The fools didn’t wait until I was done. I was only mildly disappointed. I had hoped for more wisdom. Instead, they attacked as soon as it seemed I was in the midst of crafting the spell. Likely, they hoped for a magical backlash that would render me defenseless.

Yet, when I saw the look on their faces, it had been sufficient notice to prepare my spell in a way that tied off the spellcraft while casting. I wouldn’t need to monitor it. The manaflow was directed directly from my artifacts, the Illustrious Core-touched Mana Fountains of Superlative Arcane Might, to the working. My attention and personal mana could be spared.

More than the attack, even the direction of assault was poorly thought out. Once the mana left me towards the ground, other spells could potentially disrupt the flow. Such disruptions might cause a range of results from only raising part of the area to lifting random pieces too high.

I didn’t have the time to monitor it as I flew back from a barrage of blood shaped like spears. The spears flew quick, their points sharper than needles and stronger than iron. Even as I moved back, they followed. Some missed, their speed too high to turn. Others arced towards me as I moved, evidence of the difference in spell control among the three.

I could have withstood the attacks directly. Perhaps I should have. The three mages took my movements as fear and gave chase. Each one recast their same spells and held them in threat should the first spells not succeed. Yet, I wasn’t fleeing from their attacks. I was positioning myself between them and my working. This should reduce many possible unintended consequences.

Once I felt properly positioned, I turned sharply and allowed the remaining spears to strike against my wards. This put my back towards their rising city and left me facing all three as they came. I could see three vicious smiles through the tail ends of their previously cast spells. We watched each other as the last trails of blood bounced against my wards. It splashed away and fell like the patter of rain down to the ground below. Now I could better see the three vicious smiles showing sharpened teeth, but their eyes held looks of grim determination. I could tell that those smiles were just posturing. They intended to trade their lives for mine this day.

A silent breeze blew through the air around us and the trio slowly floated closer. Faint cries and cheers whispered up from the crowd below. The second set of spells hovered around us, a deadly threat to many. I watched on as each filled with more mana than was safe for the spell to hold, making that threat even deadlier.

Even if they didn’t cast, the backlash from doing so might kill them. I wasn’t new to the trading of spells. There have been many, many times I battled with my life at risk. That they overfilled spells was a declaration. It was a signal that they thought either I would die or they would. To them, there were no other options. That was what they were telling me with their grim looks and inflated spells.

But how could I have not learned how to deal with potential backlash in others? I was a teacher at the Arcanum for a long time, and those students often overfilled their spells in ignorance. Granted, they were much lower spells, often cantrips and the like. Yet, it had been my duty to safeguard those pupils. I had developed spellwork just for that occasion.

A lightning spell, because I needed the swiftness. One that would cut away their current casting so that it discharged into the air instead of them. One that was simple to replicate into higher-tier forms and I had further adapted simple into a modified [Chain Lightning]. I called it the [Mentor’s Superb Nullifying Lightning Guard]. The other tutors called it [Null Lightning], the butchers.

I could easily cast that spell now. I doubted they had many, if any, defenses against lightning magics, not with the wards I saw around them. Few mages could ward against my advanced lightning, though that Mirktallean magus had.

I could also simply cast a normal [Chain Lightning] spell, which would disrupt their current castings, and let them deal with the backlash of their own spells. Just as I had developed defenses against backlash, I am certain they did as well.

A part of me thought to consider that I was there to help these people. To attempt to save them from the Pestilence as repayment for my past actions. That nullifying their spells was the correct option. Yet, in the face of the danger these three presented, I didn’t dare underestimate them.

“[Chain Lightning]!” I called, and the spell flashed across the skies. Light flared brightly. Arcs of lightning struck all three mages. It bounced back and forth between them. I frowned at cries of pain. The blood magic spells sundered, the invested mana torn away and redirected against the casters.

Three mages fell from the sky. One woman died from taking the brunt of my spell. The man died due to the backlash of his own. The third died when she hit the ground below us. I frowned at the result. I turned back to the city, seeing its people watching on in shock and outrage. The priest still stood where he had been, but now two warriors stood by his side.

I glanced at the man briefly, and then looked about for further attacks. What I found was shocking. Of all the people in this city, I saw no more mages. No other priests than the one. The only warriors I saw stood next to him, their heads held tall and their stone hatchets held firmly in hand. Where were the rest? The other mages? The other warriors? Surely, I hadn’t just killed the only defenses this city had?

Hours of the afternoon passed, as I watched the plateau rise and pondered that question. The guilt of their three deaths added onto untold others. I pondered if the few extra seconds it would take to cast nullifying lightning would have been worth the risk. I could have pushed the spell to cast it faster at half the effect, but that might not have stopped them. Even if I had nullified their magics, was I swift enough to be able to save them while they fell? I hadn’t even been swift enough to save the one let alone three. I went over the confrontation with them over and over, sickening myself with new doubts each time.

I had been unprepared, and there was always a cost for that. Just as there was a cost for careless magics, like the fire I created years ago, the one that brought me here. The price, the tax, the burden of being a wizard seemed to only grow heavier with each passing year.

They were heavy thoughts on my already exhausted mind. Despite the city continuing to rise, and the people now going about their business, I saw no more of the Tervan’s military strength. Just two warriors and one priest. Not even a single lone adventurer lost in a strange land. Three mages now dead, a priest ordering people to gather their bodies. It shamed me to think this was what remained of the country that had defeated the Senan armies so long ago.

It was late afternoon when I saw a light reflect from something far below the growing plateau. The shine of something metal near these jungles was unusual, and I had lethargically dwelled in my own thoughts for too long already. After I considered it a moment, I realized I hadn’t seen any metal in this journey so far, not since I had left Senan lands. The thought, and the reflecting afternoon light, grabbed my attention.

I knew partly it was because I was eager to distract myself from the mental burden I had been considering, but I curiously flew closer to find a hole in the side of my growing plateau. It was odd, given that I hadn’t seen the like in any of the other plateaus. Flat rock had been the face for each that I recalled, and only certain magic could prevent that from occurring here.

The hole itself was as wide as two people and barely as tall as I stood. The depths inside were unlit except for what rays of sunlight shone inside. As I approached, I saw that the reflection I had seen before was sunlight bouncing off polished copper swords and shields. The weapons were of an unusually ancient make, and floated about as if carried in the hands of ghosts.

I felt necromancy in them, but not enough to power a wraith or spirit during the day. Instead, I used my mana sight to see that they were heavily enchanted, a curious thing. I had not seen an enchantment such as this before. It felt inspired, and I immediately wanted to study it closely to see how it worked

Then, I stepped back from my curiosity as I realized. They had been so far from my mind today that it took those moments to place what I saw. Yet, I couldn’t help but smile. This was a dungeon, one untouched for a very, very long time. It was just the thing I could use to distract myself with.