The ground shook as I ran with my party members through dense dank jungle, while a constant shower of small stones and arrows rained down around us. I could tell we were going the right direction from the markings we had left on the trees like Hansel and Gretel.
"JUST OPEN THE PATH HERE!" Georgie shouted as debris hit his shield, pinging softly like a gong.
"Can't here! We need to open the path where we came in otherwise who knows where we'll end up!" I shouted in response, slashing several arrows out of the air with a Whisper of magic.
"We're being chased by goblins and a Cyclops Ulysses! ANYWHERE is better than here!" Gavin called from the rear of our party, his Magical great shield taking a hit from a cyclops's crude war hammer.
"We COULD end up at the bottom of the ocean or literally underground! BOTH are much worse"
"Shut up and run! We still got another kilometer to go" Purlazae shouted as she fired off a quick volley of arrows behind us, the sounds of pains yowls told me at least some of them hit their mark.
Another kilometer in the Overneath while being chased spelled bad news for us, if anything big heard the commotion and wanted to investigate we were dead. After all, the Overneath was home to almost everything imaginable; be it harmless nymphs or whatever nightmare fuel creature you could think of. Gryphons? Check. Treants? Check. I knew one sorcerer who swore he saw a living mountain roaming one of the more hellish places and I had no reason to doubt him. The last thing we needed was something like that looking for a quick snack.
I was pulled out of my introspection by a particularly large rock hammering me in the left shoulder blade. Sure, my spell infused leather armor took the brunt of the force, but it still felt like getting hit with a softball thrown by a decent pitcher.
"Enough of this" I hissed through the pain and drew out my gun. Ok, it wasn't really a Gun, more an effigy of hardwood and metal made to look like a particularly large handgun. I focused on the pain and the burning in my legs and arms and pushed those feelings through myself and into the gun. Dozens of sigils and runes flared to life, looking like dark purple blazing fire.
"Keep them off me for a second, I'm going to do something about that cyclops" I loudly hissed, keeping my teeth together and holding the my focus"
Gavin stopped abruptly and dug his heel into the hard jungle floor, slamming his great shield down with enough force to crack thick tree roots, the Magical barrier spreading once more. I saw dozens of goblins slam into the glowing towering shield, too dimwitted to adjust quickly enough to stop. The momentary reprieve didn’t last long as they started trying to climb or go around to flank us. Purlazae started picking off the more dexterous ones that made it over faster than the others while Georgie hacked at those trying to go around. Raxeia, who wasn't too skilled at combat, helped by casting an illusion to make it look like the ground around us had fallen away.
The goblins were not our main worry, though they can be deadly in large groups. We were skilled enough to take out these ones; we were more worried about the cyclops. Most people tend to think Cyclops's are like mountain trolls; big, strong, hostile and dumb; they are only partially right, Cyclops aren't dumb at all. After all it's said they are the direct offspring of a certain god of the sea. And the one chasing us with its large lumbering steps was bigger than most, maybe 8 meters tall, and was sporting thick metal armor. In one hand he held that massive war hammer and in the other a rock that looked like it could've been a baseball in his massive digits, in reality I was more like the size of an off-road tire.
I raised my gun, gripped tightly in both hands as I focused my will and the pain from what was probably a broken shoulder blade. The dark fire surged like a living thing, engulfing my wrists and forearms as I aimed right at that large single eye. Not to just stand there and take it, the cyclops took and threw its arm back, preparing to heave that giant rock at us like a runaway wrecking ball. I rolled higher for initiative this round.
"ACERBATUS" I howled, my voice weirdly echoing from the surrounding trees and stones. A spherical blast of darkness the size of a small sedan blasted out of my gun and slammed into the cyclops; who screamed in pain and fury as the spell hit him. If he hadn’t been trying to kill us I would have been impressed with how long he held off the blast, most beings that had a god in their gene pool are pretty resistant to magic and this cyclops was no exception. In the end though, the blast engulfed him and within second a sound not unlike a herd of wild chainsaws rent through the air.
I slumped over from the sheer effort of using such a powerful spell, nearly winded but with a smirk as I watched the cyclops's body simply fall apart. When I say He fell apart I don't mean He fell into dust and ash; he fell into chunks of meat that looked like they were soaked in lots of ketchup. The goblins, seeing their leader or whatever the cyclops was to them literally falling apart broke whatever will they had. They all scattered like roaches exposed to sunlight back in the direction they had chased us.
"Why didn't you do that sooner?" Gavin grumbled, the magical barrier of his shield fading and leaving a deep furrow in the earth where it had been.
"Not a spell I can do often, and I might've passed out and then we would ALL be screwed" I answered as I open the breach on my gun. A crystal, faintly glowing with dark purple light slid out with a chime into my hand; holding it up to the light I carefully checked it for cracks or chips.
"Still good, needs a recharge" I mumbled to myself as I pocketed it, then pulled out a vibrant orange one and loaded it, then holstered my weapon.
No longer in immediate danger, I took the time to look over my group of friends quickly. Nearest to me was Gavin Ropes, standing at nearly 8 foot tall, it was easy to see that he was half Goliath, with eyes an almost violent shade of green and thick brown hair hidden under a solid helmet for mithril. He was sitting on a large stone, inspecting his shield and armor for blemishes. Next was Georgie, A Have-Not, who was sifting through what remained of the cyclops. He was a mortal human without any magical talent, wearing a simple set of iron armor and carrying a longsword and shield; he was about 5'8 and had short dirty blonde hair. He was the newest one to join our group since most Have-Nots were almost violently xenophobic, because of that many people didn't want to travel with them.
Purlazae was checking her bow, ensuring the crystals and runes inlaid into it in good condition. She was A Folink, One of the Tree people. If elves were what most mortals called "forest people" then Folinks were the "forest people" of the elves. They were tall, fur clad beings that lived in the comfort of tall trees. With an almost wolf like muzzle, a mane and a long tail with a tuft at the end, they were elegant and exotic, and still enjoy living in the trees. Purlazae had Light purple fur and the outfit that a human ranger would wear, albeit adapted for a Folink to wear.
Raxeia was also a Folink, looking similar to Purlazae except for light blue fur instead of purple, wearing a uniform similar to a WWII nurse. She was currently poking and prodding my back where the boulder had hit me.
"Does this hurt?" She asked as she jabbed a long clawed finger into a particularly tender spot, making me jump and wince from the sudden pain.
"Ouch yes!" I responded trying to moving away from the offending digit, only to have her other padded paw to come onto my shoulder and hold me in place.
"You have a bruised left Scapula, let me fix it" Raxeia conveyed, her paw resting her paw on my back.
"I don't know what that is" I grumbled as I stopped trying to get away from her prying paws.
"She means your shoulder blade you dingus" Purlazae called without looking up from what she was doing. I scowled at her as Raxeia mumbled softly, sliding her paw under my shirt and pressing her pads onto my "scapula". I felt an almost unpleasant heat emanate from the point of contact. The pain however, faded almost instantly.
"How's that?" She asked, tentatively pulling her paw away. I turned to her, rotating my left arm in its socket.
"Better, thanks love" I mumbled with small smile.
The last of our party was of course me, Ulysses Prospero; the sorcerer and artificer. I suppose I could be called a warlock but that just sounds less impressive; like most people would picture an old ass dude with a grey beard staring at his orb then they think of a warlock. I was a little bit over 6 foot tall, long dirty blonde hair tied up to keep it out of my eyes and wearing my usual gear for adventuring. A Long leather jacket etched with ruins, a belt full of various magical tools, jeans, a button up shirt and spellbound boots.
"Alright, everyone ok? We still got all our spoils?" I asked the group as I hefted a backpack off my shoulders, earning musical clinks not to dissimilar to those of wind chimes. I opened the bag and peered inside, checking everything. Inside, there were 7 or 8 crystals, each dully glowing in different colors and about the size of a cucumber. There were also a few ingots of mithril and what looked like a glass eye that was staring at me. Satisfied, I looked up to see the rest of the group checking their respective bags.
Gavin simply gave a thumbs up as he looked into his large military duffle bag full of metal heavy metals ready to be forged; Georgie had one of those satchels slung over one shoulder; he had collected mostly mundane things like rings, things he said were "Lightweight and easy to sell". Purlazae had collected various enchanted trinkets and arrows, determined to recreate their affects. Raxeia had a bag full of seeds and plant shoots, each known to do a random thing, but could be mixed with other Overneath plants or "Real world" plants to make different effects.
"Let’s head off before the smell of fresh meat attracts anything then" I said, motioning to what was once the cyclops. I got a quiet murmur of acknowledgment as my group get ready to move at a more sedate pace. The walk would have been peaceful except Georgie had so many questions. I couldn't really blame him, being a have-not and all, but at sometimes a guy just wants to get home.
"Jeeezzzz Ulysses, what did you hit that cyclops with? You melted him like a bad raid boss!" he half cheered and half exclaimed, his boots still bloody from kicking through what was left of the unfortunate mono-eyed giant.
"Condensed spite, Cyclops are almost demigods and resist most elemental attacks, so I had to prepare something with a bit more punch" I explained as I took out the dull crystal to show him.
"Geez spite dude" Gavin grunted as he hefted his great shield like it was made of cardboard and not steel.
"It works" I defended myself as I pocketed the crystal once more with Georgie left staring at where I held it.
"Shush guys! Let’s get some more distance before that carrion buffet attracts somethings attention, keep your guard up so long as we're in here" Purlazae called from ahead of us, having already climbed one of the nearby trees as a look out. I nodded and rummaged in my bag once more, then pulled out a pair of goggles, one lens red and the other clear. Raxeia hovered close by as I scanned our environment quickly, then slid them up to rest on my forehead.
"We’ve got a few small heat sources nearby, nothing too big, but I saw something with a LOT of magical horsepower over that way." I said as I pointed northward. Our path had us headed east, and I didn’t want to run into anything else.
"I didn't see anything, but it might be a Quetzalcoatl dragon; our Intel said that there were a few around here" Purlazae said sotto voce, her eyes locked on the direction I pointed. I grimaced and nodded, silently motioning what direction we were to go in.
We moved through the woods as fast an as silently as we could. Purlazae and Raxeia were naturally silent and swift moving through the forests as quiet as a pair of ghosts. I wasn't quite as silent, some of my trinkets or crystals clinking together as I moved. Gavin was surprisingly quiet, but I had also engraved a few spells into his armor that made it quieter. Georgie had the most trouble, his knight armor occasionally clanking, but we made it toward or end without being harassed by anything else.
we stepped into a small clearing as the light started to die; I didn't know if the Overneath had a star that provided light to it, it was just as possible for it to be some giant living thing. I shuddered at the thought and stepped towards the center of the clearing where a circle and a five pointed star had been etching into the dirt. From my belt I drew an Athame, a small dagger with runes etched into it. I focused my power into it and the runes began glowing and pulsing to the rhythm of my heartbeat.
"Apertum" I whispered as I slashed vertically with it; and rather than me looking like an idiot swinging a dagger around, a way opened.
Looking at a portal like that can be hard to describe, but it was easiest to picture a Ship sail stretched tight. Now picture cutting through that sail and on the other side is somewhere different.
I stepped away from the portal and caught my breath. One might think opening a path is easy given how easy I made it look, but it's actually one of the more complicated spells to perform. You're literally forcing two places to come together and let you through with nothing but willpower. Raxeia came to my side, concern on her muzzle.
"You ok?"
I nodded and motioned to the path.
"Two big spells right after the other, I'll be ok, just get everyone through"
"Ladies first" Gavin huffed, motioning calmly to our 2 Folinks. Raxeia gave me a concerned look but I smiled and motioned to the portal.
"We’ll be right behind you"
She nodded slightly then strode through the portal calmly, disappearing with a shimmer. Purlazae followed quickly after, followed by Georgie, then Gavin; leaving me momentarily alone. Being alone in the Overneath is risky, but I was only alone for a moment as I strode through the portal.
I stepped out into another forest with my friends waiting for me. The sun was down and light posts dotted a paved walking path that was about 200 meters away from us. We were back at Birchwood national park, one of those fancy nature reserves. It was a bit cooler here and I breathed a sigh of relief, sliding my goggles off my head and stuffing them gently into my bag. another mission accomplished without any major loss, I took a moment to close my eyes and breathe in deep. I was a seasoned adventurer and had dozens of expeditions into the Overneath under my belt, but sometimes the best isn't enough. I had lost people in the past, other party members said it wasn’t my fault, but would a spell here or a shot there have made the difference? As I pondered I felt Raxeia lean against me, her fur a comforting feeling.
"Hey man I know you're all in you Zen mode or whatever but wanna close this?"
Gavin deep grunts pulled me from my intersection. He stood, calm and stalwart with his shield pointed directly at the opening to the Overneath I had left open. Last thing we needed was something coming through and an Aztec god dragon coming through would really ruin our day. I grumbled to myself inwardly for having such a big oversight while also being thankful I had such thoughtful friends.
"Sorry man, just happy no one died" I mumbled to Gavin as I maneuvered in of his shield, grabbing a long bone needle from my belt.
"Me too lad" Came his nearly silent remark. Gavin carried a weight that he never really showed and I doubted Gavin Ropes was his actual name; but I didn't push it because he was dependable. I could see he had lost people, mainly from his eyes; they were piercing and full of regret, but only if you knew what to look for.
But I didn’t think about that as I focused my power on the needle between my fingers. Carefully I moved the needle along the opening of the path like one would stitch something closed, imagining a torn piece of fabric in front of me with bit of my power forming the string.
"Claudere" I hissed sharply, pulling the needle away and causing the tear in reality to stitch shut. Luckily, closing portals is much easier than opening them, they just don’t need as much power, and having the right tool for the job made it all that much easier. The portal closed like two pieces of fabric stitching together. I sighed and turned from where the portal was, the brightness of it having seared my eyes. A familiar paw met my hand and guided me over to a stump to sit at while my eyes adjusted.
"Whys it so dark? The sun was barely setting when we left the Overneath" Georgie complained, his armor clanking as he fished out his cell phone from his pack and starting to turn it on.
"H-hey wait wait you'll bl-" Raxeia started, lunging at him to try to stop him. She was a bit too slow because as soon as the screen lit up, it exploded into sparks and foul smelling smoke.
"Ow it up" Raxeia finished as Georgie dropped a sparking melted plastic husk of what was once a cell phone. Have-not technology and sorcerers like me do not get along, they just aren’t used to the chaotic energy that flows around us to know how to stop it; as such most modern technology would simply died around me. Most races found work arounds, ways magic and technology could work in harmony.
"Let’s just head back to the Van, no need to hang around here" Gavin grunted, hefting his pack and ignoring the light show. I made a grunt of affirmation while both Folinks nodded opting to stay silent. Only Georgie made more noise than that, grumbling as he fished something out of the smoldering wreck that was his phone. Together we all trekked through the park back through deep thickets and some occasional clearings.
"Why did we need to go so deep into the forest? It all looks the same to me" Georgie complained as we walked down a well-worn path.
"To open a path to the Overneath we needed a place similar to that out here" Raxeia answered him "we wanted secluded and far from prying eyes, we had to find one here"
"How do you know where it'll open?"
"We don't" Purlazae answered, annoyance in her voice "We have to research the place we want to go, find a suitable location in this world and then hope they match up"
"Plus it helps to have a sorcerer who can peer through the veil between worlds" Raxeia interjected as she pushed against me happily.
"Don’t inflate his ego" Purlazae said with sure annoyance I could almost hear her eyes rolling.
"Regardless, Purlazae and Raxeia's info gathering is a huge part of our success, Having Ulysses to help is icing on the cake" Gavin chimed in walking slightly ahead of the rest of us.
"I just go and look up local legends" Raxeia said with a droop of her long ears.
"You found out about a cyclops Rax! Those guys always horde Forbearer stuff, it was a huge help" I said as I hooked an arm around Raxeia’s waist and pulled her to me, causing her to squeak in surprise.
"We all do our part, eventually you will too Georgie" Gavin rumbled, never looking back from his position in the lead.
"Me? I can't do anything with magic or spells yet"
"Information is one of the best things we can have, and you have access to the info at the Tansin Libraries"
"Can’t Ulysses get in there? He look like a mortal human like me"
"I can't, I look like you but you saw what I do to tech, if I walk within a mile of that city I'll set off every magical detection device" I interjected calmly, opening my right palm and allowing a few sparks to fizzle into reality.
"Any legends or rumors you might get us would count for a lot"
"Let it rest for now" Gavin said in his usual monotone gravelly voice. "We're back"
Sure enough, the parks visitor parking lot was slowly coming into view. I had to guess with was early morning based on how there weren't many vehicles around, and the few that did were just arriving. Adamant joggers trying to run with nature or some shit from the look of it.
Gavin's Van sat stalwartly, waiting for its driver with its winter landscape with a fox painted on the side. When i had asked about the decals, Gavin simply said it was more interesting, It was almost like a semi because it was built for bigger people, and seeing as Gavin was so tall it was perfect for him. Both the Folinks were able to sit comfortably as well, but Georgie and I looked comically small in it. As we approached a crystal on Gavin's left arm flashed then the doors of the van unlocked and opened for us. I watched as Gavin slid into the driver’s seat and set his shield “Pridwen” in the shotgun seat, Purlazae climbed into the backseat; fishing around for my nothing manacles. Nothing manacles are basically shackles that would dampen the chaotic magical energy I put off, minus the chain that restricted movement.
“Ha got em! Alright let’s see those arms” Purlazae yelled from inside the van, wiggling out a bit awkwardly due to the extra weight. She emerged with two thick metal bands, both dully glowing purple in her paws. I sighed and held my arms out, and she clasped them shut around my arms a little too eagerly. I wasn’t quite ready for the extra weight as she let go of my wrist. Each manacle weighed about 10 lbs, which isn’t much but it spoke to the amount of energy I put off. As soon as the shackles shut they began to have glowing purple cracks in their surface. They were made of a special metal that could halt a human magic user’s chaotic energy. I don’t know the science behind them but they do fail after a while based on how much power they’ve stopped. Too much power and they could fail.
“Thanks” I sighed in annoyance at Purlazae as she quickly pulled out her phone and clicked it on. Raxeia dug in her pouch a bit more stealthily to fish out her phone and turn it on. Gavin reach over to his glove box and pulled out a phone the size of a small tablet. I just sat back in one of the Van seats as everyone around me reconnected to the outside world. Well everyone except Georgie.
“Where’s your phone, dontcha wanna get in contact with that special lady” He asked chidingly, motioning to everyone else.
“I use landlines, even with these on if I handle anything besides one of those old brick phones, they go up in flames” I said as I clanked the manacles together for emphasis. “How long we been gone” I asked idly, watching them fret over their phones for news.
“Two weeks” Gavin grumbled, his large fingers tapping on a calendar app to show me. I just nodded while Purlazae and Raxeia shrugged off the news like it was nothing. Georgie’s eyes went wide at the news.
“W-whoa what? Two weeks?! We were there like 3 days! How did 2 weeks pass? Oh fuck my Job!” He exclaimed in panic.
“Temporal interference. Happens sometimes when going to the Overneath” I said waving away the complaint. “The ad we sent in said 2 days to 3 weeks I thought” I said as I looked around at my companions. Purlazae huffed and tapped her phone for a few moments then held the sensitive machine in front of me at a safe distance.
“Yea, I said 2 Days to 3 weeks in the ad for a good teammate” Purlazae said, her screen proving what she said. I gave her a thumbs up and she gave me an annoyed smile. The blood drained out of Georgie’s face though as he pulled out his fried phone and began hitting the on button repeatedly.
“Dude tell me you’re joking! 2 weeks? I told my job 1 week for time off!” He cried, shoving the busted husk of his phone at me like I could somehow fix it. I pushed his phone out of my face and glowered at him.
“Next time get the full estimated time off, we can’t control time. IF we could do you think we would be being chased by a horde of goblins?” Gavin asked in his usual grumbly monotone voice. He turned the key to start the van only to have it barely rumble, the engine refusing to turn over.
“That’s what I was afraid of, batteries dead, Lemme call insurance”
“Wait wait” Purlazae chimed in, sliding to Gavin and reaching to the lever to pop the hood. “We got a Cert-I-Fied Magician with us! No need for that kinda stuff” She said happily staring at me with annoying glee.
“Could you?” Gavin rasped in his deep basso voice, eyeing me.
I leaned into the seat of the van and crossed my arms, clanking the manacles together for emphasis
“I didn’t study magic for 20 years to be a glorified jumper cable, plus I can’t with these on”
Purlazae groaned in annoyance as Gavin simply nodded and began searching for his insurances number. Raxeia pressed herself against my side, nuzzling my neck gently as she spoke quiet words no one else could hear.
“Please love I wanna get home so I can clean my fur. I got some special soap that’ll make it super soft for snuggles” She whispered. I grunted and gave her the side eye only for her to squeeze my hand gently in her paws and give a warm hopeful smile.
“ALRIGHT FINE! I’ll jump the van, just get these things off me” I exclaimed loudly, making a few birds take off from the sudden noise. I held out my arms once more and the manacles came off. I walked to the front of the van and lifted the hood as Gavin unlatched it. Calmly, examined the engine until I found the battery nestled in a corner.
“I’ll let you know when to hit it” I said to Gavin, who simply nodded. I held my hands out in front of me, palms facing each other and pushed a small bit of power out as I formed the spell.
“Claustrum“ I chanted, my voice sounding two toned. Although I could feel the spell working, it wasn’t visible at first. After about 5 seconds green gold electricity began arcing from my left hand to my right, pulsing to the rhythm of my heartbeat. Electric spells are easy if you form a circuit within yourself, as such this spell didn’t require much power to start but it fed upon itself, gaining more and more power as it leapt between my outstretched hands. Purlazae and Raxeia watched with mild interest, Georgie’s eyes were wide with shock (ha-ha pun) as his eyes were lit from the electricity.
“Turn it in 3…2…1!” I counted down before slamming my hands on the battery terminals. For a brief moment I felt every circuit that was attached to the battery, like odd tendrils snaking through a maze from my body into the van; then Gavin turned the key. The engine started, but the power kept cycling through me, then through the van; gathering more and more power. I couldn’t remove my hands from the battery as the power cycled, not without directing the electricity somewhere.
“M-manacles” I hissed through clenched teeth with as much focus as I could spare trying to keep the power from overloading. It was like slowly losing control of a train that just got faster and faster and faster. I vaguely heard scrambling and the clanking of metal before the manacles slammed down around my wrists. I was pulled backwards and electricity shot out of my fingertips wildly only to be absorbed by Pridwen.
Purlazae and Raxeia stood over me with concern on this muzzles, Georgie was behind me with me having fallen onto him as he pulled me from the engine. Gavin stood like the sentinel he was, his shield ready in front of the van.
“What happened” I asked as I untangled my limbs from Georgie’s, Raxeia helping me up and Purlazae helping up Georgie.
“You have too much power, shouldn’t have pushed to power the van” Gavin grumbled as he set Pridwen back in the front seat. Surprisingly it was totally undamaged even after getting hit with a lightning spell that would have powered a house for a day.
“Huh? I asked looking from Purlazae to Raxeia.
“Your magic was too strong” Purlazae stated outright “I Didn’t think it would build that quick and didn’t think it would keep building when van started” I thought about pushing the issue, but instead opted to give them all a strong glower as I got into the back seat of the van.
“Whatever we know better next time” I said as Raxeia slid into the seat next to me, barely making a whisper of sound. Georgie and Purlazae got into the middle seats in front of us as I pulled my pack off my back and set it between my feet.
“We good to go?” Gavin asked, a large hand adjusting his mirror so he could look back at us.
“Yea we’re good” I said with a thumbs up with one hand while unzipping my pack with the other. Soft multicolored light shone from the opening as more than a half dozen crystals glimmered. Each was maybe a foot long and maybe 3 inches at the widest, honestly they looked like cucumbers made of glowing stone.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
“Crystals? Pffft what a waste! You shoulda grabbed more stuff like this” Georgie snorted, he was unbuckled and sat backwards in his van seat. He held out a backpack similar to one someone would take to college; inside there were maybe 2 dozen rings made of various metals, set with various stones and a few bracelets. In Have-not society if might be worth a few thousand dollars, but I fished my goggles out of my pack and tapped the red lens with a whisper of magic, allowing me to see magical signatures. What I saw didn’t surprise me.
“More than like…half of those are cursed dude; that’s why we didn’t grab them” I responded calmly, sliding my goggles up into my forehead. Georgie fumbled his bag, bobbling it for a second before thrusting it into my face.
“L-Lift the curses, you’re magic right!?” he exclaimed in a panic as i shoved the bag back to him
“You really think a guy who disintegrated a cyclops with concentrated spite can cleanse a curse?” I asked, bewildered at his naivety “If anything I would make it worse”
“What?! Magic is magic though!”
“Wrong source of magic there Georgie, you need a paladin or a cleric” Gavin rumbled.
“Ulysses gets his power from within, Clerics and Paladins get their power from a “Higher power”” Purlazae explained, taking one of the crystals I had recovered from the cyclops den; it shone a deep shade of purple before Raxeia took it from her making it turn a light shade of green.
“Don’t worry about it, I know enough have-not clerics and paladins that could help ya, just text me when you get a new phone” Gavin supplied as he pulled a large cigar from the glove box of his van. His shield which he said was named “Pridwen” clanked against in its spot in the front seat, making me wince slightly.
Gavin had said he bought the shield at a yard sale; that the “Hunk of junk” really drew his attention while he looked for pots and pans. He bought it on the cheap and had been using it ever since. I had an itching thought that it was the real deal, but couldn’t prove it and Gavin wouldn't let me get a closer look.
Georgie stashed his bag and stared at the Crystal in Raxeia’s furred palms. Cautiously, he reached out and took the crystal from her. The green light died away to a very very faint white, casting a dull shadow on Georgie’s face.
“What’s with these things anyways? Gold should be the top priority” he stated simply, holding the crystal at arm’s length. I took the crystal from him, allowing it to turn a deep purple color in my hands.
“These are magical crystals, they can be etched with spells to perform certain spells and the person holding them doesn’t need any real magical training” I answered, frowning at the dark purple color of the crystal in my hand.
“What does that mean?”
“Think of a witch on a broomstick, pretty neat to fly around like that right? Nah, ever tried to sit on a bar? Better to have that spell on a bicycle” I answered calmly, I said as I held up a large crystal that stayed a neutral white color.
“T-that’s how they work? But what about the will or whatever required to power them?"
“That’s one of the best parts, they gain energy from their surroundings, that’s why they are so valuable. They allow non-magic users to use magic" I said as I held a bright orange crystal in one hand. I didn't have to use an incantation as I drew power from the crystal and my free hand ignited in azure fire. I watched as the light danced in Georgie’s eyes for a moment then shook the fire out.
"Wizards are have-nots like you that have studied magic and use these crystals for power" I said, as I stashed the fire crystal away.
"Wait, I thought you were a wizard" Georgie asked, still looking into his bag at the various cursed artifacts.
"I'm a sorcerer, I don’t need to use crystals, but they do help serve as a focus" I explained showing my empty hands, like a magician showing off his empty palms.
"Ignes" I muttered with a small bit of will behind it. My right hand erupted to have a crimson fireball in my palm. Georgie was transfixed, staring at the fire. Raxeia let out an impatient sigh and closed her hand around mine, extinguishing the fireball.
"Wait wait wait! You’re saying I could have a fire sword if I studied enough and got one of those fire crystals?" Georgie asked excitedly. I held onto Raxeia's paw for a moment, savoring the feeling before I answered.
"You could, but there is a reason most wizards are portrayed as old and wizened"
"But you could shape one of those crystals for me? That’s what you do right?" Georgie asked eagerly.
"Maybe first you should work on not getting cursed items, then find someone to teach you. using one of these isn't easy and can literally explode in your face" I answered as I pulled out a crystal that started glowing dull green "Raxeia look, a life crystal; with the cash I earn from this we can go to the valley of dreams" Georgie's eager face went to confusion.
"Why would you and Raxeia go? Why not take your girlfriend" He asked, looking from me to Raxeia while I cursed inwardly about my slip up. Most Have-nots despise inter-species relationships to the point they outlawed it in some of their lands.
"I-I meant uh-" I stumbled over my words. Luckily Gavin had been paying attention and came in for the rescue.
"Yea lemme know when we're going on that vacation together Ulysses, me and the misses are also looking forwards to it. You paying for Raxeia to pay back that favor from when she go that uhhh...what was it" Gavin grumbled, his still unlit Cigar held firmly between his lips. He held up a finger and spoke in a language that sounded like gravel churning beneath the earth. A small flame ignited on the tip of his finger which he used to light his cigar then promptly waved it out.
"For when she got me unicorn blood yea" I said giving him a small nod "You know those cigars will kill ya"
Gavin took a long drag and blew out a cloud of sweet and acrid smelling smoke. "Yeai know, wanna drag?" He asked casually, reaching back with his overly long arms. I took the cigar with and put it to my lips only for Raxeia to take it and give it back to gavin. I gave her my best annoyed sorcerer glare only for it her to shrug and lean onto me. Gavin chuckled to himself then offered the cigar to Georgie.
"I don’t want you smelling like that when we go to bed" She whispered in my ear, her long fingers rubbing my chest while Georgie was distracted. I still gave a glare, but it was much less harsh; my heart really wasn't into it as I watched Georgie take a deep pull from Gavin's cigar. I cringed internally as I watched him do so; I didn't know what Gavin made his cigars with but the smoke from them was thick and sickly sweet. Georgie, as predicted, erupted in deep raking coughs. Purlazae took pity on him and began thumping his back, passing the cigar back to Gavin, who was trying (And failing) to hide his laughter.
We rode along in Gavin’s van for a while, nothing real notable happening. I sat with Raxeia, my arm around her waist as Georgie recovered. Purlazae showed me a few Magical arrows she collected; each with a small crystal embedded into it.
"Why are those crystals so valuable? They look like you could grow them like rock candy” Georgie asked as Purlazae carefully passed me an arrow with a small bit of crystal embedded in the head.
"Only the forbearers who ruled the Overneath could grow them; we don't know what happened to them but only they could force these crystals to grow. Now we have to find them naturally formed or find caches of them horded by demigods" Purlazae explained.
"D-Demigods? All we did was fight a cyclops" Georgie laughed nervously, staring at our haul with increasing concern.
"Cyclops are bred from the god of the sea; mind you they aren't the favored children but they are still demigods" Raxeia explained as she sat next to me, close enough to allow us to be intimate but discrete enough so Georgie wouldn't catch on.
"S-so we k-killed a demigod?"
"Eh technically I killed a demigod; But Cyclops are usually treated like the red-headed step child when it comes to the gods" I interjected "Don't worry about it, at this point there are so many demigods running around that usually the old gods can't keep track"
Georgie looked like he might be sick as he stared at me. "So first I get a ton of cursed stuff; that I STOLE from a demigod, then I help KILL that demigod and it’s no big deal?!"
"Yea, it's not a big deal, Poseidon doesn't really like the cyclops being part of his lineage; he was mainly trying to get his dick wet" I responded calmly, only to earn a slight smack on my head.
"Don't say his name" Raxeia hissed softly. I rolled my eyes but conceded the point, mythical beings can hear their name chanted. Usually it takes 3 repetitions to really get their attention but in this case it was better to just let drowned gods lie.
"Don't worry about it Georgie, most of the old gods actually think of cyclops as pests that hoard treasure; although it’s mainly cuz they wanna hoard it themselves" Purlazae said to Georgie like a teacher explaining to a...slower student.
"As for these crystals we want them cuz they have power imbued into them or can be shaped to work with power like mine” I explained as I touched a finger to the small crystal set into the arrowhead of on the arrows Purlazae gave me. I barely used any power but I lifted the cigar from Gavin’s grasp, made it spin slightly in the air then fall back into Gavin's palm.
"Wind?" he grunted appreciatively as he stuck the thick cigar back into his mouth, taking an appreciative drag.
"Levitation, you got Magicka wrapped in that cigar?" I responded, staring at the arrowhead in my hands. I pulled my goggles back on and tapped the clear lens, focusing on the tiny runes etched on the crystal.
"Hey now Magicka isn't allowed in Tansin country" Gavin rumbled, having in amusement, but half in warning. I looked up and looked outside, I had been paying too close attention to what was going on inside the van and not enough to the outside. I internally punched myself for making such a rookie mistake. The familiar trees and ivy covered buildings had been replaced by cement and steel monoliths of technology, ribbons of light shone up into the sky showing off products for people to buy.
"Girls stealth" I sighed, the fun leaving my voice, it wasn't because I was upset with them, not even that they had done anything wrong at all; but the people of Tansin are extremely xenophobic. Raxeia and Purlazae both whispered something in spell sounding like the sound of leaves swaying in the breeze and both disappeared. I felt Raxeia's paw on my hand still though as we rode through what was one of Tansin's cities. I extended my senses for a moment, probing the area around me for any magic; there was a tug or two from humans with magic but not realizing it, but other than that this land was totally devoid of magic. To me it felt like living in an area with enough air to breathe and live, but never enough to be comfortable.
"Over there, that’s my apartment building" Georgie directed Gavin as he drove down the streets. Everything looked the same to me, grey lifeless, cement monoliths with a few straggly trees. How on earth did they find their way around with everything looking the same? I know I would get lost in a matter of minutes.
The van stopped in front of one of the giant buildings, I could see a giant "12" painted on it as the sun crested the mountains to the east. Outside of it people were milling about despite the earliness; some were smoking while browsing on their phones, some looked like they were trying to sell stuff, I could even see a circle of people cheering as two men fought each other. I forced myself to look away from it all, even with most of my magic cut off due to my nothing manacles I could feel that this place radiated misery.
"I'll text you when I get a new phone! Thanks for the lift and don't forget me for the next adventure" Georgie said cheerfully as he stepped out of the van and gave us a happy wave after shutting the vans sliding door. He looked more out of place than a biker at the Vatican; a man in full plate armor, a sword and shield walking through a sea of technology. People steered clear of him like he had the plague as he walked happily to the elevator. Gavin simply nodded, then started driving once Georgie was out of view.
"Ugh this place reeks of death" Purlazae groaned, still invisible.
"It reeks of sadness and misery" Raxeia responded softly "they have all the technology in the world to do whatever they want and are still filled with a deep sadness"
"They chose money over life" Gavin rumbled "now only a few privileged few can truly enjoy life. Georgie is one of the few to try this option, most turn to crime"
"Wouldn't most at least try to see the magical side of the world? They seem so sad" Purlazae asked, her cloaking spell flickering slightly.
"They would get shunned by friends and family, it'll happen to Georgie eventually too, you saw the stares he was getting and even the stares we were getting" I responded, clanking my manacles uncomfortably. "Gavin is only barely accepted there because he's half human, I’m accepted cuz I can pass as a human"
"So sad..." Raxeia muttered
"They have their way of life and we have ours, no way we can change it" Gavin grumbled as he took a long drag from his cigar "Best not to think of it"
The monoliths slowly began being replaced by large trees once more as we left Tansin. Purlazae and Raxeia let their cloaking spells fade away, making them flicker into view. Gavin rolled down his window and I pushed open the window next to me. The air was crisp and clear, telling of a moderately cool but enjoyable day. I closed my eyes and relaxed into the van's plush seats, my hand still holding Raxeia's paw as I sighed in contentment. Another successful adventure, plus I could make rent.
"Hey Ulysses? Think you can fix this crystal into my bow?" Purlazae asked sheepishly. I opened one eye and looked at her, partially annoyed; with my one eye I looked from her to the crystal arrow to her.
"Ugh Fine, standard fee" I eventually groaned “I’ll need to stop by my place for a few tools, so make sure it’s ready when I get there"
Purlazae let out a small pleased sound and tapped her paw tips together in a little clap.
"Ok perfect! I need to practice with it for our next outing"
"You can stay with me after you’re done" Raxeia whispered to me, making me smile. Raxeia and Purlazae were roommates, meaning if I had to work on either of their gear I had an excuse to stay with Raxeia. After that I closed my eyes again, relaxing to the sound of Gavin's van's radio hiss white noise. Before I knew it (And far before I wanted it) I felt a gentle shake on my shoulder.
"Ulysses wake up, we're home" Raxeia cooed softly rousing me from my sleep. I looked out the window to see us surrounded by huge trees, with plants and moss everywhere. I stretched a bit before than slid out of the van, giving Gavin a fist bump on the way.
"Keep your ears to the ground, but I might have a big haul for us" Gavin grumbled "I’ll text you ladies if I have anything, and Ulysses, try not to explode anymore phones" he said as he pulled away, leaving Purlazae and Raxeia waving. I shrugged in response as we strode towards the giant plant building.
The air was clear as I took a deep breath and I and smiled up at the tree in front of us; our home. The Folinks had perfected how to make trees grow however they wanted long ago; and this was basically what those giant monolithic structures were. We walked into it, with doors sensing magic users and opening automatically. Inside, a few Folinks were walking out, along with a few wood elves; getting ready to go start their day. Together, we strode towards the elevators, the girls pushing an up arrow while I walked past them to the stairs.
"I'll see you in a bit, have my payment ready Purl" I said as I opened a door and descended down a flight of stairs made of living roots. At the bottom there was a small landing and the door to my apartment, here the walls were made of strong compacted bedrock. I had be politely asked to move down here after a few too many failed experiments that resulted in...violent reactions. With a whisper of magic, I made the door unlock and open, letting me into my home. My apartment was set just underground enough to have small windows above the surface and was still mostly buried. The walls were smooth stone with roots growing through, two large roots grew straight down from the ceiling, acting as supports.
"You're late" came an annoyed feminine voice from the darkness, sounding like an annoyed 30 something year old who had smoked a bit too much. I grumbled and flicked a light switch, lighting my place up a bit. What came into view was an overstuffed couch, 2 fluffy chairs all directed at a large fireplace, and 4 glowing purple eyes glaring at me from a corner of darkness.
"Took longer than usual Faye, do you have what I wanted" I asked nonchalantly as I stepped in and closed the door behind me.
"That depends"
I set most of my adventuring gear on a large workbench, unlocked and dropped the nothing manacles and stared at the four glaring eyes. They faltered for a moment under my gaze but Faye's usual voice sounded off.
"Yes yes, 4 Beholder eyes, kept animated even though the main body is dead" She eventually hissed, 4 glowing spheres appearing in front of her "What could you pay for these?"
Faye was a Howl; or in lay man’s terms a large cat demon that was bound to me. I could ask her to do anything; but it would need an equal payment. Luckily I knew what she was and what she wanted, certain demons were easy to read.
I tapped the ring on my left pinky finger, making a five foot long fish to appear on the floor, still flopping and gushing fire out of its mouth that opened a bit too wide. Faye’s "normal" eyes stayed calm as the fish appeared although her upper eyes widened in shock.
"I-is that a hellmouth bass?" She questioned, stepping closer to me and my wager. Turns out while staking out an area, one has a lot of free time. In my case, I fished from a local river near the cyclops cave.
I grabbed the fish by the gills, making it spew fire onto the earthen ceiling. "That depends, do you really want it?”. Four glowing purple eyes locked onto mine as Faye emerged from the darkness, revealing a body the size of a large bobcat covered in deep purple fur.
Faye's two main eyes stayed calm and collected as she casually eyed the large fish that was still trying to blow fire at me; the two above them danced along the body of my offering, eager anticipation gleaming from them.
"Not quite an equal trade do you have more to offer?" she finally responded, "What more do you have to offer me?"
"Nothing, but if you don’t want this hellmouth bass...I could make sushi for myself" I loudly mumbled as I grabbed a large fileting knife out of a block, raising it exaggeratedly to start cutting into the fish.
A large paw slapped my hand away from the tail of the hellmouth bass as Faye grabbed the large fish’s spine in her jaws just, below the head and snapping it with a silent crunch.
"Thake thm ahll" She mumbled through clenched teeth, disappearing into the darkness. Hellmouth bass was Faye's favorite and they could only be caught in the Overneath; a place she could only travel to with my help, which her pride prevented her from doing.
I tapped my pinky ring and the beholder eyes disappeared in a small flash of light. I tucked my bag full of loot away in a corner then breathed in the damp air of my apartment. Yea it was a basement, yea it was because I had caused multiple explosions. But it was home.
"I'm going back out to help Purl with her bow, I’ll be back later" I called into the darkness, I heard a muffled "yes yes later" from somewhere that sounded like it was said with a full mouth.
I left my home, only to hear the lock click shut behind me as I walked away from it. A simple spell, but it would take a full Have-Not tank without issue. It extended past the rough walls of my walkway for added protection, although this tree building was covered in various magical defenses. To a Have-not it would feel like static until it was set off, then it feels like an explosion. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.
I took a quick walk up the stairs and entered the elevators, nodding gently at the wood elf working the elevator controls.
"Same floor as usual?" he asked in a tight controlled voice with the hint of an accent I couldn’t recognize.
"Same floor as always, Lumor. Rax, Purl and I just got back from an adventure" I responded as the doors closed and floors zoomed by, a quiet ding alerting me that we had arrived.
"Always the adventure, I always pray you come back safe" he said in his usual monotone accent although with a slight bit of a smile.
"Thanks for the support, we'll be around for a long time yet" I said as the doors slid open revealing a brightly lit hallway with what looked like wood panels and green carpet. Upon closer inspection one could see the "carpet" was actually fine moss and the wood paneling was actually still living wood. The Folink and their crazy wood magic always amazed me, even if it looked a bit like the 50's. As I approached Rax and Purls shared apartment I hear faint shouting and automatically sighed. Something must've riled Rax up for her to be yelling. I knocked swiftly and hear a quick "Come in!"
I didn't know what I thought I would see when I opened the door but it wasn't this. This being Rax, who was wrapped in a towel, throwing almost everything small enough to be thrown and still do damage at Purl, who was using her best ranger skills to try and avoid being hit.
"YOUR DEMON PET DRANK ALL MY EXPENSIVE SOAP, I WAS GONNA HAVE A GOOD NIGHT WITH ULYSSES" Rax half dried and half yelled, throwing what looked like one of my wrenches.
"Hey Ulysses, beer and the other stuff is over there on the table, pizza is on the way" Purl laughed, looking at me for a moment. Bad idea taking her eyes off of me because in that brief moment a small potted cactus smashed into the side of her head. This again...
I sighed and just walked past Purl who was laying on the ground groaning extra loud as Raxeia panicked and rushed over to her. While I hesitate to say this was a common thing, it wasn't totally uncommon. Purl or her little pet would do SOMETHING that pissed Rax off; stealing snacks Rax had hidden, eating favorite foods, or in this case drinking soap...
I found a 6 pack of "Dungeon crawler ale", Purl's bow and the arrow she had found. A toolbox I usually left here was parked next to them. I smiled and grabbed a beer as I sat down, flicking the bottle cap off with a twitch of kinetic magic.
"Infrega" I muttered then blew ice cold air onto the bottle, chilling the liquid inside; some might say that’s a waste of using magic but I say it lets me be more precise, like working on dexterity! I swilled the bottle, letting the cold liquid settle then took a drink. It’s easy to take the niceties of civilization for granted, like a cold beer. Something about going into the Overneath made me miss the small things of the real world. I Stared at the bottle as I savored the coldness and crisp taste of the beer for a moment longer than set it down to get to work. I flipped open the lid of the toolbox and started reaching in, only for the lid to slam down onto my hand. A raspy imitation of a laugh sounded as eyes opened on the toolbox along with blunt teeth forming around my hand like a deranged mouth.
"Purl get your demented little shit of a pet before something happens!" I called out, only for Purl to sit up from where Raxeia was healing her recent head injury.
"Awww lighten up Ulysses! Boxy is just playing!" Purl whined, putting her paws up to the side of her head "Boxy is the sweetest! All you do is demonize her! You don't know she drank your soap Rax!" As if on cue, Boxy belched around my hand and bubbles sprayed out like a bubble gun.
"She is LITERALLY biting me!" I sighed in annoyance as the small creature bit down again.
"She's uh...Bonding with you!"
"Enough" I grumbled, then grabbed the mimic's jaw with the hand that was being bitten down on. "Arctis"
Ice formed around my hand and in the mimic’s mouth, making it panic and let go of my hand. Boxy made a whining sound then, an array of maybe 20 legs formed under the toolbox looking thing and it scurried away towards Purl's room, looking like a bizarre house millipede hermit crab hybrid. I stared after it for a moment, shaking loose any stray ice crystals from my hand.
"OH boo! That was mean! She was trying to play!" Purl protested, pulling herself up to stand and walking somewhat wobbly after the little creature. I groaned to myself and pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking about my bed a few floors below. My comfy comfy bed.
I yawned even though the sun had just barely risen. Raxeia stood and approached me, her stride as majestic as any royalties.
"I'm gonna shower, be mindful of the door, pizza's on the way" Raxeia murmured nuzzling against me, and softly batting me with her long tail, a sign of deep trust among Folinks.
"Ok Rax, I’ll get it when it come here" I answered, running a hand through the fur on her neck.
"No peeking" She said coyly, pressing her snout into my neck and smacking me in the face with her tail. I shooed the offending limb off half-heartedly.
"I won't, sorcerer's promise" I mumbled into her fur.
"Good!" She said quickly, standing up "Fix Purl's toy and shower yourself!"
"It's a bow not a toy!" came Purl's yell from the other room "And get a room you two!"
"We ARE in a room" I called back, gently smacking Rax's butt, making her yip softly in surprise. Purl made a fake retching sound while Rax covered her eyes, looking flustered.
"I...uhh...shower!" She managed to say as she hurried back towards their bathroom. I watched her go, admiring her elegant stride and well...the rest of her. I wish I could have watched her forever but I had work to do, so I stood up and went into their closet where I found my actual toolbox and checked it contents to make sure I had everything I needed. Satisfied with what I saw, I sat back down and pulled out a pair of goggles similar to those a jeweler would wear.
I took a swig of beer and got to work, carefully chipping the arrowhead around the delicate crystal. It would be much harder to do if the Forbearers had used metal. A few thoughts swam through my head about how I would remove a crystal from a metal arrowhead. A super-heated wire to melt the metal around the crystal? Nah might damage the crystal with molten slag. Maybe use some acid that dissolves metal or brittles it? Could work but I would need to figure out if the crystal would resist those...
Two pizza boxes smacked the table next to me, making me and everything within a meter of me jump, literally. The table jumped about 3 inches, the chairs about 5 inches and everything else about a foot. Poor Purl was pushed about 2 feet back from me, still holding the pizza boxes.
"Sorry sorry sorry! You ok Purl? You know that happens if you sneak up on me" I said, getting out of my seat to check if Purl was ok.
Luckily it only seemed like her fur was poofed out, but other than that nothing serious.
"You zoned out and forgot about the door dingus" She sighed in annoyance.
"Haha whoops, probably better that you answered the door anyway, I look a bit goof" I said gesturing to my goggles.
"You always look goofy"
"Noodle neck"
"Birthday magician"
"Shush both of you and move I’m hungry!" Rax said as she pushed between us, taking the pizzas and setting them on the table. She opened each box and grabbed a slice from each. One was a weird Folink mixture that I never could enjoy, it had some kind of bird meat, weird spicy fruit from their homeland and a dozen vegetables. The other was just a straight pepperoni pizza.
I grabbed a slice and sat back down, casually looking at the work I had done while zoned out. The crystal was free from the arrowhead and I had carved out a small trench for it. With a specialized pair of pliers I picked up the crystal and pressed it into the wood.
"Cresco" I mumbled pushing a fingertip over the wood and the crystal; the feeling of something like an ant crawling on my finger the moment I did. When I removed my finger the wood of the bow had grown around the crystal, locking it into place.
"Bow's done" I called out, looking around to find Raxeia and Purl on their couch watching TV. Purl just calmly waved a paw at me.
"Leave it there, I’m tired and don’t care about checking it out" She said, changing the channels on the TV and looking bored.
"Cool, my turn to shower I guess" I said calmly, putting my tools away and storing the box back in the closet. I didn't need to shower nearly as long as Rax or Purl so I had that going for me at least.
"I'm do-" I started to call out only to have a blue furred paw cover my mouth. Confused, I looked up at Rax who gestures down the hall to where the TV is still on. Together we walked down it to find Purl asleep on the couch, boxy in her arms, both snoring softly. Boxy was exhaling bubbles making the scene cute and somewhat comical. I chuckled to myself, then turned to Raxeia who kissed me softly.
"Let's go to bed" She whispered to me as she pulled away. I simply nodded and followed her to her room, shutting the door behind us. Outside was a world of magic and technology, myth and fact. But none of that mattered right now because I was in love with this fairytale.