Hump focused on the blazing hearth before him, trying to feel the intent of the fire within. He was in his bedroom at the manor, sitting before the small fireplace and trying to attune himself to the essence before him. It was his second most familiar element, yet so far, he’d had no luck using Wielder of the Winds. He’d thought that after learning to wield the earth, it would come more naturally. That theory was quickly proving wrong.
It would take time. Earth magic had taken months of work, and still only came to him when he’d been in a desperate situation. Which was why he had to put the work in now. Conflict and pushing himself were necessary for him to improve quickly, but the foundation needed to be there first.
A knock on his bedroom door disturbed his focus.
“Come in.”
It was Joseph. He was no longer wearing his suit, instead donning more comfortable evening wear. “A messenger just arrived, Sir. Countess Daston has requested your presence along with lady Celaine’s at your earliest convenience.”
Brilliant. Earliest convenience could mean tonight, or at a comfortable time tomorrow.
“Could you translate that for me,” Hump said.
“She wants to speak with you now.”
“Got it. I’ll get ready. Could you knock on Celaine’s door and have her meet me downstairs.”
“Of course, Sir.”
The summer sun had almost set when they arrived at the Daston Estate. Two guards stood at the gates, and a servant was there waiting for them.
They were escorted into the manor where they found Countess Daston and Marcela seated in a comfortable living room that Hump hadn’t been before. Rather than the hard wooden chairs in most of the house, here there were deep cushioned sofas, placed around a small wooden table.
The room was lavishly decorated. Paintings filled the walls, clogging them as if it were a gallery—portraits of old relatives, horses, knights in fantastic armour, landscapes, scenes of battle, and mythical monsters. Hump had never been one to particularly appreciate art, but looking around this room he felt the urge to decorate his own home with such pieces. It certainly made a statement.
Countess Daston was pacing in the room, only stopping when she saw them at the door.
“Thank you, Wesley,” Marcela said, dismissing the servant. “Good evening, both of you. Come in and have a seat. I’ll pour you some tea.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Countess Daston said, making her way over.”
“It’s good to see you on your feet,” Hump said with true enthusiasm.
“It’s good to be on my feet,” Countess Daston said. “You have no idea how much I missed pacing simply to think. Trying to maintain the charade doesn’t leave me much time to walk around.”
Hump and Celaine sat down beside each other on the sofa opposite Marcela. He fell back into the cushions.
I could get used to this.
“I hear you met with Wizard Lindle and Inquisitor Latris,” Countess Daston said. “How did it go?”
Hump tried to hide his surprise at the question—there was no way she requested him there so late to discuss this. “Adequately. Wizard Lindle wouldn’t sell me the spell tomes I was after; but Inquisitor Latris was more interested. She’s given me a contact for when I reach Fort Nordric. I think I will speak with them further.”
“You should,” Countess Daston said. “They are a powerful organisation, and I can see it being of great benefit to you.” She gave an awkward frown. “You didn’t accept any offers of membership from them, however, did you?”
“I did not.”
“Good. That makes this much simpler.”
“Simpler?” Celaine said, her voice wary. “What’s happened?”
“I’m afraid it is grave news,” the countess said. “We received news from Fort Nordric this morning—the fortress was almost overwhelmed. Many are dead, the walls are in tatters, and they have requested urgent reinforcements. My husband has taken injury.”
“Gods,” Hump said bleakly. “Count Daston is a gold ranked adventurer. Will he…?”
“He will live,” Marcela said. “Even he will need some time to recover, but the injury is far from lethal.”
“Good.” Hump swallowed nervously. “And our party? Have you heard any news?”
Countess Daston appeared pensive as she shook her head. “I’m afraid not. What we know so far is little—the monsters have been driven from the fortress and defences reestablished. At least for now, it seems the attack is over.”
“Do you know what caused it?” Celaine asked. “We heard there was a new dungeon nearby. Was it related to that.”
“It has been dubbed the Infernal Halls,” Countess Daston said. “And that is the leading theory, yes. If another attack comes, the fortress may not hold.”
“As I’m sure you can tell, the situation is desperate,” Marcela said. “I will be leaving early with an expedition from Sheercliff to provide what support we can. The reason we asked you here is that I ask that you go with me.”
“We ask,” the countess cut in. “Not just as adventurers, but on an official request from the Dastons. We ask you to reinforce Fort Nordric and join the expedition to clear and destroy the newly formed dungeon.”
Hump remained quiet for a moment, trying to process everything he’d heard. The thought of his party members lying dead somewhere drew his mind away, but he fought it, trying to focus on what he could do. What they were asking him and Celaine to do.
Another dungeon, and from the sound of it, a dangerous one at that—it was no small task. Hump’s pulse quickened. If they did not accept this task, then what was it they were working for?
“What type of monsters did they face?” Hump asked.
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“The Infernal Halls seems to be a demonic dungeon,” Countess Daston said. “Much of the force was made up of imps, hell hounds, and demon spawn. They were led by what was thought to be an Infernal Harbinger.”
“I don’t know it,” Celaine said.
“Me neither.” Hump said.
“They are powerful humanoid demons of vast intellect. Reports say this one was able to bring down the walls of Fort Nordric with a single swing of his fiery axe. It has been branded a high gold tier threat.”
“What are Hump and I supposed to do in this?” Celaine asked. “We do not have the strength to face such a demon.”
“Our role will be one of support,” Marcela said. “The expedition will be led by General Korteg, a gold ranked adventurer and one of the most powerful Chosen in Alveron.”
Hump turned to Celaine. “What do you think? It’s a dangerous place to take Nisha.”
“Wolf dragons younger than her have learned to take care of themselves in the Fallen Lands,” Celaine said. “She needs the training, and if it gets too dangerous she will be safe in the fort, so long as the people there are informed that she is no monster.”
She gave a pointed look at the Dastons.
“They will be,” Marcela assured. “On my father’s authority. He will be in command of the defence while General Korteg is outside of the fort.”
“In which case, I see no reason for us to decline,” Celaine said.
Hump thought of Bud, Dylan, and Emilia in the Fallen Lands, faced with hordes of demons. No doubt their rusty knight was at the very front of battle, a bastion of frostfire against the evil tide.
He couldn’t be dead, could he? And what of his soldiers? He’d been mortified with the loss of just two, but against such odds they could have been entirely wiped out.
No. He couldn’t think that way. Imagining it only made Hump burn with anxiety, and that didn’t help anyone. He needed to be logical. The fact was, they needed to be there as soon as they could. Every second could be the difference between life and death. No matter the danger, it was something they would face together.
Hump nodded. “Nor I. We accept the quest.”
Marcela let out a breath. “Thank you. I will feel better for having you there. Since the passing of much of my party, it’s been… difficult. I’d appreciate the familiar faces, especially on an expedition into a dangerous dungeon like this.”
“There is a condition before we jump to such certainties,” Countess Daston said. “The minimum rank to participate in the expedition is silver, unless you are willing to enter the service of my family, in which case you would be under Marcela’s command.”
Hump opened his mouth to speak but Countess Daston held up a hand to stop him.
“I know that isn’t something you want right now, so with that in mind I have arranged for Francis Dordrel to oversee your promotional exam on special request. It is to take place tomorrow morning following the same standards as all other examinees. Unfortunately, not even I can dictate who passes and fails within the Adventurer’s Guild, so your abilities are what will matter. Marcela assures me that you are both of an appropriate standard.”
“We shouldn’t have any problems,” Hump said. “When do we leave?”
“Our reinforcements will be ready the day after tomorrow,” Marcela said. “At first light.”
“There is one more thing,” Countess Daston said. “You both know of my foresight.”
Hump and Celaine nodded.
“While I cannot see the path directly ahead, both of you have a role to play in this yet. I fear that the future will be dark without people like you—the new generation of adventurers.”
***
Before the examination began, Hump took the opportunity to hand in the Adventurer’s Guild medallions he’d confiscated from the party that had attacked them during their travels. Guildmaster Dordrel hadn’t seemed too surprised by it. Apparently, many adventurers were starting to turn on each other as times grew more difficult. Some had become little more than bandits. Others competed for the greatest prize. In this case, Hump presumed it to be the latter.
Either way, he’d done his bit. It was no longer his problem, and he had more important things to focus on. Supposedly, they would lose their licenses and a notice would be put out to the other branches to apprehend and question them.
There were three components to the Adventurer’s Guild promotional exam. Hump and Celaine had both achieved the necessary contribution points, but there was still a written exam and a need to demonstrate a level of strength appropriate for a silver ranked combatant.
The written exam was surprisingly challenging. For the most part, it tested one’s knowledge of the guild rules and regulations, monster varieties and how best to approach battle with them, and various theoretical scenarios that a silver ranked adventurer is expected to deal with. It was more writing than Hump had ever done in his life, but he thought he’d done well enough. He was more concerned with Celaine—she hadn’t been raised in Alveron, the guild rules would be even more foreign to her. With any luck, her knowledge of monsters would carry her for the rest of it.
Turned out, he needn’t have worried—they passed comfortably. As for the practical side of things…
Hump stepped into the duelling ring to find Vivienne standing across from him. The simplest way to prove his strength was to spar with another silver ranked adventurer, and it turned out that Vivienne was the most conveniently available.
“Good luck,” she told him.
Hump readied his staff. “And you.”
Francis Dordrel stood at the edge of the training grounds with Celaine, along with two other bronze ranked adventurers who were there to function as witnesses.
“Are you both ready?” the guildmaster asked. They gave their affirmations. “Then you may begin.”
From the first second of the fight, Hump realised Vivienne wasn’t taking things easy in the slightest. Her wand gleamed blue, the light as deep and beautiful as the ocean, radiating piercing strength that made Hump’s soul recoil. Power whirled. A jet of water shot forward, fast as an arrow and no less sharp.
On instinct, Hump raised his staff. He formed a barrier before him, streaks of essence weaving into place in the air. A moment slower and he’d have been skewered. Water burst over its surface, the impact driving him back a step. He pressed into it, gritting his teeth.
The power of Vivienne’s spell faded, the jet thinning before disappearing entirely.
“Shatter Shield,” Hump barked. The wall before him exploded into pieces of glass. He thrust his staff forward, drawing that power to it. “Focused Beam.”
His own essence shot forward in retaliation. Pure, blue essence that lacked the depth of Vivienne’s, but it was his best spell for both speed and accuracy.
Essence formed at the tip of Vivienne’s wand as she casually flicked her wand, whacking his own spell aside—Parry Shield. It sent the energy into the ground of the training hall beside her, blasting up a cloud of dust.
Hump reached for that dust, the cloud taking on a bronze sheen as he brought it under control.
Before he could utilise it, Vivienne lunged forward, stabbing at the air in Hump’s direction. A blast of wind hammered him. He stumbled back, losing his grasp over the cloud of dust, only for the wind to carry it into him, harrying at his face, eyes, and mouth. He coughed and raised his left hand to protect his eyes as best he could, peering out for a next attack.
He sensed essence form over his head and behind him—a Shield spell to try and knock his head and trip him over—a trick of Vivi’s that he was all too familiar with.
Hump took half a step forward instead, leaning into the wind. He stabbed his staff into the ground, holding himself in place and sending tendrils of essence into the earth around him. The will of the earth answered—pure and thick with essence. This was Sheercliff after all, a place with the power of Osidium at its heart. Power far beyond anything he could ever dream of wielding properly, but he could tug a little toward him.
“Far too slow,” Vivienne called. “You won’t catch me with anything like that.”
He peered out from behind his hand to see Vivienne holding her wand overhead in both hands, the point facing him and shining blue. Essence took form around her, condensing into orbs of floating water with that same deep blue.
Hump felt Vivienne’s essence on him—non-damaging and entirely unavoidable, but he was marked.
Vivi’s seriously not taking things easy, Hump realised. He wasn’t just fighting to pass the test. If he wasn’t careful, he could get seriously hurt here.
“Water Missiles,” she said.
The globules expanded—a dozen needles of water forming before him. All of them launched at once. Some straight at him, others curving around to get at his rear.
Hump couldn’t help but smile. She was too predictable.
“Stonewall.”
The rose erupted around him, forming a circular wall of white stone with him at its centre. When combined with Wielder of the Winds and his knowledge of earth magic, the new spell came so easily to him it was almost scary. A Tier 3 spell learned in less than a week—he wondered how many wizards could claim the same.
He felt Vivienne’s spell break upon the outside of his own, her essence disintegrating into nothing.
If Vivienne wanted a fight, then he would give her one.