Spooky, the desk, the bookshelves, everything… vanished. Before Caster could even blink the area was swallowed by the surrounding inky void. The space he was just standing in transformed into a body of murky water that flowed right into his open mouth.

The fingers on his shoulder dug deeper into his robes, they felt more like the talons of an eagle as they tore Caster upwards and out of the pool. Caster flailed his arms as he was tossed through the air and back onto the sands. He sat there as he coughed the putrid water out of his lungs.

Caster looked up to see Keith standing over him, even from under the darkness of the assassin’s hood Caster could make out the glint of the huge eyes staring down at him with disdain. He tried to thank his companion over his compulsive coughs, but only more wet wheezing came out. Instead, he raised his fist in a thumbs-up motion.

“Keith…” Elenore said.

Both Keith and Caster looked toward her. She was kneeling on the sand, holding the Archmage’s upper body and head in her arms. Keith raced toward them and slid to a halt as he stood over the Archmage.

“Master Archibald, are you alright?” Keith asked.

“I’m afraid not, my old student,” the Archmage replied. His voice was strained, noticeably more than someone of even his countless years usually sounded.

Caster fumbled to his feet as he finally caught his breath. He tried brushing his robes to get what excess liquid he could off of his garb, but as he did he felt the texture of the water even through his mittens. He furrowed his brow and glanced down at the discolored layer of phlegm that was evaporating away by the second.

Is this… ink? Caster shook away his thoughts as he realized there was a more important matter at hand. He ran to join the other two that stood over the fallen Archmage.

There weren’t any obvious wounds or bleeding, but it was clear that the hooded Dagonian clothed in crimson robes was at the end of his rope.

“Come, I’ll take you to the shamans.” Keith placed his arms under the Archmage’s body, practically shoving Elenore out of the way so he could.

But the Archmage feebly raised a hand in protest, making Keith pause.

“No use. I’ve been due to shed these scales since before you were born lad.” The Archmage weekly chuckled.

They all turned toward the center of the arena as a roar came from Dagon.

Crap. Did we not break the mind control?!

But Caster realized the yellow halo that was once around Dagon’s head was gone. The beast was standing in place, shaking its head. Its mouth opened, and it spoke.

“My foolishness has killed you, Archmage. I was blind-sided by the infection spreading inside my very own dungeon.” Its voice was so deep it made the sands of the arena bounce.

“Not at all, old friend.” The Archmage struggled to sit up just a little higher so his own glossy eyes could meet Dagon’s, but he quickly fell back into Elenore and Keith’s arms in exhaustion.

“Take these.” The Archmage glanced toward Keith. In his shaking and withered palm were two stone tablets.

“Y-yes Archmage,” Keith stuttered, taking both items in hand.

“The first Token contains the power to take you and your party north of the Eastern Aurum Heath. Find Archmage Arachnid in Boyerton and ask him to use the second, he may be the only being south of Leng that will willingly activate a Token of Rebirth for the Minion you spoke of. Take care of it, you understand the weight of such an item,” the Archmage instructed, his voice waning.

Keith glanced at the second tablet. A complicated symbol was etched onto its surface, written in blood-red ink.

“Archmage this is…” Keith started.

“Heresy, yes. So hide it well,” he coughed, eyes half shut. “Take my Essence and use it well. Don’t let those ceremonial codgers in the capital put it to rest with my corpse.” He struggled to laugh.

“Yes, Archmage.”

“I go to rest alongside the Great Dreamer now. Farewell, and Umbasa.” The Archmage smiled weakly as his eyes closed.

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

Sub-Quest "Find the Archmage inside the Dungeon - OR - Defeat the Fogrun Dungeon Core" Complete! Reward: New Ability!

Ability Learned! Aura Barrier!

This Ability allows the user to create a magic barrier using their own Aura. The barrier spawns with 400-1,500 HP, scaling with Total Level. Once spawned, the barrier cannot be moved and will not disapate unless broken, or leaving combat. Level 35 Arcane Requirement. Costs 400 Mana. 3 Second Casting time.

Those with the biggest souls, burn brighter than all.

Equip Ability? Yes [No]

Ability Not Equipped!

Level Up! Faith Increased +1!

No point in trying to Equip something I won't be able to use until I pump up my Arcane Stat.

The three were silent for a moment, then something happened that Caster was not expecting. The Archmage’s body wavered like a mirage, and the colors of his clothes and body began to become transparent. Just like the goblins did when they died, his body was fading away. It took less than five seconds for his form to completely fade away from the world, and less than five more for the steam-like ashes to rise with it into the nothingness above.

The only thing that remained was a head-sized ball of ethereal gas that burned like ghost-fire. A self-contained inferno of white with a purple tint that gave off no heat, floating just inches above the ground where the Archmage’s chest was.

Keith slowly reached down, his hands moving below the ghost-fire in a cupping motion. It flowed just inches above his hands as he held it up and looked into its fire.

“Umbasa,” Keith sighed. He reached back and placed the flame inside his robes. He closed his eyes.

Faster than his eyes could see, Caster felt Keith’s hand slam into his chest. Caster staggered back, but Keith’s hand remained tight to him. Caster looked down to see that Keith was holding. It was the tablet with a red marking.

Item Added: Token of Rebirth

A thin, square tablet crafted from the bedrocks of New R’lyeh. The Tokens of Tokkar can be used as a storehouse of magic, energy, and in forbidden cases, the Essence of fallen creatures. These Tokens can be used for a wide manner of things such as casting high-level spells that would otherwise require more mana than a user may have. Naturally, they are primarily utilized to store and stack one’s energy for later.

This Token in particular is one that was imbued using the Essence of other once-living beings. The punishment for being caught in possession of such a blasphemous item is a thorough audit with the Inquisitor Apostles.

Well, that’s ominous.

“Take it. I’m not holding that thing,” Keith glared at Caster.

Caster took it from Keith’s hands and placed it into his own pockets.

“I will inform the capital about what happened here. Not one of the Elder Gods has dared nor been able to reach our city, let alone infect the mind of someone with my power in Ages. I must warn them, along with the surface dwellers so that our guard remains on high alert, lest he strike again. May the Great Dreamer guide your actions young Kenneth, the Shallowfinned. Umbasa.” Dagon said as he sank into the pool of water at the center of the arena.

“Umbasa,” Keith nodded.

Raising his hand, Keith held the other Token high, then crushed it in his hand.

Immediately, the space surrounding the trio was showered with objects falling from an unseen sky.

Dozens, then hundreds of violet, partially transparent bricks fell around them. Each one was neatly stacked on top of and between the last, forming a perfectly constructed shack that blocked them off from the rest of the Dungeon.

An overwhelming flash of light overtook Caster’s vision, and he covered his eyes. But just as quickly as the odd lights had come, they vanished. Caster opened his eyes, realizing that the bright light had dimmed. Now, it was not the tablet’s magic that was blinding him, but the sun.

“What was that?” Caster asked, trying to look around his new surroundings.

“Wow, first time I’ve rode in a tele-group spell!” Elenore smiled. “How’d you learn to do one of them?”

“I didn’t. The Archmage’s spell was inside the Token,” Keith answered as he walked forward onto a dirt trail Caster could hardly make out from the rest of the overwhelming brightness of the outside world. “Put the creep into your bag. We’re only a few hours outside of Boyerton and someone might see it.”

Jeez. He’s acting like I’m the one that killed the Archmage. Caster’s thoughts hesitated. But what if I am the reason he died? What if all this stuff is happening because of me?

“Come on bud, let's get back on the trail,” Elenore interrupted his thoughts, kneeling in front of him so he could climb into her backpack once more.