《Packwick Chronicles》


 Book 1, Chapter 1

    "Hellcats," said Darius. A tall man with broad shoulders as he lifted an axe from the now severed neck of a large cat-like creature. He dragged the flat of an axe blade across the dead animal''s fur before sheathing it in an equally massive sheath across his back. "Too clever for their own good."


    "Woe to the day they learn that playing dead doesn''t work against adventurers." Said the Professor, a figure wrapped in blue robes. He knelt before the separated Hellcat heads and grinned. "I bet these would sell; mages always look for ways to dress up their constructs."


    "I''ll have lootboy grab everything that isn''t bolted down, maybe even some of the stonework," Darius said. He walked to a wall, pulled out a dagger, and carefully dragged the tip where the stones met. The four walls were covered in grey stone with black plaster between them, creating a grid-like pattern. The dagger did not damage the mortar or whatever they used to line the room.


    "Are you looking to replace the rocks in your head?" Sirah said in a soft feminine voice from the shadow of a massive stone creature''s corpse. Her all-black clothing creates the illusion she is nothing more than a shadow against the wall when in light. "Even if we could take the stones, I doubt anyone would want to buy them."


    "We don''t have to tell them it is from a prison," Darius said. He swapped the dagger with a different one. A dagger coated in sparkly bits of something, but it scratched the black mortar, leaving a little dust on the blade. Darius inspected the tiny line he made in the wall before licking his finger and tapping it against the black dust. Rubbing it between two fingers, he couldn''t feel anything recognizable about the grit; even a quick taste with his tongue yielded nothing.


    "Sure, we can just say we bought a castle and decided to move it to another location," Sirah said.


    "The time to¡­" Prof was interrupted.


    "Leave the walls," said Tristan. A kneeling figure wearing plate and chain armor covered every inch of her except an oval from which her face poked out. She stood up, the metal and chain ringing and a mace hanging from a thick leather belt at her waist. Tristan''s tabard covered her chest plate and almost down to her knees; it had seen better days, dark grey in spots and frayed on the edges, splots of blood. Her face furrowed but lacked any shadows from the light she radiated. "These prisons were built by powers we don''t understand."


    "They could be magical, possibly even..." Darius carefully examined the wall, checking if his sparkly dagger could damage the grey blocks. He rubbed the tip of the blade between his fingers to feel if anything had been scratched off; nothing.


    "We leave them; if the dead gods decided to keep them, then we should tread carefully." The glowing figure closed her eyes, and the light expanded, flowing through the open doorway and lighting up the hallway and previous rooms behind them. Even if we send all the occupants to their final judgment, there is a chance we''ll miss something, and I don''t want to grant early release to something that''ll terrorize the countryside."


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    "Or worse, we may need these again if the veil gets torn open again." The Professor added as he scratched an itch on his neck.


    "Alright, I''ll get the lootboy." Darius was interrupted by a glare from Tristan. "Er, Tobian, to start gathering everything here." He sheathed his dagger and seemed to deflate a little.


    "Darius, remember, a measure of a man''s chara," Tristan started to say but was interrupted by a wave of both hands from the tall fighter.


    "Yeah, I know. Not only is he a member of our group, but he is a valuable asset. I, you know, it''s hard to get over¡­." Darius looked toward the doorway, away from his group. His eyes were unfocused as he relived a memory only he could see. He shook free from the memory and straightened up. "I mastered the Gorathian mansplitter, and I can master overcoming my predispositions."


    With a short nod, he turned and headed through the open doorway and over multiple battle scenes. A room filled with giant beetles, each as large as a man, and another room where tentacles stretched out from the wall before the group managed to sever them into little ineffective pieces. Each room was a battle with the former occupants who''d escaped their cell and killed the jailors but hadn''t been able to get past the magically locked doors. He waded through three stairways and eight rooms of carnage before getting to a massive open space with several broken marble chairs.


    Kneeling in the middle of the room was a young man. Not as tall as Darius, but taller than Tristan or the Professor. He wore some poorly fitted clothing with patches and a sleeve that didn''t match the other. Around his waist was a belt with a dozen small pouches and bags tied tightly. On his back was a larger pack that looked like it weighed more than he did.


    Multiple rocks, a broken sword, a dozen arrows, and a dented bucket lay scattered around him on the floor. The items had no pattern or order; if Lootboy hadn''t been there, Darius would not have noticed them.


    "Darius, is everything ok?" the young man stood up quickly. He had a measuring string in one hand and looked like he was getting the distance between two rocks. "How may I serve?" He gave a little bow.


    "Loot, er, Tobian, no need for such," Darius waved a hand at the young man. "We have cleared several rooms and would like to start gathering stuff."


    "Certainly," Tobian stammered. He quickly gathered up a couple of rocks and the sword with a blade broken off about three inches from the hilt. The items, along with the measuring string, disappeared into a bag.


    "Loo¡­" Darius sighed, "I''m sorry. Let''s go. I think the last level has a dragon, and I don''t want to miss the fight." With a tilt of his head, Darius motioned the lootboy into the next room. Without waiting for him, he stepped into the next room.


    Tobian quickly hurried after Darius, leaving behind the bucket, arrows, and some paper with numbers written on it.


    Multiple bodies of hogmen lay scattered throughout the room. The half-man, half-pig creatures were not moving, and while Darius was intrigued at the possibility of getting some bacon or delicious meat out of them, he remembered Tristan, the healer, would not look kindly.


    "Ya ever see a centaur, but instead of a horse, its pig?" Darius muttered as Tobian walked into the room. "Me either, but Tristan said we are leaving the meat."


    "Darn, bacon would have sounded good for breakfast, regardless of the source," Tobian said as he walked up to the first corpse and started pulling off the weapons and armor from the creature.


    Darius nodded in agreement as he stepped over a small puddle of blood to get closer to the door leading deeper in. He pulled out his battleaxe, the head almost as large as his chest. The previous owner was a giant from a fight years ago. Standing near the door, he watched the entrances while waiting for the lootboy, er Tobian, to get anything of value from the corpses.


    Thump! Darius hit himself in the chest once he caught himself thinking about Tobian with any name other than Tobian. Deciding he''ll fix this how he fixed any bad habit, he would promise himself twenty pushups with full gear on for every time he slipped up. One way or the other, he fixes his weakness.

 Book 1, Chapter 2

    Tobian allowed his vision to unfocus. Two different views as if he crossed his eyes until one of the images had an outline of light blue around anything magical. Slowly, his vision refocused as his eyes saw beyond the edge of reality. Auras of magic cluttered his view; the residue from where Darius''s axe had been and everywhere the staff Tristan held had touched the ground¡ªbits of the walls where a ball of fire had exploded against it, still smoked with some magic.


    A thump interrupted his concentration. He looked over at Darius, who was just staring at a wall with murderous intent. With no further word or action from the fighter, Tobian returned to his task.


    Going from corpse to corpse, Tobian carefully pulled out anything that popped up on the magical spectrum. The item or type was not his concern; he would pick it up and put it into one of these magic bags if it was a toothpick. He would put it in his massive backpack if it didn''t fit in the bag.


    "How long do you think it took them to realize they would have to enchant all the walls?" Darius said. He was scratching at a wall with a dagger again.


    "I''d guess a dozen; I doubt they would have constructed them one at a time. Started with ten or twelve; bet the Professor knows." Tobian said as he paused in his scavenging. Occasionally, he would have to use a stick to shove or turn a corpse over so he could see anything under it. He ignored the gore and ichor attached to some of the items, knowing they would clean it off when they examined everything in detail later. If something were gold or silver or some jewelry, he would grab it as well. One of the group''s best loot hauls was when Tobian snagged a dozen rings that, while not magical, were each inset with a stone they found a shop willing to pay lots of coin for.


    "Did the professor want this?" Tobian pointed at the hairless dog corpse that he recognized as a fel-hound. It would have been shoulder height to Tobian if it had been alive. The creature looked almost unscathed except for the bruising around its neck.


    "I don''t know. Snag just in case if you can." Darius said. The fighter quickly scanned the room before stepping toward the door. "If that''s it here, let''s move; I think there was some acid elemental. I know they want to collect as much as possible."


    Tobian pulled out a large red sack from his backpack. Carefully, he placed it on the floor with the mouth as wide open as possible, then produced a small shovel to lift part of the dead creature and slide the bag around it. The container filled up as he pulled the edges of the bag around the rest of the beast. Once inside the bag, the large dog took up about as much space as a house cat. Tying the opening shut, Tobian tied the red sack to his backpack but kept the shovel out.


    Underneath the Fel-hound, Tobain saw a large silver ring. It was wider than his handspan and wasn''t jewelry, but it also showed up on the magical spectrum, and Tobian knew what it was. He carefully placed it inside a non-magical pocket to store it.


    A quick scan of the room showed nothing else of magic or interest remained. "Clear," Tobian said. He followed Darius through the narrow doorway. The hallway widened, and the walls looked to have holes, even a large opening in the ceiling. An acrid odor dominated the air. Tobian paused to look at it, and about the same time, Darius looked to ensure Tobain was still following.


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    "Trap, the acid elemental flowed through there; there are some gutters along the side if you can try to collect some of it," Darius said, pointing to the left and right. The light from the previous room didn''t illuminate the sides, keeping them in shadow. "Carefully, I think, was the word Tristan used also. If I can help, let me know."


    "Can you lift the grates?" Tobian said, pointing at the slitted floor.


    Darius knelt down and grabbed a section with his hands. As he tried to stand, he grunted, and the muscles in his arms and neck bulged, but the flooring did not move. He pulled out a thick crowbar and wedged it the best he could, but still, the flooring didn''t move.


    "I cannot; we could ask the Professor on the way out if you can''t get anything."


    "Let''s see what I can get," Tobian said. He knelt down and couldn''t see anywhere he could fit his arm through. Standing back up, he looked at Darius, who shrugged in silent reply.


    "I guess we ask the Professor?" Darius said.


    "We¡­" Tobian interrupted himself as he had an idea. Slipping back into the magical spectrum, he spotted that the metal grates were all magical on top, but there were smaller grates on the bottom of the walls that were not magical. He worked his way over to the left side first. He pulled out a lantern from an inner pocket to illuminate the area. Multiple metal grates lined the wall, using the shovel, Tobian lifted one of the grates and saw some greenish bubbling liquid underneath. Pushing the grate high enough to stay in place, he set the shovel down and reached into his backpack.


    After several seconds of searching, he pulled out a long pair of tongs and a couple of glass vials. He placed one of the vials in the tongs and scooped some bubbling liquid. After acquiring some, he set the vial down to the side and carefully put a new one in the tongs. It took a couple of tries to get a significant amount into the second vial and even longer for the third. After a few minutes of scooping, he managed to get five vials from each side. The acidic vapor had slowly started eating at the stoppers when he put them in, so he hurriedly placed them into a magical container.


    "Will they be ok?" Darius said but didn''t offer any help. Tobian looked at the fighter and was going to say something, but he noticed a few holes burnt into the fighter''s armor.


    "I think so; the magical bags kind of suspend things when placed in them," Tobian said as he stored the lantern back into a bag but left the still acid-covered tongs on the ground. "The last thing I want is to pull those out of the bag by the wrong end." He added when Darius glanced at the tongs on the floor.


    "We can grab on the way out," Darius said. He pulled out a waterskin and poured some on the tongs.


    With a nod, Darius tilted his head toward a hallway leading to a dark room. Tobian grabbed his torch and followed as best as he could. A couple of rocks and corpses dotted the pathway, but he hopped over them since they didn''t appear as magical.


    The next room was pitch black. Tobian held up his torch and tried to see if it allowed him to see anything. He couldn''t see the torch, his hand, or Darius. Switching to the magical spectrum only showed him the glowing stones at his feet. The circle of black closed in until he couldn''t see even his magical boots. Tobias opened his mouth to say something, but as soon as his lips parted, something sucked out his breath.


    Clamping his mouth shut, he waved the torch around, trying to burn whatever enveloped him. He couldn''t move the arm with the torch very well, as if something was holding on and preventing him from using the torch. After previous seconds of no reaction, he reached his free hand to his face and felt for something covering him, but felt something soft like velvet covering his face, but not his hand.


    With a sense of trepidation, he carefully reached a hand into one of his magical pouches and thought about one of the vials of acid he''d just stored there. When the glass vial was around his hands, he pulled it out of the bag and removed the stopper. Waiving the top of the vial near his face, he could feel the acidic vapor singe the hairs in his nose and burn some skin. The darkness disappeared as his torch lit up the room. He involuntarily gasped a few times as his lungs demanded fresh air.


    Tobian found himself in a well-lit room. Darius was close to a far wall, a black shadow wrapped around his hand as he repeatedly punched the stone. Another dark shadow rested against a nearby wall, Tobian waived his torch to verify it wasn''t a shadow from him, and before the creature could move, he threw the vial of acid at it.


    Loud screeches echoed from both sides as one creature burned and the other corresponded to thumps against a stone wall. The screech from Tobian''s shadow pulled Darius''s attention. The fighter saw the burning shadow creature and smiled as he strangled and stretched his assailant as if it were taffy.


    "Good job, see you''ll be an adventurer yet!" Darius said between laughs and grunts. The shadow creature he had soon ripped apart into two separate shadows, then torn into other fractions of the whole.

 Book 1, Chapter 3

    Several rooms later, each without incident and with even more loot, Tobian and Darius joined the group in a larger room. The stone walls were broken up with little cells inset into them. Wooden doors were wrapped with metal bands, and a window was covered with a webbing of metal bars so tight that not even a chicken egg would fit through.


    Tristan and the others were sitting in a room at the other end of the entrance, a large office with furniture still in usable condition. Sirah sat in the main chair, resting her feet on the desk. The Professor, wrapped in blue robes, floated in the air as if sitting on an invisible chair with a large book open. Tristan sat on the stone floor with her eyes closed and lips moving as she prayed silently.


    Tobian lifted a large silver ring he held in one hand and started walking toward the blue-figured figure.


    "Professor, I found one of your premade circles," Tobian said.


    "Did you put it in one of your bags?" the blue figure said without looking up from his book.


    "No, I held it the whole time, even ensuring it didn''t accidentally scrape against a wall or get bent!" Finally, Tobian lifted the hoop higher as if offering it to a being of greater power.


    "Ha, scratch it." The Professor looked up from his book. Glowing blue eyes with white pupils stared at Tobian. The grey goatee surrounding his lips moved a little as he smiled. "I''m glad you followed my directions and found this. Thank you, these are not cheap."


    Faint blue light illuminated the ring as it lifted itself from Tobian''s grasp. Then, the ring disappeared, only a ruffle of the Professors'' robes indicating where it went.


    Tobian, however, still had his magical vision running; he saw a trail left by the ring as it flew across the room to the wizard but ended on the man''s hand. Under the cover of the sleeve, he could make out a glint of silver.


    Shaking off the magical display, Tobian started heading around the room, looking for loot and items to put into his various holding bags. Several bodies of cats that looked like their skin was made of molten stone simmered as they lay upon the rock. The magic controlling or sustaining them has since been extinguished.


    "Is there anything I should look out for to stow?" Tobian said as he carefully used his shovel to roll one of the hellcats'' bodies over. The stone floor underneath remained in perfect condition. "These stones have some powerful¡­."


    "No, leave the stonework." Tristan''s voice filled the room as if speaking from every corner.


    "Ok, just checking."


    Slowly moving around, he picked up a few daggers, swords, and a crossbow. Of all the bodies in the room, he didn''t see any that would use the weapons. Before heading into the office, he checked the cells and even the hallway, where everyone else rested. The room could have been more interesting, with some scattered papers, and while the desk and chairs were not magical, they looked well made.


    "I can''t store the furniture, but if you want to take them, you could probably make a few coins," Tobian said.


    "Na, we''d have to drag it, and it would just scuff it up into worthlessness," Darius said. "I thought they had a dragon. Did you see any secret doors, Sirah?"


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    "Nothing. I searched the desk twice, and there was no secret key or button. Maybe the hallway has a hidden door," Sirah said from her relaxed position in the chair.


    Tobian went around and gathered what he could. There wasn''t much in this room, as the creatures that had been kept here were not weapon-carrying types. He collected a few paws, teeth, and a tail, just in case.


    "All done," Tobian said as he finished putting a stone cat paw into the backpack.


    The group got up from their various places of rest and started back toward the prison entrance. As soon as Sirah moved from the main chair, the magical enchantment on the stonework behind her came into view. Somehow, wherever she was, something hid magical energy from his ability.


    The enchanted wall stopped in the center, and a perfect rectangle stood in it. Tobian walked up to the wall and carefully started feeling around the stone, which looked normal.


    "Tobian, you ok? It''s just magical rocks; we can get you some if you want." Darius said as the group looked at the Tobain from across the room.


    "Not magical though, the one spot in the whole prison without¡­." Tobian said as he still ran a hand down the side of the normal stone.


    CLICK!


    The stone wall fell open under his hands. It opened as if mounted on a hinge, revealing another room with bones scattered across the floor. Tobian managed to hold back an explicative as he stood in the doorway. His magical sight revealed everything in the room, several bits of fabric and weapons on the ground, several skeletons in various states, and a chest against the wall.


    The large wooden chest didn''t glow with magic, but magical energy seeped from inside it through the cracks or ill-fitted joints.


    "Guys, there''s a chest in here," Tobian said as he stepped forward. Behind him, several voices told him to stop, but he continued. A magically trapped chest would have set off his vision, and an illusion would still reveal some detail, giving it away. The dream of being an adventurer returned to him as he moved toward the chest.


    "Just gonna open it," Tobian said. "You guys still do what you want; I never get to be the first." His heart was racing as the thrill rose inside him. He reached a hand out and lifted the top of the chest open.


    No treasure was inside the chest, just rows of teeth and a long snake-like tongue that wrapped around his neck and pulled him into the open maw. Pain shot through him as the teeth sank into his shoulders and the tongue tightened around his throat. His left hand was also caught in some of the creature''s back teeth.


    Panic! He tried kneeing the chest to try and get it to release him. The several packs he wore on his back and shoulders prevented the creature from closing the top half on him. His lungs screamed for air as the tongue choked him. His heart pumping a million times a minute, he instinctively reached his right hand into a bag on his belt. He put two fingers inside. Thinking of the acid vial, it appeared in his fingers. He fumbled a little to uncork it with one hand but got it open.


    With the chest monster''s mouth stuck open, Tobian could quickly pour the contents of the acid vial into the gaping maw. The creature gargled in pain, as did Tobian, as some of the acid hit and burned against his head.


    The top half of the creature stopped pressing down upon Tobian. A strong hand lifted him from the maw just before a massive axe crashed into the creature''s mouth. Magical energy wrapped around Tobian, lifting him up, and he floated away from the fight as the group finished off the beast.


    "Idiot, I can''t believe you survived," Sirah said as she cut the side of the creature''s mouth, taking away its primary weapon.


    Cold water splashed over Tobian, and then even more cold filled him as energy coursed through his body. Tristan slowly moved her hand over Tobian, infusing every cut or scratch with healing magic.


    "I can''t do anything about the hair, but maybe it''ll be a good lesson," Tristan said.


    "Sorry, I wasn''t trying to take anything; I just¡­ wanted to be an adventurer," Tobian said as he tried to calm himself down.


    "Someday, we''ll make an adventurer out of ya, but not today," Tristan said.


    Tobian looked up at Tristan and the rest of the group. He caught several smiles except for the Professor.


    "You know how much one of these intact sell for!" Professor yelled as he pointed toward the wood, flesh, and teeth pile.

 Book 1, Chapter 4

    Years ago, a battle was fought in the middle of a forest. The winners or losers of the battle are lost in history. During that battle, something created a massive fireball that scorched the ground along the game trail, creating a clearing where the sun shone down onto the ground. Standing in the middle of this clearing, a young man stood, one hand touching a bag tied to his waist, the other held in front of him, palm down.


    Tobian focused his mental might and everything he could into pulling a rock out of a bag of holding.


    Plop, a rock emerged from a bag and flew six feet before hitting the ground.


    Thump, a heavyweight, pushed into Tobian''s back and knocked him to the ground, right on top of the rock he''d just summoned. "Sorry, I didn''t realize you had stopped," Tristan said as she reached down to help Tobian.


    "It''s alright. I shouldn''t have stopped right on the path. I managed to throw a rock six feet from my bag of holding," Tobian said with a wide grin.


    "I can throw a rock forty," Darius yelled twenty feet ahead of Tobian.


    "He meant pulling it from the bag without touching it," the Professor said as he caught up to Tobian. That is more than last time. I take it you''ve been practicing."


    "Yes," Tobian put the rock back into the bag of holding and, this time, held the bag with the opening pointed upward. He focused on it again, and the rock flew up out of the bag a couple of feet before falling to the ground. Despite trying to jerk the bag to the side, Tobian could not catch the rock in it.


    "Can you do that with other objects?" Sirah said. She casually tossed a key from a dozen feet away. The key flew through the air and gracefully landed inside the bag.


    Tobian looped the bag onto his belt, focused on the key, and called to it. The key lept out of the bag, hitting the ground about six feet away.


    "Does the bag have to be on you?" Sirah said.


    "I don''t know," Tobin said. He unlooped the bag and handed it to Tristan, who took a few steps away. Tobian couldn''t mentally locate the bag, but he tried to call out the rock he''d placed in there earlier.


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    Nothing.


    Tristan stepped up and handed Tobian his bag. When it was a foot away, the rock flew out and thumped against Tobian''s chest.


    "Okay, new rule: You stay at least a dozen feet away from me and my gear," Sirah said.


    "I must know what is in the bag I''m pulling; I haven''t seen it go there. I don''t think anyone can remove unknown items from a bag." Tobian looked toward the Professor, who shrugged.


    "So much knowledge has been lost." The Professor chewed on his bottom lip for a second before continuing. "Who knows what items are still adrift in the pocket dimensions of those bags."


    "I wonder what treasures are hidden in the bags on ya." Darius had walked up to Tobian and poked a finger at the bags hanging off Tobian''s belt. "I think we only searched them for gems and gold. Hey Professor, is there a way to empty the bags without destroying them?"


    "Yes, turn them inside out." The Professor said.


    Tobian pulled one of the magical bags off his belt and quickly flipped it inside out. As he pushed the bottom through the opening, he heard the Professor yell, "NOOO!"


    Hundreds of items appeared out of nothing. Several rocks and pebbles fell, hitting a few feet, but none were large enough to cause damage. Some flint and steel, two dozen torches, three lanterns, eight small books, and a dozen skeletons of small animals from rats, cats, small lizards, and a frog. As soon as the skeletons hit the ground, they collapsed into a small pile of bones.


    Several gemstones of various qualities, a small bag that jingled as it hit the ground, daggers, swords, two loaded crossbows, dozens of bolts and arrows, a shield, and even a battle axe.


    "Sorry, sorry, sorry," Tobian said as he quickly picked up the items and stuffed them back into the bag. A gentle hand grabbed his wrist as he was working on the torches.


    "It is okay; this is a part of learning. Thankfully, nothing explosive or acidic was in a breakable container," Tristan said as she gave Tobian a comforting smile. Plus, this is an excellent chance to perhaps catalog what we knew and didn''t know was in there. Like the gems, they could help fund some charity the next time we are in a city."


    Tobias looked around at the group. All he had put into that bag were the rocks, daggers, and swords. The other items, as far as he knew, were basically free stuff for the group.


    Together, they put everything but the broken skeletons back into the bag. Sirah handed Tobian the two loaded crossbows and didn''t take her eyes off them. With the small bag that jingled, the Professor opened it and counted the coins inside.


    "We have three hundred gold," the Professor said before tying the bag closed and placing it in one of his magical pouches. He also handed Tristan the gems to hold onto.


    Everything was back in place. Tobian scanned the ground to ensure he didn''t forget anything, even snagging a few extra rocks to put into the bag. Everyone started moving again. This time, Tobain kept up with the Professor to ask some questions as they walked through the forest.


    "Professor, I have questions," Tobian said as he maintained pace with the spellcaster.


    "The skeletons were not mine," The Professor said.


    "Not that, about the magic of the bags. If I fired a crossbow in the bag, would the bolt be held in suspension?" Tobin said.


    "I''m not sure, but I ask that you do not try it with those bags. If you tear one of them, all the items will spill out immediately."


    "What about the Pickwick ability? Could I trigger a crossbow inside the bag to fire?"


    "I''m not sure. If we were in Shuma, I could ask Magister Lucius. He studied the talent when he was younger, but even then, I''m not sure he knows. People with your ability often hid it, as it was highly prized before the war."


    "And now?" Tobian glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was following them.


    "Now, it''s a novelty because few ever develop it to its full power. I read a text once of a Packwick who carried the supplies of an army, eliminating the need for dozens of horses and wagons. Some people have the world in their hands metaphorically, but you," The Professor stopped and looked at Tobian with a smile. "You truly have the whole world in your hand. Or could."

 Book 1, Chapter 5 A

    The next day, with the sun still low on the horizon, the forest stopped, almost a straight line as miles of grasslands opened ahead of them. The path they had been following diverged, following along the treeline. Darius and Tristan instead walked into the grasslands, leaving a large swath of grass, and plants were trampled for the rest to follow.


    Tobian followed, carefully watching his steps as the grass blocked his view of the ground.


    ¡°Just move, try to place your feet in Darius¡¯s or Tristan¡¯s footsteps.¡± A voice said to him from his right. There, mostly obscured by the grass that was taller than her, was Sirah. The darkly clad woman smiled, then disappeared as she rushed into the grass, barely leaving any trace of her passing.


    Tobian stared where she had been, then quickly shifted his vision into the magical spectrum. Most of her gear didn¡¯t register for some reason, but her boots did this time. Each of her footsteps leaving a small glowing footprint showing which direction she¡¯d gone. As he followed the path he saw it looped around over to his right side. Turning he looked right at her smiling face.


    ¡°How¡¯d you track me?¡± Sirah said.


    ¡°Your boots leave a slight magical trail.¡± Tobian said. He looked at where she had been, the magic had mostly faded and was barely visible now. ¡°Very slight, in a few minutes I wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.¡± He said as he turned back around, but she was gone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, she is just used to being able to disappear whenver she wants.¡± The Professor said.


    ¡°How does she hide the magic items on her?¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°Ironically through magic. There are ways to enchant items to not give off an aura, but even the best efforts can forget a small detail.¡±


    Tobian shifted his vision back into the magical to look at the Professor. The wizard glowed with energy as if every cell in his body was enchanted. His robes and clothing also gave off a decent glow, but a few rings underneath his clothing glowed even brighter, shining through even the fabric.


    Blinking away his talent, Tobian followed the path before him. They trudged through the grass for miles, the woods getting further away as the trees huddled close to the mountains. Luckily the path Darius had tread was mostly smooth, the only times he had nearly tripped was due to a thick grass stalk, rather than any holes or dips in the ground.


    Around midday, when the sun was past it¡¯s zenith, the path of trodden grass stopped, opening to a small clearing that looked to be recently made. Tristan, Sirah, and Darius were sitting on the ground, with the latter chewing on a piece of jerky. The Professor only a dozen steps behind.


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    Tobian reached into his packback and pictured in his mind a footlong piece of cut wood he¡¯d stored in it, when the log appeared he quickly set it down on the ground so he could use it as a chair. The Professor smiled and walked over to Tobian.


    ¡°You got another log in there?¡± The Professor said.


    Tobian reached in and pulled out another piece of wood for the Professor and a third in case someone else wanted an actual seat. The Professor carefully drew a circle in the piece of wood, causing it to grow larger until it was five feet long and three feet wide. It thumped to the ground, and he sat on it, offering Tristan extra space.


    ¡°Could store a whole dining set in there,¡± Darius said.


    ¡°I probably have a full dish set; remember when we found the table with the enchanted plates?¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, the plates that kept your food warm. I''m surprised those didn¡¯t sell. My mom would have killed for those,¡± Darius said.


    ¡°You can give them to her as a present,¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°She would,¡± Darius¡¯s face lit up at the idea, and then, like a storm cloud covering the sun, his face darkened. ¡°No, no, she wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Tobain opened his mouth to say more, but a shake of Tristan¡¯s and the Professor¡¯s head kept him silent. Even the wind and sounds around them seemed to quiet, as if the grasslands recognized the awkward moment. The group finished their food in silence.


    Looking around as he packed up his log, he spotted the top of a mountain in the distance to the East. The peak was two spires of equal length jutting into the sky. The hills around it didn¡¯t seem as familiar, but he only remembered seeing the Twin Spires poke out of the clouds.


    ¡°Is that Twin Spires peak?¡± Tobian said, pointing.


    Darius didn¡¯t look in that direction as he was still silent from the earlier conversation. Only Tristan looked in the direction Tobain pointed.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on the west side of the Spine,¡± Tristan said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not too far from home,¡± Tobian said, looking East as if he could see through the mountains. Well, if we didn¡¯t have to cross the mountains, that is.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to swing by there soon. There¡¯s a rumor of a dragon hidden in the mountains. Sirah is looking for tracks and markings, and who knows, maybe there¡¯s a mining town we could stop at and do some trading.¡± Tristan said. Maybe even one with a temple to the nameless god.¡± She stopped abruptly, looked away, and wiped her eyes.


    Tobian looked around, hoping someone would offer a comforting word or suggestion; after a few seconds of nothing, he tried to deftly change the subject.


    ¡°What is a dragon like?¡±


    Tristan looked up and smiled at Tobian, the lines around her eyes visibly wet. ¡°Sweet child, you don¡¯t have to change the subject from my dead god to spare my feelings. The tears are from more than just sadness; they are from love. The nameless one loved his followers so much that he chose to heal us at the expense of his own self. He spent the last of his strength to ensure we won the fight. Because of him, thousands lived that day, and because the prayers are still answered, thousands more are healed.¡±


    ¡°What was he like when you fought with him?¡± Tobian said. Mentally, he envisioned a massive giant of a man stomping across the battlefield, slaying hundreds of demons with each mace swing.


    ¡°He was,¡± Tristan closed her eyes as she remembered two decades prior.

 Book 1, Chapter 5 B

    Twenty Years Prior


    Tristan knelt next to a dozen dead bodies soaking in a pool of blood. The faces of each contorted in horror, each missing at least one limb; one unlucky fellow had none attached. Twenty feet to the left, a large wheel with eighteen spokes and on each spoke a hand and foot attached to a wheel that still slowly rolled around. As the wheel rolled over the bodies on the ground, the wheel turned, and a hand or foot, as it came down, would hit, kick, slap, or tear at the bodies under it.


    Tristan focused briefly on tightening the rope that held her shield to her arm, the straps long broken, the cracked and chipped shield. Battered, but was better than nothing, like herself and the men behind her.


    Fifty feet behind the wheel, a giant demon sat on a throne made of living people. With one hand pointing out, he directed the wheel back and forth across the battlefield.


    Tristan and the dozen warriors behind her watched the scene for several seconds. Behind her, the sound of someone wretching rose above the slight under the resonance of agony.


    ¡°Marcus and Thera, stop the wheel. The rest of you are with me.¡± Tristan said before she ran to the demon.


    She crossed the battlefield quickly, ignoring the crunching sounds and sometimes the squishes that occurred. She resolved to heal anyone still alive, but healing would only prolong suffering until that demon was dead.


    The demon looked at her and only raised an eyebrow at her charge. With a wave of their hand, they directed the wheel in her direction. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it rolling and bounding to her.


    A net flew out from behind Tristan and wrapped around part of the wheel. Weights tied to the ends of the net wrapped around the spokes and limbs, tangling itself in the contraption of suffering.


    The demon stood up from the chair and flexed its massive wings, blocking the sun and making the world feel dimmer. With its left arm, an absurdly long arm that dangled almost to its feet, it reached down and picked up its chair. Groans of pain and cries emanated from the furniture as the demon lifted it up to use as a weapon.


    Tristan lept the last dozen feet, her magical boots and leggings helping her jump up to eye level with the demon. With her shield in her right arm, hammer in her left, and faith in her heart, she swung at the creature''s face.


    THUMP! AAaahh, the cluster of living beings slammed into Tristan¡¯s shield, the impact throwing her thirty feet to the side. She landed hard on her left hip and skidded through blood-soaked dirt. Her shield hand numb, she could not keep a hold of the shield, not that it would have helped much. The strike had broken what remained of the shield; bits of hair, flesh, and bone stuck to the jagged metal.


    A grey blur flew by as one of her comrades was thrown from another strike. Several new screams of agony rose above the normal dim of battle. As Tristan focused on the demon, she noticed the club was crafted from living beings and had a new lump attached. The grey robes of her order fluttered as the demon swung their weapon around.


    ¡°Nameless one, bless us and give us all strength to defeat this demonic creature,¡± Tristan shouted before slamming her numb hand to the ground and raising her hammer in the other.


    Power surged through her as little lightning bolts spread out from her across the ground, each seeking one of her cohorts and friends. One bolt even leaped up and hit the poor soul stuck to the creature¡¯s cruel weapon.


    Standing she checked to see how Marcus and Thera were doing, it looked like they had dismanted the wheel and were working on circling flanking the demon. The creature uttered a cruel high pitched cackle as it reached a hand casually to its club of living creatures, easily tearing off an arm of someone stuck in it. It waved the arm in a circle, the blood magically hanging in midair as it cast a spell. Upon completion, the severed arm exploded, scattering blood across the ground in a fifty-foot cone.


    Several of the soldiers that were preparing to attack got some of the blood on them. They paused and frantically tried to brush the blood off as if it was some acid, but when nothing burned or happened, they regained their composure and closed on on the demon.


    The ground where the blood sprayed started quivering. Torn limbs and several body parts began moving as if given a mind of their own. Five hands and a foot attacked Thera. She batted the first couple away quickly, but soon, a hand leaped onto her armor before crawling toward her head.


    Tristan ran to her friend, winding up her hammer when she got close, swinging and hitting the hand right as it got to Thera¡¯s shoulder. The hand went flying off into the distance.


    Several other soldiers kicked, stabbed, and stomped on the various animated body parts while the others closed in and took exploratory strikes against the demon.


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    As the demon swung its living club, Tristan rushed in to get close to the creature. Swinging her hammer up, she scored a hit in the creature¡¯s armpit, rewarding her with a loud crack. The impact was like hitting stone, but she managed to hold onto her hammer as she tried to move away from a backhand response.


    The creature did spin around, however instead of hitting Tristan with it¡¯s open hand it swung the living club around.


    The large mass of tortured people swung around at Tristan, level with her face. She was still twisted from her last strike and knew if she dropped down, the club would simply crush her against the ground. The tortured screams of people stuck to it filled her ears. Knowing it may be her last prayer, she raised a hand and simply asked the Nameless god to bless the poor people trapped on that demonic weapon.


    The club slammed into her hand, but instead of crushing her or knocking her back, white light filled the air and created a barrier between her and the club. Suddenly, the masses trapped on the weapon also glowed with a white light. Thier wounds healing as the blessing of a god covered, comforted, and healed them.


    A wave of glowing light travelled down the club as it stretched to cover all the victims attached to it. As the light reached the Demons hand, the creature screamed in pain and it dropped the weapon.


    Above the battlefield, in the darkest hour, light filled the air. Thick clouds hung high in the sky, but another light filled the horizon, turning the whole battlefield into a bright day. The sound of something snapping and then wobbling echoed, then popped.


    A new chorus of pain and agony filled the air, but this came from the demons and devils. The demons before Tristan fell to a knee and raised a hand up, trying to block the light out from its eyes. A shadow covered the demon''s hand, then started growing until it almost covered the whole demon. The creature looked up in time to see a body falling.


    Thump! A sizeable armored figure fell from the sky and landed upon the demon, crushing the demonic face with the chest plate. The impact caused the person to bounce after flattening the demon. The figure was left sprawled on the ground face up, but the helmet and chestplate were deformed and flattened.


    Tristan figured the fallen figure was dead, as the fall would have killed anyone else, so she ran to the freed people from the club. She carefully checked to make sure they could move, in one case a person with a missing foot, she handed them a spear from a nearby corpse to use as a cruch. She pointed away from the battlefront, where she knew medics were waiting. Several of the people started hobbling off, and four stayed. They looked around for weapons and started looking for another demon to attack.


    ¡°Good hunting,¡± Tristan said as she turned to look at the fallen figure. At least she could pray over the corpse to make sure they are welcomed into the arms of the Nameless God for their sacrifice.


    The landing had deformed the armor, giving Tristan trouble locating straps to unhook it. She turned the figure over, and saw the backplate had two holes for wings in it, as well as two bloody stubs of wings twitching. An angel, she gasped as she located a large crack in the armor, but no seam or strap to remove it.


    ¡°Marcus, can you help me remove this armor?¡± She called out as she tried to get a grip on it, straining to rip the armor apart with her bare hands. She prayed for strenght, but knew that physical strenght was not something her god provided.


    Marcus stepped up, one hand holding his glasses, the other using a small piece of cloth to clean it. He put his glasses on then stared at the fallen figure.


    ¡°I can¡¯t save them if you can¡¯t,¡± Marcus said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the ability to heal them, but I can ease their suffering and pray they get to the nameless¡¯s realm. It¡¯s the least I can do after they saved us.¡±


    Marcus nodded and reached out to the armor. He placed a small golden circle on the armor and drew some runes and symbols around the edge of the circle. A moment later, the runes and the circle glowed and then went dark. Marcus plucked the ring and made it disappear within his robes.


    The metal armor sagged on the figure. Tristan grabbed two parts of it and pulled, the metal stretched like taffy, before tearing and was cast off the body. Tristan rolled the figure over to see the eyes open and a slight smile on the mans face.


    ¡°By the nameless one true name,¡± Tristan said as she placed a hand to cover her mouth and one over her heart. ¡°Have we lost? Is there no hope?¡± Tears started welling in Tristan¡¯s eyes.


    Marcus blinked several times as he looked upon the face of the Nameless god.


    The figure shook its head and briefly it¡¯s whole body glowed. The color of its skin slowly changed from a light gray to something more light brown. With a cough that contained probably more blood than air, the figure pushed itself up to an arm but fell back down.


    ¡°I closed,¡± the figure paused as thier whole body tensed up before relaxing a little. ¡°The veil.¡±


    Tristan quickly pulled out a bottle of holy water and started sprinkling it around the figure, but the other body, blood, and body parts made the task difficult. She tried clearing some space for the circle.


    "Sit up, I can''t draw a good circle around you lying down." Tristan pulled their god¡¯s shoulder, trying to move them upward. She had a quarter of a circle drawn in the blood-soaked dirt. The deity shivered and strained but was unable to sit up. Echoes of the dying and injured fill the silence of death. "Heal yourself enough to sit up, and I''ll take it from there."


    A wave of power, refreshing energy filled the cleric, the sound of agony around them dimmed as healing energy premerated the air, healing everyone, except the fallen god.


    "why didn''t you heal yourself?" Tristan said as energy filled her.


    "Others suffering,¡± the Nameless god said.


    "More are going to suffer if you don''t sit up; we can''t have you die on us. If you die, who will look after us?"


    "You," the Nameless god said, taking a deep breath and smiling. Peace filled his face. A wave of power erupted from the corpse. Several soldiers who were injured and even missing some limbs healed and regrew toes and fingers. Across the battlefield, demonic screams replaced the wailing and suffering. Even as those wails faded, a new sound echoed across the battlefield¡ªthe sound of victory.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Marcus said as he looked around. No demonic forces joined the fight; somehow, the seal had been closed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find a new profession.¡±


    ¡°What teach? That¡¯d be hilarious, Marcus the Professor.¡± Tristan said as she wiped tears from her eyes. The corpse of her god had turned to ash and was starting to drift away. She tried to grab a speck, but it danced around her hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how we won,¡± Marcus, the Professor, said.


    ¡°Not sure we did,¡± Tristan said

 Book 1, Chapter 6 A

    Darius beckoned Tobain and Tristan into a cave. Tristan''s light filled the area enough that Tobian could see bones and remains of various creatures and people along the walls. He gulped down the bile that rose in the back of his throat.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tobian screamed in alarm but quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. In one back corner, a large dark furry form slept. Tobian guessed it was probably the size of a horse. He nudged Tristan and whispered, ¡°Bear.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s asleep; you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Darius said loudly from ahead. ¡°Sirah gave it one of her sleeping draughts and said it¡¯ll stay asleep for a day or two.¡±


    ¡°A, a, day or two. Hopefully, this place isn¡¯t too big.¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°Hiding the entrance in a cave of a predator is an excellent cover,¡± Tristan said. ¡°When these prisons become harder to find, checking caves like this would be an excellent idea.¡±


    ¡°If the demons haven¡¯t escaped in twenty years, then wouldn¡¯t just leaving them in the prisons be ok?¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°We cannot leave them there to rot,¡± Tristan said. Considering they are essentially immortal, that would be cruel. No prison is infallible.¡±


    In the back corner of the cave, near a large rock, the tunnel narrowed enough that the walls scraped against the packs Tobian was carrying, but he could push through. Until he emerged into an alcove that was only big enough for four of them to fit, leaving Darius standing in the narrow passage.


    ¡°Sometimes I wish they made these locks more difficult,¡± Sirah said as a click sounded deep within the rock. ¡°I bet Darius could pick it with his axe.¡±


    ¡°Hence why, they also included the divine aspect. While not foolproof, it helps ensure someone doesn¡¯t accidentally wander in.¡± Tristan said as she dropped to a knee and closed her eyes. A glow filled the air around her, reaching the door until the runes on the door lit up.


    The door opened bringing with it the stench of rot and stale air. Sirah disappeared through the door first. Tristan stepped to the side to allow room for Tobian to move out of the way of Darius.


    Darius squeezed by and rushed through the door with his axe in hand.


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    ¡°Undead dragon!¡± Darius screamed from the darkness. A solid thunk, the shattering of bone followed, and the sound of a large man stumbling over some bones.


    A slow, mocking laughter interspaced with almost a second between each laugh filled the silence. Tobian stepped back so Tristan and the Proof could go in and deal with whatever sinister creature felled Darius. Tristan stepped forward, and the glow of her lighting and filling the area shook her head as she stepped in.


    ¡°Sirah, that isn¡¯t funny,¡± Tristan said.


    ¡°You should have seen his face when I dropped the skull from the ceiling,¡± Sirah said from inside.


    ¡°Do you guys know how much an intact dragon skull is worth!¡± the Professor said. He stomped in after Tristan.


    Tobian leaned against the stone wall, watching for the sleeping bear. He moved a little to the right, where he couldn¡¯t see the bear but could see the opening of the secret entrance.


    A cool breeze blew past Tobain and out into the bear cave. Tobian turned toward the prison entrance and couldn¡¯t see inside. Thick fog rolled out the doorway, causing Tobian to move a little closer to the wall as the cloud rolled on by, towards the cave.


    Tobian sighed once the room cleared. He peeked into the antechamber and could see the Professor standing near the statue in the middle and occasionally glimpses of Darius and Tristan.


    Shadows danced along the walls and the hallway as spells and various things ignited or lit up the room as the group fought some unknown entity.


    Pickwick quietly backed up while summoning a sword from one of his bags. Standing there with his back to a wall, Tobain held the sword up, waiting for the shadow or something else to be in range for a strike.


    Click! A slight sound of a rock falling on another rock echoed deeper in the cave, near where the bear was sleeping. Tobian jumped a little and reflexively stabbed with his sword. His sword skipped off the stone, sparking and chipping the wall.


    A loud roar from the cave echoed throughout. Tobain remembered the fog and looked through the hole in the wall leading to the cave.


    Black and fur slammed against the stone, an open maw of teeth gnashing inches from Tobian¡¯s face. Glowing blue mist leaked out of the creature''s eyes as it violently thrashed against the tight stone hallway.


    Under the enraged bear, bits of stone and dirt fell from the walls as the creature broke off or loosened bits as it tried to push itself toward Tobin.


    Standing still, Tobian did the first thing that came to mind. He stabbed with the sword. The blade missed the bear¡¯s head, but as it whipped its head up and down, it sliced open part of its cheek on the blade.


    It roared in pain and rage. Tobian¡¯s ears started to hurt, and he stabbed at the bear again. The bear managed to dodge the blade and work a paw under it. Slowly, the creature managed to wiggle its head and shoulders up and tried to swipe.


    Tobian dropped his sword and grabbed one of his bags. Hoping it was the correct bag, he lifted it and mentally summoned a large rock he¡¯d stored in it for a makeshift seat. A second later, a large boulder half the size of Tobian burst forth with momentum that carried it forward enough to clear the bag and a few inches.


    The bear reared back to avoid getting crushed by the rock as the stone settled in the crack.


    Tobain reached for another bag, hoping the glue was in it as well, concentrating he tried to summon it into his hand.


    Nothing happened. He tried again, but still no glue. Quickly, he swapped to another magical bag and this time reached in. Thinking about the glue, he felt something in his hand and pulled it out. A little jar half full of amber liquid appeared in his hand.


    Tobian took three steps back, then threw the jar where the stone and the wall met. The glass shattered, and the liquid slowly dripped down the wall and the stone, coating everything it touched. Each second passed and the liquid slowed until it didn¡¯t move anymore.


    Hoping the glue was stone enough to keep the bear back, Tobian sighed in relief before reaching down to pick up his word. A roar behind the stone and the paw still trying to swipe from under the stone convinced him he didn¡¯t need the sword. Turning around, he walked into the hallway, hoping they were done with whatever or someone could help him deal with the awakened creature.

 Book 1, Chapter 6 b

    ¡°Bear!¡± Tobian said as he entered the larger antechamber. The group focused on a creature with six tails, each ending in a six-pointed barb. Tristan knelt near Darius, who, while standing, was cupping a hand over a bleeding hole in his side. The Professor waved his hands like a musical conductor, and ghostly tentacles attached to the walls and floor waved around, mimicking his motions. Sirah was nowhere to be seen, but Tobian knew that usually meant she was near and working.


    The Professor glanced at the packwick but maintained control of the spell. Tobian tried to mime a giant bear and pointed out the door but only got a shake of the Professor''s head in reply.


    Tristan stood up after a brief flash of light, and she ran toward the demon with a large hammer raised.


    Darius glanced at the Professor and saw Tobian. He made a shooing motion to get him to leave. Tobian replied with his bear impression. Darius put two hands to his head as if sleeping briefly before his eyes widened. Darius grabbed his axe and ran toward Tobian.


    As he reached Tobain, Darius pushed him out of the way. As if the packwick was a tumbleweed, Tobian flew several feet across the room, the pack softening the landing.


    Like a turtle on its back, Tobain struggled to get back to his feet. Glancing toward the entry, he saw Darius struggling to swing his massive axe around. The warrior scraped and hit the stone walls more than he hit the bear. The creature alternated between standing on its hind legs and swiping at Darius¡¯s face to lunging on all fours at his legs and midsection. Both were bleeding from hits, but the bear didn¡¯t slow down.


    ¡°Professor, need help,¡± Darius called out. Tobian stepped back so he wasn¡¯t in the way of the Professor.


    The wizard glanced over to Darius and, with a sigh, stopped waving his hands around. The tentacles he was controlling slowly faded into nothing. The Professor pulled out a copper ring from within his robes and threw it up in the air. The ring floated in the air as the Professor quickly drew arcane runes and lines of power. A trail of blue light followed his finger as he etched magic into the air. With a swirl of his hand with the last bit, the Professor yelled, ¡°Duck!¡±


    The runes in the circle all glowed blue and white before the points, attaching them to the ring connected to a point in the center. With a crack of thunder, a bolt of lightning shot out down the hallway, blasting the bear right in the face as it was coming down to tackle a ducking warrior.


    An explosion rocked the room. The bear exploded, and bits of flesh and bone splattered all over the entryway, giving everything a red tint. Where the bear stood, a mist hung in the air briefly before it evaporated.


    Tobian glanced at the Professor to thank him and saw the barbed-tail demon was preparing to strike the wizard with a tail. Tobian pulled out his sword, took two giant steps, and dove to parry.


    His sword missed the barbed tail, but his sudden intervention gave the demon pause. Tobian rolled onto his side and slashed with the sword. The creature pulled its tail up and swung another down at Tobian.


    A dagger spun through the air above Tobian, the blade catching the tail and nearly severing the barbed end from it. The demon screeched in pain as it jerked back the cut tail. It tried with another to stab Tobian, swinging it down to hit him in the abdomen, but he managed to roll to the side, so the barb missed puncturing his skin.


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    It instead pierced a magical bag.


    A soft explosion appeared as items surrounded Tobian. Rocks, sticks, rope, an old bedroll, skulls of various monsters, dozens of empty glass bottles, and a couple of full ones shattered as they hit the stone floor. A three-foot-long ladder, a ten-foot pole, and some walking sticks clattered as they hit the stone. Spare clothing for men and women in various sizes covering the whole gamete of the color spectrum. Even a couple of wooden logs about a foot and a half long and as much broad. All appeared in the air around Tobian and fell to the ground.


    The demon stumbled as it navigated the sudden appearance of rocks and clothing on the floor. Tobian kept rolling to the side, feeling glass shatter and, in some cases, a liquid soak into his clothing.


    Struggling to not trip over the sudden yard sale appearance, the demon couldn¡¯t dodge Darius¡¯s axe. The massive blade connected with the neck of the demon, severing it. Like a marionette with its strings cut, the body fell to the floor, followed by the head. The creature screamed in pain as both parts turned into dust.


    Tobian pushed aside a sizeable fuzzy something that had fallen near his nose. He slowly stood up, moving some items out of the way so he didn¡¯t step on something.


    ¡°Sorry about the bag,¡± He scrambled to pick stuff up and put it in another bag.


    ¡°It''s okay. Are you alright? Did the bear hurt you?¡± Tristan said as she stepped closer. She reached down, picked up a small three-foot-high ladder, and handed it toward Tobian.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine; I managed to slow it down using a rock.¡± Tobian took a deep breath. He glanced at the short ladder. ¡°Oh, that; I need the Professor to cast a spell to shrink it so it¡¯ll fit through the opening,¡± Tobian said as he pointed toward the wizard.


    Tristan opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and offered the short ladder to the Professor. With a brief word of magic, the ladder was now a tiny six inches.


    ¡°Can you shrink these as well?¡± Tobian pointed out a few of the larger rocks and the wooden logs.


    ¡°When the spell wears off, doesn¡¯t it cause issues?¡± The Professor said as he shrank a few more items.


    ¡°So far, not yet, I¡¯m not sure the exact capacities of the bags in my possession, so I spread them across the four,¡± Tobain paused and looked at the torn bits of cloth still hanging from his belt. ¡°Er, three bags.¡±


    ¡°When we get the chance, we should figure it out. This time it was somewhat helpful, another time, a bag emptying its contents could be problematic.¡± The Professor said. The wizard turned and pointed at the two closed doors in the room. ¡°Sirah, can you check if those are still sealed, usually this room is safe, and if the doors inside are all open, this could be a tough one.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just use the Divine edict bell and banish them?¡± Tobian said as he looked at the bell being held by a marble statue along the back wall. Tristan looked at the Professor, who shook his head before looking directly at Tobian.


    ¡°The bell is a last resort; it banishes everyone whose heart isn¡¯t good. There. " The Professor interrupted Tristan.


    ¡°It would only send the demons back to their realm; it wouldn¡¯t inhibit them from coming back by tricking a wizard or finding another hole. By destroying their form here, they are banished for 1000 days. Preventing even the most weak-willed wizard from accidentally summoning them.¡± The Professor took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly before continuing. ¡°Not all demons are interested in bloodshed. Some gather knowledge, others are paying back a debt, and even those who, through a cruel twist of fate, were corrupted and are seeking their salvation.¡±


    Tobian nodded as he looked at the shattered glass on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and make sure not to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Toby,¡± Tristan said. ¡°Er, Tobian, you are a valued member, but you''re just not yet to the level of fighting these creatures. You show innovation and promise, especially when using your talent surprisingly. In a way, we do a disservice to you by preventing you from adventuring with peers, but we love you and value your presence.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about the mimic; we¡¯ve all been bamboozled by such a creature. In fact, someday, ask Darius about the goblin Etf No-Toes.¡± Sirah said before she laughed and slapped Darius¡¯s back.


    Darius slowly lifted up his massive axe a few inches and rubbed a fingernail against the edge, watching the shaving fall before turning and heading over to the door on the right. He opened it and stepped forward.


    ¡°Back to work,¡± Darius said as he went into the dark hallway.

 Book 1, Chapter 7

    Tobain sorted out the items that had appeared from the destroyed bag of holding and even settled on leaving some of the stones behind. The group was a few rooms in, or at least far enough, so he couldn''t hear them or the sounds of battle.


    As he sat on the floor, practicing summoning things from the bag, he held a bag in one hand, the opening pointed up. Calling forth a tiny rock, he saw it leap out a foot and then fall back into the bag. Pulling two rocks out simultaneously didn''t work, but he could get them to collide in the air if he called out one right after the other.


    Remembering a previous conversation about not knowing exactly what was inside a bag, as most are found or bought used, Tobian tried summoning a pillow from one of the bags. Nothing appeared. He focused on another and tried again, but still nothing. The third remaining bag didn''t have anything either, and while the stone floor wasn''t bothering him yet, the thought of the pillow made the floor feel that more uncomfortable.


    Standing, he went back to calling forth small rocks. No matter the word choice or focus, he couldn''t get a pair or a number over one to appear. Curious, he decided to call forth all the stones from the bag.


    Suddenly, he was surrounded by rocks of various sizes. Several dozen small rocks about the size of a marble, a dozen rocks the side of his fist, three rocks almost as big as him, and one rock as tall as him.


    "Where did you come from?" Tobian asked as he examined the larger stone. The rock looked like something picked up off the side of a mountain, its shape a lesson in angles and sharp corners. Its mottled grey coloring did not trigger any memory.


    After remembering his tests and seeing how far he could toss a stone from the bag, he realized his error. He couldn''t fit the big rocks back into the container without the Professor''s help. Mentally, he noted he needed to learn how to cast the shrink spell.


    With nothing else to do, Tobian gathered what stones he could back into the pouch. When the area was clear of the rocks he could fit in, he shifted his vision into the magical spectrum to see if any larger rocks were enchanted.


    None of the big rocks had any magic, but he saw a magical aura around a small rock that he missed putting back into the bag. Picking it up, he brought it close to see any markings. Nothing. With a sigh, he placed it back into a bag and mulled over who would enchant a pebble. Across the room, etched on the magic wall, was writing.


    Blinking his eyes in disbelief at the writing, Tobian accidentally let the magical detection slip. Without the magical aura glowing everyone, he didn''t see the writing anymore. He pulled out a pencil and some paper before shifting his vision back to the magical spectrum to write down what he saw.


    The First Lie Cruelty Tells Us,


    Is That It Is Necessary.


    Tobian felt a weight settle in his stomach. He put down his paper and pencil and walked to the writing. He wondered whom it was directed to: the guards who had long since fled or the jailors who had locked up the prison one last time with the prison still full.


    For a reason he couldn''t explain, tears welled in his eyes at the needless suffering from the war and its aftereffects. Wiping his eyes, he placed a hand on the wall and rubbed where the word Necessary.


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    The wall shifted only slightly. Tobian jumped back as it split open, revealing a small alcove with a single chest.


    Did the chest move? Tobian wasn''t sure because he was already running away from it toward the rest of the group.


    The corridor the group had gone down was fifty feet long. Prayers and runes were etched along the floor and walls in the stone. His magical vision is still active; he saw the glowing lines among the stones. Some phrases and runes were linked together, and others were singular. Thankfully, Sirah or someone else had gone through and left a little bit of sand on the correct path to take.


    Stepping onto the first tile, he glanced at the inscription, ¡®The First step to forgiveness is to admit you are wrong.¡¯ He paused before taking another step, double-checking the sand marking the path. He read the inscription on the second one, ¡®The Second Step to forgiveness¡¯¡­


    Tobian thought he heard the sound of something dragging on the stone. He immediately ceased caring about whether the path was correct and ran along the trail left by the group.


    The next room was rectangular, with little alcoves along the left and right sides. These looked like cells, but he couldn¡¯t see any bars or something to hold creatures in them. In a corner, he saw a large orangish bronze creature with an insectoid face. He knew the creature''s name, but his mind drew a blank, and he didn¡¯t stop to wait for it to come to him.


    A short hallway separated by heavy wooden doors with thick metal straps binding the wood together led to the next room. The doors were open, and a metal pole was visible against one wall, the other end holding back a massive pendulum with a giant axe blade on the end. Only the sharp tip and the anchoring part in the ceiling were visible.


    BOOM! A ball of fire exploded near the entrance of the next room. The explosion and force threw Tobian backward, causing him to land on his pack. A wave of heat flowed over him. A loud screech, a mix of a scream and whistle of a kettle boiling, overwhelmed Tobian, causing him to quickly put his hands over his ears.


    ¡°Tobian, what are you doing here?¡± The Professor appeared over Tobian.


    Tobian opened his eyes and tried to ignore the ringing in his ears. When the wizard offered a hand, he took it and stood up. ¡°Chest, I found a chest by accident!¡± Tobian loudly sputtered over the ringing sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay; we¡¯ll go check it out with you,¡± Tristan said as she stepped closer. She placed a hand on the Professor''s shoulder and then on Tobian¡¯s. The instant her hand touched Tobian, the ringing disappeared.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tobian said. ¡°What was that?¡± He pointed at the blast mark on the floor where whatever that had just died had been. All that was left was bits of twisted armor that lay scattered about.


    ¡°Aquatic Visage.¡± The Professor said as he glanced at the bits of broken armor. ¡°Water demon that likes to inhabit things like a shell. Let¡¯s see this chest, and tell me how you found it.¡±


    A few minutes later, Tobian pointed at the opening in the wall and the chest. Using his magical sight, he didn¡¯t detect any magical auras on it. Sirah had made sure it wasn¡¯t connected to any traps in the room but hadn¡¯t opened it.


    ¡°We would have missed this one. I say Tobian gets the honor of opening it.¡± Sirah said with a grin.


    ¡°No, it is fine, I¡¯ll stay here,¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°Now, you wont get over your fear of mimics without confronting it.¡± Tristan said as she gave Tobain a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ¡°We are here, you are safe.¡±


    ¡°What kind of adventurer would you be if you¡¯re scared of chests?¡± Darius said.


    With a gulp, Tobian stepped forward, focusing on his steps and holding his hands together so they didn¡¯t visibly shake. He took note of things in hopes they would help reassure himself. The chest was in the same spot as when he¡¯d first discovered it. There was a small amount of dust on the floor; only the disturbances from Sirah checking the area were visible. If it had been a creature, it would have attacked Sirah.


    The closer he got, the more confident he grew. As he stood in front of it, he had an idea. Pulling out a sword from one of his bags, he stabbed the chest, the tip of the blade digging into the wood. He kept the sword in front of him in case the chest attacked back.


    Still no motion from the chest, but a few laughs behind him. Tobain opened the container, inside was a simple sword and scabbard, along with a book with extra papers stuffed in its pages, and a simple medallion of a sun rising over the horizon.


    Individually, Tobian picked each out of the chest and showed the group before putting them into a bag, with the sword last. As he pulled the scabbard off the blade, he saw nothing special about it, and the blade looked dull. When he tried to put the sword into a magical bag, the sword wouldn¡¯t fit. Even though the blade was smaller than the opening, the sword seemed limited to the container''s mundane dimensions and not go into the extra-dimensional space.


    ¡°It won¡¯t fit,¡± Tobain said, showing the group the bottom of the bag moving as the end of the scabbard pressed against the inside.


    ¡°Odd, we¡¯ll have to study it later, if you can though just carry it but don¡¯t use it.¡± The Professor said. The wizard turned and looked at everyone before waving them back to where they were clearing. ¡°Tobian you stay a room behind us, and keep looking for more hidden stuff. Even a lost and found can hold something important.¡±

 Book 1, Chapter 8

    In the fourteen prison or dungeon runs, Tobain liked to think he had seen it all. From Death Shadows to Zangler Fishers, he¡¯d seen them all. At least the corpses of just about everything. Thankfully, he had only dealt with a handful of creatures physically. The group was good at keeping him safe. The next room was the same.


    Tobian stood at the end of the hallway leading to the room, so he couldn¡¯t see all the cells, but it was a familiar pattern. The room was oval, with a dozen little cells along the edges. In the center, a metal cage. The Professor hung out near the entrance of the room, setting up twenty feet from Tobian. The Professor¡¯s setup was the same; he quickly drew a circle on the ground in salt, then threw a large metal circle down that landed in the salt.


    Tristan and Darius split up, one heading left, the other going right. They never communicated the direction, but Tobian had never seen them mistakenly go the same way either. Sirah had long since disappeared, and Tobian wasn¡¯t sure where she had gone, except he knew she would appear when the opportunity presented itself.


    ¡°Dusk Shadows, this will be easy,¡± Darius called out.


    The Professor quickly drew four circles in the air before him in a diamond pattern, his fingers leaving a sparkly residue in the air as he drew. With a dash of something, each of the four circles started glowing and filled in. A moment later, four glowing balls of light hovered in the air. With a wave of his hand, they flew out, two to each side.


    ¡°Something is invisible,¡± Sirah¡¯s voice called out from the center of the room, next to the large metal cage.


    ¡°It¡¯s bi¡­¡± Darius said, but a loud thwap interrupted him. The warrior appeared from one side, flying across the room with a loud clanging of his armor.


    Tristan came to the center of the room, dragging Darius in one hand and a massive shield in the other. Darius got to his feet and pulled out the only shield he had, a small buckler that barely covered his massive forearm. With their backs to the metal cage in the center, they stood with weapons in front of them.


    Darius swung at the air, his axe cutting through the air and making no contact. Tristan punched out with her shield and swung her mace, not making contact with anything.


    Thump! Something hit the circle around the Professor. The dirt and excess salt on the ground shook and scattered as something massive tried to attack the wizard, but his protective spell stopped them.


    ¡°Got you!¡± the professor said as he swung a hand in the air, making another circle. This time, copper wire hovered in the air. Using his other hand, he drew a seven-pointed star in the center before slamming his palm in the middle. The rune glowed, and the copper wire turned into a loop of lightning. Sparks jumped from the loop and to the ground. Once they made contact with the stone floor, they shot outward in front of the Professor.


    Something roared in pain, and briefly, sparks and little electrified lines appeared in the air. Darius rushed toward the space but was swatted to the side.


    Tobian tried shifting his gaze into the magical spectrum. He could see the massive wall of power surrounding the Professor; he could see the magical glow of where Darius¡¯s equipment had been a second before. Also, he could see a pale line reaching out from Tristan in Darius¡¯s direction. He couldn¡¯t see the invisible creature, not any indication of where it was. But¡­


    The salt that the Professor had enchanted in order to create his circle of protection, the excess had been scattered when the creature had slammed into the wall. The excess wasn¡¯t needed for the spell but still held a trace amount of magical energy from the spells creation and ongoing maintence. Tobian could see a few specs, clumped together behind the cage, moving toward Tristan.


    ¡°Tristan! Behind you, 10 feet!¡± Tobain yelled.


    Tristan spun around and lept in the direction, shield first. The cleric slammed into an invisible wall with a groan. A faint snarl emitted from the air when they collided.


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    Sirah appeared out of nowhere above Tristan, slamming down with her dagger into nothing. She landed on top of something, the blade of her dagger disappearing as it slid into the flesh of whatever they were fighting. She started rising into the air, straight toward the twelve-foot ceiling. With an inhuman grace, she disengaged her dagger and herself from the creature, tumbling through the air and landing next to Tristan.


    Tobian tried to think of something he could use to help them detect the invisible creature, but he couldn¡¯t think of any potions. He had an idea and reached for a bag, calling for flour. As soon as he felt the sack appear in his hand, he started running toward the Professor.


    ¡°Darius, by the Professor¡¯s right side. CATCH!¡± Tobian said as he went to the side of the Professor where the protective circle didn¡¯t entirely block the entrance to the room. There was about a foot-wide gap. Tossing the sack of flour into the room, he threw a prayer the fighter would be able to catch it.


    Darius appeared from the side of the room, his buckler was missing half and a bit of blood was splattered on his studded leather jacket. He took a second to take in what Tobian was doing, but still reached a hand out to catch whatever it was regardless. His face went from pained confusion to a smile as he understood Tobians plan.


    Tobian scanned the room, using his new position closer to the entrance to finally be able to see almost everywhere in it. To the left and right a couple of twisted leathery forms were lying on the ground with glowing orbs hovering above the corpses. He couldn¡¯t see any trace of the invisible creature.


    Thump! Something slammed into the protective circle and the wall as if the creature was trying to squeeze through the foot-wide gap. Tobian jumped back, tripping on his own foot and landing on his ass.


    Darius threw the bag of flour in the direction where the beast had hit the wall and magical barrier. When the bag connected with the invisible creature, an explosion of white powder occurred. Suddenly, a large silhouette of a dragon covered in flour appeared before them.


    The creature quickly rolled to the side before running off to the other side of the room.


    ¡°Dragon, we have no quarrel with you as you¡¯re not a demon. Do you wish to parlay for freedom instead of fight?¡± Tristan said as she stepped between the flour dragon and the group.


    The dragon dropped its invisibility and said something in a harsh language that Tobain couldn¡¯t understand. Its cyan-colored scales were mottled with dried blood, wounds, and flour.


    It was the first dragon Tobian had seen, in his mind he always pictured them bigger and more fearsome. This lizard was about fifteen feet long and maybe a twenty-foot wingspan if it stretched hard enough. A hole in its left shoulder seeped blood, and there were several cracked scales on both of its shoulders where it looked like it had run into a wall. Its legs and arms were darker colored and near what would function as it¡¯s hands and feet, there appeared to be lines where the scales had been worn off or removed and replaced with iron bands. Tobian could also count the ribs on the creature.


    ¡°No, if you wish to live and get out of here, you must agree to terms and swear by them,¡± Tristan said.


    The dragon shook its head and spoke again. It crouched back and dug its claws into the stone floor.


    ¡°You are correct about agreements made under duress,¡± Tristan said. She motioned to the Professor and Tobian to move out of the hallway.


    With a flourish, the Professor scooped up the metal ring on the floor. Then, with a wave of his hand, a tiny breeze swept away the salt. Both the wizard and Tobian moved into the room and away from the hallway entrance.


    The dragon looked at Tristan and then at the open hallway. The creature darted toward the hallway before stopping and looking back at Tristan. It spat out more hard words in a language Tobian couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Here are our terms. You will not harm us until the next moon rises unless one of us strikes or harms you. After a week, you will hunt away from towns or cities within a hundred leagues of here. You may also eat the fresh bear corpse near the entrance.¡± Tristan closed her eyes and pressed both of her hands together. A white light centered around her flooded the room, washing over everything and everyone in it.


    Tobian suddenly felt like he had just woken from a nap. His muscles felt great; the tiny cut on his finger from a sharp stone edge disappeared. A peace filled him as he looked over his friends. Everyone was standing straighter, and wounds and bruises disappeared. Even the dragon looked much better, though some injuries were too much for the healing wave. The parts of it¡¯s limbs where the collars had rubbed through the scales, still looked sickly and injured.


    ¡°Can we remove the collars or the cuffs first?¡± Tobian said, pointing at the creature¡¯s feet.


    ¡°If it will allow us to, but first, I need it to agree to our terms, or we will have to destroy this beautiful creature,¡± Tristan said.


    The dragon shook its head and opened its mouth a little, pulling back its lips to show its teeth. It again said something, then closed its eyes and bowed its head a little.


    Tristan seemed to accept this with a smile. ¡°Sirah, can you see if you can unlock those for this noble creature? May it never know captivity again?¡±


    The dragon lifted one of its front paws up and touched it¡¯s chest. This time, it said something everyone understood. ¡°Gelida Luna,¡± and it tapped its chest.


    ¡°Glad to make your acquaintance, Gelida Luna,¡± Tristan said before introducing the group to the dragon.

 Book 1, Chapter 9 a

    Tobian watched from a distance as Sirah removed the cuffs from the dragon. The metal links were darker than iron but not of a metal he knew. He shifted his vision into the magical spectrum; the cuffs and the dragon were enchanted. The creature radiated magic in a way that the Professor did but was brighter than almost everything in the room except Tristan''s aura and the walls.


    Tobian stared at the walls for a second, wishing he had a piece of another wall in order to compare, as he pondered if they were all this highly enchanted or if his ability had increased. He walked over to the Professor, who was too focused on the dragon.


    "The dragon." Tobain paused to word it carefully. "Radiates more magic than you." He quickly winced as he realized it sounded better in his head than after he spoke it.


    "I," The Professor looked at Tobian and then at the dragon. "I''m not at my full power, but is it more powerful than anyone else?"


    "Not Tristan or the walls, which are equal." Tobain looked at the wall and tried focusing on them, hoping his ability would glean more information, but nothing appeared or changed.  "I think the walls here are stronger than normal. I wish I had a piece to compare it to."


    "Dear boy, your ability is fascinating. I genuinely wish there was a way to rank things at the magical level. "


    Tobian remembered his father with the measuring weights used when taking foreign currency. A dozen little stones, each weighing a little more than the other so they could accurately weigh and compare items. "If we had stones or items of varying magical values we could."


    The Professor smiled and patted Tobian on the shoulder. "Excellent idea. Let''s start categorizing things as you pick them up, and we can use the stuff we don''t sell to calibrate such a scale."


    "¡­ And remember to tuck in your wings during the third doorway; while not lethal, there is a trap that will shock you." Sirah finished saying to the dragon as she drew a rough map on the floor using some sand she had spread out. The dragon gave a nod and walked toward the exit.


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    "I''m surprised you didn''t want to befriend it, Professor," Darius said softly after the dragon had passed into the next room.


    "May a wizard have met an untimely end believing a dragon would be a pet. Only to find out, they were both the pet and food. Besides, fully grown, they eat like a dozen sheep every few days. I couldn''t afford to try." The Professor said with a glance in the direction the dragon went.


    "How big do they get?" Tobain said as he picked up the unlocked shackles from where the dragon had left them on the floor. The magical aura on the shackles was great, but not as much as the dragon. Tobian decided he would start making a ranking system or assigning a number. Given Tristan was the most potent aura he''d encountered, he assigned her 9; that way, if anything was more powerful, he could make it a ten. The walls were also about a 9, at least in this place. Dragon at eight, and the Professor at a 7.


    Tobian held up the shackles to see them from the same point of view as the Professor. Both were about the same aura. The Professor happened to see what Tobain was doing and smiled and nodded.


    "That dragon was pretty young, not a hatchling, but not juvenile, maybe twenty to forty years. I imagine they brought the egg in here for some reason, and it hatched; they tried to raise it and left it here when they sealed the prison up after the war ended." The Professor looked around, in a couple of the cells there were some bones piled up. Tobian followed his gaze and looked, some of the bones looked like they could have been humanoid.


    "When demons die, they are forced back to their plane. Could those be some of the guards?" Tobian said, pulling his gaze from the bones.


    "It is possible; lots of these were closed in a hurry. Once the war ended, many pulled back support from these so they could go back to fighting each other." Tristan said. She walked over to the bones and knelt for a moment. "These are goblin and orc, probably servants that were captured with other demonic soldiers."


    "I''m sorry I never asked before. Is there a prayer I should say before looting behind you guys?" Tobain said, quickly making the size of the seven-pointed star in a circle.


    "There is no prayer; the nameless god believes there is enough suffering among the living, and we should focus on helping them. Saving all we can and quietly mourning those we lose." Tristan turned toward the closed door to the next room. She beckoned to Sirah and stopped in front of the door. "Tobian, hang back near the Professor in case the dragon breaks its oath."

 Book 1, Chapter 9 B

    Tobian took his place ten feet behind the Professor, who had just produced a metal ring from a hidden pocket. He threw the ring towards Tobian, flying over the packwick''s head and landing on the ground at his feet. With a flourish, the Professor also threw a cloud of copper-colored dust and spoke words that Tobian''s brain struggled with.


    Briefly, the air between Tobian and the Professor glowed, and the packwick was sure he saw arcane runes appear in the air. Thinking quickly, he shifted his gaze into the magical spectrum. Hovering in the air near the Professor''s lips were multiple arcane symbols. Also hovering above the metal ring, copper dust was suspended around him.


    Tobian reached out to touch one of the copper flakes.


    ¡°Stop,¡± The Professor said. ¡°If the circle is broken, the spell will end. This will keep you invisible as well as deflect most projectiles.¡±


    ¡°Most?¡± Tobian said as he pulled his hand away from the sparkly wall.


    ¡°Anything less than a ballista or catapult.¡± the Professor said, furrowing his brow as if he remembered something. He turned away from Tobian and called out to the group ahead. ¡°Darius, no throwing or knocking things back towards me.¡±


    Tobian, taking care to stay within the circle, pulled out a sword and knelt. He kept an eye behind them and his vision in the magical spectrum to watch the Professor back.


    Once the door to the next area was open a crack, Sirah disappeared behind it. Darius grabbed it with both hands and, using a foot against the wall, pushed the door the rest of the way open. The large stone door groaned and rumbled as it slowly opened. Bits of rock or dirt caught beneath it were ground into fine powder under the unyielding enchanted stone.


    The room ahead was dim but not completely dark when the door was completely open. Dim magical lighting on the ceiling barely illuminated anything. A small four-legged form darted from one side to the other. Darius charged in. Tobian could see the afterglow of magic from Darius¡¯s eyes as whatever gave him night vision activated as he charged forward.


    Tristan slowly strode forward, holding a large mace in hand. Once past the doorway, she immediately moved to the left. The edge of her mace would sometimes be visible through the door as she swung at whatever unseen foe she fought.


    ¡°Corpse vandals!¡± Sirah¡¯s voice echoed from in the room.


    ¡°Figured that out!¡± Darius said from somewhere deep inside. An unattached arm wiggled as it flew into Tobian¡¯s view through the door. The limb clawed at the air before landing on the other side out of view.


    ¡°Corpse vandal?¡± Tobian said as he turned his full attention towards his friends.


    Professors¡¯ arura blocked a lot of Tobian¡¯s view. The wizard standing there gathering magical power and occasionally sending a spell down into the room filled Tobian¡¯s gaze with many auras as the spells left a lingering aura behind. No answer followed as the Professor concentrated on casting another spell.


    A loud smack from near the doorway but outside of Tobain¡¯s view filled the air, and a man''s top half flew through the door, landing a few feet from Tobian. The taunt skin on the corpse looked like paper; the clothing near its abdomen was covered in dried blood, as was the stump of a neck where the head used to be. Its right hand was bloated, and its fingers bent in the wrong direction. Tobian couldn¡¯t see the left hand and didn¡¯t want to go over and get a closer look.


    A wave of heat washed over Tobian as a fireball appeared and streaked into the room. The ball hit a mass of limbs and exploded, throwing bits of flesh and bone all over. Out of habit, Tobian raised a hand to cover his eyes, but even without the protective spell, it was too far away to get on him.


    ¡°Try to get them near the middle of the room where I can see them. I¡¯m going to separate them from their hosts and trap them.¡± The Professor yelled.


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    Out of the corner of his eye, there was a slight movement. Tobian glanced over, and the mass that had landed earlier had shifted a little; now both arms were visible, and it was trying to use its elbows to move forward. It moved only an inch but was still moving.


    ¡°Um, Professor,¡± Tobian said softly, hoping the creature couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°There is one of those things crawling here.¡±


    The Professor didn¡¯t respond to Tobian; the wizard waved a hand, drawing an intricate diamond pattern and leaving little bits of glowing magic suspended as he crafted his next spell.


    With a sickening crunch, the corpse stretched out of one of its arms, the bones giving a loud pop as if it fixed a dislocated joint. With one arm more functional, it moved several inches toward the Professor.


    ¡°Professor,¡± Tobian said loudly.


    Ahead of them, through the doorway into the room, another mass of limbs and flesh moved into Tobian¡¯s view. This larger mass had multiple arms poking out from it. One of the arms threw another arm at the Professor. As the limb sailed through the air, the Professor ignored it and kept drawing in the air. Right before the limb would have hit the Professor, it stopped as if hitting a wall. Briefly, it hovered in the air before it burst into flames.


    The Professor¡¯s arcane geometric shape started glowing, a brilliant blue as it hovered in the air. The wizard thrust out both hands, grasped the air, and pulled as if tearing the air apart. A little red creature still covered in dried blood and bits of flesh was pulled from the mass of flesh in front of the wizard. The demon cursed and sputtered as he hung in the air.


    Four more demons joined the first in the center of the room. All were covered in dried blood, and one was still holding onto a hand from one of the corpses.


    Tobian had never seen a Corpse Vandal before, and he started to take a step forward but remembered the protective spell. He looked down at the ring and saw it was still there, the magic glowing with power. Nearby on the floor, the corpse was not five feet from the Professor and was trying to lift itself up with one arm so it could swing with its other.


    ¡°Professor, something behind you,¡± Tobian said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± the Professor said through strained teeth. He had his hands out as if holding onto a ball but struggling.


    Tobian stepped forward, seeking to place himself between the corpse and his friend. He wasn¡¯t sure how to fight it, so he took another big step, then swung his right foot out, kicking the mass of flesh and limbs away from the Professor.


    The kick was solid, hitting the mass square in the center. As Tobain''s foot lifted it up, the creature managed to swipe with a clawed hand, tearing the packwick''s pants and leaving four scratches on his leg. The kick threw the corpse a dozen feet from Tobian.


    ¡°Fff,¡± Tobian stopped himself from cursing. He stepped toward the corpse and swung his sword down. The blade easily cut through the dead flesh, and so many of the bones were already broken it left a large wound that now oozed a dark, thick liquid.


    It tried to swing an arm at Tobian, but he quickly stepped back from it. Bringing his sword down again, he sliced into the heart of the corpse. The blade stopped as if it hit a stone in the center.


    From within the hole in its chest, a small demon emerged. It¡¯s right arm hanging limply on its side. Black blood seeped from the wound in its shoulder. The eight-inch tall demon seemed to struggle to stand, its good hand covering up its right shoulder.


    ¡°Can you get it into the trap?¡± Sirah¡¯s voice called out from far away. Tobain looked toward the room and saw where the other demons were hovering in the air. Sweat dripped from the Professor¡¯s brow as he struggled with the invisible ball.


    With a tiny snarl of pain, the demon pulled a little dagger from somewhere and waved it threateningly toward Tobian. Tobian took a step back to keep his feet away from the sharp, pointed object. Remembering a childhood game, he turned his sword sideways so the flat of the blade was presented to the demon. He pulled back and swung!


    Swinging down, he angled the blade toward the little demon. The little thing moved out of the way. Tobian pulled back and swung again. The creature kept moving out of the way. After the third miss, the packwick turned his hips sideways and pulled back, then before he swung, he summoned a small rock out of his pack to land on the demon.


    A fist-sized rock appeared and flew toward the demon. The creature stood and looked at it briefly before moving to dodge it. With the creature''s attention diverted, Tobain swung again; this time, the blade''s flat caught the demon close to its legs. Lifting the beast up and tossing it toward the other trapped demons.


    Once the creature was within the Professor¡¯s field of view, some unseen force plucked it from the air and pulled it over to where the other demons were trapped. As it joined its brethren, the invisible sphere they were contained in shrank until a tiny ball of demon flesh and ichor was squeezed out of existence with a Pop!


    ¡°What are Corpse Vandals?¡± Tobian said as he checked his sword to ensure no blood or ichor was on it before he sheathed it.


    The Professor dropped to a knee and took several long breaths. ¡°Nasty little demons, they feed off necrotic energies and can inhabit corpses and animate them. Tough to kill as they¡¯ll play dead and if a corpse is nearby, they tend to revive and continue to cause mayhem.¡±