Chara looks at the gate and sees that a group of orcs is standing in front of it, blocking the way.

Leliana starts to panic. "Where are the guards?!"

"They are gone," says another man.

"Gone? How can that be possible?"

"They ran away, probably to hide somewhere."

"What do we do?"

Leliana looks around. "If only we had a few more mages..."

Chara frowns. "Me? What can I possibly do against a horde of orcs?"

Leliana smiles. "That's what I like about you. You always ask the right questions. Well, you see, the only way to win this battle is to use magic. And we need to do it fast, before the orcs reach us."

Chara thinks for a moment. "Do you have any magic items that can help me?"

"Unfortunately, I don't. But I do have something that might work."

Chara takes a closer look at the woman. She has long brown hair, and her skin is tanned. Her eyes are bright green, and she seems to be about thirty years old. "Are you an elf?" he asks.

"Yes, I am," she replies. "My name is Eryn, and I'm the leader of this town."

Chara nods. "Nice to meet you, Eryn. Now, what is this 'something' that you have?"

Eryn takes a deep breath. "I have a magic ring that will allow you to cast spells without needing to chant them."

Chara stares at her. "I can do it easily"

"Yes, but you need to focus on your magic, and that takes time. With this ring, you'll be able to cast a spell in seconds."

Chara thinks for a moment. "Can you teach me how to use it?"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Of course," Eryn answers. "I think that I can help you cast a spell without having to focus on it. But I'll need to touch you with my hand."

Chara nods. "That shouldn't be a problem."

Eryn takes a step forward and touches his forehead. As soon as she does that, he feels a warm sensation flowing through him, and suddenly the world around him turns red.

"There," Eryn says. "You're now able to cast spells without focusing on them."

Chara blinks, and realizes that he can now cast spells. He looks at the amulet, which is glowing brightly. He takes a closer look at it, and sees that it's almost completely covered in runes. He tries to remember the symbols, but he quickly loses track of them.

"Wait," he says, "can you explain what those runes do?"

Eryn smiles. "They allow you to cast spells without chanting them. They will automatically translate the words into the correct language."

"How do you know so much about magic rings?"

"I used to study magic when I was younger," she replies. "Now I'm a healer."

"Ah, that explains it," Chara says. "So, what should I do now?"

Eryn smiles. "I think that you should take this amulet and go fight the orcs. You'll be able to cast spells in no time."

Chara nods. "I think I can do that."

Eryn nods. "I hope you'll be successful."

Chara thanks her and heads towards the gate. He walks past the orcs, who are already preparing for battle. He approaches the orc leader, who is holding a spear in his hands. "Hi," he says. "I'm Chara, a magician from another country."

The orc stares at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to stop the war."

The orc laughs. "And how exactly are you planning to do that?"

"By casting a spell."

Chara thanks to the amulet throws a huge fireball on the orcs that annihilates them all.

***

Chara runs towards the next group of orcs. He casts several spells on them, and they all explode into flames. He keeps running towards the next group of orcs, and destroys them too. After destroying all of the orcs, he continues running towards the city gates. There are many orcs on the other side, and they are preparing to attack the city. He stops at the gate and prepares to cast a spell.

"You're going to die!" shouts an orc. "Just give up!"

Chara ignores him and focuses on the amulet. "Incendio!" he yells.

A large fireball flies towards the orcs and explodes among them. Everyone gets hit by the blast, and screams can be heard everywhere. Some of the orcs manage to run away, while others are burned to death.

Chara looks at the gate and sees that the orcs have stopped attacking. He looks at the amulet and notices that it's glowing even brighter than before. "That was amazing!" he exclaims.

He starts to walk towards the city. "That was fun," he says. "But I'd better hurry, or the orcs will start attacking again."

He walks towards the center of the city, where most of the buildings are located. As he passes by one building, he hears a scream coming from inside. He rushes in and sees a young woman lying on the ground. She's bleeding heavily from her stomach and has burns all over her body.