The battle with the wolves had been tough on Max, and he had taken critical damage from the Death Wolf. Even though he had taken the potion of Basic Healing, he was still heavily wounded. He checked his stats and saw his health bar was only half full.
He hadn’t even picked up any loot. Unless he could count the mysterious collar he’d taken from the two-headed Death Wolf.
But any encounter now would be dangerous. Max only needed to take a few hits of minor damage for his Health to be reduced to a critical condition. Even though he would gain Health points every time he leveled up, the amount of extra Health he’d gained from making his first level was barely enough to absorb an extra hit of minor damage. He was still vulnerable.
Walking through the open gates of the town of Burke to a hero’s welcome went a long way to improving his spirits, and thoughts of his vulnerability soon melted away. He might not be at full Health, but his ego had certainly been boosted. He waved at the happy, smiling townsfolk and town guards as he walked up the main street to the mayor’s house. He saw Meg, the farmer’s daughter, cheering them on from the doorway of her washer cottage. Steam billowing out around her from the steamy interior. Max blew her a kiss, and she smoldered invitingly, mouthing the reply.
“Come and see me.”
He might just do that, he thought.
The mayor was delighted to see the party return with a wolf’s head. He was standing at the main entrance to the mayoral hall, accepting the cheers from the gathered crowd, taking as much credit for the defeat of the dark wolves as he could. He walked forward to greet the returning heroes, hand outstretched, guards on either side, a group of wizened advisors scurrying behind.
Elderon spoke before the mayor could launch into a speech.
“Mayor, we have come for our reward. We require rest and a meal. Send word to the Dancing Pig to prepare a room.”
Max liked the idea of a tankard of Dwarven ale and one of those huge meat pies, which would certainly go a long way toward restoring his Health. And when they had rested, Anita may well cast a Basic Healing spell on him and bring him back to full Health. He might even have time in the night to Sneak away and visit the buxom farmer’s daughter. He wondered if a late-night tumble in the steamy wash room would restore or degrade his Health. How much damage could it do? He liked it here in the town of Burke. He was determined to make the most of it before moving on.
The mayor handed a small pouch to one of his advisers. The adviser, dressed in a loose black robe with the little black skullcap, walked over to Elderon and handed him the pouch. Elderon weighed it in his hand for a moment and then passed it to Max.
“Put this in your satchel, Max,” Elderon said.
Max did as he was told. His little satchel was filling up, his soft boots taking up much of the space. A few gold coins were adding some weight.
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> Max gains 40 gold
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“We will host a parade for you through the town,” the mayor said, beaming and looking at the wolf’s head as the guards carried it away. “I will have a wagon decorated, and I will take you on a journey around our town so all can celebrate your victory and our deliverance from these dark beasts.”
“You ride in the wagon, Mayor,” Elderon said. He turned and walked toward the exit. “We have no time. We will rest and be on our way.”
Max smiled and nodded at the mayor, who was looking a little crestfallen at Elderon’s sudden exit. He followed Elderon.
“I guess you don’t like the idea of a victory parade around town,” Max said as he caught up with Elderon.
“The mayor wants the parade so the townsfolk can see he has saved them. I have no interest in such displays. My deeds and actions will be recorded at Essillt. That is all the reward I need.” To Max, he said, “Do not be enamored by the adoration of the crowds. They will love you one day and curse you the next. Be true to yourself, and the thoughts of the crowd will not matter to you. Crowds can be wrong as often as right. Only you can know if you are being true to yourself.”
* * *
Max sat on the edge of the bed back in the bunk room above the Dancing Pig. Pie and ale had restored him to full Health, so all he needed now was rest. He took out his Mage Book and studied the two spells he had learned so far, Magic Missile and Detect Enemies, flicking back and forth between them, memorizing the strange incantation and the hand gestures. The better he knew them, the faster he could cast the spells. He’d seen Elderon cast a Magic Missile in a fraction of the time it took him to do it.
Max considered the Detect Enemies spell. Maybe one day he might need to use it, but he knew how dangerous it was beyond the town gates. He needed all the offensive force he could muster so he chose to prepare the two Magic Missile spells. On the first page of his book, the spell slots were empty, so Max turned to the Magic Missile spell page and selected Magic Missile once again, and then went quickly to the first page of the book to see newly loaded spells appear in the spell slots.
The symbols for Magic Missile appeared in the two available spell slots on the first page as if they were being scorched by a hot brand from the inside of the paper.
>
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> Mage Book
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>
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> Level 1 Spells:
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> • Magic Missile
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> • Detect Enemies
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> Active spells:
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> • Magic Missile
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> • Magic Missile
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Max studied the symbols a moment longer before he closed the book. He dropped it into his satchel and then lay down to sleep. He had hardly noticed Anita getting undressed and standing there, silhouetted in the moonlight before climbing under the covers. Elderon sat on a stool in front of the small fire at the end of the room. His Mage Book was in his lap, expanded out to its full size, a huge tome. He was busy preparing spells. Max drifted off to sleep thinking about how one day, his Mage Book would be as big as that, and he would have just as many spells.
Before Max had settled into the pillow, it seemed Elderon was shaking him awake. It was still dark outside. Anita was already dressed in her tight leather armor and smiling down at Max. He climbed out of bed wearily and grabbed his clothes.
“The mistress of the Dancing Pig saw your shirt was ripped,” Elderon said.
Anita tossed a shirt at Max.
“She had it mended for you,” Anita said. “You really are a hit with the ladies.”
Max pulled the shirt on. It was not as baggy and loose as it had been before it got shredded by the Death Wolf. Now, it fit perfectly. Lastly, he pulled on his good boots, slipped on his coat, and slung his satchel over his shoulder.
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“Take this,” Elderon said and handed Max a rough blanket, thick and heavy. “You’ll need it when we are out in the wilderness.
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> Max gains rough blanket
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As he followed Elderon and Anita, he checked that he had his catapult on his belt and his shortsword in its scabbard. He grabbed his staff and followed Elderon into the dark morning.
They walked along the main street, out of the town gate, and onto the road through the meadowlands. Before long, the sky brightened from black to dark blue and finally, with the town of Burke out of sight behind them, the sky was a bright pale blue.
Max followed close behind Elderon, not fully knowing where they were going, his eyes on the cobble road beneath his feet. By the time the bright silver sun was high in the sky, it was shining down on a changed landscape. There were still vast meadows and rolling hills, but Max began to notice small outcrops of thorny bushes and short stubby trees. These small thickets were increasing in frequency and size with every mile.
It must have been the middle of the day when Max began to tire of the ceaseless march. He called to his companions for a rest. Max collapsed to the side of the road without waiting for a reply. He lay back in the long, soft grass, resting his aching feet. He ate the dark bread he had taken from the Dancing Pig and felt the fatigue from a long morning’s march fading fast.
Elderon sat next to Max as Anita disappeared into a nearby thicket. She soon returned with an armful of twigs and sticks that she dropped near Elderon.
Elderon picked up a twig and found a dried nut hanging there. He held it at arm’s length and called for Max’s attention.
“Magic is more than just memorizing spells. You have to be able to tune into the arcane, tune into the magic that is flowing through the world, and with practice comes control.”
“Like a Druid?” Max said, looking over at Anita. She was preparing a fresh bundle of glowing moss, readying it for when darkness fell.
“No, not like a Druid. The Druid magic comes from their bond with the natural world, granted to them by the earth, the oceans, and the sky. Their magic is wild and granted to them as long as they obey the will of nature. The magic of the arcane is harnessed, channeled. Focused. A Druid’s magic can change the direction of a bolt of lightning, but a Mage can summon it with the correct spell. And with greater control comes greater power. A novice Mage can summon a spark with a Call Lightning spell. A trained, practiced Mage can summon the mightiest of thunderbolts. For ages, we have studied and tamed the wild magic. We have shaped it to serve us. It will become clearer as you tune in to the arcane. See this nut?” Elderon twirled the twig in his fingers. “Reach out with your mind and see the nut inside its shell.”
Max reached out with his mind and thought that maybe he could detect something: a dry, shriveled nut inside the shell. He knew what a nut looked like, and maybe he was just imagining that he could see it. Suddenly he was shaken roughly by Elderon.
“Max!” Elderon shouted.
Max realized he was sweating profusely. Anita was crouched at his side, staring at him with intense curiosity and concern, but Elderon was smiling at him. Anita stood up, leaned on her staff, and smiled down at him.
“Excellent, Max, excellent,” Elderon said, patting him on the shoulder. “That was brilliant.”
“What did I do? I was just imagining the nut inside the shell.” Max wiped the sweat from his brow. He was thirsty and took a drink of water.
“You channeled the arcane! You really did see the nut, and you were not imagining it. I was watching you. My goodness, Max, you are a natural! But the danger with being naturally gifted is that you will neglect the hard work that is required to become practiced and the very best in your class.”
Max looked up at the white sun and saw it had moved across the sky and was dipping toward the far horizon. The day seemed to have passed very quickly. “What time is it?” he asked.
Anita smiled down at him. “You were studying that nut for hours. I thought we should stop in case you became forever lost in there, but Elderon said you were doing really well.”
Max felt both tired and invigorated. The effort of channeling the natural magic and seeing inside the nut’s shell had been exhausting, but knowing that he had achieved so much gave him a huge boost of energy.
“Let me try again,” Max said. “Now that I know what I’m doing, I might be able to do it better.”
Elderon stood up. “No,” he said and dragged Max to his feet. “We have far to go. We will try again tonight before we rest. But for now, we march.”
Elderon led them off the road and into the long grass. They walked on and on for the rest of the afternoon among rolling green meadowlands as far as the eye could see. Anita walked ahead and selected a route using her wilderness path finding skills. She picked their way through the rolling hills without them ever having to climb too steeply, leading them in a meandering line that kept them on a flat, easy path that minimized the effort of walking. However, by the time evening fell, Max was exhausted. He sat down heavily while Anita went off to gather wood from a thicket and prepared a small fire. Elderon found another small nut on the dried branches and held it up for Max to see.
“Now that you are able to find the nut inside the shell and bring it into your mind, you can learn to manipulate it.” He gave the twig and the shriveled nut hanging off it to Max. “You will turn the nut inside the shell.”
Max wondered what possible good this exercise could do. He should be working on gaining more spell slots for his Mage Book, not playing with dried twigs. But then he thought that a nut in its shell was not unlike the wheels and gears inside a lock. He wondered how much he could earn as a safecracker, turning the gears inside the mechanism or unlocking doors without drills or explosives. He could do it silently, secretly, safely. He could be rich.
The crack across his knuckles stunned him and brought him back to the present. Above him, Elderon glared, deep, dark eyes filled with displeasure.
“I don’t know what this safe box you are imagining is, Max, but it is not magic. I suspect you are considering thievery. That is very bad. You must not use your power incorrectly, or it will lead to corruption. Your own skills will work against you if you employ them in the incorrect way.”
“I wasn’t . . .”
Crack!
Again, Elderon whacked him with the hard dried stick across the knuckles. “And I can detect a lie as easily as you can see the sun in the sky,” Elderon said.
Max nursed his bruised knuckles. He checked his stats.
>
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> Anita casts Basic Healing on Max.
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>
Max glanced over at Anita, his health bar now full, and she smiled at him and gave him a wink. Her Basic Healing spell was just the thing to take the sting out of his knuckles.
“One more lesson tonight, young Mage,” Elderon said. He gathered a pile of dried sticks. “It is possible to bring the fire out of the wood. There is energy in the tiniest particles within the wood. It is possible to break the particles apart and release energy that will turn the wood to fire.”
Elderon set a pile of sticks in front of him. He sat staring at them for a moment, and a small spark appeared. Soon, the sticks were crackling and aflame.
“Like the nut in the shell, find the energy in the stick and let it become a flame.”
Max looked at the sticks and tried to see inside them to the energy trapped within. “Isn’t this Druid magic?” he said.
“Concentrate,” Elderon said.
Max burrowed his mind into the stick. He concentrated on the fire until he saw the tiniest ember glowing. Then he concentrated on that to make it spread and grow. By the time a tiny glowing fleck had grown to a spark, he collapsed, exhausted. He looked at the stick and saw a small wisp of gray smoke rising up from the point he’d been trying to ignite. Max shook his head in disappointment.
“Max, that’s fantastic!” Elderon said.
“But I didn’t start the fire. It was too hard.”
“No one starts a fire on the first attempt,” Anita said. “I’ve seen many young Mages try.”
Max looked from Anita to Elderon. Elderon nodded in agreement.
“To even get smoke at this stage is exceptional.”
>
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> Max gains experience points.
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>
The sun had vanished, and Elderon built a large roaring fire. They all settled down on their bedrolls. Anita produced a small quantity of moss—when she whispered to it, it started to glow, giving a low green light to the camp.
Somewhere in the distance, Max could hear a noise of something rattling and rumbling. It grew louder, and he thought he heard voices, laughter, and singing. Then he saw lights in the distance as the rumbling grew closer and closer. Elderon was sitting up on his bedroll, gazing into the distance. Anita disappeared into the dark and soon came back. Her smiling face was an instant comfort to Max, and he looked forward to hearing some good news.
“Travelers,” Anita said. “A whole band of travelers have come by. They have caravans, and they are about to make camp. Let’s make ourselves known to them.”
Elderon stood up, gathering his belongings. “Come along, Max. Travelers are legendary for offering a hearty welcoming to fellow travelers. And there is safety in numbers. Let’s go and introduce ourselves. Better we let them know we are here than they stumble across us in the night and think we are stalking them.”
The light from the traveler camp was welcome, and Max approached eager and excited. At the edge of the circle of wagons, a traveler guard patrolling with a huge, curved sword on his hip called out,
“Hold. Who goes there in the darkness?”
Elderon summoned a ball of fire that hovered in his palm, and he let it float up five feet in the air to illuminate the area. Anita blew on her moss and let it glow bright green.
“I am Master Mage, Elderon from the Mage Towers of Essillt. Here is Anita from the Druid groves, and the young Mage with us here is Max. Is there room at your fire for fellow travelers?”
The big traveler twirled his moustache with the finger and thumb of one hand, his sword arm resting on the sword in his belt, then he smiled and held his arms out wide. “Welcome, fellow travelers. Come within our circle of wagons.”
Max smiled up at the big guard as he passed him, receiving a heavy yet friendly slap on the back. Within the circle, there was a large fire and ladies dancing in big skirts and covered in heavy gold jewelry. There was meat roasting on the fire. Max approached the fire with a little trepidation, suddenly nervous about crashing the party, but a young maiden traveler came and took his hand. She was wearing a big skirt and a loose baggy top.
“You look tired, traveler,” the maid said. “Come sit with me, and I will soothe you.”
Max let himself be led to the fire, and he sat down.
“My name is Jenna,” the maid whispered huskily.
Max smiled at her. “Hello, Jenna, very nice to meet you.”