Chapter 177:
Air whistled past Anton’s head, buffeting him about as the Chirok’s soared through the sky. The Chirok beat its mighty wings, propelling them even higher. A loud howl came from his side, something that should have been near impossible given their altitude. Another adult Chirok, the female and the mate of the Chirok that Anton currently rode, flew just behind, darting and weaving playfully through the air. Though the creature didn’t, or rather couldn’t speak, it was clear that it wanted to play as well.
“When we’re done.” Anton leant forward, the thick leather straps prevented him from going too far, as he scratched the beast’s thick neck. It gave no sign it cared for his affections but he was certain its tail tried to wag despite the wind constantly buffeting them both.
Anton pulled back lightly on the reins. The Chirok shot him a dirty look but obeyed nonetheless. They weren’t simply flying for the sheer pleasure of soaring above the clouds, not that it wasn’t exciting. Below Dana and her riders rode quickly across the open grassy plains. Except it wasn’t just grass anymore. Small patches, depressions, had filled with snow. Anton didn’t want to be flying when snow was actually falling around them, the wind chill alone was quite severe.
I wonder just how big this Lumber Mill is going to be. Going by what Dana said it’s going to be a bit more than just a rotting shack.
Anton had unimpeded sight for miles. Though beautiful it was undeniably haunting. What was once a Kingdom, filled with millions of people, was nothing more than an empty expanse. That in itself wasn’t true. Something had replaced humanity, a vile race of little grotesque creatures that infested every nook and cranny of this otherwise beautiful land.
“At least those White Ghlotsm are doing their job.”
Anton glanced to the west. He could not see the White Ghlotsm or its army but he knew it continued to fight, continue to grow despite the cold and the lethargy infecting the monsters. Perhaps the corruption kept them warm or merely forced them to continue moving. Anton cared not what the reason was, he had no desire to keep them as soldiers beyond an effective form of fodder.
The Chirok began to slow, the female flew past and circled around. Below Dana had stopped and tried to signal to them.
Might want to give them a second set of communication rings. Imagine how effective our army could be. And our defences, just from being able to issue and receive orders instantly. No wonder Cassius wants them. Would that be enough to turn the tide of the impending civil war? Maybe. Probably, if they can coordinate their armies well.
Anton followed Dana’s frantic gestures towards the forest. She had stopped a few miles from a series of large structures near the Accursed Forest. It was an odd conglomeration of buildings, far larger than the original barns of Atros. Only when Anton continued to look did he realize the forest had consumed many of the buildings, the light smattering of snow only made it more difficult to discern what was what amongst the thick forest. However, Anton couldn’t see any movement amongst the buildings.
“Let’s land near Dana.” Anton pulled back lightly on the reins.
The Chirok obeyed. As it couldn’t turn instantly it flew around in a circle, slowly descending with each pass. As they neared the ground Anton looked at the ruined buildings. The air shimmered above them. Heat. Quite a substantial amount of heat. Those areas had far less snow, some almost none. From his initial height the snow covering the trees obscured such an obvious sign of habitation.
Dana ordered the riders to move away as the Chiroks landed without regard for their presence. They pranced towards each other, completely ignoring Anton’s orders until they had shared a quick nuzzle. Anton glared at both, not that they seemed to mind, and slowly walked towards Dana.
“They don’t seem that tamed,” Dana said softly. She and the other riders kept their horses away from the mouths of the Chirok’s. Specifically their massive teeth, now pearly white from their better diet and tending. “They’re looking like starving wolves. Like my horses are their next meal.”
Anton gently stroked their necks. “They’re well fed. And I’m sure they understand they can’t eat anything they want. Though they have left the city a few times to hunt a few Razor Pigs.”
Dana gently shook her head. “If you say so. But I’m going to hold you responsible for any that get attacked. I'm going to be really mad if they actually eat one.”
“Certainly.” Anton tapped the Chirok’s neck with his feet. The beast grumbled but lowered its body to the ground, so Anton didn’t have to jump off. “So this is where they came from?”
“We tracked the survivors retreating to this place.” Dana began. “Though they didn’t make it far.”
She pointed to several small green and yellow lumps near the ruined buildings.
“I don’t see any arrows.” Anton glanced at Dana’s riders. “And you don’t have any slings either.”
“No. They were killed by those still inside the Lumber Mill. Mainly slings but also a few small javelins.”
“I can’t-”
“They’ve already recovered those,” Dana said curtly.
“I see.”
Anton studied the Lumber Mill. He counted twelve large buildings, perhaps another twenty hidden further inside the forest. Trees had started to sprout through the buildings, further obscuring the site.
“We missed this on the first exploration?” Anton asked.
Dana said nothing for a moment. “We were more concerned with discovering Surdon was crawling with Goblins.”
“And it still is.” Anton removed a small pack from the Chirok’s flank. “I don’t have enough of those White Ghlotsm to attack it yet.”
“Your what?”
Anton began setting up a portal. “Don’t worry about it.”
The moment he had finished Verona and Kal flashed through. They jumped from the portal and picked Anton up.
“It’s barely been a few minutes.” Anton quickly kissed their foreheads. “Are you missing me already?”
“Hardly.” Verona laughed. Kal threw her a look, Verona regretted her choice of words. “Maybe we did, and that’s why we needed to come through so fast.”
The portal flashed again, this time Mezot and Axia stepped through. Both quickly recovered, accepting a hand off the portal.
“It’s still awful!” Axia groaned.
Mezot said nothing but still rubbed her temple hard. She opened her eyes and gasped. “I’ve never seen a forest so large.”
“Not many in Boreana?” Anton asked. He chuckled, much to Mezot’s confusion, which for her was the faintest creasing of her brows. “I just remembered that you hadn’t left the Royal Academy in years. You probably don’t know what a forest looks like. Though you spent a lot of time in the library. A different kind of forest.”
Anton smiled but Mezot didn’t understand. He decided to let it go, and thankfully she did not press. He caught Axia sniggering just out of Mezot’s peripheries.
A loud noise, a Chirok’s sneeze caught their attention. Axia screamed, Mezot froze in terror upon looking at the Chiroks. For their part the Chiroks reacted to Axia’s scream, raising their heads, their ears pricking up along with the hair on their back. When they couldn’t see any nearby threats they slumped back down to the ground.
“What are those?” Axia held her staff tight, running to her mother. “They’re huge.”
“I…” Mezot moved to Anton for help, inadvertently dragging her daughter with her.
“These are Chiroks.” Anton approached the beasts. Mezot and Axia watched in stunned silence as Anton scratched their necks and behind their ears. It was like scratching a bear, not that Anton knew what that felt like. “Beasts we received from Fliodher. They’re not tamed, like Dana’s horses or a dog, but they won’t hurt us. Most creatures will become quite friendly when they’re being well fed and their children looked after.”
Axia frowned at Anton. “I wish you had told me about them before I saw them. I thought I was about to be eaten.” Axia’s frown turned into a glare. “Scaring me and my mother…Fucking…”
Mezot’s head snapped to her daughter. Axia’s eyes widened ever so slightly. She wasn’t supposed to know those words.
Anton clapped his hands. For a moment the Chiroks thought they were being called. When they realised he wasn’t they looked rather annoyed and sat down, pulling their large wings close to their bodies.
“This is the perfect place,” Anton said triumphantly.
“For?” Axia gave her temple a final slap. She kept a wary eye on the Chiroks.
“To see what our new Ice and Water Mage is truly capable of.”
“A demonstration?” Mezot asked, holding her staff close to her chest.
Anton nodded to the ruined Lumber Mill. “Goblins have established themselves inside of those ruins. And we don’t want them alive when winter ends, when they become active again. Especially since it’ll interfere with our own timber harvesting operations.” Mezot looked to the half-rotten buildings. “I don’t want our workers to be surprised by a Goblin leaping out of the shadows.”
“I haven’t seen a Goblin up close,” Axia said. “Not a real one.”
“There are many diagrams and drawings of them in the library,” Mezot said absentmindedly. Her eyes lost focus as she returned momentarily to her time perusing innumerable books and tomes.
Kal gently nodded. “I doubt they would allow Goblins to get close to the capital. But they were still prevalent in the countryside when I passed through. I doubt they’ve got rid of all of them. Seems like an impossible task.”
“I…” Axia smiled. “I wouldn’t know.”
Anton caught Mezot’s attention. “Can you do it? Just think of it as an empty building. A target to destroy for a test. I am very curious to see what an Ice Mage is capable of.”
Mezot’s hand touched the small badge on the collar of her shirt. “If it weren’t for you…” Mezot’s hand gripped tight. “What sort of magic do you want to see?”
“The biggest, most impressive magic you’ve got.” Anton smiled. Mezot’s body twitched. “Go wild and impress me.”
Mezot’s eyes flashed with excitement, magic was one of the few things that would get Mezot animated. She looked to the ruins.
“Do…Do you want the buildings still in one piece?” Mezot flashed an unsually devious smile. “If I use my most powerful magic there won’t be much left.”
“The buildings here are too far from Atros and in such a state that it would be easier just to tear them down and start again.” Anton looked back to Atros. He could only see the faint smoky trail rising into the air against the white snow-capped peak of Mount Aspire. “I don’t feel too comfortable trudging back with trees that far, never knowing when those little Goblins will strike.”
Dana shuffled uncomfortably. Anton’s immediate reaction was to apologise but refrained. She knew that it wasn’t on purpose and the less time they dwelled upon it the better.
“So?” Anton leant close to Mezot’s impressive staff. “What do you have in mind?”
Mezot smiled. “Ice Storm.”
Axia poked Anton’s side. “It’s like a huge shower of rain. Except its giant icicles.”
“That would be devastating.” Anton patted Axia’s head. “But I think this would also be a good opportunity to test the human and Beast-kin soldiers. See how they perform.”
“There might not be much left after Mezot’s attack.” Kal frowned lightly. “Not much for them to learn.”
“Maybe. But I doubt it’ll kill all of them.” Anton flashed Mezot a look. “One might survive, hidden underneath a beam or something.”
Mezot slowly nodded. “I understand. I don’t get many chances to use all of my magic. Especially the more complicated and mana intensive. But I need to get closer, I can't cast it so far away."
Anton still found it cute how she became animated by anything related to magic.
Anton took the first step. “By the way, how good are you two at physical exercise?”
“Why’s that?” Axia smirked, a devilish face reminiscent of Verona’s. “What are you planning to make us do?”
Anton pointed towards the ruined lumber mill. “Because we’re going that way on foot. And we’re not going to wait for you two to walk.”
Axia’s expression evaporated, replaced with a thinly veiled look of disbelief. “What?”
“I'm just joking.” Anton chuckled. “But we will be moving quickly.”
Axia’s face drained of any semblance joy. She sighed and gripped her small staff tight as Verona patted her shoulder and urged her forward.
---[]---
Mezot told them to stop once less than a kilometre stood before them and the Lumber Mill. Given their relatively slow speed, it gave them time to organize the soldiers for the cleanup operation. Cetina and Rasha now stood by him, along with two hundred human and Beat-kin soldiers. He spied Eider near the back with two large Beastkin either side. They were not thereby accident, Anton didn't want Eider to die on essentially a training mission. She and everyone else wore the best armour they could be reasonably be outfitted with; metal plate armour over a thick layer of gambeson, wielding iron-tipped spears with small wooden shields. Though they would be decidedly inferior to the weapons Anton wanted to create they were still leagues above the quality they had when Anton first arrived, doubly so against the near non-existent equipment the Goblins used.
Those Goblins using wooden armour are still out there. I doubt it was just one.
“Anton!” A voice cried out from behind. “Where do you want us?”
Calo hurriedly strode towards him with Sheso right behind. For this venture, they commanded a small force of Dark Elves, a little over fifty archers, but Anton knew they were far more dangerous than their small numbers indicated.
“Behind the main force,” Anton replied. Cetina made a glance back but kept her attention focused towards the rotten Lumber Mill. Rasha turned to face the twins but received a sharp reprimand from Cetina, she quickly kept her attention focused elsewhere.
“Not to attack?” Calo asked, stopping a meter before him.
“Just support,” Anton replied. “Just in case something goes wrong.”
“I presume it has something to do with the blonde Graterian women?” Sheso nodded to Mezot and Axia, standing a few meters ahead of Anton. “I haven’t seen them before.”
The twins smirked, leaning close to him. It reminded Anton of Verona when she was thinking up another of her plans, though the actual Verona was speaking with Mezot.
“How did you manage that?” Sheso chuckled.
“Same way I imagine he got these two.” Calo laughed, her eyes glancing between Cetina and Rasha.
To be fair it’s only one. But you two wouldn’t be laughing so much if you understood what your grandfather wants from you…Or maybe you already do and…Hmm. Something to ponder.
“Regardless,” Anton continued, noticing the glance Cetina and Rasha gave each other. “I want you two to remain at the rear, but ready to move forward at a moment’s notice. Oh, and make sure the Chirok’s don’t fly off for some reason.”
Anton nodded to the two large Chiroks, curled up next to each other on a small hill. Their eyes were closed but their ears pricked up, ready to hear anything that might sneak up on them. Dana and her riders waited nearby, they too were keeping an eye out but mainly towards the two potentially hungry carnivores.
“But I doubt they’re going to go far without their children.”
The twins grew rather nervous as the Chirok’s heads rose up and turned towards them. Though they knew they were friendly Anton completely understood their reservation about getting too friendly with a creature whose teeth were larger than their head.
“And them?” Calo pointed to the human and Beast-kin soldiers.
Jeff had sent a soldier, really a high ranking guard, to act as commander. Anton didn’t know him by name but had seen the man before. If Jeff trusted him then Anton would too.
“Cleaning things up. After Mezot’s used her biggest magic. We aren’t going to be hit by this, are we?”
Mezot turned to Anton, cutting Verona’s conversation dead, much to her annoyance. “No. We will be fine. I have used this magic before and I know how dangerous it can be.”
“Inside,” Axia added softly. “Inside a magically shielded building.”
Mezot nodded in confirmation, perhaps missing her daughter’s undertone. Thankfully neither pursued the issue.
“Is everyone ready?”
Everyone signalled they were indeed ready.
“Mezot? Show us the power of an Ice Mage.”
Mezot took a moment before she understood, just before her daughter jabbed her side, and stepped forward. Her nervousness disappeared, replaced with a calm professionalism.
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“The cold winds, the blizzards that destroy nations.” Mezot’s charm began to glow bright, the crystals crackling with a white burst of magic. “Release that rage upon the Earth and break upon my enemy.”
Principle Magic sounds a bit like you’re asking spirits to do magic.
The bright light of her charm vanished. Verona opened her mouth to speak but clamped it shut when a bight blueish light swallowed the lumber mill. The cracking and groaning of ice emanated from the light. Mezot smiled at Anton as the light slowly receded. Frosted ice, easily half a meter thick, covered the entire Lumber Mill and a large part of the surrounding landscape. Everything inside had been perfectly preserved, the grass blades literally frozen in place, the leaves and branches of the trees captured in mid-swing.
“Shit.” Verona murmured. “We’d never know something like that was even coming.”
“Is that what you were asking?” Mezot’s voice held nothing but an innocent tone, a child wanting to be praised.
Anton rubbed his chin. “How…How much mana did that cost you?”
“Not that much.” Mezot tapped the large metal charm. “Perhaps a twentieth. Maybe?”
The soldiers nearby almost scoffed at the innocent and flippant nature of what she’d just said. Anton was more stunned by just how much mana she had, or at least claimed to have.
“What was that?” Kal asked, asking the question many appeared to have.
“Flash Freeze.” Mezot’s excitement grew. “It instantly freezes everything around the location where I release the spell. Actually, if you are nearby, you’d feel a rush of hot air. It doesn’t work just by cooling the area but also throwing out the excess heat. A lot of Ice magic works the same way, if you want to make it really powerful without using a lot of mana and time.”
“And that would be you,” Anton said. “The most powerful Ice and Water Mage I've ever seen."
Mezot beamed with pride, even Axia looked rather impressed by her mother but neither appeared to fully understand Anton's words. Not that he had any ill intent.
“They don’t appreciate her talent.” Axia threw her nose up in a huff. “Well, at least they didn’t before. Not many chances to use the bigger magic.”
“I have others,” Mezot said, her face beaming with barely restrained excitement. Her hands gripped her staff tight as a foot tapped lightly in the smattering of snow. “Do you want to see them? I’ve only been able to use these once or twice, and inside a protective building.”
Anton nodded. “Go for it.”
Mezot grinned and began to chant again. This time it was far softer and rapidly spoken. The excitement of being let loose, all the restrictions tossed aside, for Mezot was considerable. Above the frozen Lumber Mill large icicles, easily larger than Rasha, emerged from the ether and slammed into the frozen structures and trees below, smashing apart the thick frosted ice first then obliterated what lay beneath. The rain of icicles did not cease until everything that had been frozen was little more than splinters. Mezot’s breathing was much harder when she stopped, her face flushed while her fingers shook.
“Are you alright?” Anton asked, holding her shoulder. “You look like you’ve overdone it.”
“Icicle Tempest.” Mezot smiled. She took a deep breath and tapped her staff on the ground. “But I used almost half of my magic.”
Anton looked to the ruined buildings and the partially destroyed forest. While his flame pillars would probably be more destructive there was no denying that her magic was incredibly powerful. Not to mention that after the initial volley there was little left standing. She clearly just wanted to go wild, if that was possible.
“Fantastic work.” Anton patted Mezot’s shoulder, her face turned flat. “I never doubted you but this is fantastic, but I didn’t think it would be this impressive.”
“How large did you expect it to be?” Mezot asked with genuine curiosity.
“Not that big.” Anton signalled to the waiting Human and Beast-kin soldiers. “Soldiers! We weren’t expecting the magic to be so destructive. Regardless, you are to advance on the Lumber Mill and make sure that everything is dead. Be careful of the ice, not just from the temperature but issues with slipping and having a fall. Always ensure your footing is secure. We have the Dark Elves for support but they are only going to help if the situation looks dire. So make sure you keep yourself safe first of all, just like in any battle. No one should die because they acted stupidly.”
The local leaders repeated the orders into shorter and more digestible chunks, though it followed the same basic instructions. The soldiers formed into small groups and advanced on the ruined Lumber Mills.
“We should back them up.” Anton waved their group forward. “If only for healing.”
---[]---
The soldiers moved hesitantly through the icy fields. For many this was their first battle beyond the safety of Atros’s walls, for the Beast-kin any battle at all. They held their weapons tight, some tight enough that some began to lose their strength, as they slowly walked over the ice. Most didn’t have anything significant in the way of footwear, most were just a wooden sole with wool or old leather forming the rest of the shoe. It was far from elegant but it was cheap and easy to produce. Some Beast-kin went barefoot, those of the species similar to Kal, but now they were on the Ice they appeared to be regretting their decision.
Anton did not venture too close, stopping at the edge of the frosted ice. He could see the groups slowly fan out throughout the wreckage in the search for survivors. Every so often a group would stop and point their weapons at something. Normally it was nothing more than a dead Goblin, frozen in ice and pummelled to death by the shower of giant icicles from above. Eider, still under the watchful eye of two large Beastkin, was performing surprisingly well. She led from the rear but ensured those she was travelling with avoided areas that were particularly dangerous.
Eider raised her hand and the group stopped. She blinkered hard, her head dipped slightly and pointed to a collapsed section of wood.
"There's heat coming from under that." She said loudly.
A human and Beastkin approached, levelling their spears at the wood, stopping a meter back. The Beastkin, an older canine, sniffed at the air and stopped his partner. He gently placed his spear underneath the wood and pried it up. Terrible screeches followed. A pair of Yellow and Green Goblins charged out with nothing more than a single piece of sharpened wood between them. The human thrust his spear into the Yellow's face and the Green behind. The Canine withdrew his spear, pinning the other Yellow but leaving him without a weapon. Instead of retrieving his spear the Canine used his shield as a bludgeon, killing the Green with a single strike and spattering blood and brains over the ice.
"They're not so tough." The Canine spoke through laboured breaths. His hands shook as he retrieved his spear.
"Nothing like Seocuria." He grumbled before ramming it through the surviving Yellow.
Eider ordered, gently of course, for the piece of wood to be completely overturned. Another three Greens lay in wait, young and heavily wounded by Mezot's magic. Without a word, they were killed and the group moved forward.
"This is all good practice," Cetina said softly. "Shame it can't be done without risk."
"True." Anton watched the groups continue to fan out. The more adventurous and daring were tempered by the small run-ins with pockets of Goblins that had survived. At first, Anton was in disbelief that anything could have survived such a calamitous event but he knew of disasters on Earth, far more destructive, and people had survived.
And these creatures are a stubborn lot.
"Mezot?" Anton found Mezot standing behind him. She held her staff tight and, judging by the slight indent on the ice at the base, a considerable amount of weight upon it. "While we wait for them to finish can you answer a few questions for me?"
"I will do my best." Mezot's grip hardened. "But...I don't know much outside of the Royal Academy."
"I wanted to ask you about magic anyway so that's perfect."
The fatigue left Mezot like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She stood taller and straighter, her face full of giddy delight.
Any hint of magic...
"Summoned creatures." Anton began. "What do you know about them? Specifically, yours, if you can summon Ice and Water creatures."
Mezot's smile widened. Before anyone could object she begar whispering a chant. Her charm glowed bright as a magical circle emerge a foot from the ground. Anton expected it to be a soft white, since that was the colour he associated with ice and snow, but it was a dark blue. Anton also remembered that Mezot did not specialize in just Ice magic.
A small whirlpool of water emerged from the floating disk, twisting and spinning until it settled into a vaguely humanoid form. It had no face or even legs, just a knot of swirling clear water, but it had vague arms that bulged at the end like closed fists. As the circle faded the water creatures head bobbed from side to side, looking over the edge at the frozen ground below. It attempted to move away but the circle vanished and it fell. It's body lost form as it smacked into the ground, a moment later it coalesced back into its humanoid form. Though it didn't have a face he was certain the creature was pouting.
"This is a Principle Water Sprite." Mezot proudly smiled at the form of water. "Only a level one, so it is not very powerful, but it can easily kill a person."
"Definitely one of those Goblins." Axia softly added.
"Please show me." Anton motioned to a nearby upright broken piece of wood. Before this day Anton never expected to see Icicles jutting out of a piece of wood.
"Certainly." Mezot looked at the Water Sprite. Without a word being spoken the creature darted towards the piece of wood. As it didn't have legs it moved by rotating its water, almost like a track. Tiny impurities were absorbed but didn't appear to hamper the Water Sprite even as it began to spread throughout its body. As the Water Sprite swung its fist a small blade of water erupted, the edge shimmered with a tiny film of foam despite the creature being made entirely of water. The water blade struck and cleaved the wood into two. As the Water Sprite stepped back it shuddered. Hundreds of splinters had invaded its body and were causing it some distress. The pieces swirled to where its mouth should lie and lazily ejected it from its body. The wet pieces splattered onto the icy ground, the Water Sprite looked happy and active once again.
"You didn’t speak a word,” Anton said softly. “You ordered the Water Sprite with just your thoughts?”
Mezot blinked once. A faint look of horror washed over her.
“Sorry.” Mezot bowed her head and held it low. “I became…” Mezot bit her lip. “You asked me what I knew about summoned creatures, not-”
Anton held Mezot’s shoulder. Only when she looked up did he speak.
“It’s alright.” Anton smiled. “Just breathe.” Mezot followed his words and calmed a little. “Now. What do you know about these creatures?”
The Water Sprite returned to Mezot’s side.
“Summoned creatures are not my speciality.” Mezot began, her face hardened somewhat, like a teacher dictating to her student. “But I know a little. Unlike normal magic, like a Fire Ball or Ice Storm, they persist. It is believed they are entities created and sustained entirely through magic. They have very little in the way of desire or understanding of pain, the summoned creatures do not scream when they are hurt, but the larger the creature becomes the more...understanding it can have.”
A group of soldiers shouted as another Goblin group tried to ambush them. They were repulsed with nothing more than ruffled nerves.
“The books on Glyph Magic state that some were so powerful that they required multiple people working in tandem.” Anton looked to the south. “And they were not particularly loyal. Unlike your little Water Sprite.”
Verona leant down and patted the head of Mezot’s Water Sprite. Its head twisted towards Verona but allowed her to touch it regardless. Verona seemed happy, but she raised a damp glove.
“I wonder if you throw enough sand at it it’ll go away.” Verona mused. “Or salt, or something.”
Mezot nodded. “I’ve witnessed a level one Fire creature thrown into a pool of water. It did not last long.”
“And Abominations?”
“And whatever that kid made?” Verona added. She frowned lightly at Axia. “Are you sure you want your daughter to practice something so dangerous? He didn’t seem like he was doing anything wrong and yet…”
“Axia knows what she is doing,” Mezot said proudly. “She would not do something so foolish….Oh. What those things are. Right.” Mezot coughed. “When-”
“Hang on a sec.” Anton raised his hand. Mezot looked worried that she had said something wrong, something that was becoming less endearing each time it occurred. “Do you have to ensure a series of rings spin around a central point?”
“Yes.” Mezot nodded. “For water magic the centre contains a small sphere, for Ice an octahedron. Should the rings touch each other or the centre it will result in an Abomination.”
“I just wanted to make sure.” The Chiroks, waiting on the small hill with Dana’s riders, raised their head and looked to the south. “But the Abominations?”
Mezot tapped the head of the Water Sprite. “They are very similar to a normal summon, but the failure, be it a caster being untrained or performing the magic incorrectly, creates an uncontrollable creature. It’s not evil or vindictive, at least initially like I’ve been told Goblins and other monsters are, but they simply have an uncontrollable desire for magic.”
“Their summoners magic.” Anton offered. “I remember reading that once they’ve killed their summoner they usually disappear.”
Mezot nodded. “Once they have lost the source of their magic they dissipate. If they have gathered enough and can find a new source of mana before they disappear, they can persist.”
“Unlike a bound summon.” Anton mused. “I-”
A whistle cut his thoughts. Dana waved frantically, the Chirok’s were standing up and facing to the south, their ears pricked up and their bodies perfectly still.
“What’s coming?” Anton asked.
Dana drove her horse towards him as fast as it could, clods of churned up dirt and snow trailed in her wake. “More of them.”
“An expedition?” Kal wondered aloud. “None of this is making any sense. It’s too cold...And it’s only going to get worse. How bad could it be that they’re walking through the snow almost naked?”
“They’re not the normal ones.” Dana brought her horse to a halt just before them. Anton spied Rasha ready her halberd. “They’re covered in wood and have stone spears and clubs.”
“Again?” Verona scoffed as she glanced at Kal. “How does wooden armour fare in the winter?”
“Better than bare skin.” Kal mused.
“Surdon lies to the south.” Anton clicked his tongue. “Cetina? Get the soldiers back. Cut the training short. I don’t want to be worrying about two fronts.”
Cetina frowned lightly. “If there are any Goblins still hiding they could take the opportunity to attack us in the rear. It probably won’t be many but we don’t know how many are hiding in the forest.”
Cetina pointed to the damaged section of the forest. The buildings extended deep into the forest and, despite Mezot unleashing terrible destruction, the trees would have provided some protection, even if only a few precious seconds but more than enough for some to escape. There was also the possibility the Goblins were not confined to just the Lumber Mill but had spread deeper into the forest.
“Eider can’t see heat from that far away…” Anton clicked his tongue again. “Bring them back. We’ll have them watch the forest while we have Mezot unleash her magic upon the Goblins again.”
“I’ll let them know.” Cetina ran off, slowly when her metal boots almost lost traction and caught the Commander’s attention.
Mezot tapped her staff. The Water Sprite gurgled and vanished, leaving behind a small puddle of water, far smaller than its total volume. “I can unleash another Icicle Tempest if you want. I won’t cast it as long as I did before…”
“Sounds perfect.” Anton began to move briskly towards the hill. “How many are we talking?”
“A lot,” Dana grumbled. “And since they’ve got spears I don’t like the chances of my horses against them.”
“I think it would be best to buy armour from Qaiviel for our horses,” Anton said. “They’ve already done the hard work in designing it. Might even help our relations.”
“Only if you buy it from Leo.” Verona stuck out her tongue as she followed closely behind. “I don’t think he’d care if you gave anyone else money.”
“Any word from Qaiviel?” Kal asked.
“Nothing yet. But I think it will only be a matter of time. These Centaurs sound like a serious threat, one that’s been allowed to fester for too long.” Anton caught the doey eye of Dana’s horse. “Dana? What do you think about riding a Centaur instead of a horse?”
“A what?”
“Think a Beast-kin with the body of a horse but the upper body of a human.”
Dana looked at Kal then Rasha. “I...They aren’t in Seocuria?”
“No…” Kal frowned softly. “They’re clearly a variety of Beast-kin.”
“The Seocurians got rid of the Lamia’s,” Rasha added.
Kal glumly nodded.
“I…” Dana stroked her horse's neck. “I quite like my horse. Right now he’s doing exactly what I tell him. I don’t think riding someone, or something, that could talk back to me is a good idea.”
“It would be easier to give commands.” Anton shrugged. “And an extra set of hands wouldn’t go amiss. But I’m told they are essentially feral.” Anton smiled at the Beast-kin girls. “But I was told that about you as well.”
When they reached the top of the hill the Chiroks were extremely restless. So too were Dana’s riders and for good reason. An ordered formation of wooden armoured Goblins marched towards them, a disquieting scene simply by watching them march in unison. However, they weren’t approaching the hill itself.
“They haven’t seen us yet,” Anton said. “Thank the Gods these things are quite blind.”
“There’s no way they’ll simply go past us.” Kal looked back to the ruined Lumber Mill.
While Mezot and Axia were still some meters away, Rasha and Cetina lagged behind for security, the Human and Beast-kin soldiers were finally beginning to leave the ice-covered ruins. None looked injured or even bloodied, their weapons and shields certainly had traces, but it was an important experience.
“Maybe they’re after the Goblins,” Kal said. “They can dominate each other, and they’re clearly much, much stronger.”
“And if they’re from the capital they’ve certainly got the numbers.” Anton frowned lightly. “Could they really be so desperate for a few hundred? I wonder what they’re doing down there.”
The male Chirok growled at the approaching Goblins, pawing at the snowy ground.
“It’s not like they can throw something as high as you two.”
Anton stroked their necks but the beast ignored him. For a moment Anton considered taking Mezot with him on the Chirok, both riding on their back but the safety straps were designed for one person and he didn’t want to risk Mezot falling.
I wonder how much weight the Chirok’s can take. But with the portals, it shouldn’t matter. I doubt they could take Rasha. They’re essentially bats, they don’t fly by magic...Can we make something like that? I remember floating chandeliers...Hm…
“There they are.” Anton pointed Mezot towards the approaching Goblins. “Can you attack them the moment they come into range?”
“Of course.” Mezot stepped forward. “They’re all close together so I should be able to get them all at once. There might not be much left.”
Dana scoffed. “They’re Goblins. And they’ll be dead. Not much else to learn.”
That’s not strictly true. If someone didn’t study them they wouldn’t know about their hierarchies and think the colour variations were merely cosmetic. But I do agree that the sooner we eliminate these things the better.
Anton gave Mezot a final nod. Her face hardened as she watched the Goblins approach. Anton did not know if she was judging the distance or could simply tell her maximum range, but he didn’t want to disturb her now. The Goblin formation changed direction towards their hill as Mezot began to chant. Even though their wooden armour provided them a massive boost in strength it would be nothing against Mezot’s magic. Mezot gave her staff a final tap as the light faded from her silver charm. A bright light formed over the Goblins, they screeched and began to run in all directions but it was too late. Giant Icicles pummelled them from above, killing everything below with its sheer mass, the exploding ice became shrapnel and eviscerated even more. After a few seconds, the magic circle faded but the damage was done. The Goblins were broken and all but annihilated.
“I wish I could use magic like that.” Rasha sighed, leaning on her halberd. “Even just a little bit.”
“I could teach you.” Mezot coughed, flattening her thick coat. “But it would take-”
“I…” Rasha smiled. “I’m alright with this.”
Mezot frowned but dropped the issue. Anton felt that she was more surprised that someone didn’t wish to discuss magic than merely wanting to not make the conversation awkward.
“Dana? Do you want to deal with the stragglers?”
Dana smiled. “You don’t need to tell me twice.”
With a sharp whistle, Dana’s riders surged down the hill towards the Goblins. Though their morale, such as it was, recovered remarkably quickly, they had simply taken too much damage to defend themselves effectively. Isolated and alone they were no match for Dana’s more nimble riders, dodging their spears and attacking them in the rear.
“I take it no one tried to attack us in the rear?”
Cetina shook her head. The Atros soldiers wanted to see the battle but their commanders and leaders ensure their attention lay on what was important. Anton spied Eider doing the same, but she looked like she wanted to witness Mezot’s magic more than anyone else.
“Good.” Anton clapped his hands. “It’s time for us to go home. We’ve done enough here today. All of us.” He looked to the sun. It was well past mid-day already. “And I think that someone has to return to the Academy. You’ve just become a Master, after all, it would be strange if you just disappeared completely for a whole day.”
“Not really,” Axia interjected before Mezot could speak. “Sometimes mother can just spend the whole day in the Library. Anyone looking for her would try there.” She stifled a chuckle. “They would be very surprised to hear that you’ve travelled through a portal to a dead kingdom.”
“They would not believe it.” Mezot smiled at her daughter. “They think this land is crawling with monsters and beasts. Only the forest bordering Qaiviel...I don’t know what they think is keeping them from invading Graterious.”
“For now it’s a giant crystal chasm.” Anton shook his head. “Filled with Goblins and near a strange cult. What they thought it was before is beyond me. Maybe so long as they didn’t poke it the monsters would leave them alone? Regardless, thank you for coming with us today.”
“If it weren’t for you…” Mezot tried to reach out for Anton but she was put off by the number of people present. Anton took her falling hand, despite the cold her face turned red, much to Verona and Axia’s amusement. “I wouldn’t be...I’m certain I’ve said this before.”
“You have.” Anton smiled. “But that’s alright. I’d like for you, and Axia, to come here as often as you can. But it cannot interfere with your work at the Royal Academy. Especially when spring rolls around and the classes begin in earnest.”
“It shouldn’t be too bad.” Axia shrugged. “Not a lot of people want to learn Water or Ice Magic. But now they have Mezot teaching them, and she’s a lot better than before, she might have a decent class of her own and not just what the Academy orders them to take.”
“Really? I’m looking forward to hearing about that.” Anton gave Mezot’s hand a light squeeze. “I’ll have to call upon you soon to teach me how to use Principle Magic.”
“O-Right!” Mezot coughed lightly. “Right.”
Mezot didn’t notice but everyone tried their best not to say a word.
“Speaking of.” Anton looked at Mezot’s charm. “How expensive will all this be? Not that I’m charging you, or the other way around really, but materials and equipment. You needed a nobles backing to get into the Academy.”
Mezot nodded, the seriousness had returned.
“And it was hard for you to survive on a lecturers pay,” Cetina added. “It’s strange that they don’t pay those teaching the next generation enough to live. I’m sure that can’t be good for anyone.”
“It keeps them dependent on the nobles and imperial family,” Anton said. “Anything more is incidental.”
“Equipment will cost a bit,” Mezot said. “Especially Simple Charms, like Axia has. They are extremely expensive to make. Far more than what I can afford as a Master.”
“Still?” Anton shook his head. His eyes were drawn towards the lines of Atros soldiers waiting patiently on the other side of the hill. “I think it’s time we deal with Balefire Mine while we have everyone. All the silver we could possibly want.”
“And those wooden Goblins?” Kal asked.
“I’ll take one of the Chiroks and head south once we’re done. The old capital isn’t going anywhere. But first.” Anton offered his hand to Mezot once again. “We need to make sure we get our new Principle Mage back home safely.”
Axia pretended to wretch but Mezot ignored her. It may have been clichéd but Mezot still took his hand. Anton didn’t want to think that it was likely one of the few positive interactions she’d had in a decade. Her small smile told him that she didn’t care, that the past few days had been like a waking dream. Even though he needed her for Atros’s survival it didn’t mean that he couldn’t spoil her a little. It wasn’t like Verona’s words had corrupted him, not at all.