Getting to the roof of the cavern. I created a stone ladder from the roof of the tower and compressed the stone to the side and created a platform for us to stand. From there I began compressing a tunnel spiraling upwards. I had to navigate us around several water sources to avoid flooding. One time the walls got really hot, and I started having Minecraft flashbacks and got us out of their right way.
The work was slow but steady. I found several veins of ore and extracted them completely. Pockets of gems began filling my storage space as I mined our tunnel upwards. I wasn’t in a hurry and even used my spell for locating ore and precious stones to hunt down even more. We’d been gone for at least a year at this point that I didn’t feel like a few more days were going to hurt.
Neither Guinevere nor I had chosen an artifact as our reward yet and I was still considering what I wanted. We stopped for the night in a camp I formed for us. I set to work with Mab, the grimoire showed me the page where it had copied the spell for blood lighting.
The runes and glyphs expanded my words for lightning and storm. Excited that I might have discovered the missing piece I crafted the emitter section of my enchantment. Mab offered a few suggestions, and I tweaked them until we arrived at a result I thought might work. Carving them onto one of my few remaining lighting crystals I poured mana into it.
The crystal began to vibrate and a blade around three feet long sprung from the crystal. It lasted for about a minute before dying and going dark as it ran out of mana. Despite its death I was elated. The desired enchantment had a working prototype now, all that was left was for me to perfect it.
Congratulations you have completed a hidden objective and earned a title. Objective: Create a unique enchantment never seen before.
Reward: Spell Carver
*Spell Carver: Your enchants are 50% more stable.
As I got the title, I instantly saw all the flaws in my enchantment that would lead to it becoming damaged and flawed over time. New insights and ideas were sparked as the knowledge the title imparted with it seeped into my mind as if they had always been there.
I took out another crystal and set to work. The next blade lasted for five minutes before it ran out of mana. The blade was tighter and less like a spray of lighting and extended out another two feet. Guinevere looked at me in irritation at the constant thunder the blade produced something she didn’t’ enjoy. I smiled sheepishly and created a separate workroom and a thick stone door to block out the sound.
That night I barely slept; Mab and I worked late as I perfected the enchantment. I took a short nap only to awaken with a start as a new idea came to me. I started work again and held out the lighting crystal as I finished the enchantment. Two blades appeared on either side of it. I spun it around in my hand before it went out. It only lasted half the time as the others had since it was doing double the output but I had increased that time to around fourteen minutes.
Modifying that enchantment, I poured my mana into it again. Two blades of lighting appeared on either side of the crystal. They buzzed and shocked me as I held them but my resistance to lightning let me weather the damage easily. With a mental thought one side of the blade retracted in on itself leaving me holding only one blade again. I retracted that side as well and set the crystal to the side. Beginning another modification, I added it and held the crystal in both hands. The powerful blade vibrated in my hand as it came to life wanting to move of its own accord. The blade extended out to seven feet in length becoming a greatsword, I retracted it again that extended two double blades out. I set it down and received a notification from the system.
You have completed a hidden objective and unlocked a new title. Objective: Create an enchantment of Masterwork quality.
Reward: Master Enchanter
*Master Enchanter: You have mastered the art of creating and applying enchantments. The minimum grade of all your enchantments is now master and the skill in applying and understanding enchantments is increased greatly.
My daily work had paid off with skill and a new creation. I thought about working on the Star of Mordred now but held off. There was a specific way I wanted to use it and I would wait until that time.
Stolen story; please report.
Standing I gathered my finished enchantments and set them in my storage. Guinevere was up practicing her sword forms. We didn’t spar that day but instead continued our long climb to the surface. The farther we got up the more I had to work on compressing the stone as water dripped down. I was worried we were below some giant lake but I was blind to which direction I needed to go.
The air began to feel… strange.
“What is that?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Guinevere said. “Its like ants walking on my skin.”
We continued upwards, the feeling growing stronger and stronger. Finally, we emerged into daylight, the light was blinding after so long in pitch darkness. I coughed as I breathed in what would be a breath of fresh air, instead the air was foul, it smelled and tasted of death and decay.
---
The first shot bounced right of Exar’kun’s scales. He turned and dropped through the air, his body spinning reflecting the next six shots Mira made at him. His wings snapped out sending a hurricane of wind that knocked her from her perch in the dead tree and sent her tumbling. Each of the dragon’s scales was midnight black but its edges were trimmed with red and orange that glowed as if his armor were a bed of coals.
The ground shuddered as he landed. Torvin charged out of the brush astride a summoned steed his lance glowing with golden light. He bent over to the side ducking a strike from the dragon’s tail, the sound making a crack of thunder as it passed overhead. Jamis rushed in from the other side to flank the dragon riding a massive bear. He launched himself from its back and pulled back his fist. A wing struck out and sent him flying.
Exar’kun’s long sinuous neck turned as he surveyed Helen and Mira behind Felrick. “You are brave to try and face me,” he growled his voice as deep as a chasm. “But often your kind confuses bravery with folly!”
The scales all along his neck began to glow, rising up from his chest they turned from black rimmed with red to a brilliant orange. As the fire built up a deep reverberation began to sound out, the reverberations grew faster and faster than they cut out. Green flames shot out in a torrent focused on Helen and Mira, the air changed as the oxygen was sucked away and some sort of fell energy laced the air. Felrick jumped in front of the two women brining up his shield the fire impacted it, and a translucent barrier appeared several inches away. Felrick began to inch backwards as the force of the flame pushed him back. His shield began to glow as it heat up. It might be immune to destruction but that did not give it immunity to heat transference. Jamis and Torvin tried to land attacks on Exar’kun while he was distracted; his tail whipped out obliterating Torvin’s summoned steed.
Torvin jumped free and landed on the dragon’s black managing to impale his lance a foot into the dragon’s hide. Jamis rolled under the dragon’s wing then sprung to the side as it nearly crushed him under one of its feet. He punched upwards into its more vulnerable underbelly.
“The gods have decreed your death beast!” Torvin shouted as she pushed his lance in deeper.
Exar’kun ended his breath attack and dropped to the ground, Jamis barely made it out before being crushed. Rolling over onto its back then back to his feet he tossed Torvin off of him as well.
“You seem to have forgotten one thing humans,” Exar’kun said. “I am not just some dragon with wings and fire, I am the only surviving spawn of a great champion whose nest was poisoned by the likes of you. And with that I have powers you cannot imagine. Seeking Spines!”
The spines all along his back and tail shot out homing in on the champions around him. Felrick managed to deflect a few but others darted around the barrier he had put up heading for Mira and Helen. Helen slammed her staff down creating a golden barrier around herself, she was still sent flying when it impacted and exploded against her barrier, but she was still alive.
Jamis was impaled through the leg and the spine exploded, blowing it off. Helen rolled to her feet and rushed over. Torvin and Mira managed to dodge the spines and Atrel knocked one aside with his spear and teleported away to escape the rest. Hellen laid her hands on Jamis healing light closing the wound and rapidly regrowing the leg.
Felrick charged directly towards Exar’kun. “Binding Chains,” he shouted.
This was part of their plan, but it was sooner than they had wanted to do it. Mira jumped up drawing her bow and releasing an arrow.
“Blinding Falcons!” she shouted. The arrows transformed into a flock of hawks and falcons that swarmed the dragon’s eyes pecking at its eyes. They weren’t able to scratch the lids of its eyes, but they did keep from being able to see.
Torvin summoned his steed again mounting and charging towards the dragon. Jamis was healed and grabbed Exar’kun’s head by the horns. He activated Bear’s Strength while Helen cast an attribute boosting buff on him. Barely stronger than the dragon he was able to drag its head and neck closer to the ground as his weight was artificially magnified by an enchantment on his belt he had earned from the last Event.
Atrel used his spear to pole vault and land atop the dragon’s back. He swung it around the dragon’s neck, his arms barely reaching as he used his spear to choke and pull back its head exposing the weaker scales under its chin. Torvin leaned forward in the saddle his lance glowing with his most powerful ability the potential damage increasing the farther and faster his charge.
Torvin struck Exar’kun managing to jerk his head to the right at the last second. The lance still pierced his artery, the mighty dragon had been outnumbered and in battles against the gifted it was usually the side with the most abilities that won. Snapping the magical chains binding him hot blood fell to the ground hissing and steaming. His wings flared out as the mortally wounded dragon roared in agony and took to the air.
“After him,” Helen ordered. “We have to finish him off before it finds some way to heal.”