The plans are progressing fast, at least from here you can breathe more power than inside that damned Tower of Peace, the creation of the Capanegra has been a little less successful within the terms I had for a society like this, as leader and former secretary Capablanca I achieved the goals as they were presented:

First: I took advantage of the death of my son to separate our group from the rest, by doing so during the emergency meeting of all the magicians we ensured that we had the support of the Caparoja, otherwise we would have had to give up many of our own, just remember the face of the useless leader we had, young, excited about tomorrow without seeing that the future was mine.

Second: I convinced the most impulsive magicians, the most destructive within the Caparoja and Capablanca, it was my right to recruit them, not to mention some of the most destructive books that the Capablanca possessed, I assumed that having the people and the power I would be assigned a city in my care.

Just as I was about to take my place in the tower I found myself chatting peacefully with the two leaders, both sounded happy, when I entered and gave the order to leave my new headquarters I was greeted with laughter, they told me it was fine that I wanted to be a farmer but none of them asked or lived at the expense of the others, all the wizards built their cities and I would have to do the same, that was a big setback! Full of anger I asked them with all the sarcasm I could muster if there was any city they did not protect where we could offer the version of vengeful magic that only the Capanegra had, I knew that the Capablanca could cede any of the smaller cities, Celestial City, Arboleda, Tormalina even, with their inhabitants and mines any of them would mean a little more than a consolation prize, giving up Hammerstorm was not in my plans but I had no say... yet.

"We've assigned you a city whose character suits your style of magic very well, it's called Midnight Raven, an exotic name, don't you think? We give you a scroll of invitation and arrival, the other cities you want to protect must accept by mutual agreement, if one of ours decides to do so, we will not oppose."

How many illusions I had! Although I did not recognize the city at all, I knew that it belonged to the extreme south of the continent, my attention was always focused on the great human sites, I did not give it any importance, but when I asked some questions, I was told that it lay at the foot of one of the important mountains of the dwarves, that there were many magical creatures, enough to set up a laboratory of selective breeding, Just thinking about it rubbed my hands, so I accepted, I packed all my books and a few that nobody noticed from either place, just titles like "Offensive Magic", "Research on Immediate Damage to Creatures" and the most important "Words of Death" written by one of the elven slaves, with specific spells that I heard their masters recite when they were bored of their subjects.

The journey was epic, all the cities we passed to equip ourselves saw us as the parade of their lives, some of the novice mages left their classes and joined us just to see our clothes, all made with enchanted thread capable of absorbing the light, then it seemed as if from the absolute darkness emerged young and determined faces, the bearers of the power capable of destroying the dark lord, the acrobats listened as well as the minstrels, all trying to understand the message, to make a ballad of our movement, of the power we brought.

The city itself was a disappointment, a bunch of poorly built houses, stones piled up without mortar, no wood, just lifeless rocks, the mayor of the place received us without ceremony or anything, we were not needed there, it was the place of the quarrelsome mercenaries rejected by their guilds, people who not only killed when they should, but when they were bored or just looking for their weapons to keep their edge, still the cards we brought gave us access to a few acres of a church in ruins, Some idiots (the first three groups at least) tried to rob us, they were armed with small enchantments and some even brought elemental weapons from their looting of the dwarven wagons, But they fell before tidal waves of pure magic, all attacks are started by me, something I have to correct, because I need people who can kill and not just keep on killing, finally the third group understood the uselessness of their actions and started to work, I paid them with the weapons of those who did not.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Supplies are another matter, there are no fields, food must be brought from distant villages, most of them did not want to sell, since these mercenaries obtained what they were looking for under the method of killing and beating everyone until one of them remembered to say what they were looking for... more than mercenaries were bandits, we had been appointed to a city that had no law and all were rogues, they thought that would stop us, as it is seen that they do not know me, they do not know the Order of Capanegra!

I made a very reasonable document, where I indicated to the farmers that we will buy their wagons with food and we will protect them from the bandits, adding that if they did not accept the offer, there were other cities that would accept it and they would lose the protection that the assault magicians could offer them, but I just perceived something magical that penetrated my magic field, It is a simple one, it protects from physical attacks of magical creatures, I also managed not to energize any of the runes of the rebel weapons, only those who served the order would have their weapons charged, the entrance was weak, a pair of enchanted birds, ephemeral, have no attack potential are only invoked by people who like the beautiful, the spell to send them to where we are was very complex and useless, my shield will tear them apart before they reach my office.

In fact I can see them, they come disintegrating, their blue color is beautiful, even if the red areas indicate the damage they suffer, for a moment I wanted to remove the field to save their existence, but I am sure that it could be used by those who created them to attack this headquarters, so helplessly I see them disappear a few meters from my window and some gems contained inside enter breaking the glass.

For a moment I don't know how to react, they are soul stones, capable of containing, generating and even performing minor magic, but before the others arrive I must find out what they are, annoyed at having to use white magic I extend a containment field, my baculum is made of magical iron, It's very heavy but I don't use it much, I have about twenty magic stones embedded in it and only two fragments of soul stone, the two that are there would serve to give it a power of +10 in the arcane, but I still have to activate its magic, once this is done the stone will be smooth and I will be able to use it.

A light is activated, an image materializes in the air, I do not know him, but he is undoubtedly an elf, he looks at nothing while introducing himself:

"I am Hojaverde, lord of the true elves, I greet the leader of the Capanegra, we are very sorry for the distance that your city assumes with respect to our arrival, we understand your desire for revenge and we share it, these stones are a gift, we seek an alliance with you, we have a common enemy, but I regret to tell you that with your current power the Dark Lord is beyond his limits, Do not be angry, with training (which I readily offer) your students will be as deadly as any level 10 wizard, not counting all the amulets and weapons they will have at their disposal, but the Darklord is not an ordinary wizard, if I could classify him in your human terms, he reaches level 50. "

This revelation falls upon me like a bucket of cold water, no one knows the power of this wizard better than I do, I managed with much effort to summon the last actions of my son, he fulfilled the lich king, they only had to kill one wizard and he was very strong, still it was not enough and he died without pain or glory, the magic that killed him did not make a dent in this dark lord, But to think that he has so much power is something sick, I sit while I think, yes with level 10 mages I could attack him, but my son's people were more powerful than a level 10, they were the elite of the elite and they were swept away, I am about to call the others to inform them that we cannot attack with some medium damage magics and that we have to rethink the whole company, but that was not the end of the message.

"Bravo mage, I understand your turmoil, I share it, but don't worry, you must leave the confrontation against this renegade sorcerer to us, all the preparation we gave you (including equipment for a party of twenty people) is to weaken the forces of the dark lord, in the elven alcazar is his second in command, A renegade witch who eliminated the city of the Phaladines, she is very powerful but she has no preparation, this is the guideline, learn, improve and you will be able to capture her, the high elves will take care of the human aberration, you capture her and the power to rule over the other circles of magic will be given to you for free.

Good day"

I still do not believe anything of what has been said, nevertheless, I bend down and take one of the two stones that I embed in my baculum and feel the power expand, I need to study a little more about these elves, we will take the job, it is less dangerous, but I need to be sure that this will not be something counterproductive, I will talk to my trusted men, the elven alcazar has a lot of magic, it will be a good prey, but it will be one that we will go to when we are ready.