End of Book 6. I won't be able to get much else done this weekend as I have to help prepare for a fundraising/anniversary celebration thing.

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Garnet was waiting outside of the Western Walls for Xiaomei to arrive. "Are you sure about this?" Zedd asked.

"Yes," said Garnet. "We need allies badly. We're unable to protect this city as it is and the automata are not doing a sufficient job at rebuilding. We need people to help us."

"But can they be trusted?" Nian asked. "Didn't they just try to kill you?"

"You threatened to kill me before as well," said Garnet as she looked at Nian.

"I guess I did," said Nian. "If anything happens, remember to Recall us."

"I will," said Garnet. "But I'm going to propose a deal to them."

"What kind of deal are you thinking?" Serena asked. She was worried.

"We will give them access to the land on the surface," Garnet replied. "But we keep and manage the walls and the Ark itself."

Garnet could tell that Serena was getting angry. She had spent a long time trying to protect the city and keep intruders out, but now, Garnet was going to let people in. "I suppose," said Serena as her face suddenly changed back. "Master Assad allowed others in too, but those people betrayed us as soon as we were no longer useful to them."

"Which is why I have a back up plan," said Garnet. "We have the Revenants. If something is amiss, we can use them to take the people that we need."

"Haha," Nian could not help but laugh. "When the time comes, I will help you, even if you backstab them."

"Me too," Serena added.

"I don't condone it, but your well-being is more important," said Zedd.

"Don't you have to watch over Antium still?" Garnet asked Zedd.

"I told you not to worry," said Zedd. "My trusted friends are taking care of things there. If you're really worried you can always go and check yourself."

Garnet removed the black ring she got from Anna. "Inside the Vault, follow the light of the ring," said Garnet as she handed the ring to Zedd. "There's a hidden room and I want you to take a look at something inside of it."

"I will," said Zedd.

Garnet had no idea what to do with the thing inside the tube. If anyone knew, it would be Zedd.

Soon after, Xiaomei arrived by herself as she stood outside the walls. "It looks better than the last time I saw it!" she shouted.

"We've been working on fixing it," Garnet shouted back. "Flight!" She flew down to meet Xiaomei.

"So what is your decision?" Xiaomei asked.

Garnet took a look at Xiaomei and did not see any aggressive intent. Xiaomei had come alone and only carried the sword that she had with her before. "I want to meet your Chancellor," Garnet replied.

"Very well," said Xiaomei. "Where is the other one?"

"Other what?" Garnet asked.

"Crossen reported two Dark Mages, where is the other?" Xiaomei asked.

"Gone," said Garnet. She had sent Riley away. She had to because she did not realize the consequence of using an incomplete wish through the Exchange at the time.

"Alright, just you then," said Xiaomei as she looked at the group up on the walls behind her. "Everyone else has to stay here."

Zedd nodded in agreement. Serena turned her back and headed back into the city. Nian just stood there and continued to watch. "They'll stay," Garnet confirmed.

"Very well," said Xiaomei. "Place your hand on me."

Garnet put her hand on Xiaomei's shoulder. She could feel the rough skin of Xiaomei. It was definitely not something that reflected her age. It felt wrinkly like an older person's, but it was also hard like a scale.

Xiaomei took out a crystal in her hand and crushed it. "Warp Prism!"

The white dust from the crystal enveloped both Xiaomei and Garnet, turning into a thick fog. The fog slowly cleared and it was clear that they were now indoors.

As Garnet looked around, she spotted numerous things in red, black, and gold. The floor had a large magic circle on it as well as the door. There was a single large bed with some chests and drawers. "Where are we?" Garnet asked.

"My private room," said Xiaomei as she rummaged through the chest. "When we walk, follow me closely. Do not look at anyone and do not speak to anyone. Am I clear?"

Garnet nodded. She had to follow the rules to leave a good impression if she was going to negotiate with the Chancellor.

Xiaomei took out a dark blue cloak and handed it to Garnet. "Wear this over your clothes and keep the hood up as well," Xiaomei ordered.

Garnet did as ordered. The cloak was a little big, so it dragged on the floor. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's a mage's robe," Xiaomei explained. "Your normal outfit sticks out too much."

Xiaomei opened the door. "This way," she said.

Garnet walked and only looked straight ahead at Xiaomei. As she walked, she noticed that the few others that they encountered all backed away from Xiaomei. Some members even bowed to her. Xiaomei was clearly someone who was feared by the others.

Red and black seemed to be the primary colors. Most wooden and metal objects were black or a dark blue while a few objects had some gold coloring on them. Garnet took a peek when she could and noticed that there were not many objects or people. In fact, most of the building seemed to be empty, but it looked like an abandoned castle.

"Here we are," said Xiaomei. They stood before a pair of wooden double doors with a red, black, and gold crest. The crest had a three headed hydra on it with its body being shaped like a shield and colored blue. It was not a nobility crest that she recognized.

KNOCK KNOCK. "It's Xiaomei," said Xiaomei.

"Come in," said a deep voice.

Xiaomei opened the double doors and walked inside. She pulled Garnet in before closing the doors shut. "Chancellor, one of the Dark Mages wishes to speak with you," said Xiaomei.

"And the other?" the Chancellor asked.

"Gone," said Xiaomei.

"Dead you mean?" the Chancellor asked.

"I'm not sure," said Xiaomei.

"Very well," said the Chancellor as he stepped forward to look at Garnet. "Step aside Xiaomei."

Xiaomei stepped to the side and Garnet got a clear look at the Chancellor. He was quite old, but kept himself fairly clean. There were wrinkles on his face and even liver spots on his face. However, his teeth were perfectly clean and it looked like he groomed himself quite well.

Name: Murad

Level: 100

Class: Kinetic Mage

Sub-Class: Elemental Summoner

Stats: ???

The Chancellor was even stronger than Zedd based on levels. But, Garnet knew that levels were not everything. "You're quite young for such a powerful mage," said Murad as he circled Garnet.

"So, what will it take for you to join our ranks?" Murad asked.

Garnet looked at Xiaomei. "Go ahead and speak," she said.

"I want you to help me against the Grey Ghosts," Garnet replied.

"That's a term I have not heard in a long time," said Murad as he sat back down on his desk. "Do you know why they want you?"

"No," said Garnet.

"Do you know where they came from?" Murad asked.

"Anzio," said Garnet.

"So Anzio's branch of Grey Ghosts wants you," Murad repeated as he began to think. "What did you do in Anzio?" he asked.

Garnet thought about it. She had done alot. "Let's see..." said Garnet as she took a deep breath. "I sent someone to school there. I worked for the Guild for a moment. I bought a ton of clothes. I worked for Morgan for a while before leaving. I sold medicines and swords to an auction house."

"That doesn't really help does it?" said Murad. "But if I had to guess, it would have to do with either the medicines or the swords. You must be able to make something of high quality."

"Yes," said Garnet. She took out one of the elixirs that she made and handed it to Murad.

Murad took a close look at it. "High quality," he said. "Not close to the robes you're wearing under that cloak, but still high quality. This would be enough of a reason for them to come after you."

"So, will you help me?" Garnet asked.

"What can you offer us?" Murad asked. "If you want our protection, you must have something that we want as well."

"I will give you access to the lands in my city," said Garnet.

"But you can't even protect it yourself," said Murad as he looked displeased with Garnet's request.

"I can't protect the city yet, but I can protect myself," said Garnet. Serena was able to take on a huge number of Grey Ghosts by herself without much trouble. Zedd was also there to help. It would take more than a hundred of them to fight just those two. The only real threat was when they attacked with a full army. "It's taking time to make progress, but I'm adding to my forces every day and I will eventually be able to. It's just that it takes time to create powerful creatures that can help me defend the city."

"The real question is whether we need you more or you need us more," Murad replied as he clasped his hands together in front of him.

Garnet knew that Murad was not going to take this deal. It was not good enough for him. He wanted Garnet under his command. However, this was not much different from being captured and working for the Grey Ghosts. The only thing was that she was basically surrendering herself to the Dark Mages. "I've presented you with my conditions," said Garnet. "Access to my land and resources on the land in exchange for your protection. I will not be your vessel making slave."

"Not good enough," said Murad. "If I'm going to be sticking my neck out for someone who is being hunted by the Grey Ghosts, I want more."

Garnet could tell that Murad was a little afraid of the Grey Ghosts. The way he spoke of them also implied that there were many of them out ther. The Dark Mages themselves might have been hunted before. It would explain why the Grey Ghosts had things like Anti-Magic Fields to be deployed. However, Murad was confident in facing the Grey Ghosts if she was on their side. That meant that she alone had the power to turn the tide of the battle. It was likely that she did not need the help of the Dark Mages as much as they needed her's. But most importantly, Garnet knew that Murad was disrespecting her. That alone was enough not to trust him. "Then I'm afraid that I cannot agree to those conditions," said Garnet.

"Think about it for a moment," Xiaomei interrupted. "You do not want to make the Chancellor your enemy."

"I'm not making him my enemy," said Garnet. "I won't openly attack either of you unless you come after me again. If you do, then we are enemies."

"Then we will be enemies the next time we meet," said Murad.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"You had no intention of even listening to my agreement," Garnet countered. "You're no different from the Grey Ghosts, operating in the shadows and going after the people who are useful to your plans. Your group is not one that I can trust."

"Show her the way out," said Murad. "I will at least prove that you will need our protection."

Xiaomei took out another crystal. "No need," said Garnet. "I'll show myself out."

Garnet opened up her Map and took a look at where she was. She marked it on the Map, noting where the Dark Mage hideout was. It was in the ruins of a city south of Kalemegdan. "Teleport!"  Garnet warped back to just outside Constantinople.

Quest Update: Dark Mages (III)

Murad intends to kill you and take Constantinople. Make sure that neither happens by stopping the Dark Mage Council.

Reward: Experience, Fame

Knowing that she had to prepare for war, Garnet decided she would need to take a few risks and experiment with a few things. However, against a level 100 enemy, it was going to be difficult. It meant that her opponent was stronger than Zedd, and she would need something special to defeat him.

Nian ran out of the city gates. "What happened?" Nian asked.

"We could not come to an agreement," Garnet answered. "It felt like he wanted to capture me like the others, so I think he is going to come after us soon."

"Then you need to get stronger faster," Nian added.

"There are some things that I want to try," said Garnet.

"What is it?" Nian asked.

"How do the automata of the city become stronger?" Garnet asked.

"The easiest way is to upgrade the Mana Core according to Serena," said Nian.

Garnet had high mana regeneration, but she needed a flat amount of mana in order to upgrade the Mana Core, which was not an option right now. The same applied to a lot of the Minion Development upgrades. Her high mana regeneration did not help in upgrading them because she needed higher maximum mana. The ring accumulated mana at a very slow rate, so Garnet would have to choose her upgrades carefully when they were available. "What about slower ways?" Garnet asked.

"You'll have to ask Serena yourself," said Nian.

Garnet went to Serena, who was standing at the entrance to the Ark. She had nothing else to do since Zedd was not rummaging around the library anymore. "Serena, how do the automata get stronger?"

"Upgrade the Mana Core," Serena replied.

"Other than that," Garnet added.

"They have to fight like anyone else," said Serena. "Without many enemies around here nowadays, its kind of hard for them."

Most enemies were located outside and there were a few weaker enemies out there. Sending too many out at once would leave the city defenseless, so all she could do was send a few out at a time. "Alright," said Garnet as she opened the Minion Development Menu. She wanted to see what she could do with them.

There was an exclamation mark next to the automata, signaling something new. There were three settings: Rebuild, Patrol, and Attack. Rebuild was their default setting where they tried to rebuild the ruins of the city. Patrol caused them to move back and forth between set locations. Attack caused them to march towards a designated location and attack anything hostile along the way. Garnet set one group to Attack towards where she remembered seeing the giant bird creature. Only time would tell how this would work out. "It's something," she thought.

"Why do you suddenly need them?" Serena wondered.

"The Dark Mages essentially declared me an enemy," Garnet replied. "If they're coming after me, they're probably going to send a lot of people."

"This provides an opportunity for your Revenants does it not?" Serena asked.

If they were able to defeat some of the Dark Mages, the Revenants would be able to Assimilate them and take their powers. "I don't think it's going to be that easy," said Garnet. "I would probably beat some of them in skirmishes and if the fight is drawn out. I'm not so certain that I can win against an entire army with our current numbers."

"Do you have any information about our enemies?" Serena asked.

"They're all mages of some kind, but only the strongest members pose a serious threat," said Garnet. "Unfortunately, I don't know how many of them there are, but at least four or five."

"The plan is simple then," said Serena.

"Simple how?' Garnet asked.

"Give command of the soldiers to Zedd and let him command your forces while you, me, Nian, and your spirits fight against the strongest members," Serena explained.

"Zedd is a good commander," said Garnet as she remembered Zedd's ability to command during the Invasion.

"Unfortunately, I think their strongest member is stronger than all of us," said Garnet. "He is level 100 and his class was a Kinetic Mage with an Elemental Mage sub-class."

"In the confines of the city, me and Nian should be stronger," said Serena. "So you have to find a way to bring him in."

Garnet thought about it for a second before she realized what she had to do. "Teleportation is the key," said Garnet. "If I can touch him, then I can bring him to one of our Teleportation Summoning Circles."

"He's a Kinetic Mage though," said Serena. "Do you know what it means?"

"No," Garnet replied.

"It means he has the power to push and pull objects, including people, with his magic," Serena explained. "It's going to be very easy for him to keep his distance."

Teleportation was not going to work then since Murad could just push Garnet away with his magic when she got close. She would need to find another way to deal with such an enemy. "Do you know how to deal with it?" Garnet asked.

"A strong enough spell should be able to overwhelm his ability to push back your spells, but there's no telling how much power you would need for that," Serena replied.

"Zedd might know," said Garnet as she began to walk towards the Vault. Zedd should have been there since Garnet gave him the ring to look for the Hidden Vault.

"Wait up," said Serena as she chased after Zedd.

Garnet made her way to the Hidden Vault and saw that Zedd was inside, looking at the tube. "Find anything?" Garnet asked.

"No," said Zedd. "The magic used here is more advanced than anything I've seen. It's based on golem and vessel creation, but it feels like it's something superior to that."

"Well, we've got a bigger problem," said Garnet. "I'm pretty sure the Dark Mages want me dead based on what their leader said to me."

"Who's their leader?" Zedd asked.

"A Kinetic Mage by the name of Murad who is even higher level than you," Garnet answered.

"A Kinetic Mage huh?" Zedd repeated as he began to think. "Well for starters, level are not everything, so I'm sure I can take him on a direct fight."

Zedd then suddenly realized something. "Did you get access to Morgan's Shadow Magic?" Zedd asked Garnet.

"Some of it," said Garnet. "I can only use his shadows to restrict movement before killing someone."

"That's good enough," said Zedd. "You see, Kinetic Magic only works on physical things, so while spells and spirits might be dispersed with the spell, a shadow is not something that can be physically touched, giving you a slight advantage if you are faster than them."

There lied the problem. Garnet was much lower level and was most likely weaker and slower than Murad was, even with all her bonuses and stat buffs. "I don't think I can beat someone more than twice my level," said Garnet. "I could not even match a skilled person who was thirty levels above me. There's no way I can do it to someone almost sixty levels above me and probably more skilled than me as well."

"I can't train you again for another three days and even then, I don't have many of those potions left," said Zedd as he began to think.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Garnet. "Gaining and losing levels like that was taxing, even for me."

"Is there another way for me to get stronger?" Garnet asked.

Zedd began to think about it. "I'm going to assume you want to remain human."

"Did you even have to ask?" said Garnet sarcastically.

Zedd took a cube out of one of his rings. It was composed of nine smaller cubes that could be rotated. On each of the six faces was a picture and it looked like with a few turns, all of the pictures would match up. "This will open up a temporary portal to another world," said Zedd. "Their leaders might be able to help you."

"Would that make us Invaders?" Garnet asked.

"No, I met one of their inhabitants as they traveled between worlds long ago," Zedd replied. "He was relatively peaceful and was interested in my stories. He gave me this so that I could visit his world."

Garnet reached for the cube. "Let me finish," said Zedd as he pulled the cube back. "You will have to pass the trials of the four leaders if you want their help."

"What trials are they?" Garnet asked.

"I don't know," said Zedd. "I failed the first one when they asked me questions. Apparently, they said I was not being honest even though I felt like I answered everything truthfully."

"Could they read your mind?" Garnet asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Zedd. "I think they could read emotions and body language though."

"I think it would be better if you came with me," said Garnet. "They might mistake me for an enemy if I went alone."

"Can you keep this place safe until we return?" Zedd asked Serena.

"Of coruse," said Serena. "I'm no longer alone here, so it should not be a problem."

"Good," said Zedd as he began to turn the pieces on the cube.

Once all of them were matched, Garnet could feel a familiar feeling. It was the same that she got as she stared into the eye in the sky during the Invasion. A red portal opened and Zedd stepped into the portal without hesitation. Garnet looked into it and saw trees on the other side. Knowing that it was not as scary as the Instance Dungeon, she stepped right into it.

Spoiler :

No change in stats

Actual story spoiler

Spoiler :

The big fights will start next book with the continuing assault led by various members of the Dark Mage Council until the Grey Ghosts get involved, which turns it into a messy three way war.