《Dawn Uprising》
Quite the Hassle
"Are we there yet? We''ve been walking for days!" Adria complained.
"Well if you could focus for five minutes, you''d know we''re almost there, munchkin," George said.
"I can listen, you dolt! And if you call me a munchkin again I will kick your rear end so hard you''ll taste leather!" Adria snapped.
"I will need a break from those two when we get to Shreveholm; you would think their tongues would tire by now." Simon thought.
The group continued through the woods, their horse-drawn wagon finding every bump in the road. They traveled until a couple of hours before dusk when their leader noticed something.
"Halt!" Simon commanded, " Look to our left flank."
Nestled within the thick vegetation, a leather sole was sticking out. The group moved in formation and steadily approached the brush. George knocked his spear tip against the boot while Simon moved to encircle him. George shook his head at Simon, and Simon signaled for the girls to ready their spells. With a countdown, George ripped the booted leg out of the foliage as Simon aimed his blade at the mystery figure.
"Who are you!" Simon shouted, yet only silence followed. Sensing something was off, Simon warily removed the cowl from the person''s head, and lo, the man was unconscious.
"Well, don''t you feel stupid?" Adria quipped, waving her finger. "You were about to gore someone while they were asleep, such a lack of manners."
"Look at his clothes, they''re mage''s robes," Meghan said with a squeak.
"And certainly not normal," George said.
The group searched the stranger and found nothing but a small coi6E pouch.
"Get him in the cart, we still need to find a campsite for tonight. We are doing the night watch in pairs. These things never end well."
They set up camp down the road, and Meghan performed a series of diagnostic spells on the strange man.
"He''s physically healthy, but his soul is in tatters. I don''t know how he''s still breathing." Meghan reported to Simon.
"Will he wake?" Meghan replied, "I don''t know. I''ve never seen soul damage this bad on someone living. He might wake up in five minutes, next week, or never again."
"Understood, until he wakes, keep him bound. We do not need a criminal catching us off guard."
The night passed slowly, Adria and Simon taking the first shift, and Meghan and George the second. They broke camp and moved with excitement as they would reach Shreveholm well before dark. A few hours into their final stretch, when the wind changed course, they smelled smoke and a sweet scent that put a pit in their stomachs. They left the wagon and their stowaway when they came across a disturbing sight. Tents broken or torn to ribbons, some splattered with blood, the last moments of a fire, and shreds of cloth that were reminiscent of their comatose acquaintance. They surveyed the scene, and Meghan reported worrying amounts of Death essence.
The party had only been there a minute when a bestial growl sounded outside the glade. Once in formation, Adria sent a barrage of stone pellets toward the sound. The beast responded with a roar, crashing into the clearing, and reared up, a burst of miasma coming from its chest. The attack reached the adventurers and sapped their strength, and Meghan felt it fighting her life essence.
"It''s a wraith! Watch out," She yelled as she cast Nature''s presence on George.
He charged at the beast as it landed on its front paws, thrusting his spear into its shoulder and readying his mace. Adria summoned Fire darts and Ice blades at its eyes while Simon targeted its knees with his enhanced arrows. It was all for naught as its aura seemingly consumed the magical attacks, and even piercing arrows couldn''t penetrate the beast''s hide. It lumbered deceptively fast at George and knocked him backward with a single, powerful swing of its massive paw. George tried to get up, but the monster was on him too quickly and was about to pulverize him when an iridescent blast of magic made the upper half of the beast disappear as if it never existed. Everyone except George looked back to see the mysterious figure slumped against a tree, unbound, and muttered, "You fools," before falling on his face. They helped extract George from under the bear''s remaining half and, much more hesitantly, got near the enigmatic figure.
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"His soul is nearing collapse. If we don''t get him to the healers soon, he will die," Adria said.
"You heard her. Move it!" Simon barked.
They rushed back to the wagon, brought the horse to a swift but manageable pace, and made it to Shreveholm just after noon. The Guards stopped the conspicuous party, but when the wraith and the man''s serious condition were reported, they were rushed through. The healers immediately accepted the party and moved to strengthen the man with an inundation of several spells. The healers called for assistance, and two middle-aged men rushed over and chanted an activation spell that formed a magical vortex over the figure''s chest. Minutes passed before the men stopped chanting, and the vortex vanished.
"He is stable, but few recover from such a state, even with our intervention." One of the head physicians said.
"He has surprised us before, but we understand the situation. That said, you run a business, sadly, we lack the funds, but not far from the southeast gate is a clearing saturated with Death essence. If you hurry, there should still be enough to cover everything," Simon said with a conspiratorial smile.
The healer nodded and sent a band of workers to investigate. With a promise to collect the man later, the party reported the wraith''s encounter with the city''s bureaucracy and the League before finding a decent inn. They transported the man, and Simon set a rotation to watch over him.
August woke in a bed and jumped up, feeling mass amounts of fear and adrenaline. George startled into action, grabbed the man, trying to calm him down, and said he was in Shreveholm. Seeing no immediate danger, August slowly relaxed and asked who George was.
"I''m George, mister, and who might you be?"
"I-I don''t know. I can''t remember anything. What happened to me," August said growing in panic.
"Woah, Woah, let me get the rest of the crew and they''ll be able to help you," George consoled. "Alright?"
August nodded and George briefly left to gather the others from the ground floor. Simon entered first, followed by the girls.
"George said you have no memory, is this true," Simon questioned.
"Yes, I can put on a shirt or tie laces but that is it," August said while backing away from the four. "Who are you anyway?"
Adria took over, saying, "We''re a group of adventures in the League. I''m Adria and this is Meghan. We found you barely alive in the forest over a week ago and we''ve been caring for you since. Your soul looked like shattered glass with pieces missing"
August learned of how they met and what followed. Still without recollection, August was escorted to the healers. The duo from the first visit guided them to a private room and studied August intensely. After many questions, a physician looked at August seriously, and with a Life-essence-covered hand, smacked the side of August''s head.
"Ow!"
"Darn, I thought that would work," the healer said.
"You thought," August questioned, "when does hitting someone with magic heal them?"
"More often than you''d think," the healer said while shrugging, "I can''t do much about your condition, your soul is an utter mess, and only time will tell if you can be healed."
The party returned to the inn, and Meghan brought August back to his room while the others discussed what to do with him.
"He is directly linked to that beast. He might have summoned it himself." Simon started. "It would be best to take him to prison before he regains his memories."
Meghan walked it and said, "You are right, he may be a threat, but he can''t cast magic with his soul as mangled as it is."
"I know it is the ''right thing,''" Adria said with air quotes, " but what if his memories never return? You''ll be punishing an innocent man."
Simon thought and said, "Alright. There are jobs we can take while we wait for any improvement. Do not let him out of your sight. Adria, spend some time with him to see if he can cultivate still, or if he is Ash."
Adria nodded and went upstairs while the others found a couple of easy tasks to pass the time and get a feel for the city. Adria taught August a meditation technique to do simple introspection. He struggled to slow down with all that had happened to him but he managed after a few hours.
"Now, enter your core and tell me how many points you see on your foci."
"I only see some gas and sparkly lights," August replied.
"What! That blast you let out disintegrated a bear possessed by a wraith. You have to be at least a last-stage warrior to do that." Adria said. "No shapes, no bright lights with connections?"
"Nothing."
Adria stepped away from August, trying to understand this enigma. Found near an obvious Horde summoning gone wrong, showcases a powerful burst of magic, and now has no cultivation.
"Let''s take a trip, there is a place where we can get a better reading of your core''s cultivation."
Adria then led August to the city''s League branch and asked one of the attendants for a channeling stone. The lady reached under her counter and passed it to Adria.
She handed it to August and explained, "This is a channeling stone, it can detect your cultivation and your aptitude. This is a safe place but there are privacy rooms right there if you don''t want people to know what it says," Adria said, pointing to the closer of two hallways with a cluster of doors marked open or in use.
"It is fine, I don''t get how my cultivation is a big deal. I saw nothing in my core so why the fuss." August said, looking at Adria with confusion.
He covered it with his hand and felt a slight drain before it lit up, a warm orange display appearing above his hand.
Cultivation: N/A
Aptitude: Blaze
Adria quickly took the stone from August before hastily guiding him to one of the vacant rooms she pointed to earlier. She closed the door, and in a loud whisper said, "You''re a blaze! Are you an idiot, half of the factions in the city and even more in the neighboring ones would force you to join them if they saw your aptitude. Do you want to be a noble''s dog or something? It seems you truly lost all of your memories, so let me remind you. Most people are ash or kindling, with a few sparks. Blazes, on the other side, could become archmages, sentinels, or even start their own faction. You need to be under the wing of someone much stronger or reach past Crystallization fast or you are doomed.
"Look. If I know nothing about cultivation, how could I know I was risking my freedom? And it''s not like you helped by squeaking and wrenching me over here. Even an idiot could tell something happened."
"Don''t pin this on me, wonder boy, we thought you were faking your memory loss so you could escape while leaving a trail of bodies. Since I now know you''re telling the truth, we need to meet with the others to discuss how to handle this worrying situation," Adria finished the conversation and the pair, aware of their speed, returned the stone and went back to the inn. The others weren''t back by dusk, so they agreed to wait for them the following day.
Aiding and Abetting
"August, come on! Supper''s ready."
August spun around from where he was kneeling beside a garden and yelled back, "Who are you and how do you know my name?"
"I''m your sister, dummy. I told you to stop before the sun bakes you too much."
August struggled to process what was happening. I just laid down, he thought. This has to be a dream.
"Sister, what''s your name again?"
"Talia, brother. You''re just so silly sometimes," she said with a chuckle.
When he heard her name, it was like an explosion in his mind. Memories flooded in of his family. His mom and dad crying when he left. Talia begging him not to go. August remembered the cultists slaughtering his village and him using his life as a bargaining chip to protect his family. The woman in charge of this tragedy found his deal amusing and agreed. The last thing he remembered was his sister''s tearful face, looking at her doting brother as if he were already dead.
August woke to a knock on his door, sweat having soaked his bedding and nightwear while he was asleep.
"One moment," he said loudly as he changed his clothes and dried his face.
He opened the door to find Simon looking slightly contrite. August asked what was going on.
"I would like to apologize, I was expecting you to regain your memories and go on a killing spree like a crazed cultist. I feel like a fool knowing you were being truthful. Please come down for breakfast, the others are already there."
"I''ll be right there," August said closing the door. What was that? I have a family I saved by offering myself to become a killer? What do I tell Simon and Adria, August thought.
After a minute or two, August calmed his rushing heart, straightened himself, and headed down to sit at the table the others occupied.
"Good morning, prodigy, are you ready to learn magic today and form an empire tomorrow," Adria said in a cheery voice.
"Yeah, we deal with someone giving us wrong directions and having to fight an ogre, and you turn out to be some hotshot. What''s up with that," George taunted.
"Ogre, how bad are those," August said, interested in this new creature.
"Ah, vile things. They''re taller than most humans, starting at eight feet, covered in matted hair and dense muscle and their skin can go anywhere from grey to as green as leaves in spring. The worst part, though, is they can regenerate limbs very quickly, because their heart doubles as a spell organ, giving their blood insane healing properties. Thankfully, Meghan here used her fancy education and imbued my sword with Death essence, it fell shortly after that. Got us a pretty penny for our troubles."
August leaned back hearing how powerful the monster was. "And you defeated it just like that?"
"We''re not at Peak Convergence for nothing, especially with Simon going melee, you''d be dumbfounded to hear he is even better at range."
Adria butted into the conversation frustrated she missed the fight, "So, what should we call you anyway, if your memory isn''t coming back, you should at least have a name. Do you know how annoying it is to talk about you as ''that guy'' or ''wonderboy?''"
August shifted in his seat before saying "About that, my name''s August, and apparently I have a family."
All movement at the table stopped and all eyes were on August. "I had a dream of my sister last night." He went on to tell them his dream and the portion of memories he got back.
"So you were forced to join those scum," Simon asked. "And that is all you recovered?"
"That is all I remember, and you can use a truth spell if those exist."
"There is nothing that I know of, but you leave me with a troubling issue," Simon said looking at the table. "What if you regain more memories?"
"I don''t know if or when I''ll get more but I promise I am not a murdering cultist."
"I have never been good at the moral dilemmas, but I know someone who is." With that, Simon rose, followed by the rest of them and they left the inn, breakfast half-eaten. Simon led them to the League''s branch and marched to the row of counters.
"Well, what can I do for you all today? Looking for a quest," the attendant asked. She looked at the group more and noticed that the tall young man with black hair next to the small redhead girl looked very familiar. "Weren''t you two the pair from yesterday, squeaked like a mouse climbed up your leg and ran for a private room. Now what did you do to her, young man?" She leaned forward, amused by the blush that appeared on Adria''s face.
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"You can talk to them later, I have urgent business with Branch Manager Lystra," Simon said sternly.
"Spoilsport, what''s wrong with having some fun to pass the time," the attendant muttered. "Come with me."
The lady brought them through the facility in silence, and before she could knock to announce the visitors, the heavy wooden double doors opened without warning.
"Ah, Simon, it''s been too long. Come in, bring your friend, the rest can stay." A woman with beautiful, long black hair sat at her desk. Dressed in an intricate dress uniform with hints of wizard''s robes, like the commanding officer of a mage corps. Simon steeled himself and strode forward with August as the attendant quietly closed the doors and left as if she were trying to hide.
"Ms. Lystra, I have an interesting quandary that is out of my depth. I know you like a good mystery. Here is August, a former cultist who lost most of his memory and all of his cultivation."
"Delightful! You must be the presence I felt yesterday. Simon, please leave us and don''t call me miss again." She waved her hand and a pebble smacked the back of Simon''s head. He left rubbing his head and the instant the door shut, Lystra seemingly teleported to mere inches from August''s face.
"Now, what to do with you? You give off a sense that I cannot fathom like the very world has no idea what to do with your existence. I could kill you as cultists deserve but from what I heard between the girl you were with and Simon, it isn''t so simple. History has made it clear that losing your cultivation is tantamount to dying, and since you are still alive, I could almost call you a completely different person. "
Lystra roamed around her office and stroked a few trinkets from years past.
"A great human emperor from the Founders'' Age said this, ''The worth of my existence is proven through my choices, for from the heart flows villainy or virtue.'' He was a right and just man who fought the Death''s Horde valiantly on the frontlines. With him in mind, I have a proposition. I will give you a letter to be immediately placed in the advanced course at Hearthfire Academy. You will relearn magic and the professor teaching combative courses there is my friend. You will take his class and prove the worth of your continued existence. Do you have any questions?"
August gave a big smile.
"So how did it go," Simon said as he stopped leaning against a wall.
"You can go back in there if you want the full story," August said deadpan. "It seems I''m attending Hearthfire Academy."
They walked back through the halls as Simon begrudgingly nodded. He led the way to the front gate and paused.
"Well, August, I still don''t know if I like you but you saved our lives back there, for that, I am indebted to you. Take care of yourself and try not to get into any trouble while I''m gone."
They clasped forearms as August said, "wouldn''t dream of it." With that, Simon left and August entered the administrative building.
"Welcome to Hearthfire Academy, are you looking to become an initiate," a lady behind the desk asked.
August handed her Lystra''s letter, "Yes, ma''am, I was told you''d know what to do with this."
She looked at the seal and quickly stood.
"Follow me, sir."
August was then led to a pedestal in the center of a bright but windowless room. The walls were sheets of polished metal, engravings adorned the walls and tall ceiling completely.
"Please put your hands on the pedestal, sir. It will tell us everything else needed for your admission."
He did as instructed and felt a familiar pull when a display appeared.
Name: August Dawn
Age: 21
Cultivation: ???
Soul: Mighty
Aptitude: Blaze
Strong Death Affinity
"That''s never happened before," the lady said while placing a cube made of crystal on his hands. Light shone out at the contact and slowly moved into the crystal.
"What hasn''t," August questioned.
"Most people either have no cultivation or just started. It looks like the device couldn''t get a good reading of your core, that¡¯s weird."
August scrunched his face but relaxed as the lady proceeded as normal. She led him back to the lobby and out a different door than he entered.
"Go down that path and the second building on the right is men''s housing. Classes begin tomorrow"
August thanked the lady and strolled down the white paved bricks, staring at the mix of stone, metal, and wood architecture. Tall buildings stood on either side of the road, a general store faced a tailor shop and passed the garden d¨¦cor and other pleasantries. An immense arena stood imposing. Stone columns and vaulting arches of colored metal tangled into the Academy''s sigil. August reached the dormitory and entered into a lounging area with a few students relaxing. One of them noticed August and called him over as he stood.
"Hey there, greenie, my name''s Titus. I guess we''ll be classmates. I arrived here last week, so if you want, I can give you a tour after you get your room number."
August lifted a hand to shake and said, "And mine is August. I don''t know what I''m doing quite yet, but getting a lay of the land sounds nice."
"I have nothing else to do, so I''ll wait for you to deal with those guys," Titus said as he went back to lazing around.
August went to the building attendant''s corner and handed his letter to the student.
"I was told this would get me a private room," He said.
When the student on duty saw the seal, he exclaimed, "It''ll get you more than a room to yourself, these letters mean you''re in the advanced course. Do you need help with your luggage, Mr. Prodigy?"
"No, thank you. I just need the room number."
"Ah yes, it will be room 411, fourth floor. Can''t miss it," the attendant said with a hint of envy.
August went up the wooden stairs and soon came to his door.
"How do I open this," August wondered as he waved his hand in front of the door. A lock audibly shifted and he pushed the door open. August stepped through the threshold and was amazed at the size of it all. A kitchen with a dining area, an adjoined resting area with comfortable furniture, a beautiful bedroom with a bed much bigger than the one from the inn, and finally, a sizable bathroom with a tub fit for a king and an equally ornate shower with the same engraved patterns from the kitchen and the pedestal room in the administrative building.
August jumped on the bed and luxuriated at the softness of it, sighing and sprawling out over the covers. He got up when he wondered how the others felt and almost spilled from one cushion to another to find the one most suitable for avoiding responsibility like any good student. In a moment of boredom, August noticed that Lystra hadn''t told him who the letter was for, just to show it to get admitted.
Might as well see what it says, she didn''t leave me with much instruction other than to take her friend''s classes.