Dante stood next to the Historian, looking at the twenty prisoners chained to hospital beds. They were still asleep thanks to the Alchemists and their elixirs running through the IV’s. Dante remained silent for several minutes, processing what the Historian had told him about the slavery enchantments. He felt pity for these poor men and women. The slavery enchantment was rarely used in the tower but when it was, there was a reason it was engraved into collars. Indentured servitude was never meant to be permanent. This new enchantment was a bastardization of everything he had ever been taught. If Miss Telis was still alive, she would have spent the rest of her life hunting down the person who created such a vile piece of magic. Dante shook the thoughts from his mind. Miss Telis wasn’t here anymore.
Since the Historian knew of the enchanted necklace that allowed Dante to read someone’s mind, she had brought him to see if he could extract the information the Council needed. She had warned him of the dangers of such magic reminding him over and over again not to stay in one mind too long. There were several problems that could arise, such as forgetting who he was or mixing up their memories with his own. Dante promised he would be careful, trying not to show his own worries.
He moved forward to the first bed where a woman slept peacefully. Her hair was an amber brown that went well with her lighter colored skin. She couldn’t have been older than thirty and she didn’t have the customary tattoo on her hand that would tell others she was married. He focused on her, letting the rest of the world fade away as he activated his necklace.
He watched the memory appear in front of him as if he was there. The woman was standing next to a man in a small room. The room was lacking in personal items, probably a room at an inn. Dante stood apart from the couple, but could hear them clearly.
“Stop Meric.” She said as a man twice her size picked her up, smiling at her.
He was rugged, with dark skin and a light scar running down the side of his jaw, but his smile was kind and his stunning emerald eyes were alight with mischief.
“Come on, Sue.” Meric said as he pulled her close. “You don’t have your shift for another hour.”
She slapped his arm but the look in her eyes held him, trying to drink the sight of him in.
Dante shook himself as the memory faded. He had been caught off guard by the emotions that she felt, feeling them as if they were his own. Focusing his thoughts, he continued his search. It wasn’t easy. A mind isn’t orderly, it’s a bundle of memories, dreams, aspirations, feelings. Dante tried his best but by the time the Historian pulled him out, he hadn’t found a single clue that could point them in the right direction.
The Historian placed a cup in his hands and it was only then that Dante realized he was shaking. He wasn’t exhausted or hurt but so many feelings had passed through him and his own body was reacting.
“Thank you, Historian Louis.” He said, taking a sip of what appeared to be hot tea. He felt his body settle and he breathed a deep sigh.
“I couldn’t be certain what you would go through but my first thought seemed to be correct.” The Historian said. “Memories are heavily connected to emotions so it seemed logical that you would feel what she had felt.”
Dante nodded. “Her name is Sue. Didn’t find a last name. I saw several memories but they were sporadic. One moment she is with a man she liked, another she is a child, playing in a garden. And then I had to separate what was real and what were her hopes or dreams. I don’t think this will get us anywhere soon.”
The Historian nodded. “That’s alright. We will take an hour in between each session to relax your mind and go over any details you found. If we have to write an autobiography for each person here then that’s what we will do.”
Dante looked at the other nineteen people in the room. This was going to take a long while.
“How are the dungeon raids going?” Dante asked.
The Historian was pulling out paper and pens, setting up on a nearby desk.
“Three dungeons have been secured and locked down.” The Historian said. “The other two are causing a lot more trouble than we bargained for. Palcris Dungeon is like an underground swamp and we are running through so many poison antidotes that it will take years for the Alchemists to restock. Vala Dungeon is home to ghouls. They are fast and twice as strong as most Adventures. They also gain strength after feeding so it’s going slower than we can afford to go.”
She shook her head. “Every day we lose more Adventurers and every day the dungeons are getting stronger.”
“Couldn’t we just wait at the entrance of the dungeon?” Dante asked. “There’s only one way in or out.”
“Can’t risk it.” The Historian said. “We don’t know how long the dungeon can remain without it’s core. We replaced Kobal’s core within a few days of it being removed. Didn’t even leave the dungeon but you felt the earth shake. Best we can do is stop them before the core is removed.”
Dante nodded and sipped his tea. There were too many unknowns about dungeon cores. Dante had asked her but even the Historian didn’t know what a dungeon core would be used for. It was something he wished he could ask Essence about but he hadn’t had another dream with her and he couldn’t summon her. He had tried, several times in fact.
“Let’s go over the memories you got from Sue here.” The Historian said. Dante sat next to her and recited what he remembered.
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Teron was thrown into the wall. He felt the air pushed out of his lungs and he was sure he had felt something crack. He thought it might have been a rib but he was in too much pain to be certain. He tried getting to his feet but his head felt fuzzy and he couldn’t see straight. A foot connected to his ribs and the air left him again. He collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. A pair of boots were next to his face and he looked up to see Hector’s tan eyes looking down at him.
“What is your grandfather up to?” Hector asked. “If it’s not him then he knows who is doing it.”
Teron looked past Hector’s boots to see the rest of his team watching in silence. They seemed unsure, even Harold, Hector’s brother, was standing back. It seemed they were not as motivated as Hector was.
Teron spat blood on Hector’s boots. He wouldn’t cower away, even if he was broken.
“I told you, I don’t know what’s happening.” Teron said with a sneer. “I can’t get any message in or out. Just like the rest of you.”
Teron pulled himself up, using the wall to steady him. Hector had enough grace to take a step back.
“You think I would be here if I knew what was happening?” Teron spat. That caused Hector to back up another step. The rest of the group shifted nervously, especially Harold who tried to pull his brother back.
“Leave!” Teron yelled, causing them to flinch. “I don’t need people questioning me! You have taken all you can get out of me!”
They left the room quietly, even Hector had not looked back. Teron slid back to the ground, unable to stay standing any longer. They had blamed his Grandfather and honestly, he did too, but he wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t know what was happening. What he found surprising was how much it hurt when the rest of his team just stood there, watching Hector pummel him. He had lured them to his team with promises of support from the Atahchi family. He used them as much as they used him and yet, he felt betrayed and…lonely. He would laugh at the irony but he was sure he would pass out from the pain if he did.
After several attempts, he was able to stand on his own. He needed to get to the Academy hospital incase anything was broken. When he finally made it out of the room, he saw Lani standing a short way away. He felt shame at his broken appearance but he also felt a little hope that he had not been completely abandoned.
“Can I- I mean, may I help you?” Lani asked. Her voice shook and her eyes looked down, as if studying the floor.
Teron’s mind flooded with a dozen insults that he could throw at the girl but to his surprise, he didn’t say them.
“I could use a little assistance, if you don’t mind.” Teron said quietly.
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Alistern set down the large green essence sphere, locking it away in his desk. His hands shook with fear which was something he was not use to. The power of the unknown Mage was frightening. To be able to show such a strong aura through the communication sphere was enough to make Alistern sweat. The Mage had not been happy about the lack of success in taking out the dungeons. Only one tower had fallen and the others were being defended since they were given enough warning. Warning that had come from the Tower of Metris. The Mage had given Alistern one last chance to redeem himself and he had groveled at the chance which shamed him that much more.
He knew that it had to have been the Essence Mage. There was no other that could have possibly brought his plans to such a disastrous turn. Alistern settled himself before calling in his guards. He kept his most loyal guards close to him at all times. The new guards he had been forced to hire were not allowed in the main house.
A Mage entered the study. His short and wiry frame was easy to dismiss but Alistern had chosen the Guard Captain well. Keys was as vicious as any Mage could be. His sapphire eyes were barely visible under the hood that hid his pale face. The man didn’t talk much, which Alistern approved of.
“Keys” Alistern said clearly. “You will capture the Essence Mage known as Dante. If you are unable to, then capture some of his team mates from Serist De. We need to set an example.”
Keys nodded and left the room while Alistern moved to another locked drawer. He opened it with a touch of his magic, the lock clicking open. Inside was another dungeon boss core. These enchantments would be easily recognized. The teleportation runes were more detailed in the sphere which was amazing considering its size when compared to a teleportation circle. The lines crisscrossed several times with runes covering the green spheres surface. Alistern moved his hand over the sphere, it pulsed with power and pulled him to activate the enchantment. He couldn’t though. Not yet. He still needed to try and salvage what he could before leaving the tower or else he might end up dying to the hands of his benefactor. He closed the drawer and left his study. There were still plans that required his attention.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
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Ferris and Kelsi walked through one of the few open gardens on the tenth district. The team hadn’t had a rest in a while and Ferris had finally built up the nerve to ask Kelsi out for a walk. He was a nervous wreck on the inside which was extremely funny to him considering all they had done in the past few years. He glanced at Kelis, seeing her perfect porcelain like skin framed by her straight black hair. Her topaz eyes glowed as she looked at the flower beds. Ferris grinned to himself, thinking of how she was probably working through her magic to help the garden grow while they walked.
For all of Ferris’ strength, he found his courage lacking when it came to Kelsi. His size made him appear as an adult but he was still only in his fifteenth year. He would tease and joke often, trying to cover up his awkwardness. But here, he was a simple teenage boy walking with a girl he had loved secretly for years. The problem was, she was also his friend and team leader. What if she rejected him? Would it hurt the team? Could he face them if she ended up laughing at him? With all that was happening in the tower, this was what consumed his thoughts.
Kelsi walked silently beside Ferris. His size always felt comforting to her. Now that they were alone, she was afraid to look at him, lest she blush and completely embarrass herself. She was supposed to be the team leader, strong and confident but she didn’t feel any of that today. She kept her eyes glued to the flowers that they walked past, afraid that if she looked at her friend, she wouldn’t be able to look away.
She loved his darker toned skin and shoulder length hair. It made his emerald eyes stand out. She had been shocked when he asked her accompany him to the garden. She dared to hope that he might fancy her as much as she fancied him. But what if he didn’t? What if she was mistaken? How embarrassing would that be? She was supposed to be confident but she felt more like the teenage girl she was. It bordered on ridiculous to worry about such things with all that was happening.
The silence grew between them and it made them both look away from each other. Ferris cursed to himself about his lack of nerve while Kelsi worried that she was mistaken about the situation. Neither of them noticed that the garden wasn’t as empty as they thought. They hadn’t noticed being followed from their apartment and they hadn’t noticed the Mages surrounding them while they strolled through the park.
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Dante was a mess. A full two days of diving into one mind after another and he was barely holding on. The mix of emotions was slowly wearing him down. He was getting better at filtering through the memories at least. Still, he hadn’t found any evidence as to who these soldiers were employed to.
He rested in a room set aside for him. He needed to be alone after being exposed to so many emotions in such a short time. One emotion in particular ate at him. The memory was of a man fighting in the dungeons against other Adventurers. He stood behind a wall, throwing spell after spell at those attacking him and his comrades. His only thoughts were to stop them from hindering their mission but his emotions screamed at him that it was wrong. It was so conflicting that Dante had to be carried to his room after passing out.
A soft knock brought Dante out of his thoughts and he sat up as the Historian entered his room. Her look was grave and Dante thought he was about to be berated for what had happened.
“Dante.” The Historian said. “There has been an incident.”
Dante looked at her. His first thoughts were that the two dungeons had had their cores removed. He hadn’t felt any earth shakes though which left him confused.
“Ferris and Kelsi have gone missing.” The Historian said.
Dante jumped out of his bed. “What?! When?”
The Historian placed her hands on his shoulders, easing him back down.
“Calm yourself Dante.” She said soothingly. “We are looking into it. They left the apartment yesterday and didn’t return. Jasmi and Gretta notified the Guild this morning. They are looking into it as well as the Council.”
She sat next to him; her concern evident as Dante tried to work through what he was told.
“I don’t understand.” Dante said quietly. “Why take them?”
The Historian shifted uncomfortably. “Your team has done much, Dante. You alerted the Council to the attack on the dungeons, you have evaded capture several times while at the Academy. Whoever is behind this is either trying to enact revenge from your interference or is holding them hostage.”
Dante stood up and turned toward the Historian. His blood felt close to boiling.
“Whoever is behind this?!” Dante yelled. “We already told you that it was the Atahchi family! You wouldn’t act because of your stupid politics!”
“It is not that easy, Dante.” The Historian said but her voice betrayed her. Dante knew she didn’t agree with the policy as well.
“No!” Dante said. “That’s all bullshit and you know it! I know where my friends are and I will go get them since the tower, in all its divine wisdom, won’t!”
Dante left the room, racing back towards the apartment. He knew his emotions were unbalanced but he couldn’t sit around and do nothing. If the Council and the Guild refused to help, then he would find help elsewhere.
The Historian still sat in the room, shaking her head. She hated politics more than most, so why was she adhering to the policy set by them? If Dante moved against the Atahchi family alone, the boy would die. She couldn’t let that happen. The boy was right after all. She needed to find help.
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Dante entered the apartment to find Jasmi and Gretta looking hopefully at the door. Their looks fell when they saw him enter.
“We know who took them and I am not going to wait on the Guild or the Council any longer.” Dante said. His anger was clear and he didn’t need his empathy to know that they felt the same.
“What did you have in mind?” Jasmi asked, rising from the table.
“We need to talk to your Grandfather.” Dante said. “He will have more information than we do and maybe he can help us.”
Jasmi simply nodded but Gretta didn’t look as certain.
“Listen.” Gretta said. “I agree that something needs to be done, but are we sure that we can handle it?”
Dante wanted to argue but she had a fair point. “I know we are in over our heads but we have to do something. Maybe the Castellas can help.”
Gretta looked towards Jasmi but noticed her look of determination as well. “Alright. I’m in then.”
They equipped their armor, not knowing what they would need for the coming assault. They prepped as best as they could before Jasmi led them out the door and towards the teleportation building.
The upper tier districts were distinctly different. Jasmi, Gretta and Dante stood outside the teleportation building, looking at beautiful buildings and parks as far as the eye could see. Fountains stood higher than most shops on the lower tiers. They sprouted water and lights depicting scenes of couples dancing and animals moving. It was extravagant and Dante found himself staring wide eyed at it all.
Jasmi tugged Dante forward, snapping him back to himself. They took a smaller teleportation circle to another part of the district. The houses were not as gaudy but still beautiful. Large gates and stone walls cut off the sites of most homes but even the little they could see hinted at the wealth that was contained inside.
After a few minutes of walking, they found themselves outside a large gate with an emblazoned C on the front. A guard looked at them as Jasmi stepped forward.
“Jasmi Telis to see Francis and Alena Castellas.” She said clearly.
The guard looked at them closely and then disappeared inside the gate. They waited only a moment before a man dressed as a butler came rushing out the gate. Jasmi recognized him and threw her arms around him.
“Esteban!” Jasmi said happily.
“Jasmi.” Esteban said as he hugged her as well.
Jasmi stepped back and smiled. “We need to talk to my- I mean, we need to speak with Francis and Alena Castellas.”
Esteban looked over the trio and bowed his head. “As butler to the Castellas, I would be happy to escort you all.”
He led them in the gates which revealed an elegant house surrounded by gardens. The house wasn’t as big as the others they had seen but what it lacked in size it made up for in sheer elegance. The walls were made of a beautiful marble that Dante had never seen before. The strata as well stood out. They entered the large wooden doors into a foyer that had a large staircase with portraits along the wall heading towards the second floor.
Alena and Francis waited for them at the base of the stairs. They quickly hugged their granddaughter and welcomed Dante and Gretta. After a few pleasantries, they were led upstairs towards Francis’ study.
Once they were all seated, Francis looked at Jasmi.
“What has happened? You wouldn’t have come up here unless it was an emergency.”
Jasmi nodded and motioned towards Dante. He told them about Jasmi’s contact with the spirit world, the lack of evidence that the Council needed to move against the Atahchi family and the disappearance of Kelsi and Ferris. By the time Dante had finished, Francis was shaking his head.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am to hear this.” Francis said. “We have a few ways to figure out what we can.” Francis looked up towards Esteban who was standing in the back of the room. He nodded and left quietly.
“Esteban will make contact with the people we have. He should return within a few hours.”
Dante shifted in his seat. He didn’t want to wait and it was clear from the look on his face. Francis gave him a clear look that said he understood.
“Listen, all of you.” Francis said. “Information is key. You all should know this by now.” They all nodded. “Good. I know you are eager to find your friends but you need to be sure. What if they are being held at one of Alisterns warehouses instead of his home?”
That settled Dante down considerably and he felt a little ashamed at his eagerness to rush ahead.
“You are welcome to wait with us here.” Alena said. “We have guest rooms you can rest in and it is close to dinner. Please, let us wait to see what Esteban can tell us.”
They agreed and were led to their rooms. Dante was tired and he was still unbalanced from the past two days. He laid down only to rest his eyes but was asleep soon after.
He woke quickly to the sound of knocking. His door opened revealing Jasmi and Gretta. The girls both looked as worried as he felt.
“Esteban has returned.” Jasmi said. “We are going to discuss what he found over dinner.”
Dante nodded, standing up and following them to a large dining room. The table could easily seat twelve people and the plates were made of glass instead of hardened clay. The cutlery was actually silver and even the table was made of a dark wood that Dante was sure was expensive. The room spoke of wealth that Dante had never dreamed of.
He took his seat as servers delivered food to each of them. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he smelled the scents that made his mouth water. He had the decency to wait for everyone else to start eating before he did. It was the most delicious meal he had ever tasted. The meat was cooked perfectly, with a slight pink still in the middle. The vegetables were covered in a spice he had never tasted before and the watered wine went well with the meal. Once the meal was finished and the plates taken away, Esteban gave his report.
“We have several guards placed within the Atahchi family guards. They have confirmed that there was a group of Alistern’s personal guard that left the grounds yesterday and arrived carrying two unidentified bundles. From what my men could see, it looked to be people. They were taken in the home and haven’t left since.”
Dante leaned forward along with Jasmi and Gretta.
“Thank you for this information.” Dante said. “We need to rescue our friends. Is there any possible way you can get us in?”
Francis and Esteban both shook their heads.
“Let’s not rush, Dante.” Francis said. “Alistern has over twenty guards still loyal to him and you can be sure that they are dangerous as well. If we storm in, they could just kill your friends.”
Dante squeezed his hands in frustration. “What would you suggest?”
Francis nodded to Esteban.
“We need to infiltrate the grounds, take it over quietly.” Esteban said. “Also, we noticed that the three of you were followed hear.”
The group suddenly looked worried but Esteban held up his hands.
“They were not sent from the Atahchi family. They were from the Guild. It looks as if they were making sure you wouldn’t be taken as well. We can probably expect company very soon.”
Jasmi stood up. “We are not leaving our friends. Politics be damned.”
Francis looked at her with a warm smile. “No one will stop you. But I am sure we can get a little help.”
Jasmi sat back down. “What do you mean Grandfather?”
Francis’ golden eyes sparkled. “Well, I happen to have an interesting idea.”