rescue us.


    Remember what I would have done to win. Do what needs to be done, Ted Tolabar Soa¡¯roaska.