Chapter 26: The Magic of an Archmagus

I might have stood by, watched the child get killed for his stupidity and looted the magical items I felt were stored below when the coast was clear. I might have, if not for Vento. He sensed in the lad, as in himself, a pure soul. I could feel his need to help the pair and I wasn’t so cruel as to ignore his desire.

I conveyed to Vento what I wanted of him, pulled the fire mana gem from my knapsack and began my plan. If I was to act, I didn’t want there to be any way to tell what had happened here. When a pile of bones, clad in black cloth, fell from the ceiling to clatter between the three parties, Iago stopped mid order.

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He had been about to instruct his thugs to end the idiot and his friend when a strangely carved set of bones fell from above. They didn’t move so Iago looked up.

“Who’s there?” He asked, spying the hole above him. Turning to the other parties they seemed just as confused. A gust of wind came from nowhere and picked up the two children, whisking them out of the room and back into the hidden tunnels.

“After them!” Iago ordered, feeling something was terribly wrong.

“I beg you, wait a moment.” A learned voice spoke from behind him. Shivers went down his spine. He spun, clenching his sticky palms.

“Who are… What are you?” Iago asked, his voice trailing off into a whisper. His gulp was audible in the silence of the room, even the vampires knew something was off.

“Come on, he may be a mage but his mana isn’t much more than professor Periculum’s.” The leader of the vampires, the only mage in their number, encouraged them. Iago knew the professor, a dour man who acted as Woden’s contact with the underworld of Wiccawich. Iago would always maintain a proud face in front of him but he could admit to himself he feared the man a little, if this skeleton was stronger…

“I do apologize, it is considered bad manners to lie to the dead.” The figure spoke, matter-of-factly. Not being a mage Iago could not truly tell what happened next but that feeling that waited at the back of his mind, just waiting to pounce, multiplied a hundred fold. His connection to the holy light, which had grown ever more tenuous over the past years, snapped leaving him alone in darkness.

The vampire leader’s eyes bulged and he tried to run without a second thought. All about Iago figures emerged from the boxes following their leader, there were dozens of them. For a brief moment Iago was thankful he didn’t push them too hard in negotiations.

The undead simply withdrew from his bag a clump of common glowmoss and a valuable wind mana gem. With motions Iago was unfamiliar with the stranger did something to the items and then he took in a deep breath, somehow. When he breathed out black smoke billowed forth, seeping into the eyes and nose of the fleeing vampires. They fell to the ground as a whole, some of the stronger ones tried in vain to crawl away. His bodyguards proved to be worth their salt however as they rushed the creature while it's back was turned. This too was in vain, without him turning lightning shot out, boring holes in their limbs. The skeleton continued his breath circling the room. Iago had stayed stock sill the entire time, frozen in fear, but when the fog met his lungs he too dropped. It wasn’t death that enveloped Iago, nor was this a curse of paralysis. He felt impossibly fatigued, it was as though he couldn’t get up even if his life depended on it and it surely did.

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“Funny thing about components embodied with enhancement mana,” The undead began offhandedly. “They can be used more easily to weaken than to strengthen. I’ve certainly made that mistake before.” He chuckled grimly.

“If I'm going to teach you something I should probably wear this face.” The skeleton explained, except when Iago looked there was no longer a skeleton. In his place stood an elderly man with a long grey beard and twinkling blue eyes. Iago tried to ask the kindly man for help but all that came forth was gurgling.

The vampires leader wasn’t so heavily restrained and when the man pried open a create and removed an egg he was able to slur out a few words:

“No… you can’t.”

“I thought as much,” the man said in the voice of that monster. “This here is something very special indeed. With this I can cast a spell I have been wanting to for a very long time. A friend of mine banned me from doing it, and said it was a mockery. I beg to differ.”

Iago’s certain death proceeded to remove a number of objects from his bag. Clearing an area of floor he began carving a massive and intricate diagram. In one corner he placed a jar filled with a strange pale blue goo. In another three others he place an earth, wind, and fire mana gem. In the centre he placed the egg which was as large as his torso.

“They’re probably far enough away by now.” He reckoned, looking off in the direction the two kids had been whisked away in. He then began some kind of demon dance whilst speaking in tongues.

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So far the plan was going smoothly, I had immobilised all of the enemies and Vento had rescued the innocents. All that was left was to clean up. It was finally time, I could cast a spell I had wanted to test for centuries, I skipped about gleefully as my audience looked on.

I became casting the first layer of the spell with my left hand, the second layer with my right, the third by my ear holes. the forth was taken care of by some arcane chanting, the fifth layer was done by the movement of my eye holes, the sixth was done by the movement of my feet, the seventh my hips, the eighth by the movement of one arm (separate of the hand), and finally the ninth by the other arm. This wasn’t strictly necessary, all that was required was splitting one focus on several layers at once but the physical components made it much more likely I would succeed.

The first stage of the spell took effect, using the technique from my armour summoning spell I was able to slip the centre of the circle into the plane of elemental fire. This saved considerable amounts of mana for the later stages.

When I deemed the egg was done cooking I moved onto the next stage. When the portal closed I was left with a bright red egg. Using the Fire mana gem as the spark, the wind mana gem to provide oxygen, and the earth mana gem to provide the fuel: I created a pillar of flame about the egg. Ever growing, ever spinning. It grew so intense that I began to fear my Magically Reinforced Bones might melt.

Just in time the egg began to crack, not from inside but from outside. In a split second the egg turned to ash, its contents long deceased. It was time for the final step. Using most of the ectoplasm I was able to forge a connection with whatever place housed souls and I sent out the call.

A call where the only word was fire. Finally the spell hit its compilation and the fire vanished, leaving the chamber dark. I saw the remaining foes take a breath in relief, I only laughed maniacally. My magnum opus was at the tipping point. Either nothing would happen or…..

Pop… WHOOOOOSH. Hundreds of feet of warehouse, containing thousands of boxes, was incinerated in an instant. All of my belongings were turned to dust, save my robes for some reason. I didn’t care. I had done it, I had actually done it.

Its body was made of various shades of flame. The scales have an orange hue, the talons white hot. Eyes, burning with an emerald flame, stared at me. Its wings stretched, cramped by the underground space, where they touched stone it melted and turned to slag.

A voice that sounded like crackling firewood rumbled, “Zeto, is that you.”

The sound of the name caused my spine to shiver and I stopped the impromptu jig. My mood turned serious in an instant with just those four words.