Waves of Magic: Tobias 1 (Original Fantasy) (Patreon)

“Alright, we all ready?” Dura asked, her elven ears twitching, listening for any sign they’d been detected, as the group of four huddled next to a collapsed pillar.

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Drorvar, the dwarven knight, responded, taking a drink from his metal flask.

“Just buy me a few minutes to examine her ritual,” Tobias said, idling scratching the head of Frill, his iguana familiar. The lizard leaned into the scratching fingers, bits of molted skin peeling off.

“‘A few minutes he says,’” the syllabant voice of Yaro, their lizardfolk guide quipped, “a few minutes is an eternity in battle. But we’ll do our jobs. Focus on keeping that hyss’alk from destroying time. May the ancestors guide our blades.”

Tobias gave Yaro a nod, saying nothing more. With a last, deep breath to steel their nerves, the four stood and made their way into the ancient structure. Back to the chamber where it all began, where the Negus Shudan was awoken from her imprisonment. Their footfalls echoed against the walls, stepping in tandem to hide their numbers.

Swallowing thickly, Tobias did his best to ignore the multitude of skulls lining the ossoary’s walls. He didn't think that any of the bones lining the walls and ceiling were magically animated, but Margol was undead, so it was certainly possible. Tobias hoped that his research on the ancient undead’s runescars was accurate, because that particular form of magic hadn’t been used in centuries.

In the front, Dura held a hand out, bringing the group to a stop. Looking back, her eyes shining like a cat’s from the meager amount of moonlight, she pointed to Tobias and motioned him to come up. Carefully stepping around the loose bones that had fallen from the wall, Tobias approached. Dura pointed to a skull set into the wall roughly five paces ahead, a circle containing a thirteen pointed star carved into the forehead, a small number of runes within the star.

Giving her a nod, Tobias crouched down and leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowed as he took in the runes on the skull. That one was ‘Amaru’... and if it was on the left of ‘Hasabu’ then together…

Tobias let out a deep breath. This was the problem with rune based magics. Margol had inscribed a trap onto a single skull and he’d worked four different curses into it. The simplest was a blindness curse, and if his knowledge of the runes was correct the next tamest was a blood boiling curse.

Fortunately, for all its complexities runic magic was as vulnerable to dispelling as any other. Pushing his consciousness into Frill, Tobias temporarily took over the iguana’s body. Years of practice meant that he didn’t flounder anymore when he did so, instead he channeled the ambient magics of the world around them through his familiar, and with a crack of Frill’s whiplike tail, he sent a surge of raw, chaotic magic into the delicate framework of the runes.

There was a sizzling pop as the skull split, the delicate magics bursting into the old bone with more energy than it could contain. Not yet leaving Frill’s body, Tobias channeled magic into the iguana’s eyes, casting his gaze along the walls and ceiling. Two, three, four more traps until the end of the corridor.

Moving a tiny portion of his consciousness back to his own body, Tobias informed the group, “Four more traps, moving ahead to dispel them.”

Returning his focus back into Frill, Tobias sent his familiar scurrying along the walls. Reaching the first trap, he focused on the runes. Frill’s eyes didn’t perceive the world the same way, but Tobias had been bonded to Frill for well over fifteen years and was used to the iguana’s vision. Maru followed by Adannu, damn that’d be a pain to deal with.

Quickly dealing with the traps, Tobias had Frill scurry back to the group, clambering up his limp human body, held up by Yaro to its shoulders. Settling in place, Tobias slipped out of Frill’s body and returned to his own. Blinking his eyes as his mind settled back into place, Tobias gave Yaro a nod before standing on his own.

Still moving slowly down the hallway, Dura checking for nonmagical traps, the group of four soon came to the doorway of a large chamber. Pressing against the opposing sides, the group peeked inside to see a lavish room filled with treasures from the beginning of recorded history. Gold coins piled high in stacks, jewels of every color glittering in the light, and weapons of all kinds lined the walls.

But as their eyes adjusted to the dim light, they noticed something odd. The room was completely silent, not even the sound of their own breathing could be heard. And then, they saw it. A figure standing in the center of the room, its back turned to them.

Tobias felt a chill run down his spine as he recognized the figure. It was the Rune Witch they had been sent to defeat. She stood there, her long black hair flowing down her back, and a black cloak wrapped tightly around her frame. Without turning, she spoke in a voice that dripped with malice.

“I see you have made it this far, but you will go no further. You will join the many others who have failed before you,” Negus Shudan, the last known user of Runescars, hissed before she turned around. She’d been beautiful, once. Until she utilized magic to bind her soul to her body, turning her into an undead creature with an insatiable thirst for more power.

Tobias took a deep breath, doing his best to take in Shudan’s runework in the room they were in without being obvious about it. The insane witch continued to monologue as he examined the carvings with both his own eyes and through Frill’s, hoping to finally piece together just what her goal was… Mora, Vatu, Khezek, Utani, Nekroz…

He was unable to keep his eyes from widening in shock as he pieced together her plan. She had been imprisoned in a sarcophagus for over a thousand years, and from what he was reading of the runes, she was planning on tearing apart the very fabric of time, bringing the Negara Empire to the present.

Tobias knew that this plan would cause chaos and destruction on an unimaginable scale. The Negara Empire was one of the largest and most powerful empires in history, and its sudden appearance in the present day would throw the world into turmoil. He knew that they had to stop Shudan, no matter the cost.

Slowly, he shifted behind the rest of his group, blocking Shudan's vision of him, and slid his consciousness into Frill. Not entirely, it would be far too risky to do so here. Leaning close to the back of Yaro’s head, Tobias whispered to him quietly.

“Keep her busy for a few minutes, I’m going to break her ritual,” he told his compatriot, before slipping a little deeper into his familiar.

In Frill’s body, he climbed down to the floor, scampering out of sight to the edge of the ritual circle. With nimble paws, Frill began to scratch at the runes, careful not to disrupt the flow of magic that was already in motion. He knew that he had to work fast, as Shudan's power was growing stronger with each passing second.

Frill's claws worked quickly, etching into the runes and disrupting the magic that was holding Shudan's plan together. Sparks flew from the carvings as the magic was disrupted, causing Shudan to scream in agony.

Tobias could feel the power of the runes surging through Frill. He knew that if he wasn't careful, the little creature would be consumed by the magic. Tobias focused his will, directing Frill's movements with precision. The little creature worked tirelessly, his paws a blur as he continued to disrupt the magic.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and Tobias was thrown back into his own body. He stumbled backwards, disoriented, and watched as Shudan's body was consumed by the magic she had been attempting to wield.

The room was silent, save for the crackling of the remaining magic. Tobias looked around at his companions, all of them staring at him in shock.

“What did you do?” Yaro asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tobias could feel the weight of what he had just done settling on his shoulders. He had stopped Shudan's plan, but at what cost? He knew that the ramifications of his actions would be felt for years to come. But for now, they had succeeded in stopping the mad witch and preventing her from unleashing chaos on the world.

“YOU FOOL!” Shudan’s voice rumbled through the building, causing the entire group of four to ready themselves, eyes, ears, and other senses reaching out to try to find her. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE STOPPED?! NO. YOU DON'T. I'M NOT DONE. I WILL RULE OVER ALL THAT SURVIVE AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. THERE WILL BE NO CHAOS OR DESTRUCTION. THERE WILL ONLY BE ORDER! BUT YOU WILL NOT BE THERE TO SEE IT!”

Tobias and his companions exchanged wary glances, their hands reaching for weapons. They knew that Shudan was not one to be underestimated, even in her weakened state. As they waited for her next move, Tobias felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He turned to see Frill, his little body shuddering violently on the ground.

“Frill!” Tobias cried out, rushing to the creature's side. He could feel the little creature's life force ebbing away, his body consumed by the same magic that had destroyed Shudan.

Tobias felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had pushed Frill too far, channeling more magic through his body than he could handle to disrupt the ritual without regard for the consequences. With a heavy heart, Tobias watched as Frill's body grew still, his eyes closing for the final time. He knew that he would never be able to forgive himself for what he had done.

As Tobias mourned the loss of his companion, he heard a low growl coming from the shadows. He turned to see Shudan, her body twisted and contorted by the magic that had consumed her. Whereas before she’d resembled a withered crone, now her body was twisted in grotesque, hideous ways. The runic scars that covered her body, allowing her to guide the chaotic flows of magic to her will, were especially pronounced, pulsing with an eerie light.

“You will pay for what you have done,” she snarled, her eyes glowing a bright emerald from the raw magic that had run through her. Tobias drew his sword, ready to face whatever horrors Shudan had in store for him.

“Tobias, stand back, blast her with a spell or two,” Drorvar shouted as he charged Shudan, his shield up and warhammer at the ready.

“He cannot, for the fool killed his familiar in disrupting the ritual,” Shudan noted, reaching out and catching Drovar’s swing single handedly.

Tobias winced, even as he ran around to try to get to Shodan’s flank. She was right, unfortunately. Magic required a focus, something to give it guidance, in order to allow the mortal mind to properly direct and control it. Attempting to perform a spell without one was impossible for anything more subtle or impactful than a punch to the face. With Frill dead, he no longer had his focus, while Shudan’s foci had been carved into her skin.

“Now die, dwarf,” Shudan intoned as she tore the warhammer from Drovar’s grip, before slamming the pick end into his eye.

With a wet crunching of metal and flesh, the dwarf's eye popped out, blood and other fluids spilling onto the floor. He stumbled back, blood running from his eye socket, and landed with a loud crash. He laid there, his one remaining eye open and staring at nothing. Drorvar was dead.

The dwarf's body shuddered, and then went still. Tobias felt sick to his stomach, watching the gruesome murder. He wanted to turn away, but knew that he would be unable to see Shudan's attack coming. One of the runes on her chest began to glow brighter, wisps of energy flowing out of it and into Drovar's body.

With a sickening tearing sound, the dwarf's body began to bulge and distend as his muscles expanded. His armor cracked and tore as he began to grow in size, soon doubling in height, and his body covered in thick, coiled muscles. With a massive roar, he exploded out of his armor, even his skin, sending blood and debris flying everywhere.

Tobias shielded his face from the debris, trying to keep a clear view of the monstrosity before them. It had to be over nine feet tall, covered in thick black fur, and his hands now ended in huge, sharp claws. Shudan cackled loudly, watching as Drovar rose to his feet, now more beast than dwarf.

“A fine weapon you have made for yourself, witch,” the monster that was once his friend growled, flexing its muscles as it ran a thick, muscled paw over the hide that covered its body.

“Tobias,” Yaro hissed, “figure out a way out of this, Dura and I will keep them off you.”

Tobias nodded, his mind scrambling as he tried to think of a way out of this mess, as Dura and Yaro threw themselves at the monster that used to be Drovar. Shudan didn’t even deign to watch, turning back to the number of runic circles and letting the magic flow from her into them. His eyes widened as he realized what she was doing.

Channeling magic without a focus was possible, it formed the foundational lessons for all prospective mages. Runescars were the closest he’d seen to a structured magic tradition that didn’t, but even with that he’d never seen someone using magic to mend a focus that had been damaged!

His eyes scanned the room, trying to find something he could use as a makeshift focus. Nothing, or at least, nothing that he could use in the time he had. Shudan's body was still glowing from the magic she was channeling, so he knew she was still able to direct it. If only…

Looking down, Tobias saw that the runes on the floor were starting to glow. Glancing up, he saw Dura and Yaro desperately doing their best to hold off Shudan’s monster. He was out of time… time. That was it! Scanning the runes on the floor, Tobias grit his teeth as he started channeling magic through his body.

Spotting the Alhaz rune, one of the runes most strongly associated with the concept of time, Tobias’s body screamed in pain from the unfiltered energies surged through it. He’d only get one shot at this, Shudan appeared to have dismissed him as a threat, but if he didn’t get this right, she wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

When his bones felt on the cusp of snapping, his blood an instant away from boiling in his body, Tobias pointed an arm at his target, and let the magic surge free. The unleashed energies shot through the air, surging into the rune and causing it to explode outward. The wave of time-tinted magic hit Drovar’s body first, causing it to age into dust in the blink of an eye. Then it hit Dura and Yaro, their bodies withering as they aged decades in mere moments.

Tobias closed his eyes as the wave neared him, ready for his death.