“The lake is the key,” Vivienne said. “I’m convinced of it. We’ve attempted to follow the spirits back to where they came from, and the one thing we know for certain is they come from somewhere out there. Either underwater of on one of the many islands spotting the lake.”

“It’s too dangerous for us to effectively follow by boat,” Dylan said. “Last month was the first time we’d experienced a third wave, and it was smaller than usual. I was part of a crew that followed them out, and even with their reduced numbers we couldn’t maintain a safe distance and still keep up with them for long. The darkness makes it impossible.”

“So you suspect they are either spawning on one of the islands or from within the lake,” Bud said.

“Yes,” Dylan said.

“How many islands are there?” Hump asked.

“There are twenty-three on the map,” Dylan said. “Though we’ve discovered four of those ourselves in the last year.”

“Can’t you just explore the various islands to narrow down the location?” Hump said. “Something able to spawn so many spirits must create quite the disturbance. I’d expect it to be easy to find.”

Dylan frowned at him. “If it were easy to find we’d have found it.”

“Have you tried using an iritheel compass?”

“Of course I’ve tried one,” Vivienne snapped. “I’ve tried every artefact I could think of that might help. The lake is too rich in essence for the compass to work properly. It’s unable to focus once out on the water.”

“I can see why you think it’s an underwater or island dungeon then,” Hump said. “That would explain the lake’s unusual essence density, which would also explain how so many spirits could be spawning. You probably know more about spirits than me, Bud. What do you think? The church must keep records of the different types and how to fight them.”

“A dungeon wouldn’t explain why the spirits only attack during the new moon,” Bud said. “Spirits typically fall into two categories, those formed from the soul of something once living, and those born of extremely concentrated essence. I wouldn’t expect either to behave like this, which leads me to believe that a summoner might be directing them. Have any of the other towns and villages around the lake been attacked?”

“Not yet,” Vivienne said.

Bud shrugged. “A summoner would explain their monthly appearance and why they seem so focus on this town in particular. Perhaps a group of summoners considering the number. It’s dark magic, and highly dangerous. A single mistake and the spirits could end up targeting the summoner instead, or they could accidentally summon something beyond their control.”

“You think we’re dealing with a cult?” Celaine asked.

“It’s possible,” Bud said. “Kelisia’s church teaches of the importance of lunar cycles for summoning from other realms. The new moon is when the veil between worlds is at its weakest, so it would be the optimal timing.”

Hump scratched his chin. “What about the missing adventurers Arnold mentioned? Could they be behind it. Perhaps avoiding the bill wasn’t the only reason they skipped town.”

“They were here for a matter of days,” Dylan said. “Arriving long after the attacks started and leaving too early to be behind the latest wave.”

Vivienne sighed. “I did consider that a cult or summoner could be behind this. It wouldn’t be difficult for someone to use the essence of the lake to fuel a summoning ritual. It even made some sense that the formation might need a month to recharge.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming…” Hump said.

“But…” Vivienne smiled. “The essence in the lake is becoming more concentrated. With every passing month, it becomes denser. A summoning ritual can’t explain that, especially not to the scale of a lake.”

“Then they’re unrelated,” Celaine said. “The essence in the lake is increasing for whatever reason, then a cult noticed it and decided to take advantage of that essence to fuel their summoning rituals.”

“Not much reason for a cult to target here though,” Hump said. “It’s just a small town out in the country.”

“Exactly,” Vivienne said. “Besides, anyone capable of creating a summoning ritual that takes advantage of the lakes power wouldn’t be using it to attack the town with low tier spirits. They’d be doing it themselves.”

“If it’s not a summoner, we’re running out of options,” Bud said. “Unless you know of any mass murders in recent years that might explain the numbers, I can’t think of any spirits that would gather in numbers like this. Hauntings are typically only a single restless spirit. Dungeons can have the essence density to spawn them, but again, that wouldn’t explain the monthly attacks.”

“At this rate, the lake itself might begin to spawn them,” Vivienne said. “If the essence density continues to rise like this each month, in a few years it could rival levels only found in the Fallen Lands.”

“Meaning monsters would spawn,” Hump said flatly.

“Yes,” Vivienne said. “An event we best avoid.”

“Well there’s the obvious solution,” Bud said. “We find the proof that a larger danger is at play and request assistance from Lady Daston. Honestly, I think the fact that the essence density is increasing like you suggest is already enough reason to go to her.”

“Lady Daston’s involvement is a final resort,” Vivienne said. “We’re still a long way from that. As it stands, the essence density is not a risk. At worst we need to worry about a few mutated fish, though even that seems unlikely.”

“I’ve got to admit,” Hump said, “I don’t like the idea of a bunch more guys like Albry showing up either.”

“Lady Daston is nothing like Albry. She was good friends with my mother,” Bud said. “I could speak to on your behalf. If this is connected to the increasing attacks in the rest of the region—”

“It’s not,” Vivienne interrupted. “I’ve spent years of effort on this lake, and I don’t mean to let a bunch of bureaucrats or the Adventurers’ Guild interfere.”

“No offense,” Celaine said. “But it doesn’t sound like you have much of a plan.”

“My plan is already in process,” Vivienne growled. “It was going perfectly well until the three of you waltzed up to my lighthouse with those priests and almost got yourselves killed.”

“Three people have already died,” Celaine said. “Were they part of your plan?”

Vivienne’s face twitched. “The attacks caught me unprepared. I did what I could to defend the town, but without any defences in place, it was inevitable that some spirits slipped past. The fact that there were only two victims in the past months was lucky. As for Petyr who went missing yesterday…” She paused. “It won’t happen again. I swear it. My formation is in place now, the town is defended.”

“You can’t defend it forever,” Bud said. “If you don’t have a plan to track down the spirits, all of this is a temporary solution.”

“Good thing I have such a solution then,” Vivienne said. “I am an academy wizard of the fourth rank, Robert. My confidence is not baseless. If I thought I needed outside assistance, I would find it.”

“Very well,” Bud said. “Then what is your plan?”

“It’s simple really. While an artefact such as the iritheel compass is non-functional in a place of such dense essence, searching for the source of essence is not the only method to find it. I’ve designed a beacon that projects a field capable of detecting the essence signature of incorporeal entities, allowing us to follow their trail rather than actually keep up with them. With them, I should be able to locate wherever it is they come from.”

“And what’s the plan once you’ve done that?” Hump asked.

“You’re an adventurer now, aren’t you?” Vivienne said. “What do you think?”

“Destroy whatever’s spawning them,” Hump said.

“Correct,” Vivienne said. “I will know more once we track them down, and at that point decide whether or not reinforcements from Sheercliff City are required.”

“How confident are you that this will work?” Bud asked.

“With enough time, I’m certain,” Vivienne said. “However low tier spirits have weak signatures, and with so many of them, the projected fields may become too cluttered to follow. They may require some fine tuning. With some luck, I’d like to have the source identified in the next two months. Without it… it could take longer.”

“You don’t have longer,” Hump said grimly. “I hate to step on your toes after you’ve already made preparations, but I don’t it sounds like there’s a lot of risk associated with this plan. What if some of us were out on the islands when the beacons activate. We wouldn’t need to follow the spirits for as long which leaves less time for something to go wrong.”

“If they attacked us out there, we’d have no chance,” Dylan said. “While individually they are not too difficult to handle, you witnessed first hand how devastating a swarm of them could be last night. If not for Master Vivienne, things would have ended much worse.”

“Could we reduce their numbers?” Celaine said. “Group them up with the formation over the lighthouse, then slay the spirits in one go. Once their dead we can search the lake without worrying.”

“They are not so easily slain,” Vivienne said. “I can destroy a few of them—they are weak to sunlight, though even a Tier 4 spell like Daybreak only seems to kill those that it strikes directly. The rest heal the damage quickly.”

“What if we captured one then,” Hump said. “We could set a trap on the island across the docks and hold it back until the rest of the spirits are gone. Then when we let it go, there’s only one trail to follow, and there’s no chance of us getting swarmed while out on the boat.”

Vivienne rubbed her eyes. “That’s a great idea in theory, but I know of no spell that can capture a spirit.”

“I do,” Hump said. “At least, I think I do.” All eyes were fixed on him. “When we were in Bledsbury Dungeon, Kassius used a formation to bind the dragon’s body and soul. Reconstructing it is beyond me, but with your help we might be able to figure it out.”

“He bound the dragon’s soul?” Vivienne said quickly. “How do you know?”

“He told us,” Hump said. Another half-truth, but he couldn’t exactly tell her that he’d used it to trap and absorb the dragon’s soul.

“Show me,” Vivienne said.

Hump glanced at Dylan, the only one in the room still unaware of the spellbook he possessed.

“I trust Dylan with my life,” Vivienne said. “If we’re to work together, you’ll need to trust him too.

Hump tapped his finger on the cover of the book, then opened it. The formation was drawn in thick black ink on the first page he turned to.

Essence flowed through the runes, just as before when Hump had used it back in the dungeon, pulsing through the formation in both directions before rushing back to the top rune where the caster stood. Its appearance didn’t give him chills this time, though he felt a weariness.

Spellbook

The Binding of Thirteen

Description: Unknown

Classification: Formation

Quality: Unknown

Origin: Unknown

Abilities

Unknown.

“I only recognise a few of these runes,” Vivienne said. “Kassius was the one that created this?”

“He was,” Hump said. “He was a dark essence user.”

“That explains why it feels so eerie,” Vivienne said. “Is the essence pattern recorded?”

Hump frowned. “You know about that?”

She gave a quick nod. “Evidently. So, is it recorded or not?”

Hump paused.

“We can discuss it later,” Vivienne said. “For now, I need to know what you know.”

Hump sighed. “I know how to wield them with essence. And the intent behind the formation as a whole. I only know the meaning of a couple of the runes, and don’t know their individual intent.”

Vivienne sat back in her armchair and frowned.

“Is it something you can figure out?” Dylan asked.

“I believe so,” Vivienne said. “Though deciphering formations is something people dedicate their lives toward. In this case, Hump knowing how the formation functions makes the task simpler, though figuring it out in only a month or two will require a lot of time.”

“But it’s possible?” Hump said excitedly.

“Yes. At least, I think so. We’ll know quickly if there is any progress to be had, and this is certainly worth the attempt. If we can trap one of the spirits, I know of a ritual that can mark incorporeal entities. It will make tracking its signature with the beacons far easier.”

“What if the spirit attacks us?” Bud asked. “If it doesn’t attempt to get home, we won’t have a trail to follow.”

“Spirits are drawn to the soul,” Dylan said. “With proper aura control, they can be hidden from.”

“We’ll need to work on that,” Vivienne said. “The three of you are already in good standing, I believe a month is enough time for us to work on the techniques.”

“Then we have a plan?” Hump asked.

“With a little luck, yes.” Vivienne smiled. “There are a few variables we have limited control over, so we’ll need to see how the next few days go, but if we’re able to replicate this trap it could significantly increase our chances. It’s going to be a lot of long hours in both study and training though. I don’t want to hear complaints if the going gets tough.”

“Tough training is what we were here for,” Bud said.

“Specifically, Hump’s tough training.” Celaine smirked. “We were just going to watch.”

Hump grinned at her. “We’re a team, Celaine! It’s a good thing that we can suffer together.”

“Enthusiasm is good,” Vivienne said. “However, you and Celaine effectively suffered a spiritual attack during our tests today. You need time to recover. She stood. “Drink your tea—it will help—and get some rest. Training will begin in the morning.”

As she was leaving, Hump stopped her. “Vivi, how much do you know about the spellbook?”

She glanced back at him.

“Enough to know you should be rid of it. And enough to know that we need it. There will be plenty of time for us to discuss this while we’re working on the formation. Training comes first. Don’t be late.”

***

“What a fine morning to see you all,” Vivienne said with a smile as she paced before them. They were outside on the lighthouse’s grounds. The sun was barely up, and a cold mist hung over the lake.

“I’ll create individual training regiments for each of you once my understanding of your current ability is more complete. I intend to help each of you identify a direction for your training, but at the end of the day you are both Chosen. That means there are three core things you must focus on: your souls, blessings, and skills. I doubt there is anything I can teach you regarding your skills with a weapon or stealth, but I can help you master your blessings and souls.”

“How can you help us?” Celaine said. “I can see how direction might be helpful. I don’t see how you could know more about our blessings than we do.”

“Blessings are much like spells,” Vivienne began. “They require a combination of essence and intent to function. Where they most often differ is their complexity. When a wizard casts Spark, they create a flame. At best, they can infuse more essence into it to make the flame larger or hotter, but the purpose of the spell does not change. Blessings on the other hand are more versatile. What I’ll do is help you to find the potential of your blessings and how to wield them efficiently. As for your souls, they best way to develop one’s aura is through force.”

“You intend to suppress us again,” Bud said.

“That’s part of it,” she said. “You will also practice with each other and Dylan.”

“What about me?” Hump asked.

“Your control and arsenal of spells will be a good place to start,” Vivienne said. “With the trials in mind, I believe duelling will be an effective method of practice too. Your individual strength must take some priority. There will also be monster hunting.”

“Sounds good.”

“As for your issues with your bond to the egg, I’ll need to see how you train later,” Vivienne said. “Celaine, I hope you don’t mind me looking in on the process. It would also be helpful if you could tell me anything you know about the trials.”

“I don’t see much choice,” Celaine said. “It’s fine.”

“Thank you,” Vivienne said. “Are there any other questions?” When nobody answered, she nodded. “Good. We’ll start the day with a run,” Vivienne said. “Dylan, lead them along your usual route if you don’t mind.”

Hump laughed. “Enjoy yourselves,” he said to his teammates.

“She didn’t exclude you,” Celaine said, smirking with amusement.

“Heh.” Hump turned slowly to Vivienne to find her arms folded and staring at him. “I’m a wizard, Vivi, I can’t run.”

“It’s because you’re a wizard that it’s even more important for you to work on your stamina,” Vivienne said. “You’re neither as durable as Robert, nor as agile as Celaine. Wizards do not have essence to draw their stamina from, and most don’t have the spells to make up for it. You need to have the physical ability to keep up if you ever need to run.”

“Master Sethril never—”

“Seth isn’t here, Hump,” Vivienne snapped. “Dylan, make sure you don’t take it easy on him.”

Dylan grimaced. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll know if you’ve gone soft,” she chided.

“Don’t worry,” Celaine said, a malicious grin on her face. “We’ll all make sure he doesn’t stop.”

Hump stared at his teammates with wide, hopeless eyes. “I’ll remember this,” Hump said. “The day I was betrayed!”

“Oh stop being dramatic,” Celaine said.

“You’ll enjoy it once you get into it,” Bud said. “There’s nothing like a morning run to start the day.”

“To all the gods above,” Hump whispered. “If anyone is listening, I’m sorry for all the wrongs I ever said. Please, show mercy and help me now!”

After a few seconds, Bud let out a satisfied sigh. “Fresh air, exercise, and a little bit of blasphemy to get the heart racing. Wonderful.”

Hump glared at his friend. “I’ll remember this.”

***

Vivienne was waiting for them when they arrived back at the lighthouse. While the others stood and listened to her instructions for the rest of the day, Hump lay on the ground and waited for death.

“Drink this,” Vivienne said, handing him a glass of cool, green liquid.

Hump sat up and took the glass suspiciously. “What is it?”

“A stamina drink,” Vivienne said.

Hump sipped it and scrunched his nose. “Why does it taste like grass?”

“Just drink it,” Vivienne said. “I want to conclude the sparring by lunch, which will leave us time to begin working on your soul training and to start going over that formation.”

“That’s a lot to cram into one day,” Hump said. “I’m already exhausted.”

“Remember why you are here,” Vivienne said. “Will you face these trials alone or with a party? You must be able to fight for yourself. If you want to pass these trials, you need all the help you can get.”

Hump met her eyes and reluctantly nodded. He gulped down the drink in one go and gasped. His aching muscles filled with a pleasant warmth, and he felt rejuvenated. “You’re right,” he said, standing. “I’m ready when you are. How do you want to do this? My master and I used to spar using only shields and rockshot.”

Vivienne smiled softly. “You’re mistaken, Hump. You won’t be duelling me. You’ll be duelling Dylan.”

Hump glanced up at the druid, only now noticing him behind Vivienne. The man gave him an apologetic smile, but Hump’s eyes slid to the side, taking in the heavy quarterstaff in his right hand. He gulped.

“You want me to duel a third circle Chosen?” Hump said. “I’m not sure this is a good matchup.”

“Exactly,” Vivienne said. “Plenty of opportunity to learn.”