StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Preface: I write installments of this in chapters which typically range between 6 and 15 type written pages in length. I have posted the first few chapters elsewhere, but figure the audience here will enjoy it.

If you have issues with or are uncomfortable reading non-graphic homosexuality this may not be the wok of fiction for you.

Also note: The world itself is a collaborative work by myself and one named Frigidmagi who posted here long ago. The characters however, for the time being, are all original and of my own design. Any resemblance they may have to real individuals living or dead may not necessarily be a coincidence as I used people from my actual existence for inspiration. But they are not intended to represent those individuals.

The Price of Power.

Chapter 1

Thalen poured over his books. His exam was in an hour, and he needed to know as much as he could. Or in this case, at least have it in his working memory for when he took the exam.

“Alright, so a mindscape works because the folds of the brain are really the fabric of another dimension.” he read in the gigantic leather-bound tome that served as his Mentalism textbook.
“I navigate it through the force of my own will.” he thought for a moment on that. How would he know where to go? He dismissed the thought, he would probably figure that out, it was his own mindscape after all. He continued reading. In what seemed like only a few minutes, the little trained bird that watched the water clock outside began to squawk and holler uncontrollably. The young wizard stood up from the stool he was sitting on and closed the book. Of medium height, and build with short cropped dark brown hair, Thalen was wearing a simple white robe and a pair of sandals. The standard garb for students of magic. He strapped a belt to his waist along with the sheath that contained a simple straight dagger. He stretched, and as he did so the sleeves of his robe fell down his arm revealing them to be crisscrossed with faint scars. The room he studied in was his. Senior students got their own rooms. That did not say much, it was fairly barren. It had a cold stone floor. A fireplace on the north wall, a bed with wool blankets on the south wall, and on the west wall by the window there was a desk and chair, with an attached bookshelf (which was filled with books). Right next to the bed there was a recess in the stone wall which served as a closet.

He walked over to his closet and pulled out a staff as long as he was tall. It had an iron cap on each end on which runes were engraved, and leather was wrapped around the middle.

“Ah, hello my pretty. Well, before the end of the day, you will either be infused with magic, or I will be dead, either way the world becomes a brighter place, no?” He chuckled and patted the staff, then left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He stalked down the hall, careful not to disrupt the other students where were also preparing for their final test.

He got to the ritual chamber just as another student was being removed on a litter, his wrists cut too deep and his skin a pale colorless white. He was barely alive, his breath coming in short raged gasps. Thalen grimaced at the thought that it could soon be he who was carried out in that, or worse, condition.

“Thalen?”

“Yes Magus” the apprentice replied. The mage administering the test was covered head to toe in black robes, and a face mask such that nothing was visible of who he was. He had even magically altered his voice to be unrecognizable.

“Are you ready to face your final test?”

“Yes ”

“Then enter, and know that fear and doubt can cripple, or serve.”

Thalen walked into the candle lit room, where there was a raised platform on which sat a groove and a cushion. He walked solemnly toward the platform and sat on the cushion. He then placed his staff into the groove and removed the dagger from his belt. He placed his left wrist on his staff, and made a small incision with the dagger across his wrist, not to deep, just enough to nick the blood vessels. He wanted to give himself enough time to complete the ritual. He did the same thing with his right wrist. Then he closed his eyes and chanted the words of the spell to focus his mind and force his will upon the universe.

He started to glow a shimmering blue, and a small portion of the blood ebbing from his wrists was consumed in a red mist to power the spell. His eyes flew open as globes of pure white, the pupils, irises, and even blood vessels seemingly erased from their surface.

…

“So this is what my mindscape looks like?” He spoke to himself as he floated in a dark space. Candles drifted everywhere providing illumination. Little portals glimmered every so often, and opened, showing him images of his fond and not so fond memories. Memories of his father making him braid the whip that would be used to flog him, and memories of casting his first spell. All floated in space and could be recalled to mind with but a thought. But it was not for these that he came. He looked past all of the distractions of his life to the center of his mindscape. There it was. A massive silver-white orb of energy. He willed himself forward toward it. When he arrived seconds later, he moved to touch it, but was blocked by a some sort of mystic shield.

“Looking for this?” said a shadowy figure, holding a rod in its hand. Thalen looked at the rod and recognized immediately what it was. The key to his true power, the rod that would unlock his ability to channel the necessary magic into his staff.

“Yeah, I am. Hand it over”

“I think not. You lack the strength to be worthy of it” The shadowy figure said as it started to move away from the orb and into the recesses of Thalen’s mindscape. Thalen raised his hand and attempted to cast a spell that would hold the figure, but no magic came to him.

“See! You fail even the most basic spells! Better that you die in your trance like so many others, than continue to drain the resources of this guild!” The figure laughed and made little sounds that mimicked very loud water drops.

“Drop drop drop, just like the water clock. Your time alive drains like the sands, your blood ebbs in crimson bands.” laughed the mind-shade.

Thalen began to feel despair, hopelessness. The being had not cast a spell, but he may as well have. He may as well have shot an arrow through Thalen’s courage. But something that the Magus had said before stuck in his mind. This creature was his doubt, his fear. When confronted with these feelings when conscious he would overpower them. His conscious will and drive to succeed would save him from failure. Such would it be here. Just as fear could be a tool, so would it be here.

“Stop” Thalen said with a strong voice, and complete conviction. He forced every ounce of his willpower into the wraith. And it stopped moving away.

“You think you can stop me, just by commanding it? You fool” it said, and attempted to resist. For what seemed like an eternity, the two stared at each other, saying nothing. Their wills locked in a life or death struggle for control. The shadowy figure pushed, pushed hard into Thalen’s consciousness, attempting to destroy his will with self-loathing and doubt. But Thalen pushed back. He erected a mental barrier comprised of his own happy memories. Memories of his successes, rational disproof of his own doubts and perceived short-comings. Finally, he broke through, and the strangling influence on Thalen’s power was lifted. He lifted his hand again and thought of how one moves my contracting muscles, and thought of that contraction being impeded. He spoke the words that would focus his will and felt the power surge within him, and the figure stopped moving, paralyzed.

“Do you yield?” Thalen asked. He need not let it move and answer, he knew what the answer was.

“Come to me then.” Thalen commanded and lifted the spell. The creature obeyed and floated toward him

“Give me the key” Thalen intoned. The creature gave him the rod it was carrying. Thalen commanded the being to kneel before him, and raised the rod like a lord would raise a sword during a knighting.

“Do you swear fealty to my will, to serve me rather than force servitude?” The creature was beaten, conquered, it nodded in assent. “Do you swear to show yourself only when it is in my interests? Only when doing so will prevent a mistake of judgment? Do you swear to balance my confidence and arrogance, to temper my power with fear of bad consequences?”

“I swear it”

Thalen tapped the wraith on the shoulders and it transformed from a being cloaked in darkness to a creature swathed in white. A balancing, moderating influence on the corruption that all power brings. And it stood by, smiling approvingly.

“Now, what to do with you?” Thalen said, he could feel his blood ebbing away, he didn’t have much time before he succumbed to the ritual despite his success. He had to make a quick decision. He grabbed the orb, which was larger than his head, and began to suck it into his mouth. Like breathing in a cloud of smoke, it came apart and willingly entered into his body. Into his conscious mind. The moment the orb was entirely consumed, he awakened back in his body. The staff in front of him glowed with an other-worldly light at his touch. But his blood was still flowing free from his cut wrists. He took hold of the staff and spoke with confidence words of power. Mist began to form in a small cloud around Thalen’s wrist, lingered for a moment, and when it dissipated, leaving his wrists healed with only a light scar. A small amount of the blood on his wrist was consumed in the spell, becoming the new flesh..

Thalen got up, staff in hand, and exited the room in triumph. The Magus removed his cowl to reveal a bearded man in late life. He had gray hair and wrinkled features, but piercing hazel eyes. The type that if gazed in to for to long, seemed to gaze back into one’s soul. it was Thalen's master, Gias.

“You have passes the Test Thalen. But your trials are not over. You have been given the rank of Journeyman in the Guild. But as the name entails, you cannot stay here. You must travel, learn, and ply your craft"

"Yes Master" the young Journeyman replied

…

Thalen opened the door to the streets of the city of Palas. Immediately the smell of squalid city air assaulted his senses. The ruckus, hustle and bustle of a city teaming full of people besieged his ears.

“Home sweet home” he bitterly remarked as he stepped into the streets. It had been some time since had had ventured forth from the walls of the guild's semi-secret school. He was no longer clad in the uniform of a student, but now in the utilitarian garb of a traveler. A simple set of brown breaches and a good set of boots, a green tunic with a brown vest, with a cloak draped about his shoulders and reaching midway between his knees and feet. He held his staff in his left hand, and a dagger was sheathed on his right hip, a longsword on his left. He also carried a pack with trail rations, small canvas tent and a bedroll. Along with the bandoleer of pouches that carried his spell components, dissection kit and other minutia, another satchel carried the condensed version of his notes on every conceivable subject. A very heavy tome, made light, waterproof and fire resistant by the magical runes inscribed on the leather cover. Thalen moved toward the city gates very cautiously. While magic was not strictly forbidden in the shining realms, if he was recognized as a wizard the results would depend on the weather and how good the most recent harvest was. A normal person might be able to slip through a city unnoticed. But all wizards carry a staff, which made them recognizable The other problem was that wizards always smell somewhat better than the other filthy denizens of the city partially because of the things they carried around as spell components, partially because they tended to be Aristocrats, or kept company with them.

And of course this thought struck home to Thalen when he looked around and saw people crossing the street to avoid him. Some even chose to walk through a gutter filled with the contents of chamber pots and other refuse than share a path with him. Thalen shook his head. But then a shrieking wail beset his ears from across the street.

“No! My son! My only son!” came the sad moaning. Then a woman came out of her doorway, clutching her fever-killed baby in her arms. As soon as this happened, Thalen knew he was in trouble. He was obviously a wizard, and he was nearby when a child had died. He looked around, and everyone was looking at him.

“Woah now, I just got here” he said, trying to placate them. “Children die all the time, a wizard is not to blame for fever or starvation”

“How did you know it was fever?” Said a large man next to the dead woman, who had traded crying and grieving for a frenzied glare, the glare that only comes when a scapegoat for her misery was found.

“It’s the most common! Everything causes fever except for starvation. Even an infected wound causes fever. Gods, I just got here I didn’t do this, why would I?”

“We do not question the motivations of sorcerers! You have sold your souls that is all we need to know!” cried another peasant. They were starting to grab various implements now. Shovels, pitchforks, brooms, all of them had become weapons and were looming with lethal intent.

“HE DID IT! HE KILLED MY BABY!” screamed the woman, pointing at him, desperate for someone to blame, anyone would do.

“BURN HIM!” came another cry

“CLEANSE THE EVIL FROM OUR MIDST!” came another

“I hate the Shining Realms” Thalen thought to himself as he bolted. He ran down the street as fast as his legs could carry him, and the angry serfs followed, some of them had torches now. Where they got lit torches in the middle of the day on such short notice Thalen had no idea, and was not about to stick around and ask. As he ran, more peasants joined the angry mob that followed him, eager to join in any mob threatening to burn someone. He turned around and raised his staff toward them. He took his sword partly out of its scabbard and cut his hand on the exposed section of blade. Then spoke several words in the language of magic, then thrust his bloody hand forward, slamming one end of his staff to the ground. The blood draining from his hand was consumed in the spell, vanishing in a flash of white light, and the cut sealed up. A shimmering gossamer barrier materialized out of the air where his hand stopped. As a result the first wave of his attackers slammed into it and were pressed into it by the mob behind them. The wall would only last a few moments, but it would give Thalen a chance to hide. He ducked into a side street and took a piece of chalk from one of his pouches. He found a recess in a wall and drew several runes on the inner edge. He tapped he runes with his staff, and they glowed red for a moment. Nothing appeared to happen from Thalen’s point of view, but from the outside it appeared as if the recess he was in did not exist, that it was filled in with wattle and daub. The screaming horde of shopkeepers and serfs passed by him, the city guard was now moving in, trying to gain control of the mob which if not brought under control would set the city ablaze.

They encircled the crowd truncheons in hand, and locked their kite-shaped shields together to form a wall. The seething mass crashed against them like waves on a rocky coast. Thalen watched as the guards shoved them back with their shields and brought their truncheons down in one fluid movement, knocking the first line of rioters into submission. The guard continued to move in, in lock step. Holding off shovels and pitchforks with their large shields and armor, violently arresting anyone who resisted and restoring order. Thalen watched in amazement as the guards rested peace and quiet out of the hands of chaos through brute force and breath-taking cruelty.

“Damn… I should probably go” he said to himself. Normally he might feel sorry for people being beaten into the ground by armored soldiers, but he just couldn't bring himself to this time. He left the shelter of his illusion and walked down the side street to the next main thoroughfare and hoped he had better luck avoiding other people’s misfortune.
….

The young mage exited the city and stood on open ground. The dirt road under his feet, a grassy meadow bordered by forest before him. He felt free, he felt safer and more comfortable than he did within the city walls. Bandits and nightmarish creatures could not possibly hold a candle to a mob of angry peasants, he thought to himself Thalen took an exuberant step forward, then another. In a few minutes he had passed through the cleared no-man’s-land outside the walls. The shadows of the forest enveloped him, and he reveled in it. It was not as if he was alone however. A small but steady stream of travelers and merchant wagons were entering and exiting the city at this time of day. Each one entering being accosted, checked for contraband and taxed. The ones who exited were barely given a nod.

Despite the security of the city itself, the roads were unguarded, and merchants were forced to hire their own security. Looking around, Thalen could tell how wealthy, and how likely it was for a merchant to be robbed blind and left for dead along the road based upon the look of his guards. Wealthy merchants had professional sell-swords . Reputable and well equipped. The less wealthy were either in the company of cutthroats (who themselves were probably going to rob him), or the less well-equipped individuals probably hired in a tavern or other such common area.

It was not long before a cart pulled up to him, and Thalen turned around to meet a possible attacker, only to see a friendly face.

“Hey there” said the driver, a middle aged man in leathers, his hair was gray and he had a well trimmed beard. In the back of his cart was straw with barrels of distilled spirits nestled carefully within. At the rear of the cart were two men in chain mail armor with swords at their belts and crossbows slung over their backs. At the front next to the driver was a man in a combination of leather and chain, with a triangular shield and a mace. His helmet however obscured his face from view, but a small amount of blond hair escaped from around the chain mail coif he wore. .

“Good day sir.” said the young mage. “To what may I owe the pleasure?”

“Well” said the driver “ I am a merchant on my way home to the Free City of Calarus and I was wondering if you needed a lift?” There had to be an angle, no one offered to share their trade-cart, food, and tent space with someone unless there was something to gain. What the angle was of course was obvious. It was always advantageous to have a wizard with you. To provide extra firepower in case of attack, to help avoid unfair (corrupt) taxation, and make sure business deals go smoothly. A peasant may not think of that, but a well-traveled merchant was probably more educated with a cosmopolitan nature… Or at least more self interested than zealously superstitious and oppressed.

“And in return I take it I am to provide you with what magical services would be useful to a traveling merchant?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Judging from your guards, and the fact that you have trade rounds that extend this far north and west from your home, you are well off and experienced. If I were in your position, I would see a sorcerer walking along the road and do the exact same thing” The young man smiled, and strolled up to the side of the wagon and offered his hand. The merchant grinned back, shook his head and accepted.

“The name is Thalen, and I would be honored to travel with you.”

“Matthias” said the merchant then hoisted the wizard up into the wagon. “These are my retainers. I will let you make introductions”

The one up front was the first to offer his hand, and Thalen was immediately taken by him. In his armor, Thalen could tell he was broad shouldered, and slightly taller than he was. And from the outstretched hand and forearm, Thalen could tell he was well built. But that was secondary. What really got him was the smile, and his eyes. His eyes were bright blue, much like Thalen’s own, and his smile made Thalen inwardly melt like candle wax.

“Aiden” he said, his voice soft and genial

‘Steel yourself ’ Thalen inwardly ordered himself. This would be a very pleasant, and very frustrating trip. He made no outward sign of how he internally reacted to Artemis save to smile warmly back and return the handshake. But he did think he detected a rush of red on Aiden's face, but brushed it off as wishful thinking.

The other two, the one’s with crossbows sitting in the back, legs dangling off the sides turned around, but did not move. They raised their hands and waved

“Tobias” said the one on the left, a man with a black beard so thick, other facial features could not be determined

“Sabian” said the one on the right. His had green eyes, sandy blonde hair, and looked to be about Thalen and Aiden's age, though it was obvious from the scar running down the left side of face that he had been on the bad end of a fight or six.

“A pleasure to meet you all” Thalen said before sitting down in the back among the barrels.

….

The rest of the day passed without much incident, and the troupe traveled well past nightfall. As it was not a good idea to camp directly on the road, and no suitable clearing was present.

The moon was high in the sky when they finally found a clearing along the side of the road and set up camp. Matthias cleared a space for the fire-pit, while Tobias, Sabian and Aiden set up the tents. Thalen gathered firewood.

“Damn, all of the wood is wet, it must have rained”cursed Aiden as he bent down and tried to use flint and steel to ignite some pine-cones, leaves and pine needle that had been thrown together as tinder.

“Leave that to me” Thalen began to shape his spell. He stretched his hand toward the pile if tinder, kindling, and fuel, and he concentrated. He brought the knowledge of how evaporation worked into his mind, and with a flick of his wrist, sent just enough energy into the tinder, kindling, and fuel to do the job. The spell was so simple that he need not use any other conduits or foci to cast the spell with no ill effects. He then took out a flint and steel, and struck a few sparks, which caught the tinder and soon ignited the wood.

“ And here I was expecting an explosion” said Aiden

“ It was not needed. Explosions are difficult to control sometimes and I wouldn’t want to risk hurting you, or anyone else” he added, grinning wide, making sure to put a flirtatious emphasis on the sentence. He watched Aiden's reaction, and for a brief instant, thought he saw the other man blush. But it could have just been the firelight

The group ate by the campfire, trail rations, which typically included dried fruit, nuts, and salt pork, along with whatever else could be found along the road, in this case, a rabbit and some wild roots that Thalen managed to find and dig up.

“Where did you find these?” Sabian asked after finishing his second bowl of the resulting stew.

“See those bushes over there?”

“Yeah”

‘The berries and leaves are poisonous, but the roots are fantastic, especially with the leaves from the little herb over on the other side of that tree” he said, pointing to the locations. The roots were found on the west side of camp, farthest from the road, the herb was found on the south side of the clearing.

“How the hell do you know this stuff?”

“Apprentices are taught herb lore in addition to magic. Learning about plant life, what is edible, what isn’t, and how to treat illness and injury without resort to magic is required for all who train formally, because there may be situations where we may not be able to do anything magically, or have more people to help than our endurance allows. We all spend seven years with our noses in books, in the garden tending plants and animals, or in the field learning about nature before we are ever permitted anywhere near magic”

With that, the conversation ended, and talk of who would take watch and when began once dinner was finished.

“I will take first watch” Aiden chimed in. No one bothered to contest it.

Thalen spoke up next claiming second, Sabian third, and Tobias forth, and Matthias getting up early to make breakfast. That made for five two hour watches.

As the rest of them filed into their tents, removed their armor, and went to sleep until they were called to their watch, Thalen stayed outside.

“Aren’t you going to bed?” Aiden asked

“After my watch. I am a bit of an owl actually, and once I go to sleep I like to stay that way. Besides, I thought you might like the company” he said with a smirk on his face, barely visible to his new friend. The truth was, he wanted the company more than he thought the other did.

“I certainly would enjoy the company” Aiden said with that same irresistible smile, and Thalen thought he detected a hint of that flirtatious emphasis he himself used before.

The two young men both sat next to each other on a log by the fire, letting it’s warmth wash over them and keep out the night chill. They were not far enough south to not have to deal with cold nights.

“So, how did you come into Matthias’ service?” Thalen asked after a moment of silence that seemed to him to drag on for an hour or more.

“Well, I was a squire to a knight living outside Calarus, but he apparently had a gambling problem. Eventually he lost his manor and he was taken into bondage. Members of his household were forced to leave and find other lines of work. I found Matthias and started serving as one of his house retainers. Sabian and Tobias are brothers, they were some of Sir Gethra‘s men at arms. They have been with Matthias as long as I have.”

‘Ah, I see, how long would that be now?”

“About… five years now.”

“That is a long time. Almost makes you family to be together that long…”

“Yeah, I suppose it does.” Aiden trailed off a bit, and looked into the fire. The look on his face told Thalen of sad memories, but in a few seconds he returned to reality and asked a question of his own.”

“So what brings you to the road?”

“It is a long story to tell in full, but my mother was wed in an arranged marriage to a priest of Balzan.”

“Gods I am sorry”

“Hah! So you know what I mean then… Yes, I was raised by one of them, up in the Northern Crusader Kingdoms where they have a lot of sway. My mother, my two siblings and I fled during my tenth winter. We moved to Palas. My mother managed to take with her a small fortune and enrolled me in the Lord’s Academy in Palas. I showed a talent for magic as well as natural philosophy, so was, unknown to my mother, taken into the Guild. I became a Journeyman this morning, dodged being burned at the stake this afternoon, and here I am with you by a camp fire heading south.”

They chatted further for two hours, until it was time for Thalen to start his watch

“I suppose this means you are turning in?” Thalen asked as Aiden got up. Dropping the hint through voice tone that he didn’t want to see him go.

“Not at all, just putting wood on the fire” he said as he picked up a log and stacked it on the hot coals, quickly setting it alight.

“Gods it’s cold” he said as he sat down, a tad closer to Thalen than he was before

At that second, Thalen made a quick decision and decided to take a small risk. He gripped the side of his cloak and wrapped it around his friend, along with his arm. Instead of shrinking away like Thalen half expected, Siden nestled in and scooted in closer, his armored body finding and occupying every bit of empty space between them.

“Thanks” he said, smiling and snaking his hand through the cloak to wrap around Thalen’s lower back

“It’s what I’m here for” Thalen replied turning his head toward Aiden

“I thought you were here for your magic” he said, leaning in a bit to kiss Thalen’s head through his hair, sending what felt like little electric sparks throughout Thalen’s body.

“No, that is what I was hired for, this is what I am here for” Thalen said, then pulled Aiden closer and planted a kiss on his lips, which was passionately returned.


Their kiss was not to last long however. Not ten meters from the fire, just out of its light, they heard a branch snap, and subsequent angry muttering.

“ALARM!” Thalen cried as he and Aiden disentangled themselves. The former squire grabbed his shield and mace, Thalen picked up his staff. They could hear the others awaken and struggle to arm themselves. Arrows flew free from their bowstrings and sailed with lethal intent toward the two men. Thalen threw his hand out and made a twisting motion, and forced his will upon the world. He spoke a single word in the language of magic, and forced a protective barrier of hurricane force wind to swirl around them, knocking every arrow off course. None hit their desired targets, but rather they sunk into trees or the ground, a few even broke upon hitting rocks. It would only be a few seconds before they reloaded their bows. Aiden charged into the area where the nearest of the arrows had existed, holding his shield out in front of him to protect him from their lethal shafts.

Thalen muttered a few words and removed some iron filings from his pouches. The filings disappeared, and his staff glowed in a gray hue. His robes and cloak took on a metallic glint, and so did the leather portions of Artemis’ armor.

Aiden reached his target. The idiot had not relocated after firing and was caught trying to knock his arrow. Aiden swung his mace and beneath it came a blood curdling scream, just before a loud crack was heard and the blood of the archer was spattered all over the nearby trees, his head crushed into a pulp.

Thalen found spell casting much easier now that he had a staff to channel the majority of his power away from him, still combat would take its toll.

‘damn, we need to overcome these bastards quickly, or I will be out of the fight’ he thought to himself as several archers let loose their arrows at him. He paid them no mind, his ward should protect him from their arrows, but they just revealed their position temporarily. Sure enough, the arrows hit him. However they did not penetrate his robes, which flashed white with each arrow. The three archers who fired at him were not near Aiden, and were relatively close together. He would , need to react quickly. He removed a bit of sulfur from his robes and spoke words in the language of magic. He clenched his hand into a fist and then released the grip. He heated the air in the area of the bandits to a temperature so hot, the very air was set alight. The air expanded in a powerful fiery blast that stripped the trees and bushes of their leaves. The screams of the dying could be heard through the inferno as their clothes, armor, and flesh burst into flames and was consumed. Thalen paid a price for this however. His method was inefficient. Some of the energy was channeled directly through him and he fell to a knee gritting his teeth against pain that ravaged every nerve. He felt his vision begin to blur and his field of vision constrict. Thalen fought unconsciousness, and despite his pain and blurred vision forced himself to stand. ‘Just a few more seconds’ he though, and the pain would subside.

Aiden was in bad straights as well. The blast wave, while it had not hurt him had startled him and left him slightly off guard. Four bandits had changed their bows for longswords and he was now backed up against a tree. It protected him from being flanked, but each of his opponents was only limited by how much room they had to effectively wield their weapons, and by parrying their blows, he could not strike back at them, and there were too many of them to defend against. One of them quickly penetrated his defenses, landing a lighting fast jab into his midsection. It punctured through the magically hardened leather plate, and through the chain mail driving the burst links into the wound. He screamed, and clutched his wound with his shield arm. His defenses dropped, he was an easy kill. The bandits on him smiled wickedly, and raised their weapons for a killing strike. Right as they were about to end Aiden’s life, two crossbow bolts flew from one of the tents, sailed through underbrush and struck two of the robbers.

They cried out in pain. One grabbed at the bolt in his side, the other tried to reach it on his back, but it was out of his grasp. The bolts alone were not enough to kill, but the poison that flowed from the arrow heads and into their blood was. As the two started to convulse, the others let their guard down for just a second, turning their heads to see their friends writhing on the ground, blood gushing from their mouths in a thick frothy foam. Aiden summoned forth his reserves of strength and with an angry battle cry swung his mace upward, catching the one on the right on the chin and causing the front of the bastard‘s face to collapse in upon itself. With the downward stroke he caught the one on the left in the neck, breaking it with a sickening crunch.

…

His head stopped pounding and Thalen once again caught sight of his surroundings. No more arrows, only silence. Sabian and Tobias came out their tent, their bowstrings still quivering from their recent shots. Matthias came out next, longsword in hand.

“Everyone alright?” Matthias asked, looking around and seeing Sabian, Tobias, and Thalen. “Where is Aiden”

As if in answer, Aiden came stumbling out from the trees and underbrush, clutching his right side

Thalen rushed to his side and caught him in his arms just before he collapsed

“TORCH! BRING ME A TORCH!” he screamed.

“I… couldn’t fight back… too many…too fast” Aiden half spoke, half whispered, his breathing coming in ragged heaves, his eyes clenched shut against the pain.

“You’re going to be okay. ” Thalen assured him, with no uncertainty in his voice. In what seemed like far too long, Sabian came with a torch, lit by the embers of the camp fire. Thalen, guided by the torch light, removed Aiden’s leather breast plate and pulled the chain mail shirt and the underlying gambeson up over the wound.

“Fuck” he said “The blood is black, the blade struck his liver, and it looks like there are chain mail links in the wound.” He looked at the shirt, the links stuck in the gambeson and the wound “But not too many” he peered in closer, and pulling a small leather case out of a pocket in his robes he went to work.

“This may hurt a bit. Bite down on this” he told Aiden as he handed him a piece of rawhide bound in leather that was in the case. He then pulled out a small very sharp knife that he heated briefly in the light of the torch and made a few small incisions to open up the wound.

“Fuck, there is not enough light” He whispered a few words and the light emitted by the torch increased until their little clearing was bathed in what seemed to be the light of the sun

He heated a small set of forceps from the case and started to pull back the skin from the wound with one pair, and withdrawing the severed metal links with the other pair. Periodically he stopped to suck blood out of the wound with a device that looked like a miniature bellows attached to a tube made of pig intestine.

After a few minutes that seemed to Thalen to last a few hours, while Aiden bled out in front of him, he finished. All of the links were out, but Aiden had lost consciousness.

“Here, I will help you stitch him up” Matthias volunteered

“That wont do any good, he is bleeding internally. If that doesn’t kill him, infection will. No, this is beyond my ability to heal without magic… but I am not skilled enough to do that without significant cost…” the wizard thought for a moment. The price of the spell would be too high for him to bear on his own and complete the spell. He would need the other three. He would need to cast this as a ritual. A somewhat sloppy one, but a ritual none the less.

“I need all of you to hold hands in a triangle standing above us. Do not question me, do it now” The other three complied with his request. “This will have serious, but temporary effects on all of us, but if you want him to live, you will accept. Do you?” The other three nodded. Thalen knew they didn’t understand the full significance of this choice, but they made it. His conscience was clear.

“Then repeat after me. ‘En tabryna qwondor sulvas’ “

They all repeated the words, they had good ears, the pronunciation was good.

“Repeat these words with full conviction, like you would when uttering a prayer, until you can no longer speak. And you will lose that ability when I get to a certain stage of the spell the spell.”

“What do they do?” Tobias asked, wondering why he would not be able to speak once the spell was at a certain point.

“Every spell has a price. The one I am about to use is very powerful, I cannot bear the cost on my own. Those words tie you to the spell, and split the bill between us. You will loose consciousness as the magic flows directly through you, but I will be able to finish the spell and keep Aiden from dying”

Tobias nodded in agreement, and the others seemed satisfied with this arrangement and nodded grimly as well. Of course, they didn’t know how much pain they would be in when they woke up. Neither did Thalen, but it would not be pleasant, especially because they weren’t trained, and he did not have time to get the components that would lessen the effects.

Thalen grabbed his staff with one hand, and his dagger with the other as the others began chanting. He drew the dagger across his wrist and let his precious vitae spill into Aiden’s wound. He closed his eyes, and though of how wounds heal, they form a scab that eventually turns to the right kind of flesh. He thought of how scabs were formed from blood, and how his blood and Aiden's would close the wound. But he still needed to pay the piper. He could feel the claws of death encircling Aiden’s heart He spoke the words, and from the first utterance, Matthias, Sabian and Tobias’ eyes rolled into the backs of their heads.

“En tabryna qwondor sulvas ” He spoke these words to tie himself in, then continued.

“Invactum torn torvackrenias glen victum thal” He chanted this in but a whisper commanding with every part of his will that the spell work and Aiden be healed. His staff began to glow red, as the blood flowing from the cut on his wrist and Aiden’s body flowed into the wound and the cut to seal up with new skin. But then the staff turned black. The price needed to be paid

It sucked in the light around it, and the light from the torch became dimmer and dimmer, it’s light and energy flowing into the staff. Dark tendrils emerged from the staff’s black core and encircled the three in the triangle first. They dove into the men’s chests and started to undulate and throb as they sucked a small portion of the life force from each of them, in order to heal the damage already done to their friend. When finished they withdrew and all three of them then penetrated into Thalen’s heart, stealing an equal portion of his life force. However, he did not have the benefit of being spell-bound like the other three. Pain shot through every nerve and he felt like he would vomit. He writhed on the ground, doing everything in his power just to keep hold of his staff so the spell could finish. When the tendrils withdrew from him, he felt drained like he had never felt before. His body burned with fever and sweat poured from his skin, a bit of blood trickled from his nose. Then the darkness lifted and the clearing was filled with an almost unbearable radiance. The life force taken from the others had been turned to a restorative light. Thalen reached out, and touched Aiden with the staff and the radiant white light drained into him, restoring the internal injuries and tying his fleeing soul back to the body, binding it in place so it could not escape to it’s final resting place. Mathias, Sabian and Tobias collapsed to the ground in a heap.

But Aiden woke up, to see Thalen collapse into a pained slumber on the forest floor.


Chapter 2

Thalen woke up with a screeching headache, as if one thousand tea kettles were signaling their readiness inside his head, he saw nothing but blinding light and heard nothing but a horrible grating noise, and clasped his hands over his eyes and did his best to use his upper arms to silence the horrible racket, to no avail. He could hear someone screaming and wondered why he was out of breath. Then it hit him. He was the one screaming. He could feel water pouring down his face that must have been sweat, and then he felt an object being forced against his lips. Between the flowing water and the object’s touch he felt ever new levels of pain through every little piece of his being causing him to shudder and gasp for breath. And when he gasped for breath, he was forced to swallow the most foul tasting liquid he had ever had to drink, even though it was familiar to him, and he knew that it normally did not taste this bad. Elixir of willow bark. It would dull pain, and reduce fever. He dared open his eyes to see who was administering the liquid, and saw Aiden’s concerned face.

“How?” he managed to stammer through the pain, and carefully screened his hearing to keep the response from hurting to badly.

“I found the recipe in your notes… filed under healing” Aiden said in a low whisper, letting a comforting and unarmored hand glide lightly over Thalen’s cheek. Thalen realized that the other hand was firmly holding his own and squeezed on it.

“Thank you” Thalen whispered “The others?” he asked, his body racked with pain, but slowly improving

“Still unconscious, what happened?”

“I will….explain once I can…. think…” Thalen said, before closing his eyes against the pain again.

He awoke again in considerably less pain, his head was still ringing, but it was manageable. He took a deep breath and found himself constricted by strong arms. He could guess who’s they were and nestled into them. He felt a brief squeeze and a set of lips on his sweat covered forehead.

“I was worried” Aiden said. “When you passed out again I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up”

Thalen smiled “No, I just needed to rest. The mind shuts down when it is in that much pain, your body repairs it, and you wake up eventually. Hopefully. The elixir helped a lot” he replied. Making sure he let Aiden know he did a good job “The others are still out?”

“Yeah, how long will they be?”

“ Another day perhaps, they will be in similar shape too.”

“What happened? All I remember is you removing pieces of my armor from my stomach”

“You were mortally wounded. Every spell has a price. Spells that are well within a mage’s knowledge and ability to channel are easy. The cost is low. Healing flesh wounds for example is born mostly by my staff. Healing mortal wounds however is more difficult, it extracts a higher price, and was just barely inside my ability. The price was so high I had to enlist the others in paying it.” Thalen answered.

He looked around. It was night. Outside the tent he could see the moon, still in the same phase, a waning crescent, as the last time he saw it. That meant that he was unconscious for one day because the moon was a waning crescent when he was studying before his test. The others would probably wake up tomorrow.

“Aiden, they will probably wake up tomorrow… Their pain will be less if they are not dehydrated. How much water do we have?”

“We have a week’s worth”

“Alright, we should probably give them some water, and a particularly strong willow bark elixir”

“They are out cold, they wont swallow it, I tried”

“there are ways of forcing them” the wizard said matter-of-factly. “And you have a talent for herb lore that if nothing else, needs practice “ He moved up and kissed Aiden gently on the lips, then grabbed his hands and hoisted him up as he stood.

“Come on, we have elixirs to make.”


…

“So this plant here can help fight off infection?”

“Yes, the leaves need to be put in a small amount of water, crushed into a paste and smeared in the wound.”

“How does it work?”

“Well” Thalen replied, It is not known. There are two schools of thought. Either infection and disease are caused by evil spirits and this plant keeps them at bay, which is the dominant idea. The alternative idea is that things that cause illness and infection are just tiny predators, sort of like a wolf pack can kill and eat an animal much larger than themselves, so can these little things, and the plant is some sort of poison that kills them. I am not sure which one it is, if either of them is right. All I know is that the plant works.

Aiden nodded, he understood, but an “I don’t know” answer was seldom satisfying. But sometimes it was the only one to be had.

“Alright, they are starting to stir” Aiden said looking over at the others through their tent flap and seeing them move around a bit. A sign that they were sleeping and no longer in spell-bound unconsciousness. “We can probably get some water down their throats”

“I agree”

They spend the next hour tending to the other three. Making sure that when they did wake up they would not be screaming their lungs out. They made and administered the willow bark elixir and plenty of water to fight pain and dehydration. They also made sure the horses were fed and refilled the buckets they got water from. Then they spent another hour grinding plant leaves, roots and stems into fine powders for use in various salves, ointments and elixirs. All that would need to be done is add water, and other ingredients as needed in the event that someone was sick or injured.

“These will come in really useful” Aiden remarked as they finished the last pouch and put the piece of parchment with the instructions in. “But now I have something to show you?”

“Oh, and what would that be?” Thalen responded with a faux-suspicious expression on his face

“Well, I would feel guilty, you teaching me about the healing arts and not return the favor somehow. Can you use that sword on your belt?”

“Sort of. We were taught how to hold it, basic footwork, and rudimentary guard positions. Nothing you cant learn in two hours…which is about how long it took us” Thalen replied

“Alright, let me grab something” Aiden went over to the cart and pulled out a leather satchel. He walked back, removing two wooden swords from the satchel

“These are double weight, we train with them to build our stamina and so we can move the real thing that much faster” he tossed one over to Thalen, who, once he had a hold of it, held it out in front of him with his right hand, leading with his right leg, weight on the left.”

“That is a good defensive stance” Aiden told him “It keeps your opponent at the edge of their reach and allows you to retreat” With that Aiden launched a series of attacks with his practice sword. The first a side-ways blow that Thalen blocked by sweeping the sword across his body and taking a step back, the next attack was a downward slash which Thalen parried by raising his own blade and batting it aside while taking a step forward Then Thalen launched a counter attack by bringing his own blade down in a crosswise blow that Aiden had to physically dodge to avoid. However Thalen had over-extended himself for a killing strike, and Aiden brought his sword back toward his target and slashed Thalen across the stomach

“If these were real you would be dead, or close too it” he remarked. ”Unless you were wearing armor, then you probably would have been bruised if this were real. “

“I cant wear armor so, just dead" Thalen said with a bit of smirk

“Why not?” the warrior inquired

“Metal objects channel and store magic. It is why my staff has rune-carved iron caps. It channels a large portion of the energy I harness away from my body. Armor would keep it too close, I would suffer a higher price for my spells. As it is, any metal I carry will become enchanted from exposure eventually. Not strongly, but depending on the spells I cast most often, they could end up with peculiar properties”

“Interesting” Aiden responded, before launching into another assault "So, if you cast a fire-spell?" he asked while thrusting the wooden blade forward, looking to penetrate Thalen's defense

"It would cause burns as well as biting flesh" Thalen sidestepped and placed his blade between him and a sideways slash by Aiden.

…

“Gods I am exhausted.” Aiden groaned as he leaned against a tree. “For someone who was barely taught how to use that thing, you sure put up one hell of a fight. Where do you get the energy?”

Thalen collapsed on the ground, battered sore

“I fake it” he replied, to which Aiden laughed.

“Seriously… I can barely move”

“Same here” Aiden replied “The sun is going down, how about we have something to eat and then get to bed.”

“Good idea, the others will be awake before the sun as well.”

The two ate dinner, potato and mushroom stew, seasoned with wild herbs. And chatted for a time.

“So, how are the roads these days?” Thalen asked

“They become more dangerous all the time. There is something going on in the south. On our way north we were hearing stories of entire towns being burned, of people rising from their graves, going missing mysteriously. Even the local wildlife is on edge”

“This will make travel interesting” Thalen replied “It sounds like there is something magical going on in the area though, for once they may have call to blame wizards”

‘Why would wildlife be acting oddly though if the rumors are true?”

“Animals have highly attuned senses. If necromancy is being used to raise the dead, or for other purposes, they may be able to sense it.” Thalen paused “In any case I suppose we will find out on our way south”

“I suppose. It is getting late, we should probably get to bed”

“Yeah, it has been a long day”

The two men got up and crawled into one of the empty tents. Thalen quickly stripped down and changed into his sleeping tunic and a set of soft wool pants. But Aiden took much longer to unbuckle the straps that connected the various pierces of hardened leather to his body, not to mention removing the chain mail. He looked down at the hole in his chain mail shirt

“I am going to have to repair this on the road tomorrow” he groaned. Thalen just watched Drinking in the sight of Aiden encased in iron. Aiden quickly noticed and removed a gauntlet, snapping his fingers in front of Thalen’s eyes

‘OH! Sorry, I was a bit distracted. You are very very sexy right now” He leaned in and planted a kiss on Aiden’s lips, then pushed him down on his back. As Aiden’s arms wrapped around him Thalen pulled back

“I don’t think we are going to be getting a whole lot of sleep” he said in matter-of-fact way. Aiden flushed red, grinned, and pulled Thalen back into him.

…

The other three awoke in far less pain than Thalen had. The treatments had worked, the water had kept them hydrated, and the willow bark was so strong it dulled their senses completely and they were able to sleep off the effects.

“Sweet Myravon!” Matthias exclaimed as he got up and noticed the sun was up. He ran into the pushes for a few minutes. When he returned he started asking questions

“how long was I out?”

“All of that night, and all of yesterday until this morning” Thalen replied, crawling out of the tent. “We are a bit behind schedule I wager”

“No, not behind schedule, we were ahead of schedule before, now we are on track”

“Then once the others get up, we best get moving” Aiden said, crawling out of the tent as well. Wearing only the padded gambeson that he wore under the armor

“We made enough stew last night for breakfast so, let me get that” Thalen said as he walked over to a tanned oxen stomach that was tied in the branches of a tree about twenty meters from the camp and undid the knot that held it in place. He eased it down, and brought it over the iron pot that sat on the still-hot coals and started to heat it.

Aiden and Matthias started pulling down the unused tents and packing them up, along with everyone’s belongings. Tobias was the next person to wake up, and after relieving himself began loading equipment into the cart. When Sabian woke up, the only thing for him and Thalen to do was take down the last tent, pack it up, and eat breakfast.

They were on the road within the hour. And traveled through the day. It took an uneventful week full of the sound of horse hooves, and chit-chat for them to reach the next village.

Chapter 3

The village of Cliff Port was exactly what the name would indicate. The palisade-enclosed village sat atop a cliff that overlooked a protected harbor. A massive set of ramps was carved into the cliff side and was defended by guard-posts cut out of the cliff-face and closable by wooden portcullises. It would not keep out a determined amphibious assault, but could hold back unruly sailors, pirates and attacks by fish-men. It served as a re-supply point for ships traveling up the coast. Other than that it was a fishing village

The road passed along the sea-side of the cliff and one thing immediately caught Thalen’s eyes.

‘There is no activity in the harbor”

“By the gods, you are right” Sabian responded

“At this time of day there should be ships in the harbor, sailors should be preparing their ships to sail with the morning tide, there should be fishermen trying to bring their catches in before the light fails. This is very wrong”

“Take up arms until we get to the first guard post” Mathias ordered. Sabian and Tobias spanned their crossbows, and dipped their first bolts in a small ram’s horn that was at their belt. The source of the poison they used a few days before. Aiden drew a sword and strapped his shield to his left arm. A sword would be easier to use if they were attacked by multiple opponents. Thalen gripped his staff in both hands ready to use it in defense or spell casting.

The cart approached the ramp up to the first guard post and put away weapons when they got close.

“Hail!” cried Matthias toward the gate

“Aye yes! State your name and business!”

“I am Matthias Gars, A merchant from Calarus. These are my retainers“ he said gesturing to the four other men, who nodded or waved in greeting.” We need lodging and resupply”

The guard looked at them and did not seem inclined to open the gates, and finally answered

“I am under orders to let no one in! So nay, move on to the next village if you need resupply”

“Looking over our stocks, we don’t have enough food or water to make it to the next village, and there is probably little fresh water to be had outside of this villages well for miles, and we cannot afford to search” Thalen whispered into Matthias’ ear “I suggest we parlay”

“Do you have something up your sleeve?” Tobias asked him

“I may”

‘Then do it”

“We do not have the supplies to make it to the next village.” Thalen said, showing his hand. “But perhaps we can be of some service. These men are skilled with a blade, and I have talents of my own” he added. “perhaps we could help with whatever is causing you to lock down the town. Your own supplies will not last forever. By the time a message reaches your lord, and he decides to deploy troops to assist you, it may be too late.”

The guard faltered, but held his ground

“Even if that were the case wizard” he sneered derisively, after spying the wizard’s staff lying next to him “I still don’t have the authority to open the gates”

“Then let us speak to someone who can” Matthias requested

“And why would I do that?”

“because the wizard is right. A village like yours only keeps enough supplies to outfit ships restocking on food and water, and to repair damaged rigging. Now let us speak with your Mayor, we can help you”

The guard relented, and rang a bell that stood by his guard post. The other guard posts rang the same bell. Thalen looked up and muttered a few words and gripped his staff; The simple spell would allow him to see a bit farther than he normally could. He had a few seconds, and checked each guard post. There were fifteen militiamen at 3 guard posts, and all of them had crossbows trained.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, A rather pudgy man appeared on the wall walk of the guard post.

“I am mayor Jearvis, why the hell should I let you into my town?“ He spoke in a gruff annoyed voice

“because your town cannot survive being under-siege by whatever it is that is keeping you locked down. If you allow us to resupply, we may be able to help. My men here are seasoned warriors and we have a wizard as well” Matthias said calmly.

“How do I know that your wizard is not the cause of it”

“Because not all wizards are sinister agents of evil, though the distrust and fear has certainly tempted me to consider a change in occupation. Though, I don’t see how I can be causing whatever this is, seeing as I don’t even know what is going on!” Thalen replied testily.

“Look” Aiden added “We don’t want to hurt you. We want to get fresh water, and help you with whatever you are having problems with so we can resupply and everyone can go on with their lives. So are you going to let us in or not?”

The Mayor pondered his options for a moment. Stroking his chin.

“Done” he finally answered “Open the gate” he ordered. The guard pulled a lever, and a counter-weight system pulled the wooden portcullis up. The other guard posts did the same.

…

When they got to the top of the cliff and entered the town, they were greeted with a sight that no one ever wanted to see. Children gaunt from hunger, there were no dogs, and few livestock, there were no cooking fires.

“You were right. We cannot last long like this.” the Mayor said in a sad voice. We sent for relief from Lord Gunther, but he has not sent anyone, that was three weeks ago”

“The cart is full of spirits” Matthias said “Beer and wine aren't food, but they are nourishing enough. I can absorb the loss”

“Thank you” the mayor replied.

“So, what is going on?” Thalen asked as the Mayor motioned for the guard to deliver the barrels of alcohol to the tavern, to be distributed free of charge.

“About a six weeks ago, people outside the walls come dusk started to go missing. Fishermen, children. Missing. No bodies, no one even heard any screams. With each person that went missing, the more people would disappear several nights later. It never happened from within the walls, so we shut everyone out, hoping that we could ride out whatever it was. We sent word with a messenger pigeon to Lord Gunther, but he has his own problems”

“How do you know it is still there?”

“About three nights ago, we let someone in, they seemed desperate. Before the night was out, three people were dead, but the guard could not remember who the person was, and did not remember letting anyone out”

“Did you find the bodies? What was wrong with them?”

“Besides being dead, they had no blood left in their bodies and their necks were cut ear to ear”

“What did you do with the bodies?” Thalen asked, worry in his voice, as if what they did with the bodies was of utmost importance.

“We buried them, the Chapel has a graveyard”

“And this happened three nights ago?”

“Yes, why?”

“Were the bodies anointed with holy water?”

“No, the only ordained priest was one of the first to disappear… that was even longer ago, two months”

“By the gods… I need to see the graves of the three slain ones, and I need to see it before the sun goes down completely.” He looked at the setting sun right as it lowered below the horizon “We are to late.. We have to get there now”

“What is going on!?” Tobias asked, frustrated at the wizard’s squirrel ness

“Where is the graveyard!?” he yelled at the dumbfounded mayor, who pointed in the general direction of the cemetery. Thalen took off running, staff in hand.

“Bring your weapons!” he yelled back behind him. The others followed, seeming confused, but not wanting to risk not taking the frenzied wizard seriously.

He got to the gate just before they did, and stood by the gate to the yard. Looking for freshly disturbed earth. When the others reached him he spoke

“When they come out, just stabbing or shooting them will not work. Wood needs to penetrate the heart , or the heads must be removed. Barring that, burn them or immerse them in running water. If we had Holy Water, we could damage them with that too. Do not look them in the eye or let them bite you.”

“When what come out? What are you talking about?” Aiden demanded

“Vampires. They cant cross a threshold unless they are invited or the building is abandoned. The wrongness we felt before we got to the guardhouse, that was a lingering field of necromantic energy. Probably near their lair”

“So the three that died the other day?” Matthias asked

“They died as a result of being fed upon. They turn and rise from their graves on the third night if not disposed of properly”

“What happens if we get bitten?”

“They drink your blood, and when you die there is a chance you will become one of them. If they kill you from draining you. You WILL turn. You are all wearing armor, so biting should not be that big an issue, but they have other powers. They can take control of your mind and mesmerize you, are supernaturally strong, lighting fast, and they still posess corrupt versions of any abilities they had in life.”

“How do we deal with them?” Sabian asked, fear in his voice

“Just as I told you, put arrows through their hearts, or remove the head. It sounds harder than it is. I should be able to make them more manageable”

“What happens if we fail?” Aiden asked

“Then townsfolk will be tricked or mesmerized into inviting them in, then this town is doomed”

“Shall we go in then?”

“Yes”

With that, Matthias opened the gate and they stepped forward. Mathias and Aiden had swords drawn, Tobias and Sabian had crossbows loaded, stocks pressed against their shoulders.

“Gods, it just feels…wrong in here” Aiden said, moving closer to Thalen.

“It’s alright” Thalen said, brushing Aiden’s mailed hand “They have already risen. I am in tune with the power that turns them… We should check that mausoleum” he said, pointing over at a small marble building that looked to be a family crypt.

The two men walked toward it. The door was ajar and slurping sounds were heard within

“It is feeding” whispered the wizard. He took a piece of twine from his pouches “I can immobilize it, if you remove the head” Aiden nodded in response and Thalen began speaking in words that only a wizard would understand. They both rounded the corner and saw a woman in her middle age, unnaturally pale somewhat gaunt. She was clutching the near-lifeless body of the night watchman in her arms and sucking the last bit of his crimson life-blood from his throat. He struggled feebly against her vampiric strength to no avail. Thalen reached his hand out, his palm open. The spell was triggered when he closed his hand. The twine disappeared and the vampire was held in crimson bands of magic unable to move. Aiden strode forward sword in hand, and lobed off the creature’s head. Both the vampire and her victim fell to the ground, the vampire turning into a smoky mist and evaporating.

“That was too easy” Aiden said as he took his position next to Thalen,

“It was, she was caught off guard and young. If she were aware of our presence that spell may not have affected her. Wait… “ Thalen paused and closed his eyes. When he opened them he shivered a little bit. The power he used not only causing him pain, but also the results of his spell made him quiver with fear.

“They never found the original. The one who got into the town… Him and the other two know of us, they are coming.”

Mathias took action, motioning that Tobias and Sabian take up positions with their crossbows at the far Wall of the mausoleum, with Thalen between them.

“Aiden, you and I will defend the front of the room. Thalen, will we need to invite them in?”

“No, this is a dwelling only of the dead. They have free reign here” Thalen said, taking up his position and holding his staff like a shield out in front of him. He felt something. Something that he only felt in wizard duels when in training…Then he heard words all to familiar to him

“Aiden! Matthias! Move to the side!” They did so, diving out of the way as quickly as they could. Thalen swept the end of his staff along the floor in a wide arc and spoke in the language of magic. He did not have time to draw his own blood, so he braced for the magic to overtake him. He felt the jolt of the spell surge through his body, wanting to tear at him, to rip him apart. But his will pushed through the fog of pain like an arrow through flesh. In a bright flash of light there was shimmering barrier that covered him and the crossbowmen. A split second later a lighting bolt flashed through the doorway with a deafening crack, striking the shield and causing spider-web cracks to expand along it’s glossy surface and then shatter it. The pieces of the shield falling to the ground like glass and then boiling on the floor like the contents of an overturned cooking pot.

“The elder is a Wizard, you will have to handle the other two or we all will die here!” Thalen shouted over his own ringing ears as he drew his dagger. He ran the edge over his hand and drew out a bit of blood, then spoke a few words. Taking a tiny spring from his sleeve pouch he spoke a few more and leapt upward, passing harmlessly through the ceiling and giving himself just enough push to land feet first on the flat roof of the mausoleum. He could see the vampires now. The two vampiric offspring one male, the other female entered the Mausoleum and Thalen heard the two crossbows release deadly shafts and his lover make a war cry. But that was less important. He saw the elder. He was shrouded in black and carried a staff with him that he must have kept hidden from the villagers. Thalen's hand was still bleeding. He spoke the words of magic and flung droplets of it at the vampire. The droplets evaporated and turned into radiant orbs of light, ten in all that struck out unerringly toward his undead target. Slamming into it with lethal intent. The vampire was knocked back several feet with each strike and fell to the ground prone, wisps of smoke rising from it’s body.

It stood up and thrust it’s hand toward Thalen and spoke a single word. Thalen was thrown bodily into the air like a rag doll. He reached the height of his climb fifty meters above the ground and began his fall. He spoke a single word in the language of magic and his fall slowed to that of a feather falling from a desk. A bolt of lighting passed under his feet just after his spell was completed, missing him by inches. As he descended, he reached into a pouch and removed a piece of phosphorus. Speaking words of power he threw the phosphorus toward the ground and it erupted like a miniature sun in a flash of bright white light. Power arced through his body, racking it with pain as the spell completed. Thalen screamed an unearthly scream as he hit the ground.

The vampire himself fell in agony. Writhing on the ground, it’s body smoking from the rays of the artificial sun that shone brightly before it. But the light started to fade. The two wizards, living and dead, were incapacitated for but a few short moments. They rose at the same time and simply looked at each other. Neither one knowing what the other would do. Who would strike first? Thalen used his dagger and once again drew it across his own flesh, raising his voice in the language of magic that sounded like a triumphant war-cry. Motes of energy surrounded him and revolved around him like planets around a star. Guarding him with their shimmering radiance. The vampire, equally conservative, drew a prism from a pouch and intoned a spell. The prism disappeared and where once stood one vampire there now stood ten different blurry, indistinct forms. Each one shifting and jostling among the others so that Thalen could not pick out one from the other. Moreover, the forms were shrouded in supernatural shade. Even if the sun were to come up, this vampire would be immune to it’s effects until the spell wore off or was dispelled.
…

Inside the Mausoleum Aiden and the others were still in a fight for their lives with the other two vampires. He and Matthias stood back to back, wielding their swords in both hands as the crossbowmen reloaded. The undead were crawling on the wall like spiders, looking for an opening. One had a bolt through his leg, the other’s stomach was transfixed by one.

Aiden’s mind raced. The vampires were faster and stronger than both he and Matthias. The only way they would get the upper hand is if the situation changed. And it looked as if it would when a flash of light from outside as bright as the sun came from outside and shone through the door, burning the face of the male and keeping the vampires at bay while Sabian and Tobias reloaded. Bolts clicked into their grooves right as the light faded. The vampires leapt down from their perches onto the warriors. Tobias and Sabian let loose their arrows. Tobias missed his target, the bolt sailed past the female vampire and lodged itself in the wall of the tomb. Sabian however struck true and his bolt pierced the heart of the male. He clutched at his chest and fell to the ground, immediately becoming stiff. The other clashed with Matthias, who’s sword slashed into the creature’s arm and lodged in her bone. But she used the wound as a pivot to lunge forward and kick him in the groin with unnatural force, sending him reeling into a fetal position completely incapacitated by the sheer agony of it. Aiden struck with his sword, a downward slash that caught the vampire’s foot and severed it from the body. The foot fell to the ground with a light thump. However the vampire immediately started to regrow the missing foot as it hopped on one foot away from the warrior and scaled the wall. It was then tha he heard Thalen’s magical war cry. He took heart, knowing that for the time being, his lover had the upper hand.

“WATCH OUT!!” she called out, warning Tobias in Matthias' voice. He looked up reflexively from reloading his crossbow and met her gaze. Immediately he was spell-bound. He butt-stroked Sabian across the face with his crossbow, knocking him unconscious on the stone floor, then he drew his sword and struck at Aiden.

…


A flash of fire erupted from the vampires hands and streaked dangerously toward Thalen. Who stood unworried working his own spell. The shimmering globes merged into a shield of magical energy that interposed itself between him and the ball of fire. When it exploded, he was not within the path of destruction, and one of the orbs was gone. A piece of sulfur evaporated into nothing in his hands and his own fireball erupted from his fingertips. The horde of vampires dove out of the way but some did not make it. They disappeared in puffs of darkness. There were only six remaining.

The Vampire wove a familiar spell. It bit down on it’s own wrist to use as a reagent. Thalen knew the spell and drew his own dagger across his arm in response, uttering the same words. A blue beam shot forth from both of their hands simultaneously and canceled each other out.

“You will have to be better than that to dispel my defenses blood sucker!” Thalen tauted and launched a renewed assault. The magic was taking its toll. His knees were becoming weak. He knew he did not have the stamina to keep casting spells like this, and would have to overcome the vampire quickly. The spell would drain him. He would only be able to cast one more after it before succumbing to unconsciousness. But it was the only way. He re-opened a wound on his arm and drew out his last piece of sulfur. He would either need to find more sulfur, or use a different reagent for fire spells. He swept his staff before him along the ground and threw his hand forward toward the vampire. A radiant barrier similar to the one he used in defense earlier, was erected around the vampire’s flanks, head and rear, and a ball of fire erupted from his hands. The vampire elder could do nothing but die. Trapped, and prevented from moving, the ball of fire exploded. Destroying his mirror images and setting his flesh alight. As the vampire was snuffed from existence it let out an unholy wail that caused Thalen to cover his ears to avoid it. He collapsed to one knee, barely able to move, and looked inside the door to the Mausoleum.

…

Aiden and Tobias were locked in combat. Aiden falling back, feverishly parrying the strikes of his spellbound friend, who attacked with the ferocity of a cornered tiger with no regard for his own safety. Aiden tried to strike back but could not risk killing his friend. He moved back, and back, until his back was against the wall. He saw an opening. Tobias lunged trying to pin Aiden to the wall like an insect to a board. But Aiden sidestepped and got inside Tobias’ reach, bludgeoning him upside the head with the pommel of his sword. The vampire moved quickly to stop him, but was to late. Aiden picked up Sabian’s fallen crossbow, put a bolt in the groove, aimed and squeezed the trigger sending the feathered shaft straight into the young vampire’s heart.

Mere seconds after the expired vampire hit the floor, Thalen hobbled into the tomb, heavily leaning on his staff for support. Aiden went to him with quick strides and caught him just before he collapsed to the floor. The mage’s body was not small or fragile, but to Aiden he felt frail, limp. As if his body was drained of life. The barely conscious wizard looked up into Aiden’s sky blue eyes

“Why… is it… that I always… pass out…in your arms?” He asked in a pain-wracked haze

“You are just lucky I guess” Aiden said softly and clutched the stricken wizard to him

“I guess” the sorcerer replied as he used the last bit of energy he had to pull Aiden into a tender kiss, from which he quickly slipped into unconsciousness. His staff slipping from his hand and clattering loudly to the floor.

Chapter 4

Thalen woke up about an hour later in a soft bed. Aiden was standing over him again, worry in his eyes.

"No need to worry Aiden... I will be in this state often from now on. You may as well get used to it my.." he cut himself off when he saw Matthias and the others also in the room. "friend" he corrected, hopefully swiftly enough that the others would not notice the pause.

"I am not sure I will ever get used to it"

"If it is any consolation, as I practice, I will have more and more stamina. My body will adapt more to the energy it channels."

"That's good. Because I dont know about doing this once a week" Aiden grinned

The wizard laughed, then his face blanched white as he realized something.

"I need to get to the chapel."

"Why? The vampires in the graveyard are gone" Matthias spoke up then, overhearing the conversation

"The priest was the first to disappear, two weeks before anyone else did. That means one of three things"

Sabian replied next "He was turned early and is a powerful individual on their side"

"Or?"

"He is the first" Aiden croaked. Thalen nodded and left out the thought of the third possibility which made him shiver internally.

"We need to find out which it is. And something in the church may help us with that"

"What is the third option?" Tobias asked quizically

"To horrible to imagine. We should go, before the sun rises" Thalen got up and strapped his belt, which contained his sword and dagger around his waste. Feeling the pommel of his sword he found it warm to the touch and it buzzed with power. It was already beginning, his sword was starting to take on magical properties. He removed his dagger and examined it. It too gave off magical power, but it was different from the sword. It was exposed to magic more frequently as it drew the blood that served as a component for may of Thalen's magics. It literally throbbed with power, magics of both an offensive and defensive nature that he would need to examine in full. He didnt have time for that however and strode over to his staff. He picked it up and felt reassured by its familiar touch.

"Let us depart" he suggested.

"Alright, we need to make a stop by our room to get our weapons" Sabian said. Thalen nodded and the two archers and Matthias left the room. Aiden walked up behind Thalen as soon as the door was closed and put his arm around his waste, then turned him into a kiss.

When they parted, Aiden looked into Thalen's eyes and spoke with worry and concern once again finding a place within his eyes.

"So what is the third option? You didn't say before, only that it was too horrible to imagine"

"You said a few days ago that things like this were happening up and down the coast yes?"

"Yeah I did. You are saying that this is not an isolated incident?"

"More than that. If animals are on edge that means necromancy is being used. Now the chances of a priest turning to darkness and creating vampires are low..."

"Might he have been killed and replaced?"

"Exactly. If you are a necromancer and want to take over a region, what is the most efficient use of your power? Taking city after city by force with an army of the undead?"

"No" Aiden replied "If you fail at taking a single city your army is crushed and your advance stops. It is like spreading disease before you to weaken your enemy during an invasion. Send in something that causes disease, like rotting bodies, and let it weaken your enemy from within"

"So how does this apply to undead?"

"Getting vampires or other undead into a city and turning the population. Once there are enough of them in a population they cannot easily be eradicated. The first thing I would do is kill or turn the ones that can detect and halt my advance."

"Wizards and priests" the mage replied

"By the gods" Aiden's face turned a sickening shade of gray. "Why didnt you tell the others?"

"I need proof before I cause undo worry in the others." he heard footsteps outside and quickly disentangled himself from his lover, moments before the other three walked in armored and bearing weapons. Aiden had never disarmed himself Thalen noticed with a smirk.

"We should get going"

They all left the room and walked down the stairs, to be greeted by cheers and adulation from the crowd of assembled patrons below. Thalen resisted the urge to bask in it as he walked down the stairs. The mayor stepped forward

"We saw your spell-battle with the vampire wizard sir. You have our thanks" he said solemnly "Thalen the achwizard will be remembered here for generations to come!"

"I am no arch-wizard." Thalen said humbly. "I am but a journeyman. And my companions are owed just as much thanks. I would have perished had they not guarded me from the other two."

A second set of cheers was directed at them. Before Aiden spoke up

"Besides, we are not finished yet. You still have a vampire infestation. And we have not yet killed their sire"

The crowd went silent

"Do you need anything of us?" the mayor said. His mirth lessened significantly by the warrior's words.

"No." the wizard said "but we need to get to the church"

"Then do so, and vanquish these monsters quickly"

"We shall." the mage promised, and led his friends through the front door of the inn and back toward the church. When they arrived, Thalen could feel the thrum of power. Dark power.

"Spells were cast here. Dark spells. We must enter and find out what befell" He opened the door and was awash with power. It clouded his senses

"Look around for anything suspicious. A stain that should not be, something charred, or a place where dust has been disturbed where it shouldn't be"

The church itself was a simple Basilica. A long room with pews for congregants with an altar to Bishab the Goddess of safe trade at the front. Her holy symbol a pendant with an anchor over a wagon wheel flanked on one side by a sword and the other by a crossbow bolt. There were two wings near the altar that served as a platform to a choir.

"I found something" Aiden declared triumphantly.

"What is it?"

"A stain near the altar. It is small, but it looks like dried blood. A drag mark. Something bloody was dragged about a meter behind the altar and stops abruptly"

"Then there must be a lever or button somewhere that leads to a secret room. Probably the priest's residence or sanctuary. If I can find the body I can tell you what happened here"

The others looked around the basilica, pulling on objects that looked like they could be a lever of some kind. Thalen looked at the floor and back of the altar until he found what he wanted. A piece of the floor was out of place. He pressed it and amid a scraping sound stairs were formed into a candle-lit passage. Immediately he was assaulted by the stench of death wafting up from the room below. He motioned the others forward

"by the Gods it stinks of decay. Is the body within?" asked Sabian

"I believe so"

"Then let us get to it" Tobias said as he stepped inside, crossbow spanned and loaded. A few seconds later, before the others had even set foot inside, he called back out

"I found the body! He is but a skeleton."

"Bring me his skull" Thalen replied The others looked at him in shock and no small amount of disgust.
"I need it to see what happened here" he responded coldly. The spell would take a toll on him if he cast it normally. So he took out a piece of chalk and traced a pentagram on the floor. He traced runes at the pinnacle of each point, and at the space exactly between each point, then drew a circle in chalk around the pentagram as a whole. He placed the skull of he priest inside the point that faced the altar of Bishab. Then he tore out a page from the priests prayer book and sat down in the center of the pentagram cross-legged and set his staff on his lap. He was lucky. The priest was not buried properly and thus his soul had not passed beyond the final veil. All he need do was bargain with the soul, he had not need to obtain it from the deity first. He took the book page, and with a minor fire magic turned it directly to ash in his hand, then he drew his dagger and let the blade slide across his hand and combined the blood with the ash to form an ink. He leaned forward and traced the holy symbol of Bishab on the priest's skull and spoke in the language of magic, invoking the priest's god to call forth his soul.

In a flash of white light, the soul was summoned and began speaking through the skull.

"What causes you to summon me from my rest mortal mage!" the skull demanded.

"A service Brother..."

"Melnone! My name was Melnone. What service do you require that binds me to this world and what price will you pay to obtain it?"

"I seek information about your death. There is danger afoot and I wish to see your last moments of life. In return, I will avenge your murder and make sure you are given a proper burial. So that you may pass beyond the final veil into the heaven of your Goddess's service." the mage responded. The skull seemed to consider for a moment before answering back

"Done. Brace yourself mage"

...

The church shimmered and his friends disappeared as the temple of today became the temple of days past. Brother Melnone was in life a man in good health, in middle age. His black hair having flecks of grey. He wore a simple brown habit and wore the holy symbol of Bishab around his neck, and a war hammer and shortsword were at his side. The goddess of safe trade demanded that her priests be armed against robbery at all times.

He stood before the altar in his evening prayers when the door opened behind him. He turned to greet a supplicant, but the look on his face betrayed frightful knowledge. A man stood at the door, dressed in the livery of a rich merchant. But the priest knew differently. The stench of necromancy hung about him and he was adjusting a phantom mask to the upper half of his face to cover his eyes and other identifying features.

“Good evening Brother Melnone” the stranger said in a sly voice as he removed a collapsible staff from behind his cloak and assembled it with a snap of his arm. The runes carved into the metal end caps and the rings which held the newly formed staff in place hummed with a dark power.

“And what brings you here necromancer?” the priest asked as he plucked the warhammer from his belt and yanked the holy symbol which served to channel and focus the magical energies he wielded from around his neck.. The grim look on his face meant he already knew the answer to his question.

“Is it even a question priest?”

“No, but I was hoping to at least know the reason I am to die”

“You will get no exposition from me clergyman. Have you made peace with your god?”

“I made peace with Bishab when I put on her habit.”

“Then die!”

The necromancer leveled his staff at the priest and uttered words of horrific power. A slaying spell which an undefended man could not resist. One that stripped the soul of a man unshielded by spells.

“Bishab! Defend Your Servant!” He held up his holy symbol like a miniature shield and it flashed with a radiance as bright as the sun. A sphere around the priest appeared that resembled the distortion given off by a hot surface. When the bolt of deepest black left the necromancer’s staff it was intercepted by the sphere. Its energies coiling around the barrier and meeting again at the place they struck and the same bolt that seemed to consume light as it moved lashed back out at its original master.

The necromancer dove to the side slamming bodily to the floor and the bolt missed him, striking the door behind to no effect. Save that the priests soul would have served as the component for the spell. Bereft of the component the spell backlashed. The necromancer whimpered in pain as the magical energies the design of the spell put off on the recipient were channeled directly through his body. Brother Melnone wasted no opportunity to cast a spell of his own. Removing several gold coins from his purse the priest whispered a prayer over them and they became sheathed in a field of magical energy. He threw one of them at his opponent. It struck and tiny lightnings arced off the nameless necromancer’s body. But he regained his feet before the cleric could throw another such missile. Smoke and motes of light still rose from his body when next he spoke

“Too little too late” he chided as he wordlessly point his hand and made a circling motion with his staff. The air around the priest darkened and distorted ,becoming dim and wobbly. The edged of the dimness quaked for a second. Candles waned, the priests hammer rusted, his clothes became threadbare. The time-quickening spell also reduced the priests defensive spell and his enchanted coins to a mere shadow of their former selves. The priests incredible will kept him from aging as much as his surroundings. he would go a few moments without having the life sucked from him, but he was slipping. year by ear he aged. The necromancer visibly strained under the effort of maintaining the effect but it was done. The clerics defenses were down and he was too system shocked from such rapid aging to summon forth the will to invoke his god. The necromancer was bleeding from his own nose and had sunk to one knee and a hand on the floor. But he raised his staff and drew the blood on his hand with a small blade attached to a ring on his finger. His staff pulsed with energy and a bolt of crimson lanced forth from it and struck the undefended priest in the chest and dissolved his flesh, leaving the skeleton untouched.

With a strangled cry that ended up more a gurgle Brother Melnone fell to the floor in a pool of his own blood.

“A pity you cannot be turned...” the necromancer said, a hint of sadness in his voice and collapses onto the floor for a moment.

Them the illusion lifted. And Thalen returned to the present day, a tear in his eye for the efforts of the valiant cleric.

“Cry not for me young wizard. Burry and avenge me as you vowed.”

“I will Brother Melnone. I will.”

“And Bishab will hold you to that promise”

“I know... part of the spell.”

Excellent. I look forward to more of the same