Chapter 54

Wil stood in the forest just outside the Guild Branch, the stars shining overhead as he stared at the emerald in his hand. The Night air was cold, the seasons quickly changing as summer’s heat had plunged into autumn’s chill.

The power inside the gemstone pulsed gently, although the creature within was still stubbornly refusing to cooperate with him. This was his third attempt to form a bond with the elemental, and he was losing hope that it would ever happen.

Wil didn’t have much time left to experiment with the stone, they would be traveling in a few days, and most of his remaining time would be filled with preparations for the journey. If something was going to happen with the emerald, it needed to happen now.

“Desperate times.” Wil whispered, as his hand clenched the gemstone tightly. Pulling on the mana from his core, he drove it into the stone. He felt an immediate resistance, the elemental within attempting to keep him out. Ignoring it, he poured more and more mana into the stone, until it was burning hot in his hand.

The battle between them intensified, Wil driving his mana to subdue the elemental, and the creature resisting with all its might. The stone vibrated madly in his hand as control passed back and forth between them, until Wil thought the stone would explode.

With a yell, he drove the stone into the ground at his feet, burying it deep into the soft earth as the mana within flared. He was taking a risk with this action, leaving the elemental with an ultimatum, exit the stone or see it destroyed by the force of the magic he had used.

Stepping back, he watched as the ground rippled, before a massive head slowly emerged. Made of dirt and rock, the Earth Elemental reluctantly left the stone, rather than see it shattered and its form banished from this plane.

Stretching skyward until it rose over a dozen feet from the ground, its massive body was a rough approximation of a human. The Earth Elemental stared silently down at him, the emerald in the center of its forehead, glowing brightly in the darkness.

“Are you finally ready to talk?” Wil asked, staring at the creature in front of him. Seeing it not respond, Wil let out a deep, frustrated breath as he started to pace.

“Look, I’m just going to keep bothering you until you respond, or the gem is destroyed. It’s your choice.” Wil reasoned, crossing his arms as he looked at the silent elemental in front of him.

“Won’t obey. Not master.” It rumbled, its voice seeming to come from deep within the earth.

“Good, now we’re getting somewhere.” Wil muttered quietly.

“I understand that your master passed away, but I was hoping that we could work together.”

“Not die. Murdered.” It said, staring at Wil.

“Your master was murdered? During a mission?” Wil asked, not surprised at all by its master’s early death. The adventurer’s guild made it clear that it was a dangerous business.

“Betrayed! Stabbed in back!” The elemental said, its face taking on a clear expression of anger and rage. It slammed an arm down through a nearby tree, completely shattering its trunk and sending it flying across the clearing.

“By another member of the Guild?” Wil asked. This time he was shocked, especially since the guild policed its own very thoroughly.

“Companion. No Justice!” It said, pacing the clearing. Each stepped sent a shockwave through the ground, and Wil struggled to keep his footing.

“Do you know who did it? Would you recognize them if I brought you to their location?” The creature stopped, looking at him, before nodding its head.

“Don’t know face. Know mana, know scent.”

“I’ll make you a deal then. We form a bond, and you’ll travel with me while I’m working with the guild. If you help me, I’ll help you bring justice to your master’s betrayer. All you will need to do is let me know when you see them. I’m sure that we’ll meet most of the Guild’s members while we adventure together, but only if you work with me.” Wil reasoned, waiting with bated breath for the elemental’s response.

It took a moment, staring silently at him, as it considered his proposal. It seemed an eternity before it nodded, sinking slowly back into the ground.

Walking forward, Wil picked up the gem from the ground. He could feel the bond between them form, allowing him to summon the elemental. Nodding at the results, he left the clearing.

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The Midnight Desert stretched into the distance, the intense heat from the blue sun above caused a shimmering heat haze that robbed the horizon of detail. Wil had been confused by ‘midnight’ in the name since it was clearly daytime. But seeing the desert, it now made sense.

The sand of the desert was black. Hard packed salt flats, like streaks of white on otherwise pitch-black sand made up the entirety of everything Wil could see. Broken only by tall dunes of loose black sand, he could feel the stifling heat of the desert before him.

What made it worse was the complete absence of mana in the air, robbing everyone of energy. Wil could already feel himself growing lethargic from the lack of mana and the oppressive heat.

They had teleported here from the Guild Branch at the Foreigner’s Port. An impressive display of magic, they had carried dozens of people nearly a thousand miles away.

Wil had only seen royalty and high-ranking clergy in Illyria travel by the 9th tier ‘Gate’ spell, but it was clear that the Guild had the knowledge, resources, and power to make use of such an expensive mode of transportation.

Little was said to the group as they had gathered outside of the Branch House that morning, a silent group of test takers, filled with nervous energy and dread as the thought of the pending trial drove each of them to self-reflection.

The had appeared in an oasis, a clear, blue water spring on the outskirts of the Midnight Desert. A small town had grown around it over the years, the last chance for trade caravans and adventurers to restock supplies before making the treacherous journey across the black flats.

Why anyone would want to make the crossing had eluded Wil, until a guild member had mentioned in passing that the desert held some of the rarest minerals and natural resources in Lund. The lack of natural, ambient mana was a side effect of the terrain.

The mana was drawn underground, fuel for a rare type of plant, the ‘Midnight Desert Rose.’

To the Guild’s knowledge, it only grew in this desert. A powerful panacea, capable of curing any wound, illness, affliction or even curse. Heaven’s blessing in the form of a flower, sought by every person in Lund willing to risk a horrific death to search the Midnight Desert for it.

The goal of the test wasn’t the flower, although they were encouraged to look if they had an opportunity. They were to simply pass through the desert, surviving to make it to the town on the other side.

They weren’t alone in the small, oasis town. The locals had built a bazar, permanent shops that sold things found in the desert, and needed supplies for those entering the wasteland.

The test also brought recruits from all over Lund, thousands of people that pushed the small town to its limits of capacity, as would be adventurers of every race, gender and nationality popped into existence, brought by the powerful guild magics.

“Welcome to the Midnight Oasis, the last bastion of civilization on the outskirts of the desert. Your test begins at Primaris’ first light, which is in five hours. You are free to explore the town and the shops until then. We will call you when the test begins.” The mage said, before she drifted off to join a group of other Guild members who accompanied other groups.

The rest of the time passed swiftly, with Wil looking around the stalls and shops, looking with interest at the various types of items for sale. He had done most of his shopping in at the Port, although he picked up a few potions from an alchemist here, recommended by the guild to deal with the heat and sunburn.

His armor, sword and supplies were as ready as he would ever be as he settled into the shade of a palm tree that grew around the blue water oasis, waiting for the final call for the test to begin.