Alex looked out the window, taking in the scenery as they rode through the countryside. The sun was rising, casting a warm orange glow across the fields and forests they passed. He couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and hope for his future in the Tower. They continued along the dirt road, the steady rhythm of the horses' hooves lulling Alex into a state of relaxation.
As the day wore on, the dirt road they had been traveling on changed to a more well-paved road. The landscape around them transformed as well, the dense forests giving way to rock hills and steeper climbs through more mountainous regions. Alex felt a sense of excitement as they neared the city, eager to meet other adventurers and learn more about his magical abilities. In the meantime, he practiced meditating while in the carriage, focusing on his connection to his element and the energy that coursed through him. He hoped to improve his ability even further. Alex felt as though he was just barely grasping at the power to sense his element.
Another day passed, and the group settled into a comfortable routine. They shared stories, enjoyed the scenery, and practiced their skills during the journey. They rotated through the responsibilities of being the carriage driver, food prep, setting up camp, and tending to the horses. Their journey had been clear of obstacles and was peaceful. The two horses were well-trained and quick, which made them easy to manage, and direct along the road.
Alex found that through meditation, he could begin to sense the energy of his companions, their auras mingling with his own. As they traveled, Alex felt a growing sense of himself and the others in the carriage. While he meditated he felt as though he could still see Rich, Taylor and the others with his eyelids closed. Feel their heartbeats, chests moving, and bodies shifting while they did various activities. He tried extending his senses beyond the carriage but could barely feel the active lives of the horses pulling the carriage. Alex hadn’t gone back to ask Taylor about her magic practices and instead kept to himself for the time being while working on the meditation on his own.
“Alex, it is your turn now,” said Kai from outside the carriage.
“About time. You went a little longer than I expected,” said Alex.
“Well, I didn’t want to sit in on the snorers just yet,” he replied.
“I mean there isn’t much to do in the carriage but sleep. I’m fairly sure we played over a hundred rounds of different card games just on the first day alone. Things have been pretty boring since. But at least the other village was a good change of pace.”
“That it was. Now get up in the front and let’s get this cart back on the road.”
Alex hurriedly stepped out of the carriage and hoisted himself up onto the carriage driver seat while Kai stepped down. Kai saluted mockingly before hurrying into the carriage to rest. Alex laughed to himself and shook his head as he took the reins of the horses. They started to trot and picked up speed until they were going their expected pace once more.
Alex was left alone and on his own outside the carriage with his thoughts. The horses were self-guided which let him do other things. He resumed the testing of his magic and tried pulsing his magic senses at times. The spark that flittered around his fingers hadn’t changed and only varied in speed and distance form his body. He found it harder to control the further from his body it was, as he had expected. It was easiest within a foot form himself, while impossible if it was more than three feet from himself. The pulsing of his self-dubbed ‘mana sense’ gave little information outside the carriage. He could feel the horse's motions and bodies more clearly now that he was outside the carriage and at the same time felt the dampening of senses for what was occurring inside the carriage.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange, the air around them began to grow colder. Alex pulled his cloak tighter around himself, trying to ward off the chill. Despite the growing darkness, he was determined to make as much progress as possible before stopping to set up camp for the night.
As they continued along the winding mountain road, Alex noticed something unusual in the distance. A faint glimmer of light flickered amongst the trees, and he strained his eyes to get a better look. In some semblance of instinct, he pulsed his mana sense and felt the movement of living things. The light seemed to grow brighter, and as it did, Alex realized that it wasn't just one light, but several.
The carriage rounded a bend, and suddenly, the source of the lights became clear. A group of bandits, torches in hand, had blocked the road, their weapons glinting menacingly in the firelight. Alex's heart raced as he pulled the reins, bringing the horses to a stop. He glanced back at the carriage doors. He banged his foot on the side of the carriage.
"We've got company," he said, his voice low and tense.
Alex had a feeling of dread as he knew what would come next. The bandits approached the carriage, their eyes filled with greed and malice. Alex and his companions had to make a choice: stand their ground and fight or try to negotiate and hope that the bandits would let them pass unharmed. With a deep breath, Alex clenched his fists.
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"Wait! Let's talk about this. We don't want any trouble," Alex shouted, hoping his team would get out soon. A fireball whizzed by his head and Alex was forced to duck as it went by. He could feel the heat of the flames. “Shit.”
The hoses neighed and he had trouble holding them in place. Rich burst out of the carriage in a sprint while holding his shield up. He charged forward with Eric by his side. Kai went up by the horses and had balls of water ready as new fireballs flew toward them. Alex let out a grunt of frustration as he brought out his knives.
“Four people. Each of them a higher level than ourselves. We will need to work together or use some tricks of luck and skill to take them all down,” thought Alex.
“Alex we need you up here,” yelled Rich.
Alex turned to Kai. “Take care of the horses and make sure everything doesn’t burn down.” Kai nodded.
Alex sprinted towards Rich and Eric, his daggers at the ready. Taylor emerged from the carriage as well, her eyes flickering with a green glow as she summoned the power of nature to her aid. The ground beneath them began to tremble, and vines snaked their way up from the earth, wrapping around the legs of the bandits.
The enemies were momentarily caught off guard by the vines, giving Alex and his companions an opening to attack. Rich and Eric charged forward, their swords clashing with the bandits' weapons in a shower of sparks. Around Rich's neck hung the amulet of illumination lighting up the road and carriage. The bandit with the bow tried to aim at Alex. He moved to dodge out of the way but was struck in the shoulder.
As the fire-wielding bandit prepared to hurl another fireball, Kai hurled a ball of water at him, extinguishing the flames and leaving him drenched and shivering. The bandit cursed and tried to create another fireball, but his efforts were futile as the water continued to douse his flames.
Rich and Eric were locked in combat with the two sword-wielding bandits, their blades clashing furiously. Sweat dripped down their foreheads as they strained against the force of their opponents' attacks. Taylor's vines continued to constrict the bandits, making it increasingly difficult for them to move. This allowed them some reprieve against the stronger and faster opponents.
Alex grunted and kept himself moving trying to close the distance between him and the archer. He saw the next attack coming easier and ducked out of the way when required. Behind him, Kai continued to fire off steaming water in successive attempts to stop the fire user. As he fought, Taylor snuck her magic around the bandits. Thorned vines cut deep into the fire user’s legs and brought him to his knees. Seizing the opportunity, Kai unleashed his spell, scorching the man's face with boiling water, sending him crashing to the ground.
With a powerful strike, Rich managed to disarm one of the bandits, sending his sword flying through the air. Eric took advantage of the situation and struck the defenseless bandit with his sword. The blade stopped for a second when impacting the armor and then continued through. He spun around and pulled the blade out and started to help Rich out with his fight.
Alex knew what he needed to do as he charged at the archer. As the archer drew back their bow for another attack he threw one of his knives at the man. The archer deflected it and that threw off the archer’s rhythm and allowed him to close the distance. Wincing from the arrow lodged in his shoulder, Alex seized the archer's bow. Grasping the bow in one hand and clutching his second knife in the other, they struggled for dominance, each trying to gain the upper hand. Alex's knife struck repeatedly, chipping away at the archer's armor.
In a desperate move, the archer pressed down on Alex's wounded shoulder. He cried out in agony and staggered back. The battle raged on. Each member of the team fully engaged with their respective opponents. Alex, fueled by adrenaline and determination, fought through the pain in his shoulder and lunged at the archer once more. His knife slashed at the archer's unprotected side, causing the bowman to cry out in pain.
Kai and Taylor, having dispatched the fire user, turned their attention to the other bandit. They helped finish off the bandit that Rich and Eric faced while Alex fought on his own. The archer took a step back panting and then ran at Alex. They hit the ground together and Alex hit his head on the way down. He tried to maintain a firm grip on his blade and push it toward the archer. Alex knew he had to do something to gain the upper hand.
With a focus of his will and energy, he summoned his sparks. They snapped and crackled in near silence before he willed them toward his opponent’s face. The sparks extinguished in the archer's eyes, causing him to scream in anguish and momentarily abandon his will to fight. Seizing the opportunity, Alex drove his dagger deep into the man's chest with a decisive thrust.
Alex pushed himself off the archer and rolled over onto the gravel ground. He worked to calm his breathing and refocus. He felt simultaneously exhausted and full of energy after that near-death experience. He let the result of his fight appear in his vision as he rested.
<<<>>>
Name: Alex
Path: Magic (Sub-Path: Lightning)
Rating: G
Level: 12 (24%)
Abilities (1/1):
Manipulate Electricity [G]
Tower Points: 0
<<<>>>
“Are you okay there?” asked Kai.
“I need to get this arrow out of me and then healed up. A shower would also be nice right about now,” Alex replied.
“Best I can do is splash you with some warm water. I’ll also get the health potion from the carriage.”
“That would be nice.”
“This gear is awesome,” said Rich. He was turning the bodies of the bandits over and inspecting them. “It probably came from the city. They were rich.”
“Rich off the stolen goods from others,” said Taylor.
“It is their bad luck and misfortune. We could have been in their place if we weren’t prepared to face them,” said Eric “It’s part of the contract of the Tower. We fight to survive, or we will die. And consider what we got in return it is level 10 gear at least. They will sell for a good price in the city. You can go right into your barbarian training once we arrive. It should jumpstart our entry into the city by quite a lot.”