As the Dark Mages moved forward, they began chanting as one. Max recognized this chant. He had heard it just before he had been hit by the Soothing Cloud of Sleep spell. He raised his sword. The lightning flickered over the blade. He saw the table of the sword’s abilities marked out by the flickering strands of lightning.
>
>
> Shortsword of Lightning
>
> • Minor to moderate physical damage
>
> • Bonus Lightning damage
>
> • Cast Sword Lightning once per day
>
>
The lightning flickering over the blade spelled out the simple incantation that would cast the Lightning spell. Max held the sword up just as the Dark Mages’s chant intensified. Max pointed the sword at the Dark Mages.
>
>
> Max casts Sword Lightning.
>
>
The bolt of lightning streaked across the great cellar, lighting up the hidden recesses of the large underground space. The jagged lightning struck the middle Dark Mage and then spread to those standing on either side. The lightning flickered over the robes, connected to the tip of Max’s shortsword. Then the lightning detached from the sword.
The crack of the lightning was sharp and crisp. The three Dark Mages crumpled as the bolts struck.
>
>
> Dark Mages take minor Lightning damage.
>
> Dark Mages fail to cast Soothing Cloud of Sleep
>
>
The three Mages fell about, groaning. Residual lines of electricity flickered over their robes. Max grabbed Anita by the hand and dragged her behind him. He ran to the stairs and up into the wind and rain.
A single Dark Mage stood in the ruins near the entrance to the great cellar. The Dark Mage raised his hands to cast a spell as he saw Max and Anita sprinting out.
Max charged at the Dark Mage, sword raised.
>
>
> Max attacks Dark Mage.
>
> Dark Mages takes minor damage.
>
> Bonus Lightning damage.
>
>
Anita followed Max and struck with her spear. Flames flickered over the Mage’s robes, mixing with the fine lines of crackling lightning from Max’s shortsword. With the way clear, they ran into the trees. Max glanced over his shoulder. He saw the three Dark Mages leaving the great cellar and joining with the fourth. They acted as one and came in pursuit.
Max was getting breathless. The wind was at his back, so he could run a little faster, a little further, but the Dark Mages on their tail had the same advantage. Max risked a glance. He saw they were closing in. One stopped and brought up a crossbow, took aim, and shot.
>
>
> Dark Mage attacks Max; attack misses.
>
>
The bolt fizzed past Max’s ear and thudded into a tree trunk. The short heavy bolt looked deadly, but Max knew they did not want to kill him. They wanted to capture him alive, to experiment on him and summon the dark energy entering Eveirea from the dark portal that he had inadvertently opened into this realm. The sooner he could close the dark portal for good, the safer this world would be.
Max and Anita ran hand in hand, both breathless, unable to urge the other to greater effort, all their energy spent on running. Another crossbow bolt struck a tree nearby. Max glanced back. The four Dark Mages were closing in. One stopped and took aim.
>
>
> Dark Mage attacks Anita.
>
>
The bolt struck Anita in the back of the thigh. She went down with a muted cry of pain. Max lost his grip on her hand as she fell, the rain making it extra slippery. He stopped and turned back to her. She was struggling to her feet, one hand reaching out to Max, the other holding the wound on the back of her thigh.
Max pulled her to her feet. She limped on, half hopping. She gripped the bolt in her thigh and yanked it free. She let out a loud and fearsome growl of pain and anger and threw the bolt to the ground in fury. Max pulled her on, but she slowed, unable to maintain her speed. The blood oozed out of her leg, between her fingers, and mixed with the rain. Her head bowed. She pulled her hand free of Max’s, looked him in the eyes, and shook her head. She stood up, using her spear for support, and turned to face the Dark Mages.
Max stood at her side, Shortsword of Lightning ready for action. The four Dark Mages slowed, their longswords in hand. They closed in, spreading out and forming a crescent. Max heard a twig snap on the ground behind him. He spun around. Surrounded. In the dark and the rain, he could make out two figures. They were closing in slowly. As much as Max’s new shortsword was a powerful weapon, and Anita was a great fighter, Max feared they stood no chance against six Dark Mages.
The four Dark Mages fanned out. They began chanting, and one lifted his hands, holding them high above his head, fingers twisting and cracking as they cast a spell.
Max turned to face the two new figures in the dark, ready to rush at them. If he could tackle the two new Mages first he might have a chance of escape. But then, out of the dark, the two figures came rushing forward. Max readied himself for a clash of swords.
The battle cry that came from the darkness sent a shiver down Max’s spine, then a stench hit him, sour and pungent. A dwarf wielding an axe in wide circles over his head came running forward, ran past Max, and towards the four Dark Mages.
>
>
> Jahrod attacks Dark Mages.
>
> You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
>
>
Elderon ran toward them and stopped between Max and Anita. He stabbed his staff into the ground. Light burst out from the staff and flooded the area, the dark of night banished, and even the rain seemed to be thrown aside.
“Elderon,” Max shouted in surprise, delight, and triumph.
Elderon smiled at Max and began casting.
Jahrod cut one Dark Mage down with a heavy charge attack, his swinging axe delivering heavy damage and the follow-up charge adding bonus damage.
A cone of fierce white cold leapt away from Elderon towards the Dark Mages on Jahrod’s right. The Cone of Cold struck with a sound of breaking glass. The cold froze the Dark Mages to the spot. The ice coating the two Dark Mages shattered after a moment. Both Dark Mages crumpled as they took heavy Cold damage, then they straightened up and focused on Jahrod.
“Look after Anita,” Max said, and he ran to Jahrod’s side.
>
>
> Max attacks Dark Mage.
>
> Dark Mage takes moderate damage.
>
> Bonus Lightning damage.
>
> Dark Mage has been defeated.
>
>
Jahrod parried the blade of the Dark Mage on his left. Max faced the challenge of the Dark Mage on his right. A magic missile slammed into the Dark Mage, the six orange orbs of magical energy arcing around Max before slamming into their target. Max attacked without mercy.
>
>
> Max attacks Dark Mage.
>
> Dark Mage takes minor damage.
>
> Bonus Electrical damage.
>
> Dark Mage has been defeated.
>
>
Jahrod was fighting the last Dark Mage and driving him backwards. The Dark Mage was controlling his retreat, giving ground, and fending off the fierce flurry of blows from Jahrod’s axe. A bullet from Anita’s sling struck the Dark Mage. Jahrod kept the Mage’s sword busy with a steady stream of attacks. Finally, the Dark Mage gave up on a controlled withdrawal, and he turned and fled.
If this Mage escaped, he would report back on Max’s last known whereabouts. Max dropped his sword and grabbed his catapult. He loaded a normal bullet and took aim.
>
>
> Max attacks Dark Mage.
>
> Dark Mage takes minor damage.
>
>
The Dark Mage was pushed off balance for half a step but ran on. Max reloaded and gave chase. He heard Elderon and Jahrod calling him back, not to go chasing the Mage into the dark. Max stopped and took aim.
>
>
> Max attacks Dark Mage.
>
> Dark Mage takes minor damage.
>
> Dark Mage has been defeated.
>
> Max gains experience points.
>
>
Max walked over to the defeated Dark Mage. All they carried was a steel longsword and a flaming torch. No gold, no items at all, not even a hunk of dark bread.
Max walked back to the pool of light. Jahrod was scowling as he looked up at Max, showing his heavy crushing teeth. His thick beard rustled as he spoke.
“At last, we found you. I don’t mind the tracking and hunting, but I have had quite enough of listening to Elderon’s grumbling.” He held out a hairy hand in friendship.
Max didn’t know if he had forgotten just how bad Jahrod smelled or if the rain was making it worse. Even so, Max was delighted to see the grumpy dwarf and embraced him.
They walked back to Elderon together.
“You take too many risks, young Mage,” Elderon said in gruff tones.
Anita was on the ground dressing her wound with some healing herbs and some long plaited leaves. She grinned up at Max.
“He’s brave, Elderon. He saved my life.”
Max crouched next to Anita. “And you saved mine,” he said. “I would not have made it so far in this world if it wasn’t for you.” He stood up and looked at his friends, happy to see them all, easily ignoring the cold and the rain, warmed by the presence of his party. “Or any of you, for that matter,” he added. “My good friends. How good it is to see you.”
“You’d be seeing the lords of the Underlands if we hadn’t turned up,” Jahrod said gruffly. He handed Max his Shortsword of Lightning. “You dropped this.”
Max sheathed his sword. He noticed the rain had stopped. He looked up and saw it falling aside, a dome shield over their heads, and Max realized they were in a Mage Sphere.
“How did you find us?” Max asked.
“With difficulty,” Jahrod said.
Elderon nodded. “We lost your trail a few times. But now we have found you, and that is all that matters. You are exhausted. You and Anita must rest. We will rest here.” Elderon began casting a spell. A warm wind began to swirl inside the Mage Sphere. In a matter of moments, Max’s clothes were dry. Jahrod even smelled a little sweeter from his rinse and blow dry.
“It’s not safe here, Elderon,” Max said. “The Dark Mages are trying to create a dark portal to draw power from it. They want to use Druid’s blood and my connection to the dark portal to draw the power. We must get away from here.”
“We are safe for now, young Mage,” Elderon said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Jahrod will stand guard, and I have set warning wards about the forest. The Mage Sphere will hold off the rain until dawn. Rest, young Mage. You need to recover your spells.” Elderon smiled down at him. “You can’t show you are a Mage without a few active spells to call upon. Rest.”
Max unrolled his Blanket of Comfort on the ground next to Anita. He settled down to sleep next to her. He looked at her, eyes closed, breathing gently. She was asleep in moments. Max felt the warmth of her body. Her soft skin. She moaned gently and snuggled closer to Max, her forehead resting against his. He wrapped an arm around her. She opened her eyes and stared at him, a smile creeping over the corners of her mouth.
“It’s nice to rest with you, Max,” Anita said. She closed her eyes and wriggled a little closer.
Max had never been so close to anyone so attractive before. Anita was strange, powerful, mysterious, magical. But he knew she could never be with him. She had to remain chaste to become the leader of her Druid circle. Max knew she would make a great leader one day, and it would be his honor to call her friend even if he sometimes thought that he wanted to be more than just a friend.
Max drifted off to sleep wrapped in Anita’s arms. Resting safe, knowing Elderon and Jahrod were watching over them.
When Max woke, Anita was at the small fire. The sky glowed with the promise of a clear day, but it was still an hour from sunrise. The forest was damp around, dew clinging to leaves, rain dripping from high in the canopy. Birds chirped in the trees, something slithered through the leaves nearby. Elderon brought Max a mug of a strong morning brew.
“Do you have your spells, Max?”
Max checked his Mage Book.
>
>
> Active spells:
>
> • Magic Missile
>
> • Magic Missile
>
> • Magic Missile
>
> • Magic Missile
>
> • Magic Missile
>
> • Strength
>
> • Summon Fog
>
> • Fireball
>
>
All his selected spells were now active. He showed Elderon his Mage Book.
“I have a new spell,” Max said. “Summon Fog. I found the scroll on a harpy.”
“A harpy?” Elderon said, eyes wide.
“Yes, it was tormenting a blind old man. He said he was a Sword Dancer.”
Elderon sat down. “A Sword Dancer, you say? You have aided a Sword Dancer?” Elderon shook his head.
“Yes, I helped him retrieve his sword. Was that wrong?” Max said.
Elderon smiled at him. “I shake my head in disbelief, Max. You will have a powerful ally if you aided a Sword Dancer. Did he tell you to call him should you need aid?”
“Yes,” Max said, “Yes, he did.”
Elderon clapped him on the back. “You are making good friends in this world, Max. Soon, you will not need me.”
“I still need you, Elderon,” Max said. “If you and Jahrod hadn’t arrived when you did last night, those Dark Mages would have killed Anita and used me to increase their power. I owe you so much.” Max drank the hot strong brew. It filled him with strength and energy. He knew his Health was returned to full. “I found another spell too. A scroll of web, but I had to use it to stop a skeleton lord. It almost got the better of me and Anita. It was the only option I had. I wish I could have kept it.”
“A Skeleton Lord?” Elderon said. “Harpies and Sword Dancers. You have been on an adventure. Are you sure you haven’t left anything out?”
“Just a couple of Assassins.” Max laughed. “All I was trying to do was save Anita and find you guys again.”
A sound crashing through the forest towards them had Elderon on his feet suddenly. Anita, rested and healed, was at his side with her spear ready. They relaxed slightly when Jahrod came running up to the Mage Sphere. Elderon lowered the spell and let Jahrod approach.
“It is as you feared, Elderon,” Jahrod said. “Those giant spiders found our trail again. They are closing in.”
“Giant spiders on your trail,” Max said. “It sounds like you had some adventures of your own.”
“Go easy with your new spells, young Mage,” Elderon said. “Try not to use them all up in one encounter if you can help it.”
>
>
> Anita casts Bonus to party.
>
>
“Warriors to the front,” Jahrod said, walking away from Max and Elderon. Anita walked with him, twirling her spear.
Max drew his catapult and looked into the forest. The shadows in the gray dawn light flickered as the huge green-and-red body of a giant spider came into view. Then Max saw a pair of smaller but equally fierce-looking spiders following behind. The three spiders paused for a moment, tapping the ground with spindly legs.