As I pondered over the curious results, inspiration struck me, and I decided to test another one of my newly acquired spells - Decay. As I cast the dark magic, a surge of oily darkness flowed through me, pulsating with a frenzied madness that almost made me recoil. Yet, I grappled with the dark energy, and with a swift gesture, I released it onto the piece of cheese in my hand.
To my amazement, black liquid tentacles that absorbed light erupted from my hand and ensnared the small piece of food. The tentacles writhed and pulsed in tune with the waves from my Entropic Aura, causing the small morsel to decompose rapidly and released briefly the smell of ammonia. Soon, it was reduced to no more than crumbling dust and was blown away by an errant breeze. In conclusion, unless actively targeted, my spells would not adversely affect me or my possessions.
The spell had only cost me one point of Mana, but I was yet unsure about its place in my arsenal. Both of the spells seemed to be ‘smart’ and did not negatively affect me. The question was, would the same blanket rule apply to my companions? I needed to find out.
I shouted out to them, telling them that it was probably safe. Kidu came first, with Elwin trailing a few meters behind. Almost instinctively, Kidu stopped just before the rolling waves of entropy, like an animal that had just sniffed danger in the wind.
I beckoned him to come closer, and he did so, with a fraction of hesitation in his stride. He was followed shortly by Elwin, who seemed totally oblivious to the Aura. The pulses of entropy broke against them, like slow inexorable gentle waves on the shore and caused no harm.
“Something tells me of an emptiness here,” the big man said with an air of mysticism as he looked around at me.
The statement worried me. Did NPCs have a way to detect magic? Was it some skill linked to Kidu’s class? Or was it simply the wild man’s animalistic instincts?
“Don’t feel anything different. I was supposed to feel something, right?” chortled the Rogue, playing with the handle of his dagger.
I invited them to sit next to me, and we spent perhaps twenty minutes under the sun in companionable silence. Deciding that it was better to apologize than to seek permission, I tried to cast Decay silently on Kidu in this little interlude. However, the spell seemed to resist entering the large man, almost as if it was beyond its scope. Also, luckily for me, Kidu seemed to be none the wiser.
The spell still needed a release, so I threw the rest of my cheese onto the ground. Willing the spell into that instead, the magic soon broke it down into a rotting mess, causing my companions to leap up in worry as the smell assaulted their senses. Luckily, I was able to assure them that all was well by telling them that I was just testing out the same spell. They both looked at me, a little miffed that I had not given them any forewarning.
The grass closest to me was visibly wilting now, and Kidu gazed at the vegetation before looking me in the eye.
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“Do you know what it is that you do?” he asked, genuine concern edging his voice.
“In truth, Kidu, this is why I requested your help. I am sure that this is a spell that will help weaken my enemies,” I said as I tore up some browning grass and showed it to him, hopefully dodging the question, “But I needed to know if it would affect my allies. Forgive me my small deception.”
Elwin, visibly shaken, hurriedly got up and started to step away from me before Kidu stopped him, grasping him firmly by the arm.
“If we were being harmed, I would know it,” explained Kidu. “And I have felt no ill effects from Gilgamesh’s spell. Have you, Elwin of Tucker? Remember, we are here to help him understand his magic. Our debt is huge, we must give what small assistance we can. Many times now, thanks to his magic, have you not been saved?” he firmly told Elwin, looking at him steadily.
With a shrug, the Rogue sat down. “Well, if you put it that way. But all this magic is making me nervous. Can’t see it after all. This esoteric arcane nonsense gives me a little of the shakes. How about it? Are we finished now, Gil?” the wiry man asked nervously.
I nodded at Elwin. “Yes, we are. I think this curse, or spell, or whatever it is, does not affect my allies. Only my enemies,” I answered, giving them both another look over to make sure they had not suffered from the spell.
Not wishing to push my companions' largesse by insisting on more tests, I suggested that we resume our travels. We continued our journey through the rest of the day, with the trail gradually widening, before reaching a simple earthen road that cut through the woods. Eventually, the trees of the forest gave way to endless grassland stained golden and red in the dying light.
A flicker of movement caught my eye in the middle distance, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished without a trace. Kidu stopped in his tracks, his muscles tensed, and he paused for a moment as if assessing the situation. Faraway, we could see the sprawling city of Ansan, our destination, just as the sun dipped beneath the horizon and twilight claimed the land.
I felt on my cheek the smallest impression of displaced air. Then a small group emerged as if from a thick mist, like phantoms, their presence jarring, yet barely registering, in my mind. Something about them made me want to avert my gaze, to ignore their existence, but I fought against the compulsion and focused on their appearance.
They were a party of seven, cloaked and mysterious, and the bulge of hidden weapons about their lithe forms served as an unspoken threat. Was it my imagination, or did I catch a glimpse of pointed ears poking out from beneath one of their hoods? With trepidation, I shook my head out of a fugue and made sure to avoid eye contact or pay them further attention and we gave them a wide berth.
They passed us and for a few moments, I could hear them cursing at each other in an unknown musical tongue. Were they hunting for us? Paranoia began to nibble away at me, and faraway-sounding whispers encouraged me to turn around and make an end of that group. That would be foolish, I thought to myself, as I shook my head and waved aside the temptation. Perhaps another time.
Looking at my Status, I noticed that my maximum Mana was still at eleven… which meant that I was still subconsciously channeling my Entropic Aura! The magic had a mind of its own, not wishing to recede whence it came. The dark slow waves were still there, pulsing, and almost invisible, even to me in the twilight. Fighting the temptation to turn around, and horrified at my lack of control, I focused on trying to reign in both my panic and the entropic magic. Bringing the dark force to heel felt like trying to grasp at a slippery eel; the rogue magic wanted to stay on this plane of existence.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I began to bind it inexorably to my will and I was finally able to stop the spell. I was not the same man that entered this world. My will and determination had grown with me. Sighing deeply in relief, I began to walk before I suddenly felt a sharp pricking pressure at my throat, the pressure of a needle-pointed blade, and a soft whisper in my ear.
“What are you, little day spawn?” hissed a surprisingly sultry feminine voice, causing me to shudder in cold fear.