"Are you sure about this?" Janessa watched her friend. "Won't this drain you?" While never understanding the reason behind fatigue striking mages after casting their spells, she did see Viola cast until she passed out from exhaustion once. Knowing the price the magic demanded, Janessa often wondered why anyone would practice such an act.
Their discussion centered on Viola's reasoning over the use of magic when she awakened a day after succumbing to exhaustion from overuse. Janessa had been irate, part of her wanted to reach out and violently shake the young mage to the point tears flowed at the fear of losing her friend.
With those memories fresh in her mind, Janessa pleaded with Viola. "Why do you want to use this... thing if it hurts you so?"
Viola tried to quell the Halfling's fears, but it was a battle neither one wanted to lose. "It doesn't hurt me. It drains me in retribution for the ability to cast the spells. The more I do it the more tolerance I build."
"Is it worth it? To be helpless and weak like that?" Janessa tried as best she could to understand, but the trade off didn't seem fair.
"Yes, it is." Viola didn't want to argue, but it seemed to be the only way to educate Janessa on what it was like. After a moment, she was sure she found a way. "Do you remember what you said it was like being with those men? How wonderful it felt for a brief moment that left you yearning for more in its absence?"
Janessa eyed her, not liking where their argument was heading. "That's different."
"Is it?" Viola pressed her advantage. "Afterwards, you're exhausted and needing to rest, but you accept that to feel the ecstasy of the moment. My art does that for me." Viola paused, throwing her legs out of bed with her eyes wide in excitement. She motioned to everything around them. "From the moment I begin to cast a spell, to the point of it leaving me is pure ecstasy." Her expression changed to one of longing, as if it'd been years since she'd seen her closest friend. "We'd do anything to get that feeling back."
Janessa stood and watched her friend throughout her narrative. The Halfling understood what she was trying to say, but she doubted magic could be as rewarding as sex. Only the look of longing on the young mage's face gave her reason to pause and question her own beliefs.
It was then, with her previous experience, that Janessa understood her friend.
Viola smiled, she knew Janessa was concerned, but she knew her own limits. "Don't fret, Jenny. We have to make sure you're right on the location of the tunnel entrance." She raised her right hand and called the spell to mind, an easy feat considering how many times she had scribed it at her master's command. Viola focused on what they wanted to find while preparing to recite the spell. Timing was important; if her concentration slipped in the slightest, the spell would lead them astray at worst, and fail at best.
Janessa stood grim, hurt as if Viola had struck her. "I checked it out myself." She muttered to herself. "Don't you trust me?" Although she spoke under her breath and it usually took quite a bit to disturb Viola's concentration, Janessa proved to be up to the task that time.
The look of concentration left Viola's face and she turned to the Halfling. "What? Of course, I trust you."
Janessa's face twisted in agitation. "Do you?"
"Damn it, Jenny, if I didn't, would I be here with you now? I just want to be certain that we're not making any mistakes."
"Really? Seems to me you want to experience your magic." The hurt and scorn in Janessa's voice was unmistakable.
Viola prepared to say something in rebuttal but stopped herself. Something inside urged her to cast the spell anyway to spurn Janessa. She ignored that voice, though it was more difficult than she could've imagined. "I'm sorry, you're right." Viola lowered her hand, clenching it into a fist to stop her trembling. "We have to hurry; it's nearly time for us to meet Berek and his friend."
Janessa's face changed when she smiled, having won a battle she hadn't realized she'd been fighting. The two made their way to the wall where they felt safest performing the levitation spell.
Somewhere deep inside Viola, a voice muttered, "So close." She didn't recognize the voice, and that caused her to tremble all the more.
*****
No matter how many times she experienced the feeling of floating through the air, Janessa never grew tired of the experience. The feeling and sight of her feet leaving solid ground was one of the most amazing things one could witness in their lifetime. She assumed she'd get to experience it multiple times that evening, if she was lucky. As their feet touched down on the grass outside Hope's wall, Janessa glanced at her friend. Janessa's excitement during a spell like that was always countered by a guilty feeling at the toll it took on Viola.
The instant rush of fatigue swept through Viola at the moment the euphoric feel of the magic left her. As she explained on several occasions to Janessa, the sudden feeling of loss drove her to cast more spells; the more power she wielded, the more the euphoria grew. At least, that was her perception of how it would work. While most mages wished only to become powerful and have their names passed through the centuries, Viola wanted to feel the warming glow of her magic; the prestige would be a natural offspring of her work with the legacy of her name. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand straight to let Janessa know it wasn't too much of a strain.
Janessa watched Viola for an anxious moment before nodding her understanding. Then, with that settled for the moment, she turned her attention to the trees and bushes standing thirty feet away. "We'd best get moving." Janessa hated being exposed after the events of the previous night. Through the force of her will, Janessa kept her voice steady. Of all the experiences of the world, she felt it'd be safer facing an army of Ogres rather than being surprised by another group of bandits. Irrational as the thought was, it made perfect and complete sense to her.
Sensing Janessa's urgency to leave the wide open killing field by the city's wall, Viola agreed, though at least, there they had a chance of the city's guard hearing them. She shook her head at the thought. After dark, Sherriff Tavers and his men didn't care what happened outside their walls so long as the city itself wasn't under attack. As flawed as Janessa's reasons seemed to the young mage, they were safer in the forest. Assuming they hadn't been seen yet and walked into another ambush. With little choice, the two made their way into the protective cover of the forest.
*****
Unseen against the night sky, a winged figure circled until it landed at the last bend in the road leading to Hope. Fech's red eyes glowed as he inspected the corpses of the Nursk Brothers. Such a shame, Fech mused, that I hadn't been able to witness their deaths first hand. While the three of them were under the employ and care of Renard, they had no love for one another. Mortal enemies, the Ogres and gargoyle races often clashed, even devouring each other after a conflict. Gargoyles did so because many believed them to be nothing more than brainless beasts. Ogres did it because they were brainless beasts. At least, so far as Fech believed. Truth of the matter being, Gargoyles did so for sustenance, but also as the ultimate insult. What could possibly be worse for one's enemy than to know their fate was as excrement?
Fech eyed the two corpses. Since he hadn't taken part in the battle, he wouldn't lower himself to feed off of something he didn't kill. Besides, Ogre flesh had a strange, slimy taste to it. He was impressed with the skill the two humans showed to best the Nursk Brothers. Fech liked to believe he would've held his own against both brothers, and even though he most likely would've lost, it would've been a fight the survivors would remember the rest of their lives.
His thoughts stopped short in his assessment when he spotted a third pair of footprints in the dirt. Though they were difficult to make out, they didn't belong to the Ogres and were too small to belong to either Gilliam or Berek. The impression left told of a weight about that of an adult human. Fech sniffed the air before lowering his head to the footprints. The smell of the Ogres covered the other scents in the area, leaving his question unanswered. A shame, he was curious as to who helped them.
Knowing he would face Renard's anger for not knowing more as he was expected to, Fech stretched out his wings and leapt into the air. He would claim he arrived too late to aid the Ogres — such a pity — and then decided to search for the humans. A lie, of course. Despite what his master believed, Berek and his uncle weren't as great a threat as the mage turned merchant was.
Fech's wings caught the prevailing wind and lifted him high above the forest canopy so he could turn his attention to the city of Hope. Renard wasn't concerned about Mern since he was no longer of use, but Fech knew better. Until he could prove his feeling about the mage was correct, he planned on not informing his master about it. It pained him to lie to one that treated him with so much generosity, but in the end, he knew he'd be rewarded.
*****
The three companions crouched at the edge of a clearing to meet the Halfling and mage. Galin, as Dwarves are known to do, grumbled while he wiped his sore, blood-covered arm on the grass. "We should've washed this off before coming here. Skulking about smelling like Ogres will keep your friends away."
Gilliam and Berek exchanged glances and then smiled. They knew they smelled bad, and hoped to see the two women before they ran off from the stench. Though Gilliam couldn't shake the feeling his nephew was in danger due to his abilities, he did force himself to make peace with it and even learned to depend on Berek's night vision. Any fear he had after seeing Berek's sword burst into flames vanished when he realized how close he came to losing the one person that may have understood him. They even found a common ground over the grumbling of the Dwarf. While he never knew any Dwarves before, Gilliam accepted the stories about them as fact. As with much he learned over the previous day, those "facts" had been nothing more than irresponsible tales to scare children.
As funny as it sounded, Gilliam was pleased to have his world turned upside down by his nephew. His faith was stolen by his nephew only to be strengthened by the courage of the young man and the honor shown by the Dwarf. Gilliam dared anyone to speak ill of the Dwarven race to him after what Galin displayed out of friendship and with nothing to gain. His main concern now was how much power did his nephew possess? Unlike other magic users he heard of, Berek needed no spell books or other components to work his magic. The magic seemed to come to him from some other source. Instead of being the instrument the magic was channeled through, Berek became the source of the magic. Thoughts about what could happen if Berek ever lost control and let the magic rule him coursed through the cleric's mind. Over the years, Gilliam had heard stories about what happened to magic users that lost control. Their end wasn't pleasant in the slightest.
Gilliam's thoughts were interrupted by a rustle in the bushes thirty feet to their left. He reached out, touching Galin's arm to silence him and glanced at Berek. Whether the young fighter heard or seen something with his night vision Gilliam wasn't sure, but the smile on his nephew's face was genuine. "They're here."
*****
Viola snatched her arm from a branch that decided to take hold of her robe. The resulting rustle of the branches caused Janessa to turn and give her a look of warning, causing the young mage to shrug to say sorry. Viola shook her head when Janessa turned away and continued through the forest. It'd been a rough go of it through the forest for her. Viola's brown robes managed to get snagged on nearly every branch, she tripped over vines, brush, and the occasional log nature had to offer. She had never experienced that much trouble walking through woods before then. Viola was usually as quiet as an Elf, as the saying went. She convinced herself that the woods were conspiring against her. Just as she decided on that, she stepped on the side of a root and fell into a bush.
Frustrated and angry, Janessa turned around glaring at her. The Halfling fought to keep her voice at a whisper. "You sound like a drunken Goblin! Are you trying to draw attention to us?"
Viola looked up at her friend with a glare of her own, hissing back, "It's not my fault. Someone's magiked the forest." She paused as a disgusting smell came to her. From the look on Janessa's face, she smelled it too. "What is that?" Three figures stepped out from their hiding place in answer to Viola's whispered question.
"Ogres. We ran into a couple of them." Berek stepped forward first, his night vision was gone as he didn't need it with the break in the canopy above them.
"Ogres?" Janessa's voice rose both in alarm and out of curiosity.
Viola's tone was more controlled. "Are there any more?" She glanced around at the forest, half expecting something to leap out at any moment. Like most children, she was told all sorts of stories about them, and like most, she would be happy to never meet one in person.
"We're not that unlucky, lass; there were only two." Galin shook his head. "Damn things smell bad enough when they're living."
Janessa stared at Galin for a moment until she recognized him. "You sold me my dagger."
Galin smiled. "Galin Stonehammer, at your service, lass."
Janessa watched the three of them in momentary confusion, until realizing Galin would want part of the treasure... if they found it. So be it, Janessa thought. He was kind and generous to me. It can't hurt to repay my gratitude. She was puzzled, though. "How'd you get in on this?"
Galin smiled and glanced at Berek. "Let's just say, it was a charitable contribution."
Gilliam answered their shared questions before they were asked. "We had a disagreement with our former employer."
Janessa nodded. "I see." But she wasn't sure she did. The sight of the three of them covered in yellow muck — she guessed it was the Ogres' blood — unnerved her. She recovered, reasoning that if they'd wanted to kill them, they would've. Janessa was well aware that Viola and she would only stand a chance against one of them, but not all three. The sense of trust she had since they first met was renewed.
Viola understood their meaning. At least, she thought she did. It was as if she were two people — twins, so to speak — one being ethereal, guiding her with answers to questions she hadn't known yet.
With her confidence restored, Janessa smiled at the three companions. "I guess we're ready. I found the entrance to the tunnels. It's in Peasant's View."
"Peasant's View?" Gilliam thought it was a strange name for a village or town. "I don't remember any other villages around here."
Galin shook his head in astonishment. "First Ogres, then a fool's errand, and now a haunted town."
Berek raised his eyebrows. "You've heard of it, then?"
Galin looked at him with an irritated eye. "Aye, lad. Mostly stories, if you believe such nonsense."
"Oh, it's true, but I haven't seen any ghosts, though." Janessa smiled. She neglected mentioning she heard strange sounds coming from there from time to time.
Viola remained silent. She was never one to believe such stories, but all the same, her craft dealt with powers that were hard to believe.
Galin glanced at Gilliam. "If it's true, I'm glad to have you with us, lad."
Gilliam smiled at the Dwarf. Yes, it was true, he was sure of it. During his travels, he came across a specter or two, but never anything dangerous. "It's been my experience that they can't do us harm. Their weapon is fear, conquer that and you conquer them."
Viola smiled, though not sure why. She was glad to have a mystic with them to help bolster them against any spirits.
Berek shook his head with a chuckle. "Ghost stories never bothered me. When do we get started?"
In answer, Viola pulled a scroll out of a hidden pocket within her robes. "I had hoped to use this. So long as we all keep our minds focused on where we're going, it'll transport us there."
Janessa looked at her a little hurt. "No levitation?"
Viola smiled. At times, her friend could sound like the child she closely resembled. "I don't like the idea of going back through this forest again." She didn't have to say why, the Halfling understood.
So did another member of their group. Gilliam noticed the smile Berek hid as soon as it appeared. The cleric leaned close to Berek and whispered low enough so no one else could hear him, "Your doing?"
Berek gave a subtle nod and Gilliam stood straight again. He understood why, smelling like Ogres would've scared off anyone unless they were preoccupied. He guessed Berek magiked the forest to torment any magic user since they knew of the mage. Poor girl, Gilliam thought, she didn't have a clue as to why she'd been tormented so.
"Everyone come close, we have to be within arm's reach of one another for this to work." Viola opened the scroll and read the phrase several times under her breath to make sure she had it correct. Once she felt the magic swell in her and the euphoria began, she closed the scroll. "Concentrate on Peasant's View." She paused a moment to ensure they all obeyed before beginning to recite the spell. When the spell began, she heard the Dwarf say something about two magic users in a party being bad luck. Viola remained focused on their destination and felt them being pulled like a string through a funnel while wondering who else the Dwarf had been referring to. Across from her, the words of the spell were absorbed into Berek's mind, into his entire being. He knew another way to cast the spell, though he was curious as to how it was so apparent to him.
*****
As the group of five disappeared to begin their journey, a lone elderly figure sat in his room holding a dragon orb. He knew who caused his apprentice to struggle in the forest as well as the young man's ability that was mostly hidden, even from himself. Mern smiled. Here was the one that could be used to further his own agenda. The young man was dangerous, but not to him. No, the aging wizard had no need to fear him. At least, not yet. All of those thoughts and revelations Mern kept hidden from his master even as he used the dragon orb to renew his strength. His master watched his every move, read his thoughts except those that remained hidden. Everything was working better than he could've hoped; soon his patience would be rewarded.