Chapter 17
May 19, 778
Dan stared into the cave that was the source of the dark mana. Little Black was shifting nervously as they stood in front of the entrance and would have pulled away if Dan were not there to hold him steady. All the horses were acting like that and the nervous energy was beginning to infect their riders as well. Silver Hills horses did not spook as easily as other horses. When the horses balked at something their riders knew that something was not right. Atmos spoke up and addressed Dan and Heinry.
“My lords, it would probably be best to leave the horses behind. They are too skittish and caves are not generally ideal for mounted combat.”
Dan looked at the cave. The entrance was fifteen feet high and about the same width in height. The walls and floor were smooth and unnatural. Someone or something had shaped this cave. Heinry arrived at the same conclusion.
“This is clearly the work of something dangerous. I say we send in a few people to lure whatever is in there out. We can fight it out here where we can use our mounts.”
Atmos snorted in derision.
“If what we are hunting is as dangerous as we think then it is likely to kill any small groups we send in and is probably intelligent enough to know it should not come out.”
Parthos nodded and quietly added his own thoughts, which was rare.
“Besides we are on a mountain side with a heavy forest below us. The horses will have limited mobility.”
Lord Heinry scowled at the logic.
“I suppose that makes sense. I will note that the Gifted weapons six of our men use are lances, including myself. Lances will be useless in the tunnels and without horses.”
Dan sighed and signaled for the company to dismount. In a clatter of metal the soldiers all climbed down and weapons were drawn. Dan drew the steel blade on his right hip. The sword was an elegant weapon made of Fyrican steel that his wife had given him two years ago. Then the company moved as one into the tunnels, leaving their mounts to wait at the entrance.
The black mana was thicker as the group pushed down the unnatural tunnel. Two soldiers led the way with torches. The tunnel went on for several minutes without any changes, then it opened up into a massive cavern. The knights spread out in a defensive formation around the tunnel entrance.
Dan scanned the room and the first thing he noticed was that there were magical lights. The second thing he noticed was the figure wreathed in dense black mana hovering near a collection of desks and tables. Soldiers around him gasped and several cursed.
“By the Thirteen is that a wraith?”
“Undead!”
Dan blinked and suddenly there was shouting and chaos. Dan had been distracted by the shadowy form across the cavern and had failed to notice the open cages on either side of the tunnel entrance filled with animated corpses in varying stages of decay. Around forty zombies were stumbling forward and several were engaging the soldiers on the perimeter.
Dan felt a spike of panic. Only the most powerful of wraiths could control other forms of the undead. Dan pointed and shouted.
“Atmos, Parthos, Aradin we need to kill that thing now.”
Dan dashed forward before the undead cut off his path to the wraith. His three faithful knights followed him. To Dan’s surprise so did Lord Heinry and two of his retainers. One zombie managed to stumble into their path. It was an older corpse with a strange scale-like pattern of dark gray and yellow. Parthos stepped forward and caught a heavy slam from the zombie on his shield while Atmos and Aradin cut the zombie down, freeing the path to the wraith. The seven of them quickly outdistanced the rest of the slower zombies and the remaining soldiers moved to occupy the undead fodder.
The black shadowy wraith rose into the air two feet and floated toward Dan’s group. As he drew closer the creature entered the range of his mana sight and Dan froze. The black mist was opaque from a distance but his mana sight let him see through what he now knew was shadow mana. The mist was simply the effect of a shadow spell. Inside the now translucent blackness Dan stared at a humanoid figure in black robes. Its face was a white grinning skull. The wraith was not a wraith, but instead a lich.
The others around Dan leapt forward striking with various weapons. The lich did not even bother dodging. The blows shattered its bones apart only for the thing to reassemble itself. It let out a cackling laugh and spoke, amusement and disdain dripping from its tone.
“Fools, I cannot be slain so easily.”
There was a crackle of purple energy and one of Heinry’s men collapsed. Then he began to twitch and slowly shambled back to his feet. The newly arisen zombie stumbled toward Parthos who moved to cut it down.
In a panic Dan immediately focused his thoughts on his equipment. Liches were powerful and could not be destroyed unless their phylactery, the object in which their soul was stored, was destroyed. And they had no idea where or even what the object the phylactery was. In short they were in trouble and needed every advantage they could get.
His breastplate, boots and gauntlets’ enchantments activated. His Breastplate of Defense made no noticeable change but the heavy steel plates on his armor grew just a little bit tougher and slightly more flexible. His boots of strength increased his strength ever so slightly and his gauntlets made his weapon strikes a little bit faster allowing him more opportunities to land a blow on his opponent.
None of those would help him kill the lich, but they might let him survive long enough to figure out if the phylactery was here. It was a desperate move. The magic would only last a minute and it would take months before the magical artifacts would recharge enough to use again, but Dan knew that if they did not do something quick then they would all die and the lich would add thirty soldiers to his army of undead. That would spell disaster for the surrounding areas.
Dan leapt forward and joined the fray, magic coursing through his body like a powerful river. Dan, his two knights, Lord Heinry and his last remaining retainer encircled the lich and began to methodically strike at it, like a pack of wolves encircling an elk. The others were evidently not able to see the lich’s true form so the strikes were often ineffective at doing any damage, but even the damage that their weapons did was quickly undone as the bones of the lich repaired themselves. That would continue unless they got the phylactery.
Dan would watch and every time the lich seemed to be readying a spell he would dart in and hack at the lich’s face and hands to disrupt the magic. For the moment it was keeping the lich stalemated. If they could keep it up long enough then maybe the other soldiers would break through and could help stall the undead spellcaster long enough for Dan to hunt through the cave and find the magical talisman keeping the lich alive with his mana sight. The object might not be in the cave but there were very few ways to deal with a lich other than destroying the phylactery and Dan did not have the time, mana or spells to employ most of the other methods.
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Unfortunately, Dan’s options were narrowed even further as the lich realized what he was doing. The lich spun more quickly than before, a temporary speed enhancement spell had probably been activated. Then there was a burst of air pressure as a shockwave erupted from the lich. All of Dan’s companions were sent sprawling in every direction, the horrendous sound of metal scraping against stone as their armor impacted the cave floor. Heinry was hurled face first into a bookshelf, which splintered to pieces and scattered books and loose papers everywhere as his armored form slammed into it with bone jarring force.
Only Dan was untouched and that was evidently the lich’s intention as it turned to address him.
“Now that the pests are out of the way we may speak freely. I noticed that you can perceive my true form. I assumed at first you were simply a knight in possession of a few magical trinkets, but you evidently possess the same gift of sight that I do. Tell me, do I have the pleasure of addressing a fellow practitioner of the magical arts?”
Dan glanced at his fallen companions. He was not sure if they were dead or unconscious. If they were merely unconscious then he needed to stall as long as possible.
“You do, I am Dan Del Torre.”
“Ah, I thought so. So you are a sorcerer of El Torre Sorcierre. I must confess I am surprised. I heard that the tower was vanquished by the Greater Realm of Sorcerery nearly a decade ago. I suppose it makes sense that some would have survived. I am Jamaal Hamas. Your corpse will make a worthy addition to my army.”
The lich waved a hand and a dome of shadow appeared around the two of them. Dan frowned. The spell was problematic, but the lich’s name was itching at him. He had read it somewhere. With a shake of his head Dan sheathed his sword and reached for the hilt of his other blade. The angle was awkward as he drew Memory from the half rotted sheath on his left hip with his left hand. As he did, black ooze gathered and dripped from the half of the blade that had been stained black so many years ago during the fateful battle against the black wolf.
As Memory rose the half of the blade that still gleamed silver seemed to ripple and an image came to Dan’s mind. The oddly patterned gray and yellow face of the zombie they had cut down seemed to shift inside Dan’s memory, then he blinked. A letter dated six months ago popped into his recollection. It was part of his regular correspondence from a friend who was far from here. Dan frowned and looked at the lich.
“Do you happen to know an elf named Hydrozeno?”
The lich stared for a moment then let out another hissing laugh.
“You know about Hydra Zero? Tell me, is he still alive?”
Dan shrugged.
“Last I heard, yes. So you were one of his masters?”
“But of course. Where might my creation be now?”
Dan raised an eyebrow.
“It wouldn’t matter if I told you. I am going to destroy you here and now.”
Dan shifted his grip so that the black edge of his sword was the one facing the lich. It was unfortunate that he would have to use it, but it could not be helped. This monster was too dangerous to be left alive. Dan would just have to pay the cost. He owed Hydrozeno that much. Then Dan raised his right arm and pointed it at the lich. The wand strapped to the stump inside his armor activated and a black of oily black ooze leapt toward the lich.
Name: Dan Del Torre
Age: 21
Race: Human
Mana:
Basic Mana: 2/2
Body Mana 2/2
Blessings:
Corrupted Blade of Memory: Relive the past of those you have slain and gain their experience
Wand of Binding: Level 2 0/2 2/2 points used
Charges level 1 0/2 1/1 charges(regains 1 charge per day)
Binding Duration: Level 1 0/2 Binding lasts 10 seconds
Skills:
Health: 19/23
Base defense: 1
Basic mana: Level 2 0/4
Body Mana: Level 2 0/4
Enchantment- Imbue Item(Skill Enhancement): Level 3 0/8 3/3 point used(requires 12 hour ritual and 1 gold per mana used)
Skill Enhancement increase: Level 1 0/2 Increases chosen skill by 1 level per 100(98) mana imbued
Skill Enhancement Duration: Level 1 0/2 Imbuement lasts 1 minutes per 100(98) mana imbued
Imbuement Item Recharge: Level 1 0/2 item recharges 1 mana per day
Longsword Accuracy: Level 3 2/8
Longsword Damage: Level 2 0/4
Longsword Parry: Level 3 2/8
Mana Circle(chosen skill): Level 3 0/8 Inscribe up to a level 3 mana circle on an object that will gather 1 mana per day per level. The inscriber may withdraw the mana at their leisure. Costs 100 gold to create per level or upgrade. Requires 12 hours uninterrupted to inscribe
Light Armor: Level 1 0/2
Mana Sight: Level 1 0/2 Can see mana at a range of 10 feet and 1% chance to identify its type
Magic resistance: Level 1 0/2
Enchantment Magic Mana Cost Reduction: Level 2 0/4 reduce enchantment costs by 2%
Speed Boost: Level 2 0/4 2/2 points used
Speed increase: Level 1 0/2 1%
Boost Duration: Level 1 0/2 1 seconds per point of body mana used
Strength boost: Level 2 0/4 2/2 points used
Strength increase: Level 1 0/2 1%
Boost Duration: Level 1 0/2 1 seconds per point of body mana used
Defense boost: Level 2 0/4 2/2 points used
Defense increase: Level 1 0/2 1%
Boost Duration: Level 1 0/2 1 seconds per point of body mana used
Weapon Enhancement(Temporary): Level 2 0/4 2/2 points use
Weapon Damage: Level 1 0/2 Increased by 1 level per 100(98) mana used
Boost Duration: Level 1 0/2 1 attack per 100(98) mana used
Armor Enhancement(Temporary): Level 2 0/4 2/2 points use
Armor Level: Level 1 0/2 Increased by 1 level per 100(98) mana used
Boost Duration: Level 1 0/2 Endures 1 attack per 100(98) mana used
Magic Items
Sword Belt- Inscribed with level 3 magic circle
Current Mana:
423 Basic mana
671 Body mana
Repairing Sheath- Sheath can repair itself from damage at the cost of mana
Recharges 1 mana per day
Current Mana:
10 Basic Mana
Plate of Defense
Increases the level of Heavy Armor by 1 per 98 mana used for 1 minute
Recharges 1 mana per day
Current Mana:
96 Basic Mana
Boots of Strength
Increases physical strength by 1% per 98 mana used for 1 minute
Recharges 1 mana per day
Current Mana:
28 Basic Mana
Gauntlets of Striking
Increases weapon accuracy by 1 level per 98 mana used for 1 minute
Recharges 1 mana per day
Current Mana:
` 10 Basic Mana