Dragon Sorcerer 1- Interlude 3 Cami/Adventurers (Patreon)

Interlude 3- Cami/Adventurers

Two days ago:

Cami didn’t know what was happening to her. She knew that Nico and Sir Galbrecht has gone off into the forest, but she expected them just to scout. By the time that she and Modessa had made it back to Cloverdale, she’d felt a rising tension within Nico.

It was unnerving to be able to sense where he was. The further away he was the weaker the connection, but she could always stand up and blindly point in his exact direction. What was more bizarre though was that she had a strong sense of what Nico was feeling at any given moment. The stronger the emotion the easier it was to understand. Once again the closer they were the better it worked too.

That sense was part of why she could never forget that Nico was really a dragon. Staring at him at times made her wonder how she’d managed to grow up her entire life without any good looking guys around. Most of the time she’d had to work on the farm, but the boys her age were so childish. Nico didn’t look like he was much older than her but he was so dreamy.

His hair was long enough to be beautiful but not so long as to lose his manly look. And his eyes, she shouldn’t even start thinking about his eyes. They were pools of blue so bright and so deep that she could lose herself in them. Even thinking about it made her feel silly because she also realized he was completely alien to her. The way he felt about things was odd.

Like there were times when Cami had noticed Nico staring at either Sir Galbrecht or Modessa and it felt like there was flaming hatred which bubbled up with him. She wondered how it could even be contained. Then there were other times that he was amused or appalled by simple things. No, it was important for her to remember that he was a dragon. No matter how connected she felt with him, there was no future there. He wasn’t some prince who would carry her off to his palace like always happened in the fairytales the girls shared with each other.

He was her companion, maybe her friend. Still the heart couldn’t help what it felt and she had a dull ache which she was neither old enough, nor wise enough to recognize. That may have been part of why it struck her so hard when she had felt Nico was in danger.

Modessa didn’t want to hear about it, insisting on taking a bath and Cami had to do all types of begging just to get the woman to agree to go back into the woods. They had only been walking for a few minutes when the golden light burst up into the sky. That was when the rogue had left her behind. Cami followed but couldn’t keep up.

Another minute later and she had fallen to her knees. Something came over her which she didn’t understand. She still remembered the words of the notification.

Influx of divine power.

Overflow directed through bond.

New Quest Received: Where have the dragon riders gone?

Objective: Discover information about the history of dragon riders on Taleian. Learn why natural bonds have almost disappeared.

Reward: Strengthening of the bond with Nicosandumas, knowledge vital to the survival of the empire, further quests with the potential to unlock a new class.

Cami hadn’t understood what much of that meant. No, she knew the words and got the general gist, but thinking about danger to the empire was clearly beyond her and that was to say nothing of the words divine power. She hadn’t been given a choice about accepting the quest or not. In stories the heroine always chose their own quests, but maybe if the gods were truly involved she didn’t have a choice.

Then the next notification hit her.

Temporarily gain boosts to your stats as though you were a Dragon Rider… Dragon Knight… Dragon Lord.

Strength: +75

Agility: +50

Durability: +125

Mind: +25

The power hit her like a sledgehammer. Her limbs swelled to the point that she thought she’d rip out of the shirt and pants she was wearing. She kept trembling for half a dozen seconds till the changes stabilized and she felt herself return to her normal self. Well, maybe not her normal self but at least she was going to burst out of her clothes.

She looked down at her hands and saw that her skin was different. Even in the dark she could see perfectly and recognized there was a faint blue pattern like scales underneath her skin. She flexed her hand and claws burst out from her finger tips but she didn’t even feel any pain or shed any blood.

She felt so powerful and the pull from Nico was unlike before. She closed her eyes and saw a horrid monstrosity from nightmares so dark they couldn’t be allowed to exist in the light of day. It took her a moment to adjust but she quickly realized she was seeing through Nico’s eyes, through his dragon eyes.

He was moving around rapidly lashing out with claws and tail alike to batter this monster. She felt a surge of pride. Nico was hers, not like she owned him but he was her dragon. The scope of the surroundings she saw soon convinced her that he was much larger than when she had seen him eating her father’s cows. He was the largest thing she’d ever seen and raw power oozed out of him.

Then she started running. She was like the wind itself as she tore through the forest. Her heightened stats made her feel so powerful. Cami knew that her dragon was fighting and it was her place to be beside him. They were stronger together.

As she ran she raised her hands in front of her. She only knew a single spell but she began to cast it. When she reached the monster she wanted to be ready. The power of the spell forming in her hands was unlike anything she’d imagined before. This wouldn’t fire a single force dart, nor would it fire off two like Nico did when he cast the spell. No, this would fire perhaps a dozen darts.

The mana drain was impressive and the sphere in front of her continued to grow. She didn’t even know how she was holding so much mana but she let instinct take over. An instant later she saw Modessa’s back. The woman was running through the forest as quick as shadow and as silent as a ghost but to Cami’s eyes she was as obvious as if she were running across an open field.

Then Cami came crashing to the ground. The spell she was holding disappeared in a flash of magical power which leveled a circle a dozen feet in diameter around her. She hit hard but her body was strong enough to endure. Yet as soon as she landed, that strength began to fade.

Modessa came running and was soon standing over her. She had an odd look on her face, “How’d you keep up with me?”

Cami groaned as she sat up.

“No, you know what, don’t tell me. This is just proof that wild mages are dangerous. I thought I told you not to cast a spell.”

“Wasn’t but magic came up. I was just worried about Nico and Sir Galbrecht.”

Modessa hand strayed to the dagger on her hip. Her eyes flicked back and forth. “Fine, don’t make me regret this. Stay here. I need to figure out what happened up ahead.”

Then before she moved, Modessa’s eyes had become vacant for a second. She smiled. “They’re here.”

Cami soon learned that the ‘they’ Modessa had been talking about was the rest of her party. Apparently, their wizard was powerful enough to cast a spell which homed in on another one of the party members and then teleported them there. She and Modessa joined the group, but a reunion wasn’t what caught everyone’s eyes.

The clearing which Nico had described from the night before was expanded as trees were leveled for hundreds of feet in each direction. The very ground was scorched and everywhere there were signs of a battle between two behemoths. The Magus Serius had continued to mumble about divine magic mixed with something else, but he didn’t explain himself to anyone.

Not that Cami really cared at the moment. Once she had found Nico unconscious on the ground she had taken on the role of nurse. Of course, it had taken days for him to wake but she had sat in his room, even sleeping there, the entire time. She was glad that Sir Galbrecht was okay but all her deepest worry was reserved for Nico. He might be odd and arrogant at times, but he was her dragon. She wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.

That commitment was tested almost immediately though when she was forced to leave his room. When Sir Galbrecht woke, the adventurers had driven everyone else from the tavern which upset the drunks and the owner alike, but what were they going to do. Magus Serius was extremely impatient and insisted on knowing what had happened as soon as the paladin woke.

He must have told the others that she was a candidate for the university. A knock on the door to Nico’s room had come. She stood, straightened the dress she was wearing and then opened it. Outside was one of the adventurers who had appeared. He was the one who wore green and brown leathers. He had an exotic look about him. There was slight tilt to his eyes and his ears were oddly shaped but he had a level of perfection his face that reminded her of Nico.

He gave her a faint smile. “I’m Liam from the adventurer’s guild. Magus Serius asked that you be brought down for testing. Sir Galbrecht asked me to assure you that you would be perfectly safe.”

Cami waited to see if there was more, but he simply stood there staring at her. It was like he didn’t care what happened one way or the other. He was simply passively standing there. In some ways it was almost like he was a tree. She shook her head. “Sorry, yes of course, I’ll go, but I hate to leave Nico.”

“Modessa said you’d say that, so you have my word. I will keep your vigil and ensure no harm comes to your friend. If he awakes, I will alert you immediately.”

He made it sound so grim, but then again, Nico had been out for almost two days now, so she supposed it was serious. She thanked him and then headed down the stairs. Her hands grasped the material of her dress in front and had to fight the urge to pull on the braid in her hair. She smiled at herself. Who tugs on their braid after all. It’s really sorta passive aggressive.

By the time she reached the bottom of the table she was as calm as she could be. The room had been cleared out except for the largest round table. Four people were sitting behind it and they all were facing her. In the middle was an old man. It was difficult to say exactly how old, but he was definitely older than the village elders. He was dressed in gray robes and had a well-trimmed white beard but only a small wisp of hair atop his head.

On his right was Sir Galbrecht and to the right of the paladin was Modessa. On the wizard’s other side was a beautiful woman. She was probably at least twice as old as Cami, but Cami could only hope to be that beautiful someday. She was where blue and white robes with gold trim. Cami had already met her; she was the priestess Lisella. The woman had a musical voice and was so kind, yet Cami couldn’t help but hear her father’s voice in her head. “Beware anyone who’s too nice in front of you because they’re probably trying to find a way to slip the blade in from behind you.”

Despite knowing that each of these adventurers were powerful in their own right and could likely destroy the entire village, the thing that caught her eyes was a small crystal sphere in the very center of the table. It was about the size of a coconut but was perfectly clear. It was propped up by three ornate, golden legs which formed a sort of cradle to hold it.

Magus Serius broke the quiet, “Ah, I see you’ve noticed my crystal ball. Of course any young would be wizard would have trouble not looking at it.”

Before she knew it, words were tumbling out of Cami’s mouth. “Is that the device to test me for magical potential.”

The wizard laughed. “I suppose it is at that, but it does far more than just test prospective students."

"Oh,” was all that Cami managed to say.

“It would be rather wasteful to create an artifact as powerful as my crystal ball and have it only do one thing. It isn’t like we run into potential students that often.”

She simply nodded.

Modessa said, “Before the testing though, we have some questions for you.”

Serius looked over at her and frowned. The rogue shrugged but didn’t speak again. The wizard asked, “Yes, we’d like to know a bit more about you and your upbringing.”

“There isn’t much to tell. I’ve lived on the farm here all my life. I’ve helped grow corn and raise cows. Sir Galbrecht can tell you that my father didn’t think much of me and only intended to marry me off.”

Serius nodded. “And you hope to escape that fate by coming to the university.”

Cami looked down at the table but nodded.

“You’ll learn that the university is not a place to hide from your troubles but rather a place where you’ll learn about the true troubles of the world. But tell us more about your family.”

Cami did as asked and continued to answer all their questions. Mostly it was Serius asking questions although Lisella did ask a couple. Finally what she had worried about happened as the wizard asked, “What about Nico? What can you tell us about your friend?”

“Only what I told Sir Galbrecht. I only met Nico a short time before he did.”

Serius still continued to ask her questions about what had happened with the dragon and what magic she had seen Nico perform and continued till finally he sighed. “I guess we aren’t getting around the wall this way. So be it. The time for you testing has come. Reach out and put your hand on my crystal ball.”

Modessa snorted and then blurted out, “Just don’t believe the old codger if he tells you that you have to touch his other balls for admission.”

Serius’ face grew bright red which made for an impressive contrast with his white beard. “I swear, that was just a rumor.”

Modessa snickered while Galbrecht rolled his eyes and Lisella stared at the table. Cami decided it would be best to just get this over with so she reached out and put her hand on the sphere.

She felt an immediate warmth. Then a tiny prick. She didn’t know how it was possible for a perfectly smooth orb to stick her but she jerked her hand back before she could help herself. She looked at Serius with a feeling of betrayal but he simply pointed at the orb. “It’s working.”

Inside the orb she saw a bit of red, her blood she assumed and looked at the palm of her hand where sure enough there was a tiny mark and a single drop of blood welling up. Lisella handed her a cloth which she pressed against her hand but then her eyes were pulled back to the orb.

The blood inside the orb was breaking down and becoming more like a mist. It continued to spread and fill most of the inside of the orb.

Serius was oohing and ahhing as he watched. “Impressive, quite promising.”

As she continued to watch she saw an number of symbols pass across the screen. A wing, a staff, a blazing fire, and finally a shadow of darkness, they all appeared in order.

The four adventurers all stared at the sphere. Lisella was the first to speak. “Does that mean what I think it does?”

Serius was slow to answer but he finally said, “Yes, four pursuits strong enough to create an image.”

Galbrecht said, “I haven’t seen nearly as many testings as you have but I don’t recall the images ever being that clear and there were never more than two.”

“Quite right. This is very uncommon. It has happened before but it looks like we have a little prodigy on our hands. You two did very well to protect her. The empire needs mages like her.” As he spoke Serius looked at Galbrecht and Modessa.

For once the rogue wasn’t frowning when she looked back at Cami. “I saw the shadow.”

Galbrecht said, “Don’t get too excited. It was fourth.”

“Don’t be mean Brechie. It was still a very clear image. It means she has a great deal of potential with the pursuit of shadow magic.”

Lisella coughed again. “But what about the wing.”

Serius said, “I think we’ve kept this young woman for long enough. We should let her rest for a while now.”

Lisella blushed and then clammed up but Cami asked, “But what does the testing mean. Can I attend the university.”

“Yes, not only that but it demonstrates that you have a great deal of potential both in terms of your power and in regard to the pursuits which will be available to you.”

“What are pursuits?”

Serius sighed. “Don’t you mean, what are pursuits, Magus Serius? If you’re going to be a student at the university you must learn to properly address all the professors and your elders.”

She nodded and started to speak but he cut her off. “I’m going to answer that question but then it really is time for you to leave. You have a life time of learning in front of you and we don’t have to do it all at once.”

Cami sighed but didn’t complain. Serius stared at her for a moment before nodding as though he had confirmed something. “For now it would be best for you to think of pursuits as paths of magic, but they are far more than that. Take for example the shadow which has Modessa so excited. It is the symbol for shadow magic, but it does much more than that. It is proof that you have the aptitude to learn the types of magic which Modessa practices.”

“But how many…”

Serius shook his head. “I did tell you one question. Now go check on your friend. We will have time to speak as we travel to the university.”

Cami reluctantly got up but finally stood and bowed. She didn’t know why but is had just felt like the right thing to do and it seemed to please Serius. Then she turned and headed up the stairs. She was so excited for Nico to wake up, she had much to share with him.

____________________________

Lisella was the first to speak after the girl was gone. “She seems sweet, perhaps her attachment to the boy is explained by simple attraction. He is easy on the eyes.”

Modessa laughed. “And barely more than half your age if we’re to believe his story. No, she is definitely hiding something but perhaps it will come to light in time.”

Galbrecht said, “Oh, so now because she shares your pursuit you’re willing to trust her.”

“I don’t trust anyone, but I can let a girl have her secrets. At this point, I really just want to get out of this dump and back to civilization. We already collected one sample for the emperor that should be enough for now.”

Serius was silent as the rest of the party bickered. Liam slipped into a chair on the far side of Lisella and joined them but didn’t say a word.

Finally Galbrecht said, “I can tell you that they both have secrets but neither has outright lied to us. What about your True Sight, Serius?”

“I couldn’t see anything. I feel like there was something to see when I looked at the boy, but it is as though something is blocking me. More importantly, I find my mind wandering when I try to consider certain things about him.”

Lisella asked, “Like what things?”

“That’s just it. If I knew then maybe I could reason it out, but some greater magic is at work here. Of that I’m certain.”

“Well simply teleport him to the university. All of you eggheads working together will figure it out,” Modessa said.

 “No, I’m afraid we will have to travel by more mundane means. I want the opportunity to observe these two outside of the university. So, I’ve bought some horses. We’ll ride out as soon as Nico wakes up. Well and after I test him, but there seems to be little doubt. We’ll ride to Taleian and then catch a ship to Nychan. From there we’ll ride north and either catch a small ship to cross the bay or I might just teleport us the last step of the way.”

Modessa looked like she wanted to scream but ended up just laying her head down on the table. Galbrecht asked, “You don’t want to take her near the imperial city?”

“Not until I understand what that first image means better. There are just too many unanswered questions about these two.”

The others were all silent then but soon Lisella ordered a round of drinks for all of them and allowed the owner to let others back in. Each of the adventurers were lost in their own thoughts then.