The way into the city was clear. Soldiers were attempting to form up to break the charge. The confusion in their ranks had caused their single lines to be ineffective as they were trampled by the oncoming horses. Corin could feel excitement coarse through his veins as he charged down the streets cutting down any that he saw. Teams had been split to secure the gatehouse and clear the wall. The infiltrators could only survive for so long and they needed to prevent the portcullis from cutting off the rest of his army. They could hear the sound of horns as the city grew alive.

He could feel it in his chest. His body felt hot. Each impact of his saber vibrating his arm sparked something deep inside that needed to be sated. He added his own voice to the others that had been shouting in the night. Something had changed. The colors in the sky flashing patterns no longer held his interest. He could feel the blood on his saber crawl down his arm as he held it aloft. Others behind him had joined his voice as they howled. There was joy in the slaughter.

His horse was breathing heavy as it galloped through the streets. It stopped and fell. Corin hadn’t noticed what had happened but growled in frustration as the beast crushed his leg. His saber had flown from his hand with the impact of the ground. Corin hadn’t been hurt by the horse falling but he found a growing frustration in being immobile. He clawed at the horse’s back and kicked with his free leg, trying to move the massive animal off of his pinned leg. Arrows clattered against the stone near him. There was a dull pain in one of his arms.

He freed himself from the horse with one final kick and slid his leg free. Once again able to move he scrambled to his feet and charged toward something. His claws scraped against metal and he could see fear in the man’s eyes. Another swipe had him clawing into a piece of leather. Corin shouted at the man he had knocked to the floor as he clawed at his chest with wild strikes. Corin felt a claw pierce the man’s skin somehow. The body shuddered beneath him and Corin felt all aggression towards the man drop.

Something behind him drew his attention. There was a sight of shuttered windows, a barred door. A line of shouted gibberish spilled from Corin’s mouth as he clawed at the wood. He turned to bashing into the door with his shoulder. Something snapped There was a sharp pain. An arrow shaft clattered to the ground. He could hear shrieks and whimpering with each impact of his body to the door. A hinge broke and the door stood at an awkward angle. A few more kicks and Corin was able to pull it free and toss it into the street. The entrance had been filled with shoddy furniture. It wouldn’t stop him. It couldn’t.

He pushed through, more excited gibberish spilling out. Something smelled good. He turned a corner following his senses and a club fashioned from a chair leg rained blows down upon his head. Corin laughed as he snatched the woman and threw her into the wall, the chair leg flying free. He could see pure terror on her face as he stalked closer.

A hunger had formed as he saw the fear. Corin leapt on her stripping flesh from her as he began to slash wildly with his claws. He continued until the skin grew cold, manically laughing. Then he bit her. Corin’s world snapped into view. This was what it was all about. He chewed. This was it. He needed this. He swallowed and took another bite.

Corin left the house, his body buzzed with new energy. He wasn’t sure how much he had eaten, but things had changed for him. The city still sounded with fighting and smoke billowed into the air. He grinned and followed the new scents that had wafted in the air. He was no longer the gibberish yelling maniac he had been. He used his senses to root out others. He took his time as he hunted through the city. There were gentle tugs at the edge of his mind as he felt more children rise from the battle. Some were directly his, others were from the ones he had brought along. They too, must have realized the truth of the gift. Corin had started to revel in it. The sun was coming up, but the skies were dark with smoke and the stench of death. Corin felt comfort in that.

—

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Mirabelle exited the tower and walked through a familiar path in the cavern. An unassuming white shop was her destination. She pushed in the door. A bell jangled at her entrance.

“I’ll be right with you,” a familiar voice called.

It had been followed by the ever heavy footsteps of Mammot. His dark eyes peered over the counter into her own.

“Get out.”

Mirabelle stared back, unflinching.

“Get out,” Mammot repeated.

“What did you give to her?” Mirabelle asked.

“Give what to who? Your apprentice?” asked Mammot.

Mirabelle stared at him while she was clenching her teeth.

“Nothing,” Mammot stared at her with his own teeth clenched.

“Her affinity changed.” Mirabelle growled.

“I gave her nothing!” Mammot shouted as he hit the counter with his fist, “Now get out!”

Mirabelle turned her back and left. Of course he had given her nothing. The bracelet that he was making for her probably wasn’t even done at this point. She pushed open the door and when it closed it jangled. She hated that stupid bell. She remembered with the dwarf had first installed it in his shop. Her fists were clenched tight.

Mirabelle hadn’t expected to get as angry as she had when she had visited Mammot. Some things were impossible to forget and others were impossible to forgive. She growled, startling a passing couple. Mirabelle focused on her breathing in an effort to calm down. This wasn’t about things in the past. This was the present. She had to help her apprentice if she could. Amie had mentioned that there was a book she had found. Her apprentice also had a husband that was living in the city somewhere. Mirabelle knew the address. Any decent master would.

Mirabelle was still a little off put by the fact that her apprentice hadn’t had a husband on any of the readings she had of the past. With her specific branch of magic being broken, it was hard to tell exactly what was true and what wasn’t. Mirabelle recalled the weird aura that seemed to surround Amie at the prison but had thought nothing of it, until she saw the fire orb. Old memories had surfaced and she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to revisit them. She still wasn’t.

The elevator back to the surface was crowded. It would have been nice if the original architects had included gnome sized elevators, but that was the fate of being shorter than every single race that lived in the world. The path that she followed hadn’t been one that she had known. It was a bit of a distance to get off the plateau. It would have been a little more convenient had the whole ordeal happen after the couple moved. If Mirabelle was wishing for things, she wished that none of it happened at all instead.

The apartment had been cordoned off at first. It was a miracle that the tenants had not been home at the time the mana surge happened, otherwise things could have been much worse. Now that a couple weeks had passed everyone had been let back inside the buildings. Mirabelle had found the door and knocked briskly. A disheveled man opened the door and stared down at her blankly.

“I take it you’re Eric?”

Hearing his name made him focus on her again.

After a moment he said, “Ah, you’re Mirabelle, the master.”

“Grand Master,” stated Mirabelle.

Eric did a dismissive wave and invited her in.

“Do you want a cup of tea or water?” he asked.

“Tea would be fine.” She said.

He pulled out a chair and she sat on it. Eric puttered around in the kitchen as he filled the kettle and brought it to a boil. When the water was ready he seeped the leaves and proceeded to pour the perfect gnomish serving, in a human sized mug. Mirabelle accepted it without complaint, letting the liquid cool.

“So how are you?” asked Mirabelle.

Eric leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“Not good. I don’t know what’s going to happen now.”

Mirabelle nodded, “I’m sorry we haven’t met before.”

Eric shook his head, “No, it’s fine. I’m sure you’ve had as much to deal with as I did.”

“I managed to see her last week.” Mirabelle said.

“How is Amie doing?” Eric said as he perked up.

“When I talked to her she seemed fine, almost great even.”

Eric nodded and smiled, “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Look, I need to find something out,” Mirabelle continued, “She mentioned she found a book, have you seen it?”

“It was red, but it wasn’t a book, it was a pook.”

“I don’t know what that is.” Mirabelle stated.

“Ah she got it from the bookstore and it said something about it being a portal pook,” Eric shrugged, “the b was partially covered with some ink.”

Amie grabbed the mug of tea and took a sip.

“That is vile,” she said as she placed it back on the table.

“I’m glad you chose to have some tea. The faster we use it up the faster it’ll never be bought again,” Eric said grimly.

Mirabelle drank more and the two of them chatted. It was a shame she hadn’t put any effort into meeting the man before the disaster. She found him quite friendly.