The morning arrived faster than expected, most likely because of my slight overindulgence the night before. My head was pounding from a hangover, punished no doubt for my lack of restraint for the crowd-favorite honey mead. Instinctively, I moved my hands through the motions of casting minor regen on myself, which did help in turning the sharp pain of twisting daggers behind my eyes into a bearable dull ache. A few seconds after casting the spell, my eyes snapped open when the realization.
“Yes!” I called out but quickly tamped my raised voice when my outburst netted me a few choice words from Stella as she attempted to drift back into sleep. I reined in my excitement of regaining the ability to cast spells. I pondered what effects my regen spell could have had, had I used it while enjoying ourselves the night before. Something for another day perhaps. I had no intention of celebrating like that again, not for a good long while. We had work to do.
Speaking in a low a voice, I sang the soft tune necessary for a song of travel. A quickened feeling reached my calves and upper legs, indicating the thirty percent increase in movement speed afforded by the spell. Followed quickly on the heels of my latest spell, I uttered the arcane phrases necessary to enact my least impactful buff, minor shielding. Though it only granted a measly thirty or so armor, similar to a single piece of my new armor set, it could help should the worst happen. With my high intelligence, the beneficial spell would last nearly seven hours. It was too bad I couldn’t cast it on anyone else.
Excitement surged through my veins as I turned my attention inward. Reviewing all the nuanced details of my next spell had me smiling in anticipation as I opened my eyes and looked at Ripley. She was standing between the two rooms of our suite, her penetrating gaze sweeping back and forth. Before starting the spell’s long cast time, I reviewed the System description for stalwart aura.
[Stalwart Aura (Pet)] The Wraith’s undead minion radiates a strengthening aura causing the minion, friendly targets, and party members within a twenty-five foot radius to receive the beneficial buff, “Invigorated Firmament,” which causes plus 15% physical damage mitigation, 10% increased physical attributes, 10% maximum health and stamina, and a 5% melee haste.
Cost: 570 mana (200 mana reserved). Cast Time: 10 seconds. Cool down: N/A. Duration: Indefinite/until canceled. Plus 1 foot maximum range, plus 0.25% physical damage mitigation, plus 0.33% increased physical attributes, plus 0.33% maximum health and stamina, and plus 0.1% melee haste per spell level.
Peering at my towering friend, I sent Ripley a wink before for beginning the lengthy ten-second incantation. Arcane phrases escaped my lips as if I was uttering a long-memorized poem, even though it was in a foreign dialect. The way the end of the alien syllables snapped reminded me of a saluting soldier standing at attention. Similarly, the spell’s necessary hand gestures, while seemingly erratic, were in fact a tightly choreographed symphony of movement.
Completing the strenuous ten-second cast time, a golden glow which had been forming on my hand flashed once before Ripley’s entire body mirrored the yellow-tinted light. The effect faded only a moment later and, as much as I could tell, nothing else happened. Returning my focus inwards once more, I couldn't detect the expected boost to my attributes. Ripley glanced in my direction, locking her gaze with mine for a moment, before returning to our unblinking back-and-forth pan.
Feeling no different than before the casting, irritation flittered through my chest as I opened my character screen. Perhaps it would show the modifications there. While a buff icon for ‘invigorating firmament’ was newly listed beside my name in the party window, along with everyone else, none of my stats had been modified. Thinking the spell was defective, I ran through the incantation, though was sure it had been cast perfectly.
Turning to wake up the slumbering Stella and inquire why the spell wasn’t working, I found her already stirring. Slowly, with a paw held against the side of her head, she floated over to sit beside me. The miniature poodle had been resting atop Lowki’s balled body, but my activities must have pulled her out of sleep.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” she whispered groggily as she moved to my shoulder. “The aura’s buff only works while in combat. We couldn’t see that before, but it’s apparent now having been cast for the first time. Don’t worry, the effects of her aura will wash into anyone nearby as soon as we get into combat.
A little disappointed at the news, but nonetheless thrilled for our new party buff, I thanked Stella before moving to the end of the bed to reequip my armor. Tallos was roused soon after and followed my lead. It was time to take hold of the day. Sometime later this morning, we would be heading far to the east to the elven city of Quarris.
Images of raised platforms hanging far overhead, strung between trees with elven magic ran through my head. Tallos’ earlier descriptions flooded back to me as I imagined how wonderful the elvish settlement must be in person. Packing quickly, I couldn’t wait to see such a magical place. From everything Tallos had previously shared, it would be a wondrous sight to behold. “Everyone ready?” I questioned the group. Receiving curt nods in response, we opened our door and tracked down the hallway towards the inn’s common room.
We enjoyed a nice breakfast of sausages, sizzling bacon, and perfectly seasoned scrambled eggs. Stella had the great idea of asking if we could each have two more plates before we left. Saying she would also like to pay for the plates, stating we would be taking them ‘to-go,’ Hera agreed with only a few questions before accommodating the unusual request. Stella was thrilled as our next two breakfasts would be the Wild Stallion’s finest as she safely tucked away the plates in our bag of holding.
Waving goodbye to Hera and her staff, we made our way outside. It was a bright, sunny day with barely any cloud cover. A cool breeze kept us comfortable as we walked back toward the street shops and merchant stores we passed by the day before. Finding only a few open for business, we discovered the majority were still locked tight with no indication when they would reopen.
Entering the nearest store, ‘Wades Wares,’ the elderly man inside sold little in the way of magical trinkets. Unfortunately, we learned most shops wouldn’t be reopening for at least another day or two as those other traders were either still recovering from the disaster or helping their closest neighbors. Thanking the man, I asked if he would be interested in buying any enchanted equipment or jewelry.
Sadly, we soon departed Wade’s lackluster wares. Not only did he have mundane items, but he had nowhere near the liquid funds to cover the cost of even our cheapest enchanted item. At our inquiry, he was able to point us to another store down the road where enchanted trinkets and the like could be purchased and sold. Wade said it would be the best place to trade or sell off our unwanted loot since everyone else was closed.
Sure enough, we had far better luck when we entered a tidy shop with a wooden placard over the front door naming the place ‘Bethel’s Magical Matrices.’ The two-story brick-and-mortar shop was lined front and back in soaring stained glass windows. It gave the place an enthralling multicolored atmosphere. A tall elf greeted us as we entered, a bell over her doorway chiming and announcing our presence. Bethel was slender and wore a beautiful sun dress with attractive floral patterns. Her sharp facial features enhanced her charming smile.
“Hello, sirs and madam. Welcome to my humble store. How can I be of service?” Bethel greeted, her arms waving in grand, sweeping movements.
Fortunately for us, her pockets were deep, and we were able to offload a good number of our acquired gems, jewelry, and a few pieces of arms and armor. In all, we traded with the eccentric woman for over a dozen gold pieces. Remembering how expensive horses were in the capital, a whopping twenty-five gold pieces each, we would be hard-pressed to buy more than one if they were as expensive here. I could only hope that was not the case.
What magical gear Bethel had on sale was prohibitively expensive, especially considering we needed to save enough funds to purchase horses for our cross-country trek. Passing up on several items we couldn’t afford, we did find a spell book which was perfect for Tallos. Guessing the tome was likely more expensive than if we would have found it back in the capital, I nonetheless handed over a bag of copper and a fist full of silver, as well as a minor enchanted dagger.
{Tome of Minor Eagle Eye}. Quality: Well-crafted. Rarity: Uncommon. Type: Spell Book – Consumable. Durability: 250/250. Properties: Teaches the spell [Minor Eagle Eye]. Call upon the spirit of the eagle to enhance the caster’s long-range perception, and mobility. For the spell’s duration, all range attacks will receive an accuracy bonus. Additionally, Dexterity will be increased by a small percentage amplifier.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Note – This is a single-use item and will be destroyed when used.
Tallos was looking forward to testing his snare spell. We were planning on running some field tests when we were outside the city proper. Now, with another spell book in hand, he was practically giddy with excitement. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him so cheerful. Though this new spell wasn’t anything incredible, it was well worth the price to see my friend so delighted.
With what little shopping we could manage out of the way, we inquired locals where the nearest stable was. We hadn’t seen one in our perusal of the city but knew one had to be about. Directed to the western corner, we marched with an excited Tallos once more deeply buried in another book.
We had a little bit of time before we reached the stables, so I poked the enthralled elf and asked if he wanted to demonstrate his snare spell. Tallos seemed hesitant at first, clearly wanting to continue reading but nodded at my request. Walking twenty feet away, I turned around and faced my friend. Tallos wore an intense expression and moved back and forth on the balls of his feet a couple of times.
“When you’re ready,” I called out.
Tallos’ forehead tilted forward, his eyes sharpening like a hawk preparing to dive at a field mouse. His lips were moving, though I barely heard what sounded like gibberish at this distance. It was only my keen senses that allowed me to pick up what little I could as his hands completed a series of flourishing gestures. With a final palm thrust in my direction, I waited patiently for the spell’s effects to manifest.
While nothing visually spanned through the air between us, the effects of his incantation were nonetheless immediately felt. The packed dirt road under my feet cracked and split as vines shot up to encircle my boots and lower legs. None carried thorns like with my wand of grasping roots, but the strength and tenacity of the vines were no less impressive. Beginning only as thick as a finger, the vines quickly swelled until they were closer to the width of a water hose.
Tallos wore a satisfied grin as he watched the spell latch on and restrain me. He motioned with a hand, signaling me to try to get closer to him so I stepped forward. It was not an easy feat by any means. Even with a hundred-plus strength characteristic, I struggled as I trudged forward. Vines snapped but were quickly replaced by more of the tenacious stuff. It was like wading through quicksand that continually shifted to get a better hold on my legs. We discovered that while the spell couldn’t entirely immobilize me, the hindering effect of the enchanted roots was impressive, nonetheless.
Seeing if I could break the bonds with a weapon, I swung my axe downward, cutting to the side of my right leg. Dozens of the twisting vines split under the weapon’s keen edge. While it allowed me a brief increase in speed, the animated plants quickly regrew enough to slow me down once more. If I had to guess, it slowed me down around a quarter of my normal movement rate, if not slightly more. Trying to run was futile as the vines threatened to trip me if I moved too fast, growing tighter to match my increased effort.
“For a minor spell, it’s stronger than I thought it would be,” I commented when the spell ended thirty seconds later. “Unless I have some way to ignore the spell’s effect, there is no way I would risk running while that stuff is wrapped around my legs.”
Tallos was thrilled with the results, commenting how it would allow him to keep his distance against at least one enemy focused on entering into melee range with him. While we discussed the strengths and relatively few weaknesses of the spell, Tallos exclaimed in surprise when he noticed the tome for the spell had disintegrated at some point. Stella said she noticed it, but stated it was expected given the item’s description.
Further tests showed Tallos could cast the spell nearly back-to-back against a maximum of two targets. Stella stated this limitation should increase in time, though wasn't certain. Against Ripley, her increased strength meant the movement penalty from the spell was not as severe as it was against me. I had less than half her total strength, so it made sense. Against the nimble Lowki, the spell was most useless.
Not only could Lowki jump over the grasping vines with ease, but his three sets of legs were able to kick off most of the effect. It seemed the spell, at least in its current incarnation, only created enough vines to wrap up two legs. If Lowki was able to avoid the stuff with a quick jump, his landing spot would quickly attempt to sprout more of the ensnaring vines. Still, the agile cat quickly demonstrated only another quick leap that allowed him to continually evade the spell’s effects.
In the end, we were pleased with the snare’s effectiveness. It had its weaknesses, but against most enemies, it would allow Tallos to maintain plenty of distance to pepper his foes with slicing arrows. Back on the road, Tallos quickly dove back into his tome of eagle eye. He had a fervent twinkle in his eyes. He couldn’t wait to add another spell to his growing personal repertoire. Stella and I assured the zealous elf we’d be on the lookout for anything else he was capable of casting.
“He won’t be able to cast as many spells as you can,” Stella reckoned as we neared the sprawling equine estate. The place, called “Mannie’s Stables,” had several large pastures teaming with horses of all breeds and colors. The steel-reinforced wooden barn looked recently built with how spotless it was on the outside. “It’s not something we’ll really need to worry about but, by my estimate, he can probably learn somewhere between five to eight spells at our levels. For NPCs, it increases every fifth level or so, but there is no standard frequency the System follows. It mostly depends on the individual and their unique talents.”
Mannie’s stable had dozens of hands working all around the place. Some were hammering in fence posts around the dozen or so open pastures teeming with horses. Others were lugging large bales of hay or cleaning and refilling large water buckets. Walking through the main arched gate, we spotted several smaller outbuildings, multiple free-standing lean-to’s horses used as protection against the elements, and an impressive three-story house. Everything was maintained to a near-professional standard. The odds of us acquiring a pair of horses seemed to be slipping through my fingers the more we saw. Pride practically emanating from every beam and timber.
When we inquired about purchasing some horses, a pair of stable hands led us through to the main barn to see the barn owner. The inside was as meticulous as the rest of the place. Young men and women were cleaning stalls, sweeping floors with large push brooms, and laying out flakes of hay for when the horses were brought back in later that day. Having once been to a barn that reeked of ammonia in my former life, this stable was an upscale resort by comparison.
A tall, heavy-set man approached with an extended hand. He seemed more enthusiastic at our visit than I would have expected. It seemed like he was happy greeting royalty as we shook hands. He had a firm grip, his calloused hands marking he was as diligent in the work around his barn as much as his employees. He had a neatly trimmed beard beginning to show signs of gray and his hair was tied back in a ponytail. His overalls showed an odd patch of dirt here and there showing he worked right beside his people.
The man was built like an ox and wore a generous smile as he introduced himself. “Welcome, welcome. I’m Mannie. I know you, and your band of heroes. I watched you myself as you helped save the city. You have my thanks for that. How can I help you? Are you in the market for some of our fine horses?”
Confirming we were, we quickly learned his horses cost a whopping thirteen gold coin pieces each. Not as expensive as those in the capital, but higher than I was hoping for. Seeing our grimaces, Mannie told us not to fret as he would be offering a thirty percent discount considering what we did for the city. Still, for a pair of horses, it was more funds than we had available. I told the man as much.
“For nine gold and a silver each, I would be more than happy to sell you a pair,” Mannie announced before continuing as we explained we could only afford one of his fine animals. “I normally don’t do this, but if you have the right item, something of comparable value, we could come to an agreement.”
After going through what we had available, Mannie offered our second horse in exchange for the choranaptyxic leather wrapping we acquired from defeating the Minotaur leader. I had begun to worry we wouldn’t find anything the man desired, but when we pulled out the bundle of leather wrappings his eyes widened. The armor was destroyed and would need to be repaired per the item’s description, but Mannie assured me he could turn the long strands of flexible leather into several truly remarkable reins.
Stella shared we didn’t know exactly how much the hide armor was worth, but Mannie assured us it was more than fair. A part of me felt like I would regret trading away the impressive armor set, but we had no idea when, or even if, we would find someone capable of repairing the damaged leather. Here and now, another horse would help us travel over the country to the elven forest. By Stella’s estimate, the city was some two hundred and fifty miles to the east.
We worked with Mannie over the course of the next half hour picking the right pair of horses. It was a pleasant experience. The stable owner was incredibly knowledgeable about his trade and ended up suggesting we choose warm-blood horses. According to him, warmbloods were well-tempered, meaning they would be unlikely to spook at the sight of our skeletal friend, or if caught in a battle. They were strong, had incredible endurance, and were perfect for the long-distance ride we were heading out for.
Handing over an additional pair of silvers for the two sets of saddles, robe halters, bridles, and leather reins we prepared to head out. Mannie asked if we wanted to purchase any bales of hay. Thankfully, my bag of holding would allow us to carry a week or two's worth of hay. As long as our horses had plenty of grass to munch on when we rested each day, a single bail would last a day or two. With the five hundred cubic feet of storage space from my bag of holding, we soon stored away seven of the fifty-pound bales.
Shaking hands, we departed the stable with two new friends named Dutch and Jax.