“The world is an illusion. So are dreams. Connect the dots.”

Luther the Yellow

was what was known as an Amalgamation Talent, a Talent only unlockable by a specific group mixing together their skills and abilities in pristine harmony. It took hours to use, and involved the eight Druids (and Bim) holding hands in their circle, their minds and spirits intermixing, sharing their deepest truths, as they slowly shifted into the Spirit Realm. As the moon reached its zenith in the night sky, the nine of them--

Awoke, but in a land not of wakefulness. Each of them held to their staves, their robes, in this ephemeral world, glowing with power, their auras of will expanding as they found their footing. And as they entered, the eyes of the Archon of War, Esultare, turned from the distant shores of Diren to them.

“Fools. Idiots. You’ve brought yourselves into my domain, to challenge me in my place of strength? Begone from my sight, lest I smite you.”

“It’s been a while, War Hawk. .” Dolnott, veteran as he was, was first into the fray. His most mighty spell formed seven ten-foot-tall stars of pure will, each of them shooting forward and exploding on the surface of the Archon, who took a step back.

“You think I care about your petty magics? I’ve lived millennia, seen empires rise and fall. I--”

“.” Caelene said, striding across the dark, green sprouts growing where she walked, luminescent vibrancy ensconcing her, forcing the wary Archon back a second step.

“No more!” The Archon swept up one hand, a spell springing forth. “!”

Caelene was thrown back by a storm of dark magic pouring down upon the nine. As their footing was lost, Aeda called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. “.”

Her staff came down, and a dome of green energy formed around the group, blocking off the apocalyptic storm that beat at its edges. Sweat poured down the elderly woman’s face as her will met that of an Archon. “The won’t hold for too long. Everyone except Bim, hold the damn thing down. Bim, cast your as soon as he’s weakened and you can lay a finger on him.”

The dome, a level 35 Talent, began to crack against the force of a level 80 spell. As it shattered and the winds and thunderbolts poured in, the torrential rains bent around Selma, raising her and Dolnott into the air on twin geysers. As she blasted the Archon with pressurized jets of water, and her partner wielding bolts of pure lightning, the Archon raised one hand, but not before the Twins, Jiram and Hirame, began wrapping vast tethers of around his feet. Cynthiana rapidly grew a column of moss that enraptured the Archon’s left limb as he struggled to break free. Bran and Caelene slammed their staffs down, sending a wave of wind back at the Archon. Aeda formed knives of grass from the darkness around her, each one a pinprick of pain stabbing into the great being’s eyes.

Bim sprinted forward, hurling himself up, as the Archon stumbled back, wriggling, casting momentous spells wildly. He saw, to his silent horror, which he shoved down as he leapt, Selma get obliterated entirely by a bolt of pure void, and Jiram and Hirame were incinerated by a ball of fire the size of a whale an instant later.

His hand touched the Archon’s flesh as a geyser of violet electricity forked into Cynthiana’s heart, burning her to a cinder from the inside out. “!” He bellowed, unable to hear himself due to the cacophonous noise.

The Archon stumbled back, toward the four-hundred-foot-tall rift sucking him in behind him. Bim fell to the ground, resisting the pull of the vortex. Aeda sprinted forward as the Archon struggled, swiping out and crushing Bran of the Rowan Boughs whole Her tiny form hit the Archon’s torso, her leg lashing out. She thwacked her staff into him, and chanted: “!”

With that, she and the Archon were swallowed up by the vortex, leaving her charred and battered staff falling to the “ground”.

Of the nine that had entered, five were dead, one vanished, and two were injured. Only Bim was untouched by the battle. Dolnott rushed to Selma, weeping, and Caelene fell to her knees, eyes bleak and hollow, unspeaking.

Within her mind, a voice rang out.

Level 42 earned!

🠊 !

earned!

earned!

earned!

earned!

earned!

earned!

earned!

Dolnott leveled too, eleven times to be exact. He was level 41 when all was said and done. Bim’s mind was silent for a time, before the bells rang.

Level 40 earned!

Class Advancement unlocked!

🠊

New Class created

🠊

🠊

earned!

Spell advancement unlocked!

🠊 !

earned!

!

earned!

earned!

🠊 earned!

“Four left, now.” He said quietly. “Four left now.”