Waiting for us just inside the stable's front gate, Dutch and Jax both snorted a whiny as soon as they saw our approach. We hadn’t seen our equine friends in two days, and by the look of it, both had been well cared for. I hadn’t expected any less from the elves but was pleased to see it nonetheless. Dutch’s raven coat and glittery mane looked to have been brushed extensively, with no dirt marring anything on his huge frame. Likewise, Jax’s alabaster hair was similarly shining and beautifully reflected the glow emanating from the nearby city lamps. Standing next to our pair of horses was a tall elf in casual cotton clothing and a younger elf who I assumed was his son.
The two guides who led us here from the council’s cathedral spoke up and wished us good luck in our hunt for Cicero before returning to their normal duties. We quickly crossed the short distance to excited horses where I warmly greeted Dutch with several pats on his muscled neck. In the corner of my eye, Tallos similarly greeted a happy Jax before offering him a tasty apple. As I moved my hand to my waist, intended to follow suit, Stella spoke up from my shoulder.
“Xaz,” Stella commented, her voice uncharacteristically monotone, causing me to instantly turn a confused look her way. Meeting her eyes, she stared back at me unblinkingly as if I was forgetting something important. As I was clearly not catching on to whatever she was trying to communicate, she tilted her head before continuing. “Remember, you don’t pat them. They respond better to affectionate caresses.”
Mentally slapping myself, I nodded back at her in slight embarrassment before returning my attention to Dutch. He tossed his head up and down, happy to see each of us. Upon seeing an apple held loosely in my hand, his giant head zoomed down at it greedily, instantly bringing a smile back to my face. In seconds and many loud crunches later, the tasty orb was thoroughly devoured.
“Good boy, Dutch. Good boy,” I cooed before turning my attention to the two stable elves. “Dutch and Jax look to be in great spirits. Both look to have been well cared for. You have our thanks.”
The taller of the two elves was garbed in tan pants and a long-sleeve cotton shirt. He introduced himself as Gabriel, the stable’s owner. He gestured to the younger elf at his side and introduced him as his son, Samwell. Like his father, Samwell wore a similar outfit, but he was noticeably dirtier with bits of straw stuck randomly across his clothing. If I were to guess, the son did most of the hard labor while the father supervised. Teaching the younger generation and all, for sure.
Samwell seemed confident around our horses, so I imagined his father’s mentorship would soon be no longer needed. Both radiated pride in their work and their care for the horses.
“You are most welcome,” Gabriel stated, his voice rich like smooth maple syrup. “Your boys certainly enjoyed their stay, but we could see the restlessness in their eyes to continue their journey with you. Both are eager for a good gallop to release some pent-up energy.”
Samwell moved closer to Tallos, holding out Jax’s reins. “You have a fine horse, Warden…” he began saying but was interrupted as Jax gave him a friendly, albeit forceful, nudge with his long neck. With the boy perhaps a tenth of the lean horse’s one-thousand-pound weight, he stumbled forward and nearly knocked head-first into Tallos. There was no anger or malice in the push. That much was obvious from the devious gleam in Jax’s eyes. The lean horse seemed to genuinely care for the boy and was simply showing it with some gusto.
Sadly for Samwell, who looked to weigh no more than a hundred pounds soaking wet, the sudden push sent him shooting forward. Samwell gave a surprised yelp before catching himself and turning around to cheerily scratch his exuberant friend’s neck.
“He seems to like you,” Tallos teased the younger elf. When Samwell got close, Jax attempted to ‘gently’ nudge him once more, but this time, the boy was ready. He gracefully dodged to the side, all while scratching the soft hair on Jax’s neck.
Jax soon settled down and began behaving with far more gentle signs of affection. Gabriel spoke up, pointing to our horse’s feet and sharing how a sorceress cast an enchantment on their shoes a few minutes before we arrived. “Dutch and Jax will be able to move far more swiftly for the next two days. Better still, neither will need to spend additional stamina beyond what they normally do. Once the spell's power wanes, it will dissipate harmlessly from their horseshoes as if it had never been. I’ve been told time is of the essence for you all, but before you go, do you need to resupply any necessities for your fine animals?”
I appreciated the stable master’s foresight as we had been running low on our stored-away bales of hay and had completely forgotten about it. We handed over a few silver coins, fully resupplying my bag of holding with enough hay and treats to get us through the next week. While neither Gabriel nor his son knew how far away the emerald tower was, we learned it normally took two days to reach the southern border of the forest. With the enchanted shoes though, our ride time would be cut in half.
Biding the pair farewell, I slipped both a silver coin as a time before thanking them for their wonderful care of Dutch and Jax the past two days. Our horses seemed eager to get moving as well, so we carefully corralled them to the nearest lift and waited for our turn. In only a short minute, our lift began lowering us the hundred or so feet to reach the bottom.
“Once we find out how long it will take to reach Cicero’s tower, we’ll have a good estimate on how much time we have before Duke could show up,” Stella said as the stocky elevator descended at a leisurely pace. “We should have at least four days, if not more before his army potentially reaches the forest’s eastern border. Since he can sense your general position, courtesy of his damnable tracking spell, he’ll know we will have left the forest. My guess is he will skirt around the High Thicket, as opposed to going straight through. With his prey no longer in the forest, it wouldn’t make sense for him to risk his army in an elven ambush among the mighty redwoods. Hopefully, it buys us, and the people of the forest, enough time to take down Cicero without ever needing to engage him.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for, too,” I replied before stepping close to the edge of the descending platform and peering over. We were still a mountainous height up yet. While I was not normally afraid of heights, I had to admit to myself a bit of trepidation as the lift had no side rails to keep someone from falling. I moved back to stand next to Dutch. “I’m stoked the council gave us the scroll of recall. I was worried Duke could have found us while we were on our way back from Cicero’s tower. Now, as long as he doesn’t arrive there while we’re still inside, we should have enough time to get the Heart and teleport back to the city. I can only imagine his frustration when he suddenly senses us many weeks away when we use the city’s teleportation circle to warp back to Merton. I wouldn’t envy anyone close to him when he realizes how much further he must travel to reach us.”
I knew Duke would not give up his hunt for Stella. So, as long as we were successful with Cicero in a reasonable amount of time, we should have time to prepare the city for his eventual arrival at the walls of Merton. Even better, he might leave his army behind leaving him to fight against a well-fortified city when he finally shows up. Still, he was a powerhouse on his own and I could only hope, with the elves' set to return with us, we would be able to withstand his determined siege.
How were we going to accomplish such a feat? Well, I was still working on that part. Such concerns were hopefully weeks away yet, so I refocused on our current task. A short time later, our lift touched down on earth as smoothly as ever. Standing a short distance away were six heavily armed elves, each holding the reins to horses far leaner than Jax’s nimble frame. With only a glance at the group, I was certain their horses were well-trained to handle anything the forest could throw at them. Where Jax and Dutch occasionally glanced around the darkening forest in nervousness, these elven horses stood perfectly calm next to their companions.
It made sense, considering this was their home turf. Each pair of elf and steed undoubtedly had years of experience roaming the hundreds of square miles within the High Thicket’s forest. Studying our guide’s outfit, each warden wore roughly the same outfit comprised of leather armor dyed a vibrant red to match the color of the mighty redwood trees. Additionally, hanging comfortably across their broad shoulders, each elf sported painted hooded cloaks that resembled the varying jumble of plant life dotting all around the forest floor. The purpose of their unique appearance was easy to comprehend.
With their red armor, the elves would seem to disappear from the eyes if they stood up against one of the many towering redwood trees. With their cloaks wrapped around their bodies, the elves only needed to crouch low within the underbrush to blend in with the green foliage and red twigs littered across the forest floor.
Each of the six wardens carried a brimming quiver on their hip, a sheathed longsword on the other, several secured knives bound with leather straps across their torso, and an unstrung bow lashed diagonally across the back. They all exuded a serious, no-nonsense vibe. They were the guardians of the forest. Each unquestionably knew every subtle intricacy of the forest, knew how to handle every animal we could come across, and were undoubtedly masters at their profession.
Their collective presence of sheer confidence wafted around their group like an impenetrable dome. None struck me as upset or bored at the prospect of leading us through the forest. No. These were people absolutely committed to their craft. No matter the assignment, each seemed to radiate pure dedication and would do anything necessary to protect their forest.
Their seemingly unapproachable demeanor evaporated as a striking fellow handed his reins to a fellow warden and stepped forward with an outstretched hand. His warm smile was more pleasant than I had expected, given the group’s previous serious demeanor. I shook with hand with fervor. This elven warden wore nearly the same outfit as his brethren, yet he held small differences, marking him as their leader. Standing closer to the elf, we could spot a key difference in his armor. His chest armor held varying thicknesses of intricate black stitching randomly across the entirety of the red leather. It magnificently broke up the pattern of his torso and likely allowed him to better blend in against a redwood tree.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The elf had other interesting alterations to his attire compared to his comrades. His exquisite red leather belt seemed to disappear around his waist courtesy of even more fine black stitching. His belted scabbard held intricate runic lines running down its length and he had an exquisitely engraved longbow secured tightly to his back. Every piece of his gear, from his boots, all the way up to leather pauldrons, was exceptionally well-maintained and in pristine condition.
“Greetings, Hunter Xazorus, Accelerator Stella, fellow warden Tallos, and friends,” the wiry elf said in a commanding tone. My immediate impression of the elf was of an individual who demanded excellence from everyone around him. He had a healthy amount of pride but with little arrogance as far as I could tell. He could back up his outward appearance. There was a natural-born leader if I had ever seen one. The respect given by his fellows was clear as day. “My name is Stedious. I am the lead warden for Quarris. By command of the council, my squad will escort you to the southern edge of the High Thicket as swiftly as we can. I know of your quest and hope you finally deliver justice against the Blaspheme for what he has done to this city. I’ve lost too many friends to that damnable orc.”
Stedious signaled to one of his wardens, speaking to him in elvish which I could not understand. I reminded myself once more to ask Stella about trying to learn the language considering I was a half-elf after all. The lead warden reoriented on me, switching back to the common tongue. The elf he had spoken with moved to Dutch and began whispering arcane phrases. “Pharaum here is placing a long-lasting enchantment on your horses so they will be able to see their surroundings in the dead of night. To my knowledge, everyone else in your party has this ability, correct?”
“We do,” Tallos replied while enthusiastically eyeing up the casting elf as he completed the first of his two incantations. As if daylight suddenly descended around Dutch, his demeanor shifted from a jittery nervousness to his usual confidence. Jax was soon to follow. “I would love to learn this spell,” Tallos said unabashedly.
“It is an incredibly useful dweomer as the forest continues to live in the darkness of night. If you would like, I can send word to have its spell book waiting for you when you return since you are a fellow warden now,” Stedious offered.
Tallos, of course, instantly agreed. “I would be most agreeable if you could,” the newly minted warden responded delightedly.
I laughed inwardly as I could only imagine how thick this particular spell tome would be after learning the darkvision enchantment could last a full twelve hours. Stedious continued explaining his team’s role as we started walking to the south. His wardens would be dispersed around us, with two elves moving well ahead of us and being on the lookout for any potential danger. Another two wardens, one to each side, would cover our flanks. We were told we wouldn’t see any of them as they scouted unless something unavoidable or particularly dangerous appeared—something which we were told was a distinct possibility. Stedious would stay with us, while the final warden would drop back to cover the rear ensuring nothing snuck up on us.
“With the swift enchantment all of our horses have, we’ll reach the border of the High Thicket in a day. During this time, we will stop occasionally to rest and allow our steeds to recover their stamina,” Stedious advised, nearing the end of our safety brief. “From there, you’ll have another day of travel to the Emerald Tower, though we will not accompany you beyond the forest per our directives. It will be hard to miss the mighty tower considering the wide open plains to the south. Its imposing structure dominates the skyline once you’re close enough. Any questions before we mount up?”
Unable to think of anything, I looked to Stella and Tallos before ultimately indicating we were ready to move in earnest. Everyone jumped into their saddles and, with one last look back towards the amazing city of Quarris, we followed Stedious’ lead deeper into the forest. In only a few moments, four of the wardens fanned out and were quickly lost to sight. I swiftly lost my sense of direction as the city lights were lost behind the dense canopy over our heads. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t so much a landmark as all the trees looked the same to my eyes. To the elves, it seemed as if a golden path was laid out which only they could see with how gracefully we traveled. Thankfully, my mini-map allowed me to track our progress somewhat, though most of the map remained an impenetrable murky gray, at least until I laid eyes on whatever was in front and around us.
Mentally zooming out of the map, our destination was a considerable distance off. I could only tell because we had seen part of the southern border when the High Thicket first came into view days earlier. Our guide would occasionally glance back at us, ensuring we were keeping up, and I must admit being amazed at the simplicity of how he navigated the forest. I could best describe it as taking a perfect racing line between one tree and the next. For the most part, Stedious kept us moving in a perfectly straight line and only seemed to veer the slightest bit after passing close to one of the enormous trees. It seemed as if the wardens knew exactly where to expect every tree along our lengthy journey, and it was simplicity incarnate for them to steer us along the quickest path. If we had been alone and even with the enchanted horseshoes, we would have been lost many times over by now.
We traveled at a light trot, and although we were moving at an unhurried pace, trees seemed to speed past us one after another. With the enchanted shoes, neither Dutch nor Jax seemed to be expending any additional energy as the miles clipped past at a steady rate. An occasion bird whistle rang out, and, at first, I thought nothing of it. Yet, after the fourth time in as many minutes, each coming from ahead, I recognized it was the leading elves signaling nothing was amiss. At least, I assumed as much, seeing as Stedious didn’t react much, other than swiftly affixing his attention ahead as the whistles rebounded throughout the forest.
Our elven guide didn’t utter a single word since we left the city far behind. It was clear the wardens desired to minimize as much sound of our passing as possible. Following his lead, I was left to my own thoughts. Not long after, I decided to take another look at my newest acquired ability, Quintessence Empowerment, to decipher how it truly worked.
It seemed like everything had been rushing by since the power of the quintessence gemstone awoke the ability within me. Since then, I had not been able to put much thought into what was likely an incredibly powerful tool, especially considering the upcoming challenge we had with Cicero. Stella noticed as I opened the window. She tilted her head up when the System message appeared before flying over to land on the horn of my saddle. She had been previously riding atop Ripley’s shoulder, who was even then tirelessly matching our pace at a fast sprint with barely a whisper of sound.
Quintessence Empowerment (Ability) – During times of desperation and when all hope seems lost, pushing oneself beyond what mortals only dream to achieve becomes a necessity. As a necromancer specialized in assaulting foes with virulent forms of arcane energy that ravage an enemy’s vitality over time, you can now call upon a quintessence power that will push you and your spells beyond what can normally be accomplished.
When triggered all damage over time spells have their spell durations reset to maximum. Currently applied spells and any new spells cast within the next 120 seconds will also receive the following benefits: 100% additional spell penetration, 75% increased damage, 40% increased spell duration, and 15% increased spell critical strike chance.
Any enemy inflicted by any enhanced damage over time spells will be afflicted by the “Quintessence Drain” debuff, which siphons lost life to restore the caster’s health, mana, and stamina. This amount restored is divided equally between these three resource pools and cannot exceed current maximums.
Finally, while under the effects of Quintessence Empowerment, your body is flooded with arcane might, increasing all attribute scores by 10%.
Note – Each spell may only receive the Quintessence Empowerment a single time per activation. Refreshing an already enhanced spell effect will receive no additional benefits.
Stella, similarly following the lead of our friendly mute warden, opened a chat message with me as soon as I was done reading the description.
Stella: I was curious when you wanted to take a deeper look into this. The empowerment ability is exceptionally powerful, that much is obvious.
Xaz: You’re right about that.
Stella: It seems best used against bosses or even against a swarm of enemies, as long as you’ve got a full array of DoTs going. Boom! You use it and every spell resets to its maximum duration. Along with it comes a whopping seventy-five percent damage increase. That’s also not mentioning everything else the ability does. Impressive. Most impressive.
Xaz: Uh huh, and as long as the two-minute countdown is going any new spell is far more likely to bypass an enemy’s protective…
Before I could finish the thought, a new message from Stella crashed into my view, forcibly terminating mine mid-sentence and catching me by surprise.
Stella: Right! Any spell, even those already on an enemy, gains the extra penetrative effect. It also means if one of your earlier spells was partially resisted, it will most likely refresh to its max damage potential.
How did she do it? I pondered. She must be able to see what I’m typing out before I actually send it. It was the only way I could figure out how she knew what my message was about to say.
Xaz: Thanks, Stell but , lol, you really don’t need to interrupt me.
Stella: Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I was just excited.
I chuckled inwardly, fully expecting Stella’s exuberance to jump out again with a similar outburst sometime in the future. As I was about to begin mentally typing a new message, Stella’s excitement came screaming through her next message. Perhaps it was the speed at which she sent it, as it was impossible to read the emotions of a text message without also sending emojis and all that.
Stella: Even better, not only will each spell last longer with the duration buff, but even after quintessence drops, each spell will keep the added effects until its duration runs its course. Plus, you’ll get even more critical strikes, as I confirmed it stacks with your Spell Strike ability.
I hadn’t considered either possibility quite yet, so the information Stella shared was handy. I could see a strong tactic would be to recast as many of my DoTs shortly before Quintessence expired. In a way, it extended the numerous benefits beyond the two-minute maximum duration of the truly unique ability. The enhancement potential from this single ability was through the roof. I was thoroughly impressed and couldn’t contain myself in my next message.
Xaz: Stella, this is fucking amazing!
Alright, perhaps I was a bit overzealous, but I really didn’t care at this moment. This powerful ability could very well tip the balance in our favor against two extremely dangerous foes.
Xaz: And to top it all off, not only are my personal stats bumped by an extra ten percent, but every instance of damage from a DoT will restore all of my resources at the same time!
Stella: You’re absolutely right. For two minutes, if not more if we time things right, it will be impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to put you down. With the sheer amount of DoT damage you can dole out, I wouldn’t be surprised if your health and mana stay topped off the entire time.
I couldn’t wait to use it. Cicero would be first. Then, we would finish with Duke with a fortified city at my back. It was only a matter of time. I was feeling more certain of our victory than ever before.
My mind was circling with thoughts of true justice, with neither foe any the wiser of what was to come when a shrill whistle unlike anything before cut through the night air.