《Black Cloak, White Art》The Stones of Arcory – Chapter 31 - One A Price To Be Paid, Or Not
Advertisement
I pressed the end of my staff into the furrow of the innermost circle, added my power to the overall glow. The tall witches’ retinue cried out and stepped back. Their leader, however, stood her ground.
“Did the Margrave of Bardelaisch meet his death here, or elsewhere?” I demanded, the sparks from the borders of my circles made the trio back up further. I needed to confirm her statement at the very least. Not that I was surprised he might be dead. Coming here was beyond any risk worth taking by a mere aristocrat.
“No men of power or substance walk these woods,” the tall woman replied, waved her hand either in dismissal or casting. “Nor will you, after this night. Do you think you can survive with such puny protections against the power of our moons? Even now our power is increasing and yours I failing.”
“We shall see,” I smiled, continued my vigilance, glanced at the other three who had moved to surround me. “I am not here for battle. I am here to find trace of the Margrave of Bardelaisch who I am told passed this way in search of assistance for his land. At least to send back to his wife. She at least deserves to know his true fate.”
The woman laughed. It was a deep loud throaty laugh. Its candor told me much.
“A fool,” she told me. “And doomed. He and his retinue passed through to the mountains in search of a Demon of the Hot Sun, or so I heard, to seek its favor. Only a fool would seek favor from a Celestial.”
Desperate men often become fools, I agreed silently.
“So he passed through this forest safely?” I asked her.
“Why expend the effort to slay a fool on a journey to his demise,” she told me with a smirk. “The demon will have dealt with him by now. I doubt its price for aid is anything a man would find acceptable.”
Advertisement
“Then you have no other concerns about me,” I told her. “I will follow his path and leave your forest.”
She shook her head.
“You have defiled this grove by your very presence wizard, only your blood boiled can erase the taint your shadow has touched,” she told me. “You can expect to pay a blood price.”
It turned out, however, the price was not much more than a night without sleep, as I was not intending on battle the four to the death, and they were clearly unwilling to draw on the costly measures it would take to break my circles, even though they could with time and effort. The young have little patience.
“Be warned, wizard,” the leader told me as she followed her others with the rising of the suns. “We will return in greater numbers.”
As such is was an only wearied wizard who rode down from the forest passed the surprised woodcutter. The man shrugged and turned back to his work, regardless. But if a Demon of the Hot Sun was dwelling in the Black Mountains, I could not face it alone. I would need help. And rest.
It seemed, however, I would get little of either.
Halfway back down the hills to the Blue Guardians’ monastery I found the forest road before me blocked. Not by men or beast – by the very forest itself. As I turned away, the path behind me had also turned to trees and undergrowth. It was, of course, unnatural by any means. And more than a bother, as magic was clearly behind the change and there was a fast approaching storm approaching from the east now racing me to my destination.
The witches, I wondered, out to exact unanticipated retribution? But the forest wall was no illusion, no practice of the petty power they would have wielded. As I watched, an arch opened in the wall. Tree limbs creaked and shuddered, while vines slithered away to open up a dark entrance in the greenery. Someone with power had created a forest door. There were few who had such power. And I suspected there was only one who would have the motivation to want to draw me though it.
Advertisement
- In Serial351 Chapters
The Guardians' Throne - The First Magic Swordsman
After a long time in the darkness, a lost soul is transported to another world, and there the soul is given another chance and is reborn as a boy…In a world of swords and magic, Zaos is given another chance after hearing an unknown voice asking him to protect someone. While he couldn’t remember many things about his old life, he still decided to live his new as much as possible. Even though it looked like he was destined to do something, Zaos chose to follow his own path as much as possible.He tried that… but it looked like the machinations of destiny won’t give him much option. Weird things were happening in the kingdom he was born, and before he could imagine… Zaos was throw in the middle of a war in which some were trying to revive the god of the world, and others were trying to prevent it. Zaos will fight in this war while he also looks for the person he is supposed to protect.
8 4651 - In Serial43 Chapters
A New Breed of Pirate: A VRMMO Tale
What would happen if you dropped 2500 people from the year 2049, in Port Royal, Jamiaca in 1714? Rio Grande gaming division intends to answer that very question. Apply today to be chosen to take part in the beta testing of "A New Breed of Pirate" today. Sail the seven seas, as a pirate, merchant, or even in a navy! Experience what the world was like during the 18th century, as the entire world is your playground. Take part in the worlds first truly immersive VRMMORPG. Utah looks at the email he just recieved, then at his barely functioning legs. "What could I possibly lose?" Follow Dwayne Utah through his experiences in the hyper-realistic beta of NBP online. ***A couple disclaimers*** Thus story features progressive RPG elements. This is my first story, and I'm wanting to start slow on the status screens and game rules. I just wanted to put this here to let everyone know what they were getting.
8 138 - In Serial100 Chapters
High Skies Piracy
On Solam, pirates raid the skies armed with deadly magic. Stephan has lived a quiet, sheltered life of hard work and academic pursuits. He married for business, not for love. Truth be told, he's a pansy. Now he's on a pirate ship held aloft with arcane energies. Trapped in a steel box with criminals of the worst sort. How does a reasonable man survive in a place such as this? Will he return home, or will he be seduced by the wild vices of freedom and open air? Cover illustrated by Rude Rubicante: https://twitter.com/RRubicante
8 162 - In Serial9 Chapters
Tale of Careless Goddess
After getting fried to death, the woman appointed as a goddess in the newborn world. Using her new power will she create her own cult? built an unstoppable empire ? or just sleep thought the entire time? The cover picture MTGA fan art found taken from google.
8 98 - In Serial10 Chapters
Aspiration & Avarice
This fanfic is undergoing a lot of work, stay tuned for a description.
8 144 - In Serial33 Chapters
More Than What He Seems - A Fortnite Story No.1
*THIS STORY, ALONG WITH ITS SEQUELS AND ONESHOTS, IS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SO ANYTHING HERE IS NOT CANNON TO THE MAIN FORTNITE STORY. THESE ARE MY OWN PERSONAL HEADCANNONS.*- This story takes place after the events of Season 2, and before Season 4, except this time, Midas isn't "killed off" by a shark.-With his device broken, his plans in shambles and agents turned against him or captured, the ex-leader of the now destroyed Agency, Midas, seems lost... quite literally as he's left to float away on a raft alone......or so he thinks.A young child with a close bond with one of Midas' top agents rescues him from certain death, and is determined to become an agent, just like him and Skye.Along the way, parts of Midas' softer side begin to come out through the girl's kindness and compassion. But will it become an issue or distraction in the future?Forming an unlikely bond, it'll be up to them, the other remaining Ghost members and a certain someone from Midas' past to reunite and take back the Agency from Chaos Agent's Shadow.*I don't own any of the art or renders shown in here unless said. All credit goes to the original creators.*
8 104