I fell, landed in a pile of my own vomit. The air rushed out of me and my chest added bloody stars to my menagerie of hallucinations in protest. My focus had been too divided. It had been either the toad-dragon or the mouths on the ceiling above me as choices for destination. I’d chosen the ceiling, which was a solid nine or ten feet above the ground where I now lay.

But I’d teleported free from the vomit, and that was the important thing. On the plus side, the gas had proven itself to be either slow acting or harmless. I was lying in a puddle of my own vomit, I was going to count what blessings I had.

If the gas was harmless that meant I could fight the toad-dragon from the safety of the kiln room. I stood for the hundredth time that day. My will-o’-wisps were still in position to faintly illuminate my surroundings, though the light from the burning door was making it hard to see into the room of the toad-dragon. Hard enough that I couldn’t see the dragon itself. I squinted vainly against the gloom but it refused to give up its secrets. My swords slashed ineffectually at empty air.

Had the toad-dragon gone? Had it hidden itself somehow? Was there another way out of its room or into my own? It had to get food somehow.

I felt a strange tingle between my shoulder blades, like a tail spike was poised to strike right between them and through my heart.

I spun (ow) and saw nothing. Images of the toad-dragon creeping up on my through the cavern flooded my mind and I spun (ow) again and saw nothing.

I’d always had good hearing, and I’d thought it had caused me more woe than weal, but now I found myself wishing that among my many enhancements I’d had one to my hearing.

If only I could see just a little further.

A plan sprang to mind. Slightly risky, because it involved an instant recording of a spell, but with the endless suns I was more willing to take the risk. For that I’d need my spell book and for my spell book...

I bent and began to rummage (ew) around in my pile of gear and vomit (ew again) for my book. My dagger stuck to the back of my hand in the process which didn’t help matters, and tugging it off left a perfect opening for the toad-dragon to attack as I blinked sparkles from my eyes.

The attack didn’t come.

I found my spellbook and thumbed through it for the appropriate page. Then I bundled all my things into my arms and cast my spell.

True Teleport

I felt that lurch I’d felt once before when casting a spell. Like it was trying to be wrested from my grasp but whatever entity was trying had failed. This time it happened on route, in a state of non-existence, which did all sorts of things to my mind. If I hadn’t already emptied my stomach I might have reappeared covered in vomit, if such a thing was even possible. It shouldn’t have been possible to feel anything at all while I wasn’t there, so who knew?

I hadn’t gone far. I appeared next to the coal bucket and kiln, gear still clutched in my hands. The vomit I’d left behind, which had been the point of the exercise to begin with.

I dropped the gear, keeping hold only on my spellbook, and then began digging through it for my pouch. I wasn’t about to try getting dressed while the toad-dragon remained a potential threat. Not until I’d seen its corpse, or I’d proven a room proof against its efforts.

I found my flint and steel and then was stuck. What was I going to use for tinder? I didn’t have anything which would burn. My frozen flame might be able to start a fire on its own if it was cold enough, but the lava and fire from the cavern was keeping the kiln room fairly warm.

That did make me wonder, would the frozen flame freeze lava if placed in it? I wasn’t about to find out, but it was an interesting idea.

The kiln might have some tinder. The warlocks would have needed a way to light it. I was betting even they weren’t casting their spells at will. And they wouldn’t always have the correct ones on hand, surely.

You could.

The whispers had never addressed me before. A chill came over me. Was here then at last the price of dealing with dark magic?

I waited for the whispers to continue, but if there were more words they’d faded back into the senseless morass from which they’d came. But they’d left behind a feeling. A knowing, even. A knowing that the spells were always there. That all I had to do was stop and listen to the ceaseless babbling in my mind, and pluck a whispering spell from its depths.

That was two steps further than I was willing to go. I was already reticent to use dark magic at all, let alone seek it out for myself. The warlock’s reassurances had wrung hollow since the twisting the stasis spell had wrought on me.

It took several minutes but eventually I found the tinder. Then I had to see about carrying the coal skip.

The skip itself looked relatively light, with handles on either side probably designed for two men to carry it. I could probably carry it by myself if it weren't for the awkward shape and my injuries. As it was I had to empty it about three quarters of the way before I felt confident in carrying it, which I tested by gently rocking it from end to end.

I made a little nest in the coal and put some of my tinder and larger kindling there. I placed the rest on the floor and began to strike at it with my flint and steel. I’d never been good at fire starting, but the toad-dragon was polite enough to wait the ten or so minutes it took me to get the little bundle of sticks and straw burning.

Once I judged it read I picked up the whole bundle and half dropped, half placed, it atop the other kindling in the bucket.

The flames spread slowly, and then all at once, flames lapped at the edge of the bucket, died down, then roared up once more as new coal caught fire. I shovelled more coal on top and cast Levitate, bringing the flaming bucket into the air and waving it around.

I sent it forward, bringing light to the cavern and the room beyond. The light wasn’t ideal, especially with the lip of the skip in the way, but with my enhanced eyes it was enough to see by. A minute’s cautious verification was enough to confirm my fears. The toad-dragon was gone. I kept the coals and their skip aloft as I crept forward, waved them about as I turned a slow circle in the cavern, and finally pressed myself against the only true corner in the room, on its opposite side out of sight of kiln and dragon’s lair both. I’d hold on for as long as I could. To my relief, a full hour passed without incident of any kind. I hadn’t had to risk a quick spell recording after all.

Fireball: A large fireball the size of a man’s torso and hot as flaming coals burns hungrily over the course of an hour. It moves following the whims of its master.

It was a good spell to have in a number of situations. If I’d had it earlier my first encounter with the Mushroom-King might have gone more in my favour. The cost, of course, had been my other spells. My swords had faded a while before I’d finished recording, though the jack-o’-lanterns would last a while yet.

I felt a strange sense of guilt not having worked on my healing spell. Sure, I’d have liked to get it done, but it was my spell, and both fireball and healing served my needs, so I wasn’t letting down others or even myself. I’d keep an eye on the feeling.

The toad-dragon had left, and I would have to enter its lair to determine how and why. I wasn’t about to go in alone.

Magic Swords

Magic Swords II

I now had four blades and twice as many lights at my beck and call. I sent a light to each of the not-on-fire exits in the cavern, another deeper into the kiln room, and yet another into the dragon’s lair. The others I held near me in a loose cloud, some ahead some behind. If I needed to retreat, I’d be able to in any direction. The only delay would be me turning to see each light. If they made sound I wouldn't even have to turn. I’d add the idea to the list of potential spells.

I entered the toad-dragon’s lair, three of my weapons fanned out in front of me, one behind. It was gone.

Just to be sure I sent the swords down into the sand, stabbing at random. I had no idea how such a large creature would be able to bury itself so quickly, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

It was well I did.

The toad-dragon erupted from the ground with a shrieking roar. I spun away from the monster, faster than thought. My eyes locked on my distant light and-

Clothes Hanger

-in the instant between one spell and the next I felt the swelling return of magic, the sun rising, causing me to stagger even as-

Teleport

-I was gone, back to the kiln room. The effects of the shriek caught up with me a moment later.

As did the toad-dragon.

The shadows were still leaping and leering at me when I heard a massive crash from back they way I’d come. The toad-dragon was right behind me, its body filling the entire kiln room door and then some. I turned to see the doorway of the kiln room filled with the toad-dragon’s body.

Fireball

The spell went off in the toad-dragon’s face, hot enough that I could feel it from here. It shrieked, then shrieked again as it realized the ball of fire wasn’t fading.

Fireball II: A large fireball the size of a man’s torso and hot as flaming coals burns hungrily over the course of an hour. It moves following the whims of its master.

Fireball II

A second flame joined the first, driving the toad-dragon back. I’d instantly recorded the spell, panicking in the overstimulation brought by teleporting, shrieking and sunrise all in conjunction. As a result, I’d had to carve the spell into my mind along with Teleport, adding another rune to the mix once more. I didn’t even have my wax in hand.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

It was a relief in some sense that I could exert that much control over my body again, but it had been incredibly reckless. The spell, and rune, didn’t feel right. It felt jumpy, and kept sliding out of view.

There was no time for regrets at the moment. The fireballs seemed to have blinded the creature, but its thrashing alone was a danger to me. It might bring down the entire ceiling. I had to get out of here, and further, find more weapons. At the moment its body was between me and my swords.

I headed for the pearamid, backing up hastily.

Those drought-cursed stones.

My heel caught another at the same moment the toad-dragon launched its tail in my direction. Somehow, despite the fire in its eyes and the darkness of the room I was in its tail hit me square in the chest.

We were far enough apart that it was only enough force to make me stagger, and the blade didn’t even pierce my hardened skin, but in conjunction with the stone behind my heel it made me fall. I was getting sick of getting back to my feet, but crawling was out of the question. Even rolling around onto my hands and knees was beyond me with my injuries.

I scooted backwards on my rear end ‘til I judged myself out of range of the toad-dragon and then rocked forward into a stand. All the while I maintained my fireballs on the creature’s face, even when it retreated from them.

Now that I was standing I was able to move to my right and see enough of the cavern to control my fireballs and force the toad-dragon to the left. This freed up my “line of sight” on my invisible swords, which I sent after the toad-dragon once more once I figured out where they were.

It was slow, brutal, and cruel, but I was able to follow it into the cavern and drive the creature into a corner to be stabbed and cut at at my leisure. Its eyes were already gone, one burned, the other destroyed completely by a lucky strike of my sword. It’s tail was scored in a half dozen places. Blood wept from a dozen more wounds, especially along its sides where at it had torn through the doorway. It would take time, but I had won.

The toad-dragon thought otherwise.

It let loose a final shriek in my direction, one with enough power to fully stun me and send my runes-no, I tore my mind’s eye away just in time, focusing on the shambling men the shriek had summoned into the room instead.

The had eyes which burned with anger and faces like a demon’s. They were tall, far taller than me, even when stooped over. They walked with two legs or two legs and their long arms as they chose, often switching rapidly between the two in an awkward gait to lurch suddenly closer. When they opened their mouths their teeth were the length of my fingers.

I withdrew my swords into a semi-circle around myself, trying to match my movements. They had a penchant for slipping behind me and out of my line of sight. One wandered to close for comfort so I pulled back one of the fireballs to ward him off and...

He vanished.

He’d never been real.

I blinked rapidly. The shriek had made me hallucinate again, and I’d let up the assault on the toad-dragon meaning-I rushed my fireball back to hold it in place, but it was too late. The toad dragon had already coiled its tail under itself and now it leapt blindly, flying full force into the ceiling. Where the frogs might have died from the impact, the toad-dragon wasn’t even injured thanks to its thick hide and squat body.

The entire room shook. What few of the of the stalactites hadn’t already fallen did so now. The roof by the burning door had already been sagging. Now, like an overburdened cornice at the peak of a mountain, it collapsed, leading to an avalanche.

There was a sinkhole falling towards me, spreading faster than I could run. My only saving grace was that I was far closer to the kiln room than the hole was to me. I made it with several seconds to spare.

The toad-dragon tried to give chase, but the noise of thundering stone and snapping rocks, and its blind and burning eyes sent it leaping to the wrong side of the cavern. The ceiling collapsed across the doorway a moment later, blocking it from view.

I patted myself down, partially to check for injuries, partially to see if I was still alive. I’d survived. I’d escaped with little more than a couple bruises and reopened chest wounds. They were leaking clear fluid, which I hoped was a good sign.

My gear had been trapped in the kiln room with me which I was greatful for. Even with the holes in my gear and my hardened skin I didn’t fancy wandering the halls naked any longer. For one thing there were far too many other people down here.

All but one of my lights was trapped on the other side of the rubble. There were no cracks for them to come through, not even enough space to glimpse their glimmer.

I went over to the kiln where my gear was, put my back to the wall, and slowly got dressed. My eyes stayed locked my eyes on the far door the whole while. The toad-dragon had shown it was able to get through doorways, and I didn’t want it looping around and finding another route to catch me unawares. Hopefully the wounds I’d dealt it would eventually bring it down.

Magic Swords

I only summoned the one pair this time. If I got separated from my swords again I didn’t want to be caught off guard.

I sent the swords to go work on the far door while I waited by the kiln. Their first combined blow shattered the lock and swung the door open in a single motion revealing a hallway. I sent one light left and one right while leaving the other behind to guard the kiln room. Likewise I sent a sword off in either direction. I was not going to face the that monstrous toad unarmed.

Only once everything was in place, and my fingers were firmly threaded through my spell book’s pages did I venture to peek carefully through the gap between the hinge and the door on one side, and around the bottom of the frame on the other. To the right the hallway ended after thirty or so feet, to the left it went on beyond the range of my light. In both directions the coast was clear.

I should have been paying attention to the door.

A plate at the bottom of the frame was the trigger, one I only half stepped on darting through the doorway. It was enough.

Ceramic shattered. Before I could teleport to safety or simply dive out of the way there was a huff like a wounded bear and then the doorway was filled with fire. The fire dimmed down a moment later-

True Teleport

-and my brain caught up a moment after that. The nature of the teleport meant I was still blinded by the flare and still blinking dry eyes from the heat after I arrived. The fire had done little else. The outside of my gear was slightly stiff, and my mouth was dry, but I was otherwise unharmed. My hair and eyebrows hadn’t taken the slightest bit of damage. I wondered if they could.

The sun rose.

It had slowed again. Not that three times in five or so minutes was slow. It was undeniably convenient. I was much more confident exploring with my spells than without. The corridor helped. Even if the toad could squeeze through doorways, a network of narrow tunnels would surely slow it. Jumping was mostly out of the question.

I’d teleported past a junction I suspected led to the toad-dragon’s lair when I’d fled the fireball. It hadn’t been a conscious decision, but now I was wary of walking back past it. I’d step easier knowing the location and state of the toad-dragon—like, for instance, if the ceiling had collapsed on him—but my odds of survival and its odds of death were higher the longer I avoided it.

I couldn’t afford to be surprised. I knew already that it could leave its lair. If I confronted it there with all my spells, all the better rather than later when I had none.

I crept to the corner and cautiously peered around, one eye on my will-o-wisp which I’d sent back down the corridor to near the fireball trap.

The corridor was clear. A short stretch of twenty or so feet before it turned right again. I hated that. It meant I had to creep around another corridor, and this time my avenue of retreat was short and far more awkward. I repositioned my jack-o’-lanterns, one behind, one before, and once more crept carefully to the corner.

The toad dragon was there.

Not in the corridor, but in its lair beyond. The ruins of its eyes were focused on me. There was no way they could see me, and yet it tracked me as I crept around the corner, tracked me as I twisted myself to keep half an eye on the path of my retreat. It wasn’t hearing me. Its eardrums had clearly been destroyed at some point in our struggle.

Worrying, whatever it was.

Fireball II

The spell leapt from my brain unbidden, slipping free like urine from an incontinent child. It was a a strange comparison to make, but it was the first which entered my mind, and nothing else felt so appropriate. I felt the same mixture of shame and powerlessness I had when I’d woken to learn I’d wet the bed, amplified now as an adult, even though it had been fire to slip free instead.

Something had gone wrong in the recording.

There was no helping it now.

Magic Swords

Magic Swords II

Fireball

Six swords and two fireballs flew at the toad-dragon. It hadn’t been my choice, but thrust into it I was going to end it.

Even with an arsenal at my command the toad dragon didn’t go down easy. Blades dug deep and smoke rose from its skin, but the wounds did little to slow it. It lashed its tail out blindly in my direction, missing me, but not by nearly as much as it should have.

More wounds opened, fat hissed and split. I knew what was coming next, yet was caught off guard all the same. The toad-dragon shrieked at me, knocking me back into the wall as a forest of trees rushed out to grab me.

The toad-dragon tried to flee then. It took advantage of my lapsed assault to turn and jump into the door behind it. It was too weak. Too off balance. The door held and the toad-dragon collapsed in front of it. We worked ourselves upright at the same time.

I didn’t want to kill a fleeing creature, nor one who so doggedly stood back up again and again. I felt a kinship there. But I’d hurt it enough I had a duty at this point. And it was dangerous enough I had to finish it.

Its second leapt knocked the door from its hinges, but its body was too wide for the passage. I opened a wound near the base of its spine.

The third leap saw it through the doorway, crushing mortar and stone and leaving a bloody passage on all sides of the frame. It disappeared from view, forcing me to enter its lair if I wanted to pursue it with my weapons. I did.

I moved forward. The hallway beyond was narrower than its body. It had stopped about ten feet past the doorway, wedged in place. Its tail wound beneath it, preparing for another leap.

The walls gave me something to brace against as I stabbed. Rubbery skin which would have fallen away as I attacked was instead held in place and pierced by my blades. Its back and rear was turned into a bloody tablet, scored and marked.

The toad-dragon leapt, drawing from that seemingly endless well of strength within it. It flew down the hallway, sparks flying as stone met boney hide, and reached the end. A ‘T’ junction.

Perhaps it hadn’t been this way before, or perhaps it had been smaller last time it had passed through, but now it began to thrash and flail in space, unable to turn in the small area. Its forelegs scraped at the air, unable even to reach the ground beneath it and its tail whipped about wildly, cracking stone and causing the whole dungeon to shake. One of my blades was caught between tail and wall, scoring deep marks in both.

Despite the wounds to itself and its surroundings, or perhaps because of them, it was slowly working itself free. Inch by inch it was slipping down the corridor. I gathered my swords and sent them all for the base of its tail.

It was a numbers game. Eventually one of my blades slipped past its armoured hide, finding a weak spot or previous wound. The blade sunk deep, only evidenced by the amount of blood, and the toad-dragon’s tail went suddenly still; a mighty storm blown apart by the breeze.

It stopped gaining ground. I continued my assault, driving for the top of the head, ear canals, and belly. Minutes passed. One. Two. Five. The toad-dragon’s movements slowed. Ten. Twenty. They stopped.

I approached carefully, doing my best to pin its tail in place with my swords. It had fooled me before. And sure enough, once I was within ten feet of the toad-dragon it inflated like a bellows and let out one last deafening shriek.

The walls flew away and were replaced by an endless spinning void filled with stars. The ceiling unfolded like the petals of a flower to reveal the sun shining weakly above. Someone had taken a bite out of the sun. A black mark marred its surface. Hands reached from the hole, normal human hands, grasping desperately across the impossibly far divide. Fingertips brushed my face, intertwined themselves in locks of my hair and then—

The echoes faded. My ears kept ringing. The warlocks on the other side of the rift might have been able to hear that one. The dungeon replied with shrieks of its own. Gibbering cries and hoots and howls, mad laughter and drawn out moans. Though few matched the toad-dragon in power, they made up for it in numbers. Hopefully I wouldn’t meet the creatures behind the howls.

I stuck the toad-dragon a few more times with my swords to be sure. It didn’t move. It was over. I’d won.