The next day was uneventful and even relaxing for Gilreg. The warrior had an opportunity to rest his wounds and not feel any stress. He woke up from a comfortable floor mat. The Dark Elves provided them with a hut. They also provided food, which consisted mainly of fruits and mushrooms. The Dark Forest was mostly in twilight, with the brightest part of the day being a little more than an overcast sky. It was kind of soothing.
“We should be thinking about escape,” said Raine.
“No, besides the fact that they outnumber us nearly 10 to 1, we do not know how to get to Elenorak,” the warrior responded. This was not their first discussion. Raine growled and stormed out of the tent. She took her bow and sword and mumbled about going to the archery range.
RAINE
The braided hair goblin walked through the dark elf village. It was quiet. Even the children played quietly. Raine recalled from a history book that elves, throughout their existence, have lived in extensive forests inhabited by dangerous predators, and they needed to be quiet to avoid discovery. The dark elves were more so because they were not only hunted by the beasts in the Great Forest Kingdom but also by the elite Elven Rangers for their rejection of the gods. There were others at the archery range, perfecting their bow skills. Raine greeted them as proper for their customs. She bowed slightly at her neck and placed two fingers from her right hand on her forehead.
“You are familiar with our ways,” one of the elves with dark hair observed, and Raine nodded.
“I am Cirus,” the elf said and bowed in greeting.
“Raine,” she said.
“You have an elf-made bow. Are you good with it?” asked Cirus.
Raine grinned. Quickly, she loaded and fired her bow in one smooth motion. She hit the target dead center from thirty meters. Cirus nodded, and the other archers stopped to watch them.
“Can you do two arrows?” He asked.
Raine tilted her head to crack her neck. She took a deep breath and then loaded two arrows. She fired them simultaneously, both hitting just off the center. Cirus smiled and nodded.
“Multi-shot, that is impressive. But I meant this.” The dark-haired elf held an arrow in the same hand as his bow, and another arrow was in his other hand. He fired the two arrows in rapid succession. The first struck the center, and the second split the first one in half.
Raine attempted to do that but was much slower. She was loading her bow from her quiver and could not match the elf’s speed. Cirus waited patiently.
“How did you do that?” She asked finally.
“Ahh, so you admit elven archery is better?”
Raine laughed and said, “I care not about the race. I only care about knowledge. I want to learn.”
Cirus respected that, so he taught her how to do Rapid Shot. He showed her how to hold her bow and the arrows in the same hand. This allowed for quicker loading, as her draw hand didn’t need to reach into the quiver. He demonstrated that he was able to draw and fire very quickly.
“What you get in speed, you will lose in power. You won’t be able to draw the string back fully if you want to fire in rapid succession,” he said.
Raine nodded and practiced. She was an apt learner and could fire three arrows with this technique. She could even do a multi-shot with the Rapid Fire loading method. To her left, she heard a “thunk.” She turned and saw Gilreg at the next target. He was much closer to it than her and throwing his hand axes. The warrior looked at her and smiled. She faintly smiled back and was no longer angry. She went back to training.
SHAYMUS AND BOOGER
In the open space near the archery targets, the orc prince was swinging his large poleaxe in a series of physically impressive moves. He was an imposing figure, and he moved with a grace that defied his size. He worked his whole body as he trained. Shaymus trained alongside him, doing the sword katas that Zaploc had shown her.
“You said Ritual Combat earlier. You fought in such duels?” asked Shaymus.
“Yes!” Booger exclaimed. The large orc stopped a practice swing of his heavy weapon with ease.
“Were you nervous?”
“Fighting in front of a crowd is different than in a battle. You will have nerves in the beginning. You will be afraid of losing in front of your friends, but the minute you enter the fighting circle, your instincts will take over.”
“I’m not scared,” Shaymus hissed.
“You are very brave. But my little friend, it is okay to be afraid. Afraid does not make you weak.”
“I said I was not scared,” the pale-eyed goblin growled. Shaymus was starting to get angry.
“That anger is good!” Boomed the orc prince, and he slapped a heavy hand on the smaller goblin’s shoulder, nearly knocking her over.
“Do you miss your clan?”
Booger paused and scratched his green chin. Finally, he said, “I do. But they died honorably, and we had a good run. We lived much longer than we expected.”
“You fought in many duels?”
“It is our way. Ritual Combat is how we determine who should lead. I had to fight my brothers, my uncles, my cousins, and whoever wanted to challenge me as I was the champion. That was how I became a prince. I never fought my father, so I never became chieftain.”
“Is your father still alive?”
Booger shrugged and looked off in the distance. “I suppose, somewhere out there. Maybe when we finish this quest, I will go look for him. Hah! Maybe I will challenge him for the throne,” he said.
“Your face tattoos?” Shaymus asked, pointing to the tribal markings on Booger’s face.
“These? I earned these when I defeated my uncle. It was the 10th match that I won. When you win ten, you become a Champion.”
“Did you kill him?”
“No, though some do die in Ritual Combat. You do not want that because that will be one less warrior for the Clan. There will be a judge, and a victor is determined usually after first blood or when one fighter does not wish to continue.”
“I want to kill Tassarion.”
“Fight to win, but if the judge orders you to stop. You stop. Do you hear me?”
Shaymus hissed.
“Do not ruin the tradition. That is wrong.”
“Why? Why should I care about stupid elf traditions?”
“We are guests here. They treat us well,” Booger stated.
“Treat us well? Did you not hear what Tassarion called us?”
“Yes, and you are allowed to fight him for your honor. That is a good thing. We should thank them for the opportunity for you to prove yourself. I know you. You talk dark, but you are honorable. I have seen you risk your life for us, your tribe.”
Shaymus laughed and said, “You are not from our tribe!”
Booger looked hurt, and Shaymus leaned her head on his chest.
“You are our family. My family, you big oaf,” she said, and Booger laughed loudly.
NULROK
Nulrok and Annya sat with their legs crossed on the carpeted floors of Annya’s hut. A fire pit in the center sent smoke lazily up through the circular hole in the roof. Annya was holding her hands out before her and focusing on the goblin mage.
“I sense you have tapped into the primal magic of the elements. Fire and Ice. Ahh, and you studied under Chalal. I sense necromancy as well,” said Annya.
“How did you do that?”
“Life magic allows me to read your aura.”
“You said I can learn Life Magic. Can you teach me?”
“Unfortunately, your aura is intertwined with primal and necromancy magic,” said Annya.
“I don’t understand.”
“Life Magic is unique from the other types. We call it magic, but it is very different. With, for example, learning elemental magic. You are able to use your skills to pick up Shadow Magic or Necromancy. The way you channel your mana, complete the incantations and hand signs. They are all very similar,” explained Annya.
“Life Magic uses a different method?”
“Completely. You must draw the energy from yourself and then connect it with someone or something else. You also must be attuned to the environment around you. There are breathing patterns instead of incantations and movements instead of hand signs.”
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“My Shaman was able to do minor healing, and he was able to cast spells from the other disciplines.”
“Did he teach you breathing?” Annya asked. She was curious.
Nulork nodded and placed one hand over his stomach and the other over his chest. He took a deep breath that filled up his stomach, then his lungs, and finally up into his head. Then he exhaled and did the breathing at a rapid pace.
“Why did he teach you that?” The dark elf queried.
“To help me relax,” Nulrok said after he completed an exhale.
“Well, that is a good start. Let’s try something. Do the breathing, and can you reach out and sense my energy?”
Nulrok resumed his rapid, deep breaths. In and out. He focused. He sensed the moisture in the air for his ice magic. He felt the oxidants in the air for fire magic. He sensed death and decay for necromancy. But he could not connect with Annya. After a while, he was sweating and getting lightheaded from the heavy breathing.
“Enough,” Annya commanded, and the goblin mage resumed normal breathing.
“With magic, you are familiar with, you create from the Fabric of the universe. To maintain the spell, you must link it to a focused source. For Ice magic, what do you focus on?” Annya asked.
“I connect it to the moisture in the air. Once I create ice, the moisture is able to assist me with powering and maintaining the spell. If there is not much moisture, I can still create the ice, but it is much harder.”
“And after?”
“When I stop focusing, or when the energy I put into the spell is finished, the ice will fade away.”
“Exactly! You bring in something from the Fabric, from the universe, and when that energy is gone, the spell will fade. That is the difference. With Life Magic, I don’t reach outwards but inwards. I link my soul energy with an outside object, such as when I healed your wounds. Your body will remain healed even after I have stopped focusing. You understand the difference?”
“But with Necromancy, Chalal was able to raise zombies, and they continue to roam after he has stopped focusing.”
“Good observation, but he drew upon an energy source outside of himself. He drew from the dark negative energies of death. He captures lost souls and infuses them into this realm. They will fade over time and need energy to continue, such as consuming living flesh.”
“You and Chalal. You two are close?” The goblin mage asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you two married?”
“No, we are lovers,” Annya said unashamedly. This caused Nulrok to blush.
“Why are you not with him now?”
“I am needed here with my people. They will not live in the cemetery. And I love him enough to know I can not ask him to choose me over his studies.”
“So you two remain apart,” observed Nulrok, and Annya nodded sadly.
“Do you miss him?” The goblin asked.
“Very much so, but I visit him when I can.”
“Does he ever come here?”
“Sometimes. Though, Chalal prefers to stay in his tower. He is uncomfortable with different environments. He is odd like that,” Annya said with an affectionate smile.
The two were quiet for a moment. Nulrok was reflecting on what Annya had explained to him about life magic. About focus and channeling inwards. His eyes widened as he had an idea.
“It is said that water is life,” he stated, and Annya nodded.
“Ice is water. Moisture is water. Blood is water,” the goblin continued.
“Go on,” Annya said, excitement also in her voice.
“If I can focus my blood and then reach out to focus on your blood, then maybe I can perform life magic.”
“Give it a try. Remember, start with breathing, and move your body like so,” Annya encouraged and moved her arms and waist from side to side, like a tree swaying in a breeze.
Nulrok closed his eyes and did the breathing Shimlock, his shaman, had taught him. He moved his arms and upper body back and forth. He reached out with his mind and focused on the moisture in his body. He then reached out to focus on the moisture in Annya’s body. He found it! But he couldn’t interact with it as her natural resistance stopped him. He was getting dizzy and had to stop the connection. He gasped as if he had just come out from underwater.
“Very good!” Annya said with a smile.
“I couldn’t do anything, I felt a connection, but I couldn’t shape or manipulate it.”
“Of course not. We all have Free Will. My energy is mine, as your energy is yours. That is the big lie that the gods have put forth. The idea that they can own one’s soul. Free Will is eternal in the universe. I can tell you what to think, but I can’t force you to think.”
“I don’t understand,” Nulrok said, scratching his spikey white hair.
“You were trying to manipulate and control the moisture in my body. You can control the moisture around me. But the closer you get to my mind, to my soul, the harder it becomes. It is impossible for you to control what is inside me. That is the essence of free will.”
“But I’ve seen mind control magic before,” Nulrok argued.
“That is trickery, not control, and the weak of will can be misled. You can even cause pain, but that is on the nerves of the skin. Around the head, but never inside.”
“So, how do we collaborate?”
“Feel. Try again.”
Nulrok closed his eyes and started breathing and swaying. He connected with the water in his blood. He reached out and sensed Annya’s energy through the water inside her. He felt a rhythm in her, and he matched it with his movements. There was a harmony, and then he allowed his energy to connect with hers. He felt great! He felt euphoric. He felt happy! Then within moments, he gasped. His eyes opened wide. He was exhausted. Annya was smiling at him.
“You did it!” She exclaimed.
“I feel strange. I don’t feel my mind slipping. Instead, I feel very tired,” Nulrok mumbled. His eyes were drowsy.
“Yes, Life Magic does not risk insanity from the Taint as other magics. But it is very physically demanding. You are able to infuse vitality into others. I caution that you should not attempt to heal wounds, as that requires more experience. You will drain yourself very rapidly if you try it. But you can infuse vitality and speed up one’s natural healing,” Annya explained.
Nulrok nodded and said, “I need to lie down.” The goblin mage fell fast asleep.
GILREG (WARRIOR)
Stats:
Toughness
Exceptional (5)
Speed
Above average (3)
Mind
Average (1)
Combat Skills:
Defense
Skilled (9)*
Resistance
Proficient(4)
Melee combat
Skilled (8)
Thrown weapons
Proficient (5)*
Skills:
Singing, Diplomacy, Leadership, Stealth 2
Talents:
Two Weapon Fighting, 1H swords 1, 1H axes 2, Shields 2
Gear:
Low quality Hand axe, good quality hand axe x2, Good quality Scimitar, Chainmail Shirt, (torso, Limbs), Round Shield, Steel Cap (Head)
SHAYMUS (ROGUE)
Stats:
Toughness
Average (2)
Speed
Exceptional (6)
Mind
Average (1)
Combat Skills:
Defense
Skilled (7)*
Resistance
Proficient(4)
Melee Combat
Skilled (8)*
Skills:
Stealth level 3, Mechanical, Trapmaking,
Talents:
Discern Vitals 2, 1H Swords 1, Demon Blood Ancestry 1
Gear:
Good quality daggers x3, Good quality Padded armor (torso, Limbs), Good quality Shadow Blade, Steel helmet (head)
NULROK (WIZARD)
Stats:
Toughness
Average (1)
Speed
Average (2)
Mind
Exceptional (6)*
Combat Skills:
Defense
Novice(3)*
Resistance
Proficient (5)
Magic
Adept (10)*
Skills:
Stealth 1, History, Botany
Talents:
Ice Magic 2, Fire Magic 2, Necromancy 1, Life Magic 1
Gear:
Good quality Padded armor (torso, Limbs), fire focus wand
RAINE (EXPLORER)
Stats:
Toughness
Above Average (3)*
Speed
Above Average (3)
Mind
Above Average (3)
Combat Skills:
Defense
Proficient (4)
Resistance
Proficient(5)
Melee Combat
Skilled (7)*
Archery
Skilled (8)*
Skills:
Mechanical, Trapmaking 2, Awareness, History, Stealth 1, First Aid
Talents:
Bows 3, 2H swords 1
Gear:
Elven Compound Bow ,Defending Longsword, Chainmail Shirt (torso, Limbs), steel helmet (head)
BOOGERASHIKTI (ORC PRINCE, SUB BOSS)
Stats:
Toughness
Superb (7)*
Speed
Average (2)
Mind
Average (1)
Combat Skills:
Defense
Proficient (6)*
Resistance
Novice (3)
Melee combat
Skilled (9)*
Skills:
Diplomacy, Leadership, Stealth 1
Talents:
Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, Poleaxes 2
Gear:
Full plate Templar armor (Torso, head, limbs), PoleAxe (Ole Linda), Javelins x3